LA Family leftovers

[Wiseguy]

2001 report mentions the same 15-20 members

http://www.ossh.com/publications/Organi ... CA2001.pdf

2003 no mention of membership

https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agwe ... _crime.pdf

Yeah, I think from around 2003-2004, the LCN was no longer mentioned in the California OC reports. They probably realized they were essentially covering a non-entity at that point.

[Moscone65]

I wouldn’t say it was a non entity at that point. Sure perhaps crime families like San Francisco and Los Angeles were essentially done by that point, but you still had some remnants and also a handful of east coast guys operating there. I would think that should warrant atleast a small mention.We all know the Mexicans are the top dogs in California, but I doubt the triads, Russians and yakuza are that much bigger than lcn remnants over in Cali meanwhile they are often boasted as being super powerful. It’s rediculous

[Adam]

Going back to LA. Since we talked about the 1996 report here is a rough chart I put together for that year. They had about 20 members at the time and I've been able to ID 14. Does anyone know the others?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Family Circa 1996


Boss: Peter Milano
UnderBoss: Carmen Milano


Capos:
John Aquilante –San Diego (Died in 1996)
Vincent "Jimmy" Caci
?-Luigi Gelfuso
?-Michael “Rizzi” Rizzitello (IP)

-Gelfuso and Rizzitello were listed as Capos in a 1988 chart. I don’t know if they still were by 1996. Doubtful about Rizzitello since he had been in prison since the mid-80s.


Soldiers:
Louis "Little Man" Caruso (Possible Capo)
Stephen "The Whale" Cino
Raymond “Rocky” DeRosa
Louis Tom Dragna
Russell "Rusty" Massetta (Shelved)
Robert "Charles Caci/Bobby" Milano
John “Johnny V” Vaccaro
Rocco "Rocky Bigfoot" Zangari


Anyone else? I’m sure there may have been ome older Dragna-Brooklier era members still alive at this time.


Pogo

Well if you go by Breakshot(and I really don't want to get into a big argument about Kenji) there would have been Michael Esposito, Tommy Gambino and Robert Paduano also.

[Pogo The Clown]

I wouldn’t say it was a non entity at that point. Sure perhaps crime families like San Francisco and Los Angeles were essentially done by that point, but you still had some remnants and also a handful of east coast guys operating there. I would think that should warrant atleast a small mention.We all know the Mexicans are the top dogs in California, but I doubt the triads, Russians and yakuza are that much bigger than lcn remnants over in Cali meanwhile they are often boasted as being super powerful. It’s rediculous

Read the report. There were 600-800 Russian gangsters operating in LA alone. There were thousands of Asian gangsters scattered all across California. Both groups engaging in a wide variety of blue and white collar crimes. No comparison to the handful of old Italian mobsters who were doing next to nothing by the early 2000s.

Well if you go by Breakshot(and I really don't want to get into a big argument about Kenji) there would have been Michael Esposito, Tommy Gambino and Robert Paduano also.

Did he specifically mention them as made? I ask because I remember back in the day people were taking any name he mentioned and plugging them in as made members in charts. Thanks.


Pogo

[Adam]

I wouldn’t say it was a non entity at that point. Sure perhaps crime families like San Francisco and Los Angeles were essentially done by that point, but you still had some remnants and also a handful of east coast guys operating there. I would think that should warrant atleast a small mention.We all know the Mexicans are the top dogs in California, but I doubt the triads, Russians and yakuza are that much bigger than lcn remnants over in Cali meanwhile they are often boasted as being super powerful. It’s rediculous

Read the report. There were 600-800 Russian gangsters operating in LA alone. There were thousands of Asian gangsters scattered all across California. Both groups engaging in a wide variety of blue and white collar crimes. No comparison to the handful of old Italian mobsters who were doing next to nothing by the early 2000s.

Well if you go by Breakshot(and I really don't want to get into a big argument about Kenji) there would have been Michael Esposito, Tommy Gambino and Robert Paduano also.

Did he specifically mention them as made? I ask because I remember back in the day people were taking any name he mentioned and plugging them in as made members in charts. Thanks.


Pogo

Yeah he identifies Esposito and Gambino as made and references Paduano's making ceremony.

[Pogo The Clown]

Good stuff. Thanks.


Pogo

[Adam]

Good stuff. Thanks.


Pogo

And actually, now that I skim through it, Breakshot doesn't technically say Gambino was a made LA guy. It does call him Louie Caruso's "second" and that he became the underboss, so that's kind of inferred. For Esposito he uses the term "made"

And there's a random scene recounted between Kenji, Jimmy Caci and a Philip Dioguardi who gets listed as "another made guy from New York in Jimmy's crew".

