Lepke Bucholter was probably the most powerful and richest individual gangster of the Thirties.
I also wholeheartedly agree about Buchalter. Most powerful in the 1930's, as Rothstein was the most powerful in the 20's.
But do you think he was more powerful than any individual Cosa Nostra boss? Nobody bothered to kill Abe Reles to get Lepke off the hook, yet when Anastasia who wasn't even boss, was about to go to the chair with Reles's testimony, they used their connections to have him thrown out of the window. Doesn't this imply that Anastasia was more powerful than Lepke?
I think the distinction is Lepke could threaten multiple industries whereas Mangano, Bonanno, Profaci, etc. couldn't. Power is subjective, but we singled out labor because its gateway to industry control, legitimacy, and and was a key part of the development of Cosa Nostra a decade alter, which goes to show how much labor racketeering makes the difference for an aspiring don. The mob only achieved control over the garbage industry in the 1940's once they infiltrated the Teamsters and were able to dictate to the industry which truckers to hire and since then look what it's done for them, for example. Mangano was big on the waterfront, Bonanno and Gagliano had vast garment industry interests, but Lepke's labor rackets were bigger in scope.
The Abe Reles situation, I believe, was a Costello move which goes to show again he was the most powerful mob political operative.
