The 5 Families Of New York In the Mafia, family is the most sacred institution of all. In fact, it’s the most important thing in the world, more important than God, more important than wives and children, and certainly more important than any one member. In this article I want to introduce you to the most successful and well-known mob families in the history of American organized crime, the 5 families of New York. Although the members of the American arm of La Cosa Nostra have taken a bit of a legal drubbing over the last two decades, the 5 families of New York refuse to go away completely and are still believed to be up to their old tricks, albeit on a much smaller scale. The Commission The 5 families of New York came together in 1931, after the bloody Castellammarese War highlighted the need for a new way to share the many spoils of underground activity without killing each other in the process. These powerful 5 families of New York formed a syndicate referred to as “The Commission“ that would remain at the heart of organized crime in America for the next 75 years. Their influence is undisputed, and Meyer Lansky famously once called the 5 families “bigger than U.S. steel.” Each of the 5 families of New York built its empire by engaging in the same activities: racketeering, conspiracy, loan-sharking, money laundering, murder, narcotics, gambling, waste management, and extortion. I know it may sound like I’m glamorizing these guys, but make no mistake about it, I’m not. These fellas are hardened criminals, and some I’d even go as far as to say they were ruthless thugs. But then again, put them in a room full of other self-made millionaires and you’d probably struggle to pick them out. Sure, they didn’t follow the rules and they may have even hurt people along the way, but if anything, they show that by calling yourself a family, the world is indeed your oyster. So, without any more fooling around, here’s a look at the 5 families of New York that have dominated the American underground crime world in the past and continue to do so today. The Gambinos No. of members: 200-250 Boss: Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo Underboss: Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri The Gambinos are surely one the most well-known crime outfits of all time. It all began with Sicilian emigrant Vincent Mangano in 1931, who became the first boss of the family. Under his leadership, the family dominated the underground crime world and set the stage for future generations. In fact, the Gambinos would enjoy a heyday in the late 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of mob giant Carlo Gambino (whose name the family took). He forged a business relationship with Meyer Lansky, and together their offshore gambling houses in Cuba and the Bahamas led to staggering profits. In the 1990s, the charismatic and fearless John Gotti elevated the family’s profile, but at the same time drew unwanted heat and a barrage of attention from the Feds and the media. The Dapper Don went to prison for life and died there in 2002, and the Gambinos have been seriously weakened since that point. Current status: Much like the rest of the 5 families, the power and influence of the Gambinos is on the decline. They recently suffered a huge blow when, in Operation Old Bridge, the FBI arrested and indicted as many as 62 members of the family on charges ranging from murder and drug trafficking to robbery and extortion. More on the powerful 5 families of New York... The Luccheses No. of members: 150-200 Boss: Vittorio "Vic" Amuso (imprisoned) Acting Boss: Stephen "Wonderboy" Crea Underboss: Aniello "Neil" Migliore The Lucchese family was founded by Gaetano Gagliano in 1931 with the formation of the “5 families" governing body. It was taken over by Gaetano “Tommy” Lucchese in 1953, who drove them to new heights of success in part by increasing control over the Teamsters’ unions. Lucchese led the family (which now bears his name) until his death in 1967 and, rather remarkably, over the course of his 44-year career in the Mafia, was never convicted of a crime. One of the most famous episodes in the history of the Luccheses came in 2006, when it was revealed that, for many years, the family had employed two New York policemen. Their job? To carry out mob-style “hits.” Current status: Now one of the more stable of the 5 families (under the direction of underboss Aniello Migliore), the Luccheses are looking to reassert their place at the top of the underworld. The Bonannos No. of members: 120-140 Current Boss: Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano (imprisoned) Acting Boss: Salvatore "Sal the Iron Worker" Montagna Underboss: Nicholas "Nicky Mouth" Santora The Bonanno crime family is named after Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno, the man who, perhaps more than anyone, was instrumental in the formation of the Mafia Commission. The Bonannos are mostly known as the family who came close to accepting an undercover FBI agent into their family -- the well-known film Donnie Brasco was based on the real-life infiltration of the Bonanno family by federal agent Joe Pistone. Because of this sloppy oversight, the Bonannos were kept out of the Commission until they could once again prove that they deserved a spot. Some of the family’s biggest names include Joseph "Big Joe" Massino, a man infamously known for being the first New York mob boss to publicly violate Omerta. Another is Carmine Galante, who is credited with orchestrating the French Connection, a heroin pipeline that ran from Montreal, Canada to New York, and brought in huge amounts of money for the family. Current status: Over the past few years, the Bonannos have been ravaged not only by police infiltration but also by high-level defections that stemmed from the subsequent arrests. Like many of the other families, the Bonannos are struggling to stay active in the underworld. Also, they have struggled to maintain the approval of the rest of The Commission due to a number of high-profile mishaps, the most notable being the Donnie Brasco affair. The last of our 5 families of New York... The Colombos No. of members: 150-220 Current Boss: Carmine "Junior" Persico (imprisoned) Acting Boss: Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gioeli Underboss: Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo This organization was formerly known as the Profaci crime family, after legendary Mafioso Joe Profaci. With a heavy hand and tight fist, he led the family from 1928 to 1962 although he was despised by his men. After Profaci’s death, control of the family was passed to Joe Colombo, and the family was rechristened in order to erase the memory of their ruthless former boss. The Colombos would go on to occupy a top position in the activities of La Cosa Nostra in America. Current status: With many of its key members in jail, by most accounts the organization is experiencing rather difficult times. However, some believe the Colombos are going through a phase of quiet and productive rebuilding. The Genoveses No. of members: 200-250 Boss: unknown Underboss: unknown Nicknamed “The Ivy League” of organized crime, the Genoveses have unparalleled success in the underworld. Strong leadership has enabled them to remain at or near the top of the five families since the 1930s. Charles “Lucky” Luciano is perhaps the most notorious of these Genovese bosses and, along with Joe Bonanno, the two men played a big part in the formation of the Commission. Lucky Luciano was succeeded by Vito Genovese, Frank Costello and Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, collectively known as the “Great Fathers” of the Genovese crime family. Current status: In 1962, Genovese family member Joe Valachi became the first New York wiseguy to break La Cosa Nostra’s vow of silence. Since then, a number of high-ranking members have done the same, and the family has experienced a steady decline. However, even though the leadership is currently unclear, they remain New York’s largest crime family, with upwards of 250 made members. Family Ties The recent police raid conducted on the 5 families’ strongholds in New York and New Jersey led to nearly 80 members being indicted on a number of felony charges. Whether or not they will recover from this latest blow is anyone’s guess. Antonio Nicaso, who has written 17 books on organized crime, said that while these raids were unprecedented in scale, the organization would recover. “The Mafia is like the grass, the more you cut it, the more it grows,” he stated. However, some argue that the Mafia has been in a steady decline since the 1970s, and this would surely prove the end is near.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 02:15:21 +0000