We cannot compare the Mafia with the black drug lords because first of all the Italians created their organizations centuries ago, while the black criminals began getting big at the start of the 20th century, mainly with the help of their policy racket. Also most of the black drug lords lasted for a decade or two and so you cannot compare their financial income with some Mafioso who was born in 1906 and died in 1992 and on top.of that he left one huge crime legacy behind him which lasts even today. I mean if a Mafioso such as Accardo who started making big income since the late 1920s, then you can imagine how much cash he managed to spent or invest through out his life time. Also you have Mafiosi who completely infiltrated huge legit industries and somehow managed to get "clean"....we are talking about different goals and different types of criminals... two different worlds...and the only thing which used to connect them was obviously gambling...and possibly the dope biz from time to time.
I think that in terms of income, the only Mafioso who can be compared to guys such as Matthews or Lucas is Al Capone....short career followed by a lot of cash...i mean you can calculate 100 mil during the early 1930s in todays cash but dont forget that all of that money didnt went only in Als pockets but instead some went for corruption and the rest went up or down the scale since as I previously said, it was all about maintaining the organization
The policy racket was one of the main rackets, the others will be bootlegging & other gambling rackets ( also prostitution). I wouldn't say the criminal types are completely different as those Black drug lords did the same thing getting involved in legit business and some did manage to get clean. In regards to rackets besides drugs & gamble; you also have contract hits, prison smuggling, and a few other rackets that they often cross path.
There's a highly regional interaction as well due to LCN membership being highly concentrated to their metropolitan territories ( Mainly NYC, NJ, Philly, New England, Chicago, & Detroit). While Black racketeers in those areas have been the historical focus, there's more of them in the South that's is just recently getting attention.