[scagghiuni]

Read the report. There were 600-800 Russian gangsters operating in LA alone. There were thousands of Asian gangsters scattered all across California. Both groups engaging in a wide variety of blue and white collar crimes. No comparison to the handful of old Italian mobsters who were doing next to nothing by the early 2000s.

i read among russian groups only armenian power is strong over there, california seems to be dominated by street gangs (mostly blacks and mexicans/latinos) than organized crime, asians involved are also mostly street gangs members not triads or yakuza, if there were so many russian gangsters we would hear more about them

[eboli]

Read the report. There were 600-800 Russian gangsters operating in LA alone. There were thousands of Asian gangsters scattered all across California. Both groups engaging in a wide variety of blue and white collar crimes. No comparison to the handful of old Italian mobsters who were doing next to nothing by the early 2000s.

i read among russian groups only armenian power is strong over there, california seems to be dominated by street gangs (mostly blacks and mexicans/latinos) than organized crime, asians involved are also mostly street gangs members not triads or yakuza, if there were so many russian gangsters we would hear more about them

Yeah, the armenian oc group is AP13. They are connected with a lot of different groups, including the Solntsevskaya Bratva which has been active in South California since the 90's. They have ties to some of the mexican cartels and colombian cartels, originally by selling them military equipment, including small submarines. They used to work with Nazi Lowriders and other smaller prison gangs, probably with the Surenos too since NLR have been working as mules for the southerners in recent years.

[Wiseguy]

Read the report. There were 600-800 Russian gangsters operating in LA alone. There were thousands of Asian gangsters scattered all across California. Both groups engaging in a wide variety of blue and white collar crimes. No comparison to the handful of old Italian mobsters who were doing next to nothing by the early 2000s.

i read among russian groups only armenian power is strong over there, california seems to be dominated by street gangs (mostly blacks and mexicans/latinos) than organized crime, asians involved are also mostly street gangs members not triads or yakuza, if there were so many russian gangsters we would hear more about them

It's true California probably has a larger mix of street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs than any other state.

Without getting into certain differentations between organized crime groups and drug trafficking organizations, no doubt the biggest organized crime presence in California is the Mexican cartels.

When it comes to the Russians and Eurasian organized crime in general, most of the activity in California is going to be by loosely organized, fluid criminal enterprises that often focus on various types of fraud. Not easily identifiable, hierarchical organizations.

[Pogo The Clown]

i read among russian groups only armenian power is strong over there, california seems to be dominated by street gangs (mostly blacks and mexicans/latinos) than organized crime, asians involved are also mostly street gangs members not triads or yakuza, if there were so many russian gangsters we would hear more about them

Wrong on both counts. Again read the report.

The Wah Ching is one of the oldest and largest Asian crime groups in California. In the 1960s, the Wah Ching originated as a street gang in San Francisco. Since then, the Wah Ching has evolved into a sophisticated organized
crime group with extensive regional, national and international connections. During the peak of the Wah Ching’s criminal endeavors throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the organization controlled most of San Francisco’s Chinatown and the majority of Los Angeles’ Chinese communities. Today, the Wah Ching centralizes most of its criminal activities in San Francisco, as well as in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles. The Wah Ching also developed strong associations with Asian organized crime groups and gang members in major cities across North America, including Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Boston and New York, along with close ties to the Sun Yee On and the 14K Triads in Hong Kong.

The Wah Ching remains active in San Francisco. Law enforcement authorities estimate there are between 80 to 100 members operating in the San Francisco area. Their criminal activities include murder, extortion, prostitution, robbery,
narcotic distribution, credit card fraud and loan sharking. The Wah Ching has also been extensively involved in illegal gambling and its associative collateral criminal activities at several San Francisco area card clubs. Law Enforcement authorities in the Los Angeles area estimate that there are approximately 9 to 11 crews, or “sides,” in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles area. Each crew consists of approximately 20 to 50 members and as many as 250 associates. These groups are involved in the same types of criminal activities as the San Francisco groups.

The Jackson Street Boys continue to be one of the most prominent Asian organized crime groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. They control most of the criminal activity in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The Jackson Street Boys began as a street gang and evolved into an organized crime group whose leadership is comprised of former Wo Hop To members. The Wo Hop To is a Hong Kong-based triad. The Jackson Street Boys generally recruit their members from different Asian street gangs in the Chinatown and Tenderloin areas of San Francisco. The name of the organization was derived from Jackson Street in San Francisco’s Chinatown, traditionally known for illegal activities conducted by
various street gangs, triads and underground societies.

