Ivy, The reason why there are still some cases in New York is because they are still involved (in a smaller way than the past) with blue collar street activity like street Bookmaking and Loan Sharking. The reason why there is very little heard about cases in Chicago and Detroit is because they are INVOLVED IN WHITE COLLAR ACTIVITY which is much harder to prove any wrong doing. It's much more difficult to prosecute, let alone prove, union activity, bid rigging of major city contracts and so forth. The most recent was the bid rigging prosecution of Rudy Fratto. This is the kind of activity the Chicago Outfit of 2013 is involved in. So, it's very debatable, even among the Feds, as to whether the Outfit is weaker or just DIFFERENT. As far as street muscle, the Outfit and the entire American Mafia is weaker than years ago. No question. However, like Don Corleone said in the Godfather, a lawyer with a brief case can steal more money than a 1,000 men with guns. That's the ideology of the Outfit and the Detroit Partnership in 2013. Read your precious F.B.I. reports more closely, and you will see this is what they are saying about Chicago. They just don't have a handle on it because it's much less obvious than what was done years ago. Potentially, there is more money in the long run in White Collar Activity than in Blue Collar Activity. There is also much less risk of being prosecuted or convicted which means very little or no prison time and much less attorney fees. The days of Sam DeStefano and other guys from the Taylor Street Crew are long, long gone and will never return.

Last edited by elmwoodparker; 06/18/13 03:14 AM.