For argument sake If Buffalo and Philly had the same amount of members/structure, would the international reach of Buffalo be enough to notch them above Philly? I know Philly gets a ton of coverage, but if Buffalo had as much coverage and with the Canadian element, it could put them a step up.
If (and this is a HUGE IF) Buffalo actually has a similar amount of members and structure, then yes. Their ties into Canada and international drug trafficking would put them ahead of Philadelphia.
However, for arguments sake ... do you really think that a family that law enforcement has believed to be dead for 10+ years really has 35-40 secret made members and has been able to stay off the radar all of this time? Or, would it make more sense that Violi was possibly bullshitting on the phone and propping himself up to sound bigger than he really was? I'd personally go with that instead of him actually being the underboss. And before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm not saying there aren't remnants in Buffalo operating the traditional rackets ... I believe there is. I just don't believe they are a formally structured family with 35-40 secretive members.
Until more solid proof or evidence comes out regarding Buffalo, you really can't compare them to Philadelphia at this point. It is a fact that Philly is a recognized LCN family with 35 or more known made members out on the streets, with even more in prison. They may not be as active as the Scarfo era and we may not know the administration or who holds what title, but they are there. The FBI continues to try and bring racketeering indictments against them year after year.
Buffalo? Not so much. The FBI has all but declared them extinct, and while I don't totally agree with that term, I'm more willing to accept what comes from law enforcement in the last decade over internet speculation. There has been nothing to come out that proves they are an active and structured family other than the wiretap of Violi claiming to be named underboss. I could declare myself underboss of an extinct family like San Jose and who would be around to dispute it?
