Dilly, your comment is an opinion which you're entitled to but it doesn't mean my opinion is wrong or anyone else's is wrong. Time will tell. I find it odd that when anyone asks for facts to back up they're comments and insults. they more often than not state opinions only. I maintain by the end of the century LCN will be mostly non existent.

I'm open to the small possibility that you're right, strictly in regards to LCN, but not Italian organized crime in America. I can compromise a little.

Fair enough. We'll have to wait and see.

I base my hypothesis on world events and the direction I see things going. Without going too much into politics I would suggest a look into the sociopolitical conditions that prompted the formation of cosa nostra [ and similar groups ], and compare that to the direction we are headed. I see a nearly identical pattern.

I strongly suspect we will see a demand for black markets due to increased prohibitions, rationing, and mandates. Where there is a demand, it will be met by the market. LCN is, essentially, a market driven phenomenon. Where government creates restrictions that contradict market demand, that demand doesnt just 'go away'. It goes around the government and black markets are created which are inevitably organized and controlled by groups which operate outside the law. LCN and most other organized crime groups are, essentially, an outgrowth of the will of the people where that will is stifled by a government leadership which does not reflect it.

Prohibition is a perfect example of that, and so is the iron handed totalitarian regimes in communist Russia which gave birth to a black market economy and the Russian mob. The same is going to happen here. Cosa Nostra will find itself needed again, only this time you may see guys being prosecuted for smuggling hams and bread, instead of heroine and hookers.

In that regard, I completely agree with you. "where there is a will, there is a way" as the old saying goes. But Cosa Nostra will never be what it was, or exhibit the awesome power it did back before LE was sophisticated to it and technology allowed for better protection. There will always be organized crime, and I suspect the Italian element of OC in a reduced form will continue on. But IMO it will be very different than in decades past.

Circumstances just don't allow for a flourishing of Cosa Nostra anymore. It's a much different world.

I agree it wont be "like it was before" just like the mafia of 1800 Sicily was not like LCN in NY 1950. It cant be the same because life is different but as the saying goes "some things never change" or 'the more things change the more they stay the same'.

But I disagree that LCN will not flourish. It is a different world now but what we see tomorrow will be different from today. What happens to totalitarian regimes? They collapse under their own weight, and when that happens the parallel structures that have grown up in it's shadow come to the fore.

As far as the technologies being used by law enforcement...all that takes money. And IMO, that money will not be there just like its not there for Mexico. Great law enforcement technologies exist now so why is Mexico being dominated by drug cartels? Because the law enforcement entities do not have access to those technologies...they are broke, and corrupt. Its going to happen here. Not a question of IF but WHEN.

The only thing I'm unsure of is whether LCN will be able to run with the ball or whether they will be over-run and supplanted by other groups. LCN has the advantage of an organized structure, networks, and power already. However it is very possible that they will be overshadowed by Latin or middle eastern groups that are coming in mass waves.

I'm not sure about competition, I mean other gangs or groups don't pursue the same rackets as LCN, they don't care about union control or business infiltration, or running massive gambling and loansharking rackets. And when we're talking about your more sophisticated rackets like Medicare fraud and Internet scams, there's no competition needed, it's either you know how to pull it off or you don't. The only area I can see competition is your nitty gritty street rackets, like drugs and prostitution, which in any case it would be in LCN'S best interest to steer clear of.

Short of "creating" new illicit marketplaces for them to operate within (because many of their previous rackets are kaput; policy, lottery, dice and card games, slot machines, much of the narcotics field, labor union rackets have been reduced to a mere pittance, truck hijacking and cargo theft a thing of the past, no more porno biz, massive stock frauds have also dwindled significantly, no more credit card thefts, waterfront down the drain, garment district reduced in strength tenfold, etc., etc., etc.)

There are so FEW rackets to run with everybody chasing the same dollar bill, that the market is a microcosm of what it was, yet, there are still thousands of guys looking to eat.

Without a "new" playing field of rackets to run, the rest we speak of is just a pipe dream.

Interesting hypothesis to say the least. The theory isn't as far fetched in my opinion as the possibility of it happening that way. I don't disagree the current climate is bad, but to get to the point where LCN steps in like prohibition for bread and other food I don't think (and hope to god) that doesn't happen. Wow

You hope that doesn't happen but it's okay for other groups, including the government. Okay.