Among many other things, "The Five Families" presented the first understandable description of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), and how it could be applied to OC. Excellent description of how Rudy Giuliani , then US Attorney for the Southern District of NY, used Joe Bonanno's description of the Commission in his autobiography, as the starting point for his famous Commission Case--the first large, successful prosecution of Mafia Dons. After that, US Attorneys all over the country were falling all over themselves to share in the glory by bringing RICO cases against the Mob.