Based on size and geographic reach and influence, generally speaking, the FBI ranked the four Mafia Families listed below as either “2nd-Tier” or even “3rd-Tier” Cosa Nostra networks.

But among the four, who, in your opinion, was the strongest. And conversely, which of them was the weakest and least significant?

Also, please list the various criteria you based your determinations on?

A) Joseph Civello Family (Dallas, Texas)
B) Joseph Zammuto Family (Rockford, Illinois)
C) James Lanza Family (San Francisco, California)
D) Joseph Cerrito Family (San Jose, California)

Did any of those families even get past it's immigrant Italian roots?
Or those children of theirs.

So Upto 60s latest. Not including some 90 year olds surviving into the 1980s.

I think they all did.

Not that any of them were as strong and solid as they were back in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s era. But, in one form or another, most continued on at least well into the 1970s.

And there is documentation that certain members of the Zammuto Family of Rockford, IL. was active through the 1980s and 1990s era as well.
-
That said, dsd, do you have opinions as to how you'd rank, and categorize, each of them?

Of the four listed, I would say that Jimmy Lanza (and San Francisco,) and, Joe Zammuto (and Rockford,) were probably the two most accomplished bosses, and family memberships, of the bunch.

Joe Civello ran a small semi-active family that, to my knowledge, didn't control any major rackets or business interests to speak of. And with the personal exception of Joe Cerrito (who seems to have been a very wealthy guy personally, and a few others in his Family,) the San Jose Family seems to rank the same way. It doesn't seem like they had a lot going for them.

Whereas, at the height of their power, the San Francisco Family seemed quite active with their hands in some very lucrative racket pies and businesses. And the Joe Zammuto borgata seems to have also been very active.

The Zammuto crew also continued on well into the 1980s and 1990s as a somewhat viable Family. They were most probably the longest "surviving" Family listed.