From what I can see in NYC, lots of guys are starving. If not outright starving, then they are just getting by. Most of all the guys (inducted or not) are not reaping the big types of money you'd expect them to generate considering all the hype about LCN.

I agree with you that 'earners' are always earners. These types of guys will always generate a buck. But you'd be surprised just how many of those same kinda guys have transitioned to legit, and semi-legit, activities. Oh sure, they may still dabble in street stuff. But the big earners have transitioned to legitimate businesses both for the earning power and stability it provides, as well as for protection from prosecution.

Unless you wanna risk handling coke or junk nowadays, or are involved in a big money paper scheme, the huge money just isn't there anymore in the rackets.

Gotta remember also that for every guy who is involved in a complex labor racketeering scam, there's a hundred or better who aren't. Few guys understand the complexities and have the connections required to jump into labor. It's a very specialized field of endeavor.

What else is left over to do? Not much!

So the 'smart money' guys as they are called in the business, long ago wised up and got out of the street shit. Only the desperadoes who are brokesters and have few other options get involved today. If you see a guy neck-deep in street rackets, its because he has no other choice.

If they even still care to dabble, skippers and solid wealthy soldiers always have a few bananas around them who handle that sort of stuff. But the big money (and longevity) is elsewhere today.

In my humble opinion anyway.