I've heard from several people that Philadelphia now has a very big input, or possibly complete control, over what is thought to be the remaining remnants of LCN in Pittsburgh. I am almost 100% certain that this was even brought up and theorized by another poster on this board about a year or so ago, but I can't remember what thread it was posted in or who posted it. Whether that is actually true or not, it is a fact that there are still associates and family members of the "former" Pittsburgh mob who are still active in gambling, loan sharking, and drugs. However, most people believe these associates are loosely knit and have operated independently without a formal structure/hierarchy since at least the early 2000's (Genovese passed in 2006, however most of the power and influence was lost when Zebo passed away in 1998, and there were very few made men left at the time).

Sonny Ciancutti is the last remaining "KNOWN" made member and is now in his late 80's. He controls/controlled large gambling operations in Allegheny and Fayette counties for many, many years; however, at this point I would imagine he would not be involved with anything other than collecting his piece of the various gambling profits and enjoying time at the casinos if he is still physically up to it. Anyway, back to Philadelphia -- there are connections to Pittsburgh and they date back to the 1980's with Scarfo. Little Nicky has a relative, Joe Nistico, who is a bookmaker from Clairton, PA (30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh in the Mon Valley). Nistico had his Clairton home searched back in 2013 as part of the gambling bust in Pittsburgh that had ties to the former Pittsburgh LCN, as several of those charged were the sons of former family associates. Scarfo actually came to Pittsburgh in 1986, along with Phil Leonetti, to have a sit-down with Chucky Porter to help resolve a dispute on Nistico's behalf, who was being shaken down by the Pittsburgh family.

So, before this becomes another Buffalo 2016 thread, I'm not saying that Pittsburgh is currently functioning as a traditionally structured organized crime family with a hierarchy; however, there are definitely remnants of the former family who are still involved in gambling and several other traditional bread and butter LCN rackets, and there are arrests/convictions from within the last few years that prove that. Hopefully more information will come to light soon, a la what is currently happening regarding Buffalo, and we will find out if the present day connections to the Philadelphia LCN are true and whether or not Pittsburgh is just a loose knit, unstructured group of associates or if it remains (or was revived) into a fully functioning, structured family in the traditional LCN mold.