With DiFronzo gone, DeLaurentis is allegedly the guy in charge of...what exactly?

Is the “Outfit” still a structured and vertically layered organization?

Did it morph into some sort of underworld within itself? A criminal subculture made of distinct, localized and loosely-associated crews, with no active administration on top, save for emeritus, wealthy members filling the role of occasional advisers?

Perhaps we’re looking at something even beyond that: independent groups with a shared history lacking any sort of ruling panel, each centered around few former members of a now fully defunct organization completely cut-off from the rest of the American LCN.

When was the last serious indictment that confirmed the many allegations about their elite status? Their scope, structural shape, influence, political pull and wealth. I’m talking unions, big-time construction/service industry racketeering, spread-out gambling rings, drugs, kick-ups, active connections to other criminal organizations and out-of-state LCN families, etc...

Family Secrets was mostly about murder cold cases.

According to this 1998 article, in the late 1990’s they were believed to have approximately 70 members and between 700 to 1,200 associates > http://www.ipsn.org/characters/coia/magazines/traditional_organized_crime_in_chicago.htm

According to Nick Calabrese’s testimony, they had around 60 made guys in the early 2000’s.

If these numbers were correct and we assume that their manpower didn’t decrease drastically in less than two decades it would make them bigger than Philly.

Yet the number of investigations are far too low for a criminal organization of that reported size.

The cases of the last few years involving Sarno, Fratto, Dziuban/Carparelli, Davis and Panozzo didn’t really painted them as refined, top-tier, organized nor “white collar”. It all seemed quite scattered around, average-to-small-time and boorish.

Does Chicago have its own Capeci? Where can I find reliable crime reports/intel about them? Scott Burnstrein’s website is far too fanboy-ish to be taken seriously.

We can’t use the “they’re so secretive, so smart, so well-connected...” card anymore. It’s like we’re talking about the illuminati or something.