How Many Mafia Families Were There? 20,24,26???

[scagghiuni]

They didn't start out as the Cosa Nostra family when they formed. the first Bosses like Colosimo, Torrio and Capone during the beginning of his reign where not made members of LCN. I believe it wasn't until 1931 that they were accepted as a CN family but despite they kept a lot of their original customs and practices though that of course faded with time.


Pogo

what about joe aiello, the genna brothers and other sicilians? probably there were mafia members before 1931

[maxiestern11]

I figured you were being sarcastic Pogo but I've heard this said about Chicago before many times. I'm not disputing it, just asking for clarification. And, I tend to agree with it. Chicago certainly didn't function like a "family". Then again, the Luciano family didn't function like the "conservative" Sicilian faction of NY, either. In fact, the Luciano/Genovese seemed to adopt Chicago's policy of insulating the boss.

They didn't start out as the Cosa Nostra family when they formed. the first Bosses like Colosimo, Torrio and Capone during the beginning of his reign where not made members of LCN. I believe it wasn't until 1931 that they were accepted as a CN family but despite they kept a lot of their original customs and practices though that of course faded with time.


Pogo

Agreed..... if anything Aiello was the “true” Sicilian LCN Family at the time. Aiello actually fought Capone and company for supremacy in chicago.
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If anything, Capone had tied to Camorra members from Brooklyn, Frankie Yale - a Calabrian I believe and the South Brooklyn “Napolitano” faction by the Brooklyn Navy yards..... Little Augie Carfano, Tony Paretti and those fellows. But Capone became so powerful that at some point he had to be recognized (or eliminated) and the were not eliminating Capone’s crew so he was absorbed into what became the LCN.

[Pogo The Clown]

what about joe aiello, the genna brothers and other sicilians? probably there were mafia members before 1931

They were a LCN family but they were a separate group from the Torrio-Capone group. After their top guys were killed a lot of their members were absorbed into he Outfit in 1931.


Pogo

[CabriniGreen]

what about joe aiello, the genna brothers and other sicilians? probably there were mafia members before 1931

They were a LCN family but they were a separate group from the Torrio-Capone group. After their top guys were killed a lot of their members were absorbed into he Outfit in 1931.


Pogo

Cabrini was the original Genna family territory I believe....

[BarrettM]

Was Joe Aiello's family separate from the Genna Family? When did the non-Capone Chicago families start?

Finally, was Chicago Heights its own family?

I think 26 is the correct number but if you want to be correct, you have to include the defuncts as well. Newark. Birmingham. San Diego. I too have read that San Diego fell apart after Prohibition but did once exist. San Diego would eventually become a crew under LA.

[Pogo The Clown]

The Genna and Aeillo groups were one and the same. Don't know exactly wh they started but they predate the Outfit. Chicago Heights also had its own family and were aAlso absorbed by the Outfit.


Pogo

[scagghiuni]

i read capone was sent to chicago by masseria to fight aiello who was allied with maranzano

[Pogo The Clown]

Capone was in Chicago before Masseria became Boss and before Maranzano was even in the US.


Pogo

[motorfab]

However he wasn't go to Chicago on Torrio's demand ?

[BarrettM]

So Chicago had 3 families. Genna, the Outfit (which became a family) and Chicago Heights. The Outfit ate everything around it.

[Lupara]

So Chicago had 3 families. Genna, the Outfit (which became a family) and Chicago Heights. The Outfit ate everything around it.

And the Irish. Capone must've had some incredible charisma.

[Cheech]

In "Wiseguy" Henry Hill mentions a Connecticut "boss" that was celled up with Paulie and Johnny Dio in prison.

in charge of CT "rackets" for a particular family. i.e. tommy gambino over CT for the Gambinos for a period of time. not boss of a CT family.

[Cheech]

cool little map

[Frank]

They didn't start out as the Cosa Nostra family when they formed. the first Bosses like Colosimo, Torrio and Capone during the beginning of his reign where not made members of LCN. I believe it wasn't until 1931 that they were accepted as a CN family but despite they kept a lot of their original customs and practices though that of course faded with time.


Pogo

what about joe aiello, the genna brothers and other sicilians? probably there were mafia members before 1931

Read the making of the Outfit in the charts section

[Frank]

So Chicago had 3 families. Genna, the Outfit (which became a family) and Chicago Heights. The Outfit ate everything around it.

Read the makings of the Outfit in the charts section