Did drug dealing lead to the downfall of LCN? Or was it the FBI using that as an excuse to prosecute these guys?

I think a bit of both, not to mention i dont think after they were intrenched they needed dope but that's my 2 cents. The law is so thirsty once they want you they'll do whatever it takes even if it's flase as when have seen with all the reversed convictions.

i believe drug dealing led to the downfall. when the guys were facing 20+ yrs for dealing they were more likely to flip. as a result, if someone got busted for drugs, even if they were a solid earner/stand up guy, they would be viewed with suspicion as a possible snitch, whether they were or not could still get murdered. heavy jail sentence=RAT.

To say any one thing led to the downfall isn't correct. You can go back and identify several factors.

In my opinion, what drugs represented (generational changes in the mob, increased penalties from the law) had more to do with the downfall of the mob than drugs itself.

Don't you have the answers to both of your questions?

Don Corleone and Don Carlo were right. Drugs=easy, fast money. Easy, fast money=guys became greedier=more guys dealing=more guys get caught. Drugs=long, long sentences=more guys caught=more guys flip=downfall of cosa nostra.

Gotti also mused in the '70s that "all of the mutts running around"(half-breeds, half-Italian and half-whatever else) was bad for cosa nostra. They couldn't be trusted he said. -Sinatra Club.

I also think that just a general disregard for all of their organizational rules led to a crumbling from the top in Cosa Nostra. Too many/any passes given, guys start developing a lack of respect, start taking shortcuts, all lead to an overall lack of honor and respect. Then it doesn't matter what they do, they won't answer to anyone.

...yet it seems there's never been a time in it's illustrious history when somebody somewhere was not trading in babania...




Much as it cringes me to say, this fits. And led to...


...so to sum up...


...but my final answer awaits two guys yet to pipe in on the subject...

I think they became less stupid as the mob grew into the 60s and 70s. The original immigrant gangsters were more compliant with the leaders mostly because they didnt know anything else, they were more content with whatever the boss was giving to them, or whatever money they were making. The men that came after them were not like this , to them they wanted more of a boss lifestyle, meaning that they were alot more ambitious than there forefathers and knew more about the opportunities that were out there. Drugs was just a small part of this change, inevitably this would have happened anyway.

I think the mob was still very strong and didn't have too many stoolpigeons til gotti became boss and pissed off the feds..Then when the feds started flipping alot of guys..politicians and city cops weren't as eager to be on their payrolls anymore out of fear they might be next !!

We know they still are on the payroll, but not as much !!

Good points.