Originally posted by annt:
Goodfella 69,
Sorry, you had to ask twice, and I am not the one to answer, I just didn't want to ignore your question. 
But I would guess that no one chooses the names and that it would be based on the most powerful/richest family (or 5 most powerful). Possibly the ones with the most "control." Each family of course having a "Head Don", thus getting the family name. Am I close experts???? 
I think you're right, annt. Depends, I guess, on how forceful the Don is and how much ego he puts into it. The Columbos were the Profacis before Joe Columbo took over. Then again, all of Vito Genovese's successors seem to have thought it best to leave his name on their family.
I have this fantasy that I'm reading the legal notices in the local paper and there's one of those notices in tiny type that says, "LEGAL NOTICE: Notice is hereby given in the County Supreme Court, in and of the County of New York, that from this day henceforth, the criminal organization known as 'the Profaci Family,' is herewith known as 'the Columbo Family.' Sworn to me this day by J. Columbo."
