I don’t fully disagree with you Furio. It’s a fact that the associate-per-member ratio in Chicago was wider than elsewhere, that plus the number of highly regarded non-Italians involved.

As I said in the OP we could be looking at a web of different crews still gravitating around a ruling center. But, based on the evidence available to us, I’m more inclined to believe that whatever is still going on is independent and loose. Like I said the best example that comes to mind are Irish-American crews in metro Boston. Definitely there, but fluid in structure, activity and membership.

Lastly, I wouldn’t underestimate the pull “street gangs” have in Chicago. Pull is unquestionably connected to fear, money and manpower. I doubt that a multimillionaire black or Hispanic kingpin with a literal army of men under him has a hard time getting his way with local public officials.