Listen man...I'm not on the side of stoolies or law enforcement...I had a few uncles and my grandpa who were all made and one being a Capo as part of the LaRocca Crime Family...believe me when I tell you that I do not take everything law enforcement says as gospel...However, I work a regular job and do research for several mob authors because I enjoy reading and learning about OC, but I'm also realistic and a stats guy and if anything has proved true, its that law enforcement has severely weakened OC activity and have put some of the most powerful mob bosses away for life and decimated families around the country. Do I believe that the FBI has railroaded some guys...absolutely...for what reason? They look at it as the ends justify the means. Like in the military in Afghanistan or Iraq, elite special forces have killed thousands of innocent people...for one reason...to rid the world of evil. It's a classic counter intelligence tactic. The CIA and how they have a broad ranging way of extracting intel from a captured Al Quaida member...starvation, water boarding, physical beatings to name a few. Is it ethical and moral? Probably not...but does it work in most cases? Yes...and that is evident by the success our government has had in killing or capturing guys like Hussein and Bin Laden.

Most wiseguys who come from the "old school" understand that the FBI has a job to do. Like with Baby Shacks, he was always courteous and friendly with the government and when he was indicted, he knew he was caught red handed and he took his sentence like a man but never complained he was railroaded. Not all FBI agents are ethical...but a majority of them are. They are guys who have wives and children and are looking to get rid of evil in society. Do I believe that illegal gambling, prostitution and loansharking are evil? NO...but drug dealing and murder certainly are. The young guys today in the mafia, lets face it, they do not carry the same old school values as the old timers did. Most of them were not born in Italy, do not understand the culture and tradition and honor of being a society guy...which is why you are seeing guys flipping left and right. There hasn't been a mob boss from Boston who has had any real success. It was Patriarca and Manocchio who were the backbone of New England LCN...the bosses from Boston were a joke from Salemme (who was half Irish), Limone and DiNunzio. The heavy hitters in Boston like Ferrara, Spagnolo, Quintina etc are getting up there in years and while they may still be earning, they don't have the muscle they once had. Are they capable? IMO, yes. Those guys know that in today's LCN, it isn't worth bringing heat. Rossetti was a piece of shit and will always be a piece of shit. DeLuca IMO was an informant longer than people realize and he gave up more than the strip clubs...he provided the Feds with a detailed list of who's who and the types of crimes they are involved with and he is still used as a source. The cheesesman will be dead in the near future as guys like him have heart disease and are more detrimental to themselves, he's no threat. Fatboy Anthony certainly is viewed as a joke and truly wasn't an effective Capo, let alone boss. The point is since the old man stepped down, New England is hurting as they can't find a capable leader.

Similar to Cleveland...when the top brass went away, some of the younger made guys like Joe Iacabacci and R.J. Pappalardo were reported to be rebuilding the family with the help of Chicago...well, they never rebuilt the family and they became nothing more than some guys who were made that became independent operatives and did their own thing. The Pittsburgh family had well over 100 associates and recently, there was a big illegal gambling bust...does that mean they have a family? NO, they are simply operating themselves as there is no family hierarchy. Guys like Patriarca and Manocchio don't come around too often and there is "nobody" who is younger that even come close to being as effective a leader as Ray or Baby Shacks...the heyday is OVER and slowly but surely they will cease to exist...like most other families.