First, I follow the mob so I don't come on this board and make uninformed statements. Second, it's frustrating that you make these statements and then expect me to provide the info that you should have been familiar with from the start. Third, considering how uninformed you apparently are about the Italian mob, I expect you're not in much of a position to comment on the "balls and money" of other OC groups.

Regardless of you dismissing things like sports betting, that racket brings in millions upon millions for the mob. I don't know, maybe it's not exotic enough for you. But look at the gambling cases in recent years involving guys like Anthony Giovaniello, Ralph Perna, Carmen Cicalese, Nick Corozzo, Carl Palo, John DeFroscia, Nicky Santora, Joseph Fafone, Carmine Sciandra, Anthony Croce, Michael Palmaccio, Joseph Stentella, Vincent Romano, Joe Sarcinella, Pepe LaScala, Dean DePreta, Vinny Basciano Jr, and Richard Crossan to see why it's the #1 money maker for the mob.

"What you see is a whole change on how they’re earning and how they’re creating power," Robert Buccino, a veteran New Jersey organized crime expert and longtime chief of detectives for the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, says of the mob. "It seems like any big money making is all about internet gambling now. It’s changed."

Big time scams? Read about the $12 million case involving Nicky Scarfo Jr and First Plus Financial. Or the Gambino timeshare telemarketing scheme in Florida. Or Dominick Devito's multi-million dollar real estate scheme. Or Vinny Artuso's multi-million telemarketing and real estate scheme. Or the $20 million pump and dump stock scam involving guys from the three smaller NY families like Joseph Baudanza, John Baudanza, and Ronald Giallanzo.

Drugs? The Trucchio crew alone brought in tens of millions of dollars in cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy from the late 1990's to 2010. Read about the two tons of marijuana smuggled into the country by an operation that included Bonanno associates John Venizelos and Alessandro Taloni. Or a similar marijuana smuggling operation, involving Vinny Basciano and Nicholas Pisciotti, that brought in over $18 million worth of marijuana up to 2004. Read about Joseph Zaffuto and the million dollar oxycodone ring.

Unions? Read about the Genovese and Colombo families and the Operating Engineers Union. Read about the Genovese family and the Carpenters Union and Journeyman & Allied Trades Union. Read about the Genovese and Gambinos and a dozen ILA locals in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Read about Matty Ianniello and IBT Local 1181. The Fazios and the United Food & Commercial Workers Union. The Gambinos still holding sway over IBT Local 282's benefit funds. Read about the Genovese extorting dock workers in Jersey or the Gambinos extorting trucking companies. Read about the Carmine Franco case involving the mob and the garbage business in parts of New York and New Jersey. Or Matty Ianniello and the garbage business in Connecticut.

Legit or quasi-legit businesses? In September 2005, it was reported that, over a decade from 1995 to 2005, numerous LCN-connected contractors, who had been previously banned from receiving state contracts, had received $1.2 billion on over 100 public contracts. In December 2005, it was reported that approximately trucking and carting 12 companies with LCN ties in New York and New Jersey had received over $74 million of the $458 million in contracts involved in the World Trade Center clean up. In January 2010, it was reported that at least 7 construction firms with LCN ties, banned by the city, were paid $51.6 million between 2006 and 2009 to work on the Met's new Citi Field stadium. Read about the contracts received by such mobbed up companies as Laquila, Schiavone, Scalamandre, Worth, etc.

In short, get back to me when you've actually did some in depth research on today's mob rather than just going by the occasional news article.