This probably sounds like a stupid question. I know of course there are/were large Italian gangs in cities like Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, etc. But do gangs outside of the Five Families in NYC count as the Mafia? Is the Mafia considered just NYC or is it all of the groups in the Commission, plus others? Would Al Capone be considered apart of the Mafia? I do not have a large knowledge of the subject, but I always thought of NYC's families as the only Italian 'Mafia'. Would Chicago be just the Outfit or also the Mafia?

At one point in time, there were 26 Mafia Families throughout the US. Five of them were (and still are) based in New York. The Chicago group, with Al Capone at the top, was recognized as a Mafia Family in 1931 after the murder of Masseria. Today there are only ten Families left (the five in New York, one in NJ, Philly, Detroit, Chicago and Boston/Rhode Island).

And the arm in buffalo

You´re right. I forgot about them.

So...there are 11 Families left, not ten.

It's not many from the original 26 hairy

I was always taught that the true definition of MAFIA was:
Mothers And Fathers Italian Association ;-)

First of all the term "Mafia" is purely Italian. It really irks me when the term is used to describe "[insert ethnic group] Mafia"
I know it's a bit of a tangent, but please refer to the tradition at hand. (Yakuza, Triads, etc) if there is one In the case, of there being no standing tradition. The term "mob" will do

No back to the OP. If it follows the a rigid cultural tradition and is structured like criminal fraternity. And it's Italian. Chances are it's Mafia. Chicago could be debated, as it's origins aren't Sicilian. But the dominance the 5 families and the Commisions held sway it turn the Outfit and other simililar Italian organized crime groups into the the wider Mafia culture via assimilation and pure influence.

Italian gangs like the 10th & O crew are gangs. There's no tradition, no overarching structure with longevity, no cultural exclusivity. So yeah. I think I've got it, and digressed a fair bit in teh process.