LuxuryDog, when Casso was running the Lucchese crime family for Amuso, he made the suggestion that the Colombo family merged with his own family as a way to stop the 3rd Colombo war, with two unidentified Colombo crews going to the Genovese. Even John Gotti was thinking of having the Bonannos merge with his family, until Joe Massino was named boss of the Bonanno, which gave him an ally and fought for the Bonannos to have a seat on the Commission to give him a secured vote. 2000, the Colombo crime family was still in disarray to where the other four families had a major discussion to disband that family. Joe Massino was against doing so and was able to get the imprisoned Amuso on his side through the Lucchese crime family representative, the Genovese crime family representative came to vote with Amuso and Massino on this, it was Peter Gotti who was pushing for the Colombo crime family to be disbanded. I wish Joe Massino could confirm or deny a rumor that a Genovese capo said they could disband the Colombo family after they kill some of the members in that family.

What is know and estimated of the families membership strength today would put the rankings like this.
1) Genovese
2) Gambino
3) Bonanno and Lucchese
4) Colombo


"I have this Nightmare. I'm on 5th avenue watching the St. Patrick's Day parade and I have a coronary and nine thousand cops march happily over my body." Chief Sidney Green