Mafia families have often used street gangs (including Crips, Bloods and many others) for general retail purposes, such as distributing drugs, running numbers, operating betting parlors, and occasional strong-arm work with recalcitrant dealers and gambling operators who don't pay tribute to the Mob. Paul Castellano actually formed an alliance with the Westies, who were one step up (and not a very big step up) from a street gang, allowing them to control nearly all the action on Manhattan's West Side in return for tributes (see "State of Grace"). Crazy Joe Gallo, during a long prison stretch for jukebox extortion, made many ties with black and Hispanic gang members in the can, and used them when he got out (the Gallos = the Rosato Brothers in GFII; Crazy Joe's alliances were the origin of Frankie Pentangeli's complaint: "Dey recruit n******, dey recruit s****...") But generally, Mafiosi are too bigoted and too distrustful, to get into bed too deeply with street gangs. And anyway, it's a moot point in many cases, since street gangs now control former Mafia neighborhood strongholds.