1 registered members (RushStreet),
71
guests, and 34
spiders. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums21
Topics43,347
Posts1,086,182
Members10,381
|
Most Online1,254 Mar 13th, 2025
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1031767
03/24/22 05:00 PM
03/24/22 05:00 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 817
Friend_of_Henry
Underboss
|
Underboss
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 817
|
Hard to believe I'm picking The John LaRocca Family - Pittsburgh :-)
"Never walk in a room that you don't know how to get out of"- Henry Zottola
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1031771
03/24/22 05:19 PM
03/24/22 05:19 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 817
Friend_of_Henry
Underboss
|
Underboss
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 817
|
Hard to believe I'm picking The John LaRocca Family - Pittsburgh :-) You need 2 more FOH. I'm asking for 3 families. Hell, one's always been enough for me ;-) However since you're asking for 3 then how "bout Detroit and KC. Joe got a check from KC every month.
"Never walk in a room that you don't know how to get out of"- Henry Zottola
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: BensonHURST]
#1031831
03/25/22 07:42 AM
03/25/22 07:42 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
NYMafia
OP
|
OP

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
|
Detroit Florida New Orleans
Respectable choices IMO. For my money I like the Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Bufalino families. Many other families were bigger and stronger, and more pervasive in their operations. Some borgatas was extremely wide ranging and influential. But I picked these three because they were also very profitable, but they were also internally peaceful and never garnered the attention of LE the way some of the other crews did. In that regard, Tampa and New Orleans also deserve honorable mention. Even the Zammuto family in Rockford, IL., was successful enough for a mention. But other families such as the Zito family in Springfield, IL., and some of the other small crews in California and elsewhere, although quiet and peaceful just weren't substantial enough within Cosa Nostra to fall into this category IMHO.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1031838
03/25/22 08:55 AM
03/25/22 08:55 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
Big_Tuna93
Capo
|
Capo
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
|
Detroit Florida New Orleans
Respectable choices IMO. For my money I like the Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Bufalino families. Many other families were bigger and stronger, and more pervasive in their operations. Some borgatas was extremely wide ranging and influential. But I picked these three because they were also very profitable, but they were also internally peaceful and never garnered the attention of LE the way some of the other crews did. In that regard, Tampa and New Orleans also deserve honorable mention. Even the Zammuto family in Rockford, IL., was successful enough for a mention. But other families such as the Zito family in Springfield, IL., and some of the other small crews in California and elsewhere, although quiet and peaceful just weren't substantial enough within Cosa Nostra to fall into this category IMHO. This sounds like BS, but my father attended school with Frank Zito's children. Always spoke very highly of the family.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: Big_Tuna93]
#1031840
03/25/22 09:12 AM
03/25/22 09:12 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
NYMafia
OP
|
OP

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
|
Detroit Florida New Orleans
Respectable choices IMO. For my money I like the Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Bufalino families. Many other families were bigger and stronger, and more pervasive in their operations. Some borgatas was extremely wide ranging and influential. But I picked these three because they were also very profitable, but they were also internally peaceful and never garnered the attention of LE the way some of the other crews did. In that regard, Tampa and New Orleans also deserve honorable mention. Even the Zammuto family in Rockford, IL., was successful enough for a mention. But other families such as the Zito family in Springfield, IL., and some of the other small crews in California and elsewhere, although quiet and peaceful just weren't substantial enough within Cosa Nostra to fall into this category IMHO. This sounds like BS, but my father attended school with Frank Zito's children. Always spoke very highly of the family. It's not BS as much as its just one man's opinion and viewpoint. At the end of the day it's all conjecture anyway. Frank Zito ran a nice little family. But he wasn't national in scope, nor were he or his crew involved in any major racket operations. They were more a small quiet crew with limited local bootlegging and gambling. But was it a nice family? Definitely. Another example of an extremely small family was that of Carlo Caputo of Madison, WI, who only had a reported 10-12 members. They're footprint was minimal, yet they were still reported as a family. I mention the other crews I did because they were more substantial, yet still flew under the radar. But I respect everyone's opinion. As I said, it's only an opinion.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1031841
03/25/22 09:17 AM
03/25/22 09:17 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
Big_Tuna93
Capo
|
Capo
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
|
Detroit Florida New Orleans
Respectable choices IMO. For my money I like the Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Bufalino families. Many other families were bigger and stronger, and more pervasive in their operations. Some borgatas was extremely wide ranging and influential. But I picked these three because they were also very profitable, but they were also internally peaceful and never garnered the attention of LE the way some of the other crews did. In that regard, Tampa and New Orleans also deserve honorable mention. Even the Zammuto family in Rockford, IL., was successful enough for a mention. But other families such as the Zito family in Springfield, IL., and some of the other small crews in California and elsewhere, although quiet and peaceful just weren't substantial enough within Cosa Nostra to fall into this category IMHO. This sounds like BS, but my father attended school with Frank Zito's children. Always spoke very highly of the family. It's not BS as much as its just one man's opinion and viewpoint. At the end of the day it's all conjecture anyway. Frank Zito ran a nice little family. But he wasn't national in scope, nor were he or his crew involved in any major racket operations. They were more a small quiet crew with limited local bootlegging and gambling. But was it a nice family? Definitely. Another example of an extremely small family was that of Carlo Caputo of Madison, WI, who only had a reported 10-12 members. They're footprint was minimal, yet they were still reported as a family. I mention the other crews I did because they were more substantial, yet still flew under the radar. But I respect everyone's opinion. As I said, it's only an opinion. No doubt! Believe both Frank and his brother were at Apalachin. Also being from Central Illinois, as well as being someone who loves mob history, I think it's cool that Springfield, IL had a family that carried a little bit of weight. Your information and knowledge on La Cosa Nostra is fucking unreal man. Like an encyclopedia.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1031843
03/25/22 09:54 AM
03/25/22 09:54 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
NYMafia
OP
|
OP

