I keep seeing people saying that the Russian and Albanian mobs have squeezed out the 5 Families and took over their territory and rackets. These people, however, never seem to be able to provide any specific examples, just vague claims.

Because that's what it is; vague claims.

The last time there was a notable Albanian OC bust in NYC was ten years ago and it was a drug ring. The last time there was a notable Russian OC bust in NYC was in 2017 in which there were two busts; one concerning a Georgian criminal organization and the other concerning a criminal organization ran by a Jewish guy from Ukraine.

Now when we take a look at the LCN busts...there was one this year, one in 2023, one in 2022...it's basically still an almost yearly occurrence.

So no...the Albanians and the Russians didn't "take over" anything. They operate within their communities, sure, but whenever they get busted they - just like the Italians - have to keep their heads down for a while because they - just like the Italians - don't have the numbers the African American, Dominican or Puerto Rican street gangs have in the NY/NJ/PA area and they can't easily swallow the loss of 40 guys getting busted over some petty bullshit.

Essentially it's the same story everywhere. What's been around for what feels like forever and what has always been very prevalent (like the Italian mob in NY) isn't as exciting for the papers as what's been around comparatively recently (like the Russians and Albanians since the 90's) and what has never been quite as prevalent.

If you go read the European papers they make it look like the Albanians have taken over the entire European cocaine trade. As if there aren't British, Irish, Dutch or Serbian criminal organizations importing tonnes of cocaine on a monthly basis (and have been doing so for a longer time than some of the Albanian clans have). Now the Albanians in the European crime scene are prevalent - about ten times as prevalent as they are in NYC. But they get busted all the time and the cocaine's still coming in. That's because Albanians are far from the only ones doing it and many of the ones doing it came out of criminal organizations that have been around for multiple decades in major European cities and many of them definitely don't have some kind of recent immigration background.

There's smoke, there's fire but it's basically never the all-engulfing inferno the popular papers make it out to be.

Nah I don't believe that's true even a weakened Italian-American mafia has more influence and connections.

Reminds me of people constantly comparing the Mafia to the Mexican drug cartels. Yeah, let's draw comparisons between American crime groups to groups from what's virtually a Narco State, makes a lot of sense.

No, but the Mafia does not run it, and are not the most powerful. New York is so large with such a huge population, no one group can "Take over." Plus OC groups rarely try to take over another groups rackets (Yes, I am sure there is the Rare exception) What can happen is an area changes so much one group disappears or shrinks, and another takes over that way. No one runs the entire city, or has power over the others. That is just fantasy talk. .

So what about Alex Rudaj? Was this a good example of an Albanian crime syndicate taking over LCN rackets?

Not in my opinion. He tried to extort a few Greeks and him and his group all wound up in prison after a very short time. We would not even know of him if not for one of the Greeks knowing luccese members who tried to talk to Rudaj, who along with his men acted so dumb the attempt at negotiations fell apart. One of Rudajs men was said to have threatened to shoot a nearby gas pump and kill them all. I'm now sure how long Rudaj lasted. I don't think he even had others from his own country supporting him.

Good point Jace on changing demographics. I was just talking about comparing America to Mexico.