@ johhnydoves

It always amuses me, the opinions on NY and Chicago, and the function of a made guy.

The Gennas were Sicilian. They were criminals. But the way they were organized, is a LOT like say, what you might find in Canada today, or Naples, maybe Colombia or Mexico, even Dominican, I think, more so than even Sicily. They controlled a territory, ( which, funny enough, eventually became Cabrini Green lol..) but focused on selling a product, not so much wholesale extortion. I don't think the Gennas had to " Make" themselves? To be respected by...... Each other? Blood relatives? Lol, how ridiculous does that sound?


ONE OF MY BASIC RULES- Power syndicate equals wholesale extortion, territorial control. Control of customers, like gambling, or even specific rackets, like say garbage, construction, in a certain area.
This requires soldiers IN THE TERRITORY, when you have a concentration of gangsters in one place you need RULES!!! PARAMETERS!!! Hence, this setup NEEDS made guys. Or more specificly, a mechanism for regulating disagreements amongst themselves, so as to keep business flowing.


ENTERPRISE SYNDICATE equals control of a COMMODITY, like liquor, Cigarettes, counterfeit cloths, drugs. It's not hard to see that with these businesses, territory is an IMPEDIMENT to success. You don't want to be tied to a specific PLACE, if you are moving a product. These organizations need KEY people, in KEY PLACES, probably multiple places or KEY PEOPLE with special connections.
This was ALWAYS LUCIANO. Always had special connects with the dope suppliers, whether through Rothstein, or the Chinese, later the Corsicans. ALWAYS had special relationships with European Distillaries, legit medical corporations for both medicinal liquor and opiates. This is why BUSINESS was always more important to Luciano. Luciano wasn't made, and then got access to special connections. He HAD special connections, AND THATS WHY HE WAS MADE!! HE, his crew brought wholesale bribery to the NY mob, not the other way around. They benefitted from an association WITH HIM, but I don't think people see it that way.




And this is a fluid thing, it's not set in stone. A strong enterprise can lead to territorial control, territorial control can morph into a strong enterprise.


The Outfit, while having some characteristics of a power syndicate, to me, was really always an Enterprise syndicate, ( Actually I would love to hear Todopeed, Snakes opinion on this, I think I might make a new thread..) first with liquor, then the race wire and gambling and juke machines and narcotics. I consider the race wire an enterprise more akin to a product, because they were selling information, more so than extorting individual guys in a specific area, just taking a cut.

Look at the Calabrese in NY. They control a commodity. Because of this, I guarantee you they don't care about being made, don't NEED to be made to operate, don't need a huge crew to coordinate their activities, and don't care about the local NY rackets.

When I look at organizations, I always use these guidelines. When I look at individuals, I use Machiavellis tenants to try to gauge their relative power.

@ Sinatra

You are right, the Outfit pretty much, was the strongest group. What people don't seem to get, is they were the strongest largely BECAUSE IT WASNT STRICKLY SICILIAN. Same for Luciano's click. People don't get that Luciano and Capone were powerful, capable as fuck, BEFORE THEY BECAME MAFIOSI. THEY ENHANCHED THE MAFIA. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

Capone didn't become made and then became a crime boss. He BECAME A MADE GUY BECAUSE HE WAS A CRIME BOSS ALREADY. absorbing him into Cosa Nostra enhanced the mafia. Same for Luciano.
The Sicilian thing actually would have greatly crippled both these guys if they had to adhere to that.