I'd also like to add that in the 1980's, there were even fewer cases, which is even more strange, since they were still actively engaged in labor racketeering and absolutely in touch with other crime families at this point and time.

1984: Anthony "Tony Pal" Palazzolo, Samuel Giordano, and several other non-Italian associates were busted over extorting someone for about $154,000 over a card game.

1986: Nove Tocco and several others were federally indicted and convicted for distributing cocaine.

1987: Vito Giac, Jackie "The Kid" Giac, Michael Polizzi, and others were busted over the Fresh Farms Produce extortionate scheme / booking operation.

I'm sure there were other smaller, county-prosecuted busts like the ones mentioned in the 1990's. But I couldn't find anything other than the federal cases above, although I believe there was a (small) MSP-prosecuted bookmaking bust involving Specs and Versaci (recently passed) around the time Tony Pal was busted. Even in the 1970's, you had few federal indictments: Tony Z getting nearly a decade (in 1972, IIRC) for the Frontier Casino, Tony Giac getting convicted for tax evasion in 1976, and then getting convicted for extortion in 1979. And he was the public enemy in those days for obvious reasons. Also, Jack Tocco and a couple of others were indicted in a (minor) bankruptcy fraud case, but it was thrown out.

The giant 1996 indictment has a drop-off in overt acts between about 1982 and 1991, which is when Nove Tocco and Paul Corrado started their half-assed extortionate scheme. I've said it before on the other forum, if it wasn't for them, odds are very strong that Jack Tocco never would have seen a conviction in his life. And he has been the official boss of the Detroit family for nearly 35 years.

Remember, 1996 was the first and only time the FBI proved in front of a jury that a crime family even existed in the area. And that was only possible because of Nove Tocco (who eventually ratted) and Paul Corrado, quite possibly the biggest idiots to ever get made in that Family.

The Detroit FBI had an agenda to pursue in the 1990's -- they had been trying to get Tocco convicted for decades, and they finally hit the jackpot with those two mentioned above. They had a squad devoted to attacking the family, and produced very few, minor cases, which often resulted in sentences of 2-3 years or less. And, in the 1980's, they WERE still a powerful small family. The feds had NO excuses to bring so few (and minor) cases forward.

As for their membership numbers, I found what I was looking for: the U.S. Senate hearings on LCN in 1984 showed Detroit down to 23 members. This was bumped back up to ~30 in 1996 (after a number of deaths of the members who made up that 1984 total, so at least 10 men were made during those 10-12 years). I said it on the other forum, if 1995 was the last ceremony, Detroit would be down to about 18-20 made members. But that'd be assuming there hasn't been a ceremony in nearly 20 years, which is very difficult to believe. The FBI even asserted upon Tocco's release in 2003 (or maybe 2004) that Tocco continued to head the Family. It's a tradition, everyone knows this. Jackie's an old-school, albeit very greedy person, and has waited many years for the top spot. I just can't see him allowing the tradition to fall apart. He wants his tribute money, to say the least.