Yeah. The gaps probably closed a bit now they have capable leaders, and a lot of the Gotti supporters are out of power.

Right. If it wasn't for the Jersey Waterfront and the Laborers, I'd probably call it a draw. But those are two VERY important factors. But blue collar and on the street, they're almost equal.

Let's keep it going, how close is the gap between the Luchesse and Gambinos

About a quarter mile .

It's a sucjective question. But in my opinion, it's not as big as the gap between the Luccheses and the Bonannos. That's the only way I can really explain it.

Bit of an unfair comparison is Lukes-Gambino's. There half the size, but in terms of stability on par for sure, and that's what really counts.

Sorry, OT. Pizzaboy, I understand you're from East Harlem originally and love NY history. Have you read a book called "A Sicilian in East Harlem" by Salvatore Mondello? Just bought it from google play 2 days ago and been reading it for a little project of mine.

My father's from East Harlem. My parents moved to the Bronx a year after they were married, just before I was born. But I spent half my life on Pleasant Avenue because my grandparents lived there until they both died, and my Dad is still very active on the Giglio committee.

The Giglio is the Feast sponsored out of Mount Carmel on 116th Street. It gets smaller and shorter every year. There are almost zero Italians left in East Harlem today.

I've never seen the book. But I'll check it out. Thanks.

Yes the book goes into all of that. The guy is a Professor Emeritus in Rochester Institute of Technology nowadays, but he grew up on 107th str. He's a little bit before your time I believe, but if you get the book in your hands I'd be especially interested in hearing your comments about the racketeers of 107th street chapter. It's one of those neighborhood boss type of things and I'm not sure what family he's talking about. The first guys he mentions are actually camorrista, but that was not his time.

So the real Bonanno boss is in jail and he assigns someone as acting boss so that a rival faction doesn't try and take over the family?

This all sounds soooo familiar.
Remember to check the closets!

True that ,but that life like any job takes know how.And in order for the soldiers to get good at what they do, they need the old heads that have to teach them this thing.(if they can stay out on the street)
The Colombo's went through the wars and Scarpa !!!
The Bonnano's went through Massino flipping and bringing down most around him.
And before that they almost made a fucking Fed...Donnie Brasco how does a guy that nobody knows make it into a family ?and a name like that should have gotten him shot ...

That life is ten times harder to make it now then back in the day,and to find level headed smart guys to build the thing...

The life takes time and long periods of no indictments and interference to build .

^^^^
Those are all solid points by Serp. Combine that with what I said and you have your answer. Which is, again, it's not that they're "done." It's just that there's a very big drop off between the Luccheses and the Bonannos/Colombos.

I guess I have some bias but IMO the Luchesse have always been strong outside Vic years. Tremendous earners and learned the union game right with the WS, those families might as well be one . Many of those old school Harlem luchesse were as tight with Vito as guys in his family and he did tons of drug biz with them

I agree Gambinos have gotten strong with almost no talk , remind u of anyone ?
Personally tho I haven't heard much in NJ but my NY cousins say otherwise . Maybe they conceded NJ to WS and Ls?

No clue on Bonannos but I hear the remaining Columbo guys are in better shape than you think , more construction and some behind scenes shot callers

That's a great point PB on waterfront and labores but I suspect ( just a guess ) there is another are they are pretty good in

No doubt PB, and even worse then most know, and if I was to say it I could not back it up ,but yea a big drop off....

I know what you're talking about. But the roof is about to fall in on recycling in Jersey, and it's going to take a bite out of the garbage when it happens. The Feds want to regulate recycling, and they're going to get their way. The guys you're talking about are aware it's coming, and they're willing to concede it to keep the pressure off them in the other areas. And like I said, once they regulate the recycling, they'll be keeping a closer eye on sanitation. Especially now that the Teamsters' restrictions have been lifted (which won't make a bit of difference because Hoffa Junior's babysitters are almost as bad as the Feds).

I can not go into the construction end, and the things that are going on right now in the Colombo family but you are right on and it is not just in the city, they are up and down the tri state and more..

What I was saying ,is that they were in worse shape then most think.
I don't mean the posters on here(well most) ,but in the regular world they think all these guys are swimming in money ,and that was and is far from the case..

Which mob families are into recycling? My dad owned the biggest plant here in the uk, thank god he didn't have it in New Jersey :L

My 2cents this guy Joe c has a beef like he grew up in the life father was well respected how the hell did a guy get the chair well in prison doing 15yrs. Like the lcn rules actually did make it survive as it does today a course all the rules get broke but there there. Like you don't touch another made guy so if there's a chuck zito in the family he can't just wip everyone's ass and say I'm boss. And the bonanno must know that them fighting each other only makes the other family's stronger and them loose face. So I'm sure the other 4 family's will all surport a different factions well they keep the eye on the prize. All the shit about someone high up in the bonannos is informant is bs. The feds have all the resources in the world they could be knowing whose getting made by another member in another family.

Like chin meets with Vic and gas and won't wrongnize 10 knew guys they made cause he didn't sign off so the other families arnt gonna respect these guys with out the proper protocol that was around in the fucked up 90tys.

Look at the last Bonanno bust. Have high end guys involved in selling Viagra pills. That's why people say they aren't close to the Westside, just not nearly as sophisticated. In my opinion, obviously.

Please. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, it's like comparing the Yankees to the Padres as franchises.

Yaeh but the. Family's been holding on to the union rackets since the beginning of time massino ended all activity in the unions so today the rest of the family has nothing to stand on. But they have joint gambling with all the family's. For what ever its worth mike nose was firmly in control of certin shit in the festival that probaly run today by another family. Wasn't like the guy didn't know anything. I'm sure if he was out tomorrow he'd make half the Bronx and every guy who can get there button in the other family's. On the union thing again the Colombos held onto there bk and island thing tight threw all there in fighting.

We're talking about TODAY. And TODAY, the drop off between the Luccheses and the Bonannos is steeper than the one between the Patriots and the Jets .

My money is on Queens, Vito Grimaldi. I don't think the Jersey faction can be on par with Brooklyn and Queens at this point. My two cents.

I wonder where the jets a going now Winston and Hawaii just went 1 2 sticking with black geno.

I'm a Giants fan, so I couldn't care less. But I knew you'd get a kick out of that analogy .

Good pick for the Jets, pmac. Figured you for a Pats guy, though. You love Patriarca, don't you? Haha.

Check your pm when you see this post, pal .

PB, hit me up with a PM when you get a chance.

when you say queens bonannos where (or better yet who) are you talking about? middle village? howard beach? i wonder if they had more than 1 crew out in howard beach. i always thought staten island was their real power base.

also not that it means anything PB but i think that PJ guy lives in jersey and just has or had a stake in that gym on the upper east side. place hasnt looked like its been doing well since the subway construction started. i heard crunch is buying up a lot of smaller gyms now too