THE BLACK HAND FORUM

mike68 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2024 9:40 am The only answer to 'The mob and cocaine during 1980s' is 'Yes, they did a lot of it.'.......I'll show myself out.......

Good one!

I think it's important to not overlook networks. A massive reason LCN was able to control heroin distro in the US was due to their networks with OC in Italy, and via those guys, the Corsican mob. They just had the connections to make that happen. As Scott mentioned, the SA cartels (and later Mexicans) didn't need any help.

The only answer to 'The mob and cocaine during 1980s' is 'Yes, they did a lot of it.'.......I'll show myself out.......

Well firstly, there were some guys they missed here (Raffa and his crew most notably). Though by the ealry 90s the remaining members of the Tampa family were already moving into more white collar crimes, and their sons/nephews were not getting into the life. The family contracted via attrition throughout the 90s into the 2000s.

And the Trafficante family did get involved in cocaine, but at a much smaller level. When Trafficantes "Cuban mob" in Miami started moving into cocaine in the early 1970s, they already started dealing primarily with the Colombian and Cuban traffickers.

Fact is that neither the Cubans nor the Colombians needed the Mafia to move coke in the US, especially in Florida. By the late 70s/early 80s, they had the suppliers, traffickers, and dealers. The Mafia's strength in heroin didn't translate into coke, though many did deal it at a lower level, including members of the East Harlem Purple Gang, traditionally a heroin-centric org.

The mob just had his ways to distribute heroin so why dont pass enteraly to the coke? For sure the colombians are ruthless killers but never controlled all the distribution in America.
So how was the best involvement in coke distributions?

In 1985 the Trafficante family had only 13 made men,why a family that had the Florida as recruitment pool was so little and why after Trafficante jr dead wasnt inducted new blood?
The Trafficantes could make alliance during the miami drug war giving weapons in change of coke or create routes of distributions but never happened and the family doesn't exist anymore.