I agree that it has been all but decimated. It has been in decline for a long time: 25 plus years. It's dead. Its most notable remnants are a bunch of 80+ year old guys. They own legitimate businesses and maybe they're shady and cut corners, pay off some lowlife city official here and there but that's it. I bet Nick Calabrese could get out of the WPP, and go buy a house next door to John DiFronzo and nothing would happen to him. Whats gonna happen? He's gonna get killed? Yeah right.
For instance: Frank Calabrese Jr. wrote a book and does book signings in Chicago am I correct? These things are announced all over the place; where he'll be at what time, etc. Where's the hitmen at? Oh yeah. There aren't any.
I more or less agree with you, particularly about the part that a lot of people identified as gangsters or associates of gangsters are likely mostly quasi-legit now. If someone stole a car 30 years ago they immediately go into the "potential made guy" file.
Just doesn't seem realistic to me.
The actual evidence that's been seen, like Calabrese Sr.'s juice loan notebook, or Marcello's video poker books, suggest things are taking place at an extremely diminished level.
