From what I have heard the Westie did not kick up $1 to Roy or the Gambinos
They did what they wanted . The alliance probably only gave them a name to throw around or protection when dealing with the Genovese who had alot of influence in that neighborhood and were in a secret war with the Westies . The Westies were crazy but had no chance vs that family , the Mad Dog and his who knows who else were hunting them.
The Gambinos basically got a new murder crew outside the family and probably got some control of them ( ie no more K & R jobs ) . NYC must have been like the Wild West back then, legit serial killers everywhere .
The arrangement was they'd turn over 10% to the Gambinos (except for loansharking profits) for which they could be affiliated with the family. Maybe they didn't actually turn over 10% but I have a hard time believing they didn't kick up any money.
DeMeo was a good earner but nowhere near the top. The biggest illegal money came from:
1. bootlegging - Al Capone made $100 million, which is billions in today's money in about 6 years
2. narcotics - The Pizza Connection guys moved billions in heroin over 10 years
3. gas scams - The Colombos, Gambinos and Genovese made hundreds of millions in less than 10 years
4. internet/phone scams - One Gambino crew stole about $650 million over 10 years
All of this is dwarfed by the Colombian and Mexican cartels.
It's a little apples and oranges to compare a domestic crime group like the Italian-American mob to the cartels in Colombia and Mexico. A better comparison would be the crime groups in Italy.
