I guess this question is directed at Chicago, but ill leave it open ended...

What i wanna know is how great is the actual presence of cosa nostra in chicago? By reading the Boston thread i can tell its very similar to how nj/ny is. What i mean is that lcn has influence basically in almost every aspect of the neighborhood. In any age, any business, legal or illegal, except big corporate or white collar biz. Drugs, sports, shy, machines, teasrer cards, burglars, local biz, retail, garbage, trucking, construction, unions, etc... There is a pecking order. In chicago is a connected guy more or less given the same respect he would recieve in ny? Im not saying every mob guy is equal, far from it. But say in a neighborhood like belleville or bayonne or bensonhurst being straightened out goes pretty far. So does being on the record to an extent. The levels of influence vary, but its repetitive after seeing it for so long. Say joe associate has four sons. One got a job at landscaper and wont be fired bc his boss doesnt want to piss off his dad, who now owes him a favor for putting his son to work. Son two is a junkie thief who robs cars who for his parole obligations recieved membership in the ila local xxx for 5k from his father, and in 5-10 yrs will most likely be elavated to shop steward or timekeeper. Son 3 is a bartender at the neighborhood bar and a degenerate gambler who got into jack the bookie for 100k but his father stepped in for him and the debt was reduced to 75-no vig and is able to work it off by being an agent for jack. Son four starts a vending machine company. He wants to get a stop at a local warehouse that nets 1000 a week. His father goes to his boss and his boss sends 3-4 young kids (just like joe's sons...) to tell the other vending co owner to take his machines out. Son 4 has his stop, and passes up 250 a week as a thank you. What im trying to say here is in certain nhoods you would be hard pressed to find a white person that doesnt know a connected guy. It is much less in the suburbs, but in the main neighborhoods, that kindof stature still exists and is respected. Dont know how it is in chicago, i know they are all part of the same organization, lcnj. Or is it more spread out of an organization where you dont really have that neighborhood presence anymore?