In San Francisco, law enforcement authorities estimate the Jackson Street Boys have more the 300 members and associates. They also have spread across California and the West Coast and maintain a loose network of affiliates in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, as well as abroad.

EOC continues to be the fastest growing crime syndicate in California. Law enforcement officials estimate there are 600 to 800 Russian organized crime members and 450 Armenian organized crime members in the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles consists of the second largest population of Russian immigrants in the United States. During 2001, crimes committed by EOC groups continued to increase, especially crimes involving transnational cooperation.

[Wiseguy]

I should add a correction to my post above. 2005 was the last time the LCN was mentioned in the report, as far as I'm aware.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

i read among russian groups only armenian power is strong over there, california seems to be dominated by street gangs (mostly blacks and mexicans/latinos) than organized crime, asians involved are also mostly street gangs members not triads or yakuza, if there were so many russian gangsters we would hear more about them

La Eme and Surenos dominate LA's drug trade and have the most gang turf. Until the 1990s Crips and Bloods (mostly Crips) did so. Organized rackets never really took hold in LA because there were never enough police on the take. Willie Parker recruited southern whites into the LAPD in the 1940s who viewed Italians, Catholics and Jews as lessers and would never collude with them. Before Parker the LAPD was crooked as shit and ran gambling rackets with an outfit of crooked politicians in downtown. That all ended in the 40s. The only high profile story of corrupted cops in LA since then was the Rampart scandal and the guys Suge Knight had in his pocket. And that was no small time stuff. A lot of people believe they killed rapper Notorious B.I.G.

[scagghiuni]

i read among russian groups only armenian power is strong over there, california seems to be dominated by street gangs (mostly blacks and mexicans/latinos) than organized crime, asians involved are also mostly street gangs members not triads or yakuza, if there were so many russian gangsters we would hear more about them

Wrong on both counts. Again read the report.

The Wah Ching is one of the oldest and largest Asian crime groups in California. In the 1960s, the Wah Ching originated as a street gang in San Francisco. Since then, the Wah Ching has evolved into a sophisticated organized
crime group with extensive regional, national and international connections. During the peak of the Wah Ching’s criminal endeavors throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the organization controlled most of San Francisco’s Chinatown and the majority of Los Angeles’ Chinese communities. Today, the Wah Ching centralizes most of its criminal activities in San Francisco, as well as in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles. The Wah Ching also developed strong associations with Asian organized crime groups and gang members in major cities across North America, including Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Boston and New York, along with close ties to the Sun Yee On and the 14K Triads in Hong Kong.

The Wah Ching remains active in San Francisco. Law enforcement authorities estimate there are between 80 to 100 members operating in the San Francisco area. Their criminal activities include murder, extortion, prostitution, robbery,
narcotic distribution, credit card fraud and loan sharking. The Wah Ching has also been extensively involved in illegal gambling and its associative collateral criminal activities at several San Francisco area card clubs. Law Enforcement authorities in the Los Angeles area estimate that there are approximately 9 to 11 crews, or “sides,” in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles area. Each crew consists of approximately 20 to 50 members and as many as 250 associates. These groups are involved in the same types of criminal activities as the San Francisco groups.

The Jackson Street Boys continue to be one of the most prominent Asian organized crime groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. They control most of the criminal activity in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The Jackson Street Boys began as a street gang and evolved into an organized crime group whose leadership is comprised of former Wo Hop To members. The Wo Hop To is a Hong Kong-based triad. The Jackson Street Boys generally recruit their members from different Asian street gangs in the Chinatown and Tenderloin areas of San Francisco. The name of the organization was derived from Jackson Street in San Francisco’s Chinatown, traditionally known for illegal activities conducted by
various street gangs, triads and underground societies.

In San Francisco, law enforcement authorities estimate the Jackson Street Boys have more the 300 members and associates. They also have spread across California and the West Coast and maintain a loose network of affiliates in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, as well as abroad.

EOC continues to be the fastest growing crime syndicate in California. Law enforcement officials estimate there are 600 to 800 Russian organized crime members and 450 Armenian organized crime members in the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles consists of the second largest population of Russian immigrants in the United States. During 2001, crimes committed by EOC groups continued to increase, especially crimes involving transnational cooperation.

i think these numbers are inflated or maybe they include all russian criminals not only the gangsters... for the asians they are mostly street gangs, only a few are triads members
i don't know exactly how many indictments against russian/armenian gangsters there are in california but not so many to justify it

[Pogo The Clown]

Right so just disregard the reports because they don't say what you want to hear. You have a habit of doing that.


Pogo