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
|
To BigTuna, Thank you for that compliment. I actually wrote a very extensive expose for the "Frank Zito Family of Springfield, IL." It's probably the most deeply researched and explicit story about them ever published. I also wrote a very extensive expose about the Joseph Zammuto Family of Rockford, IL., which as you know interacted with the Zito Family as "amici" and associates. Both of these stories are available under the "Friends of Ours" link on my website, www.thenewyorkmafia.com if you're interested. It lays out the deep history of both families and their rank and file members, pictures, hierarchy charts, the works!
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1031860
03/25/22 03:09 PM
03/25/22 03:09 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
Big_Tuna93
Capo
|
Capo
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 419
|
To BigTuna, Thank you for that compliment. I actually wrote a very extensive expose for the "Frank Zito Family of Springfield, IL." It's probably the most deeply researched and explicit story about them ever published. I also wrote a very extensive expose about the Joseph Zammuto Family of Rockford, IL., which as you know interacted with the Zito Family as "amici" and associates. Both of these stories are available under the "Friends of Ours" link on my website, www.thenewyorkmafia.com if you're interested. It lays out the deep history of both families and their rank and file members, pictures, hierarchy charts, the works! Unbelievable, brother. You are truly a savant. Great work.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: Big_Tuna93]
#1031868
03/25/22 03:45 PM
03/25/22 03:45 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
NYMafia
OP
|
OP

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
|
To BigTuna, Thank you for that compliment. I actually wrote a very extensive expose for the "Frank Zito Family of Springfield, IL." It's probably the most deeply researched and explicit story about them ever published. I also wrote a very extensive expose about the Joseph Zammuto Family of Rockford, IL., which as you know interacted with the Zito Family as "amici" and associates. Both of these stories are available under the "Friends of Ours" link on my website, www.thenewyorkmafia.com if you're interested. It lays out the deep history of both families and their rank and file members, pictures, hierarchy charts, the works! Unbelievable, brother. You are truly a savant. Great work. Grazie mille!
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: OakAsFan]
#1032068
03/27/22 06:13 PM
03/27/22 06:13 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
NYMafia
OP
|
OP

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 12,482
|
1) Phily- Bruno era
2) Tie...Trafficante/Marcello. Two southern families with like 10 members each with so much power and influence over private sector, government and unions. May have orchestrated Kennedy assassination.
3) Even though they wouldn't rank high in regard to power and influence nation wide, I'm going to throw this one in there for discussion. The Smaldone era in Denver. Ran a very lucrative gambling operation in Denver and I believe Pueblo for decades. Came off as legit businesspeople. Well liked. Stuck mostly to vice rackets that police turned the other cheek from.
If Frank Sheeran were telling the truth about Buffalino, I'd have him at #1, but historical facts tend to refute a lot of his claims. The movie's implication that he called the shots on the Anastasia hit was pretty laughable, too. Although it was a great scene with great music. Scorsese at his finest. I agree regarding Trafficante and Marcello. Both small crews yet had tremendous influence in both licit and illicit endeavors. Politics, etc. Very strong! Sheeran was half off his rocker, or just wanted to cash in to the mafia craze and make a earn, or both! 90% of what he had to say was all fantasy bullshit.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1032194
03/29/22 05:58 PM
03/29/22 05:58 PM
|
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 37 Cleveland
Augustus
Wiseguy
|
Wiseguy
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 37
Cleveland
|
Detroit. I think their bosses from Zerelli to Tocco spent less than a month in jail Very few informants and they were essential in building Vegas
New Orleans. Marcello had such a tight wrap over the politicians and etc from east Texas And the deep South. And not even the.bigger families dare not venture in New Orleans and set flags
Cleveland.from 1931 to 1976. Milano Polizzi and Scalish ran a tight organization for 4 decades until Scalish died. How was Vegas built?? The Jewish Boys from Cleveland combined with the Business sense of John Scalish
Last edited by Augustus; 03/29/22 05:59 PM.
|
|
|
Re: WHICH WERE THE BEST FAMILIES?
[Re: NYMafia]
#1033050
04/18/22 06:46 PM
04/18/22 06:46 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 188
TonyBombassolo
Banned
|
Banned
Made Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 188
|
|
|
|
|