Is Pittsburgh alive?

[Lou_Para]

As far as any outside Made guys operating in Pgh, I would have to say no. There is 1 made guy left in the area and that is Cianciutti. During the Mike Genovese LaRocca years,Pgh was represented at the Commission table by the New York Genovese Family. If I were a betting man,(and I am) I would have given even money that Rodney Ianelli (son of Bobby ) would have gotten straighted out by now.

[Stroccos]

As a structure, the Mob no longer exists in Pgh, and hasn't for a while. True Sonny Cianutti is still around, but he's a remnant,not an active force. We still have the gambling, whether it be numbers,sports video or as we've seen lately,private big stakes card games,(mostly Hold-em). Jr
. is gone,Rodney,Porky,and the Rishas still have a nice book going. Dope still brings in some cash,as does the Gentlemen's Club business.The 1%ers still have some dealings with guys in the drug and extortion rackets, but a lot less now that Rooster has been thrown out of the Pag*ns. the Boilermakers local (154) and LIUNA (1085) still have a couple things going, and don't even wind me up about the Zappala/Porter Mob 'Family'.

porky is a rat and what made porky a force was his political connections those are now gone

the rishas are dead

[Stroccos]

Stick a fork in Pittsburgh, they're done

Long live Lenny Strollo

[FriendofHenry]

Stick a fork in Pittsburgh, they're done

Long live Lenny Strollo

Go figure

[FriendofFamily]

Shown to be made huh, do they carry their made-certificates around with them too?

Look for the "Made in the Basement" Tag on their Clothing.

[Moscone65]

Shown to be made huh, do they carry their made-certificates around with them too?

Look for the "Made in the Basement" Tag on their Clothing.

Haha for sure

[Bklyn21]

Over the last few years up until very recently there have been alot of video poker machine busts with quite a few different people , Some of them very big in terms of money generated and having machines in hundreds of locations on a consistent basis

[Bklyn21]

Shown to be made huh, do they carry their made-certificates around with them too?

They used to carry their laminated licensed certificates around in their wallets but that was ended in the early 90s by the Commission as it was drawing too much heat from LE. There was an incident in Downtown Pittsburgh years ago between an Lcn member and a 1%er where the Lcn guy pulled his certified license out on the biker and it was ended right there . The Commission was notified and this member had his licensed certificate revoked and had to pay a fine and numerous surcharges !. Colombo members used a similar tactic in the late 90s where they had to wear Colombo yogurt employee jackets and hats as to know who was who after the early 90s war . that was also banned by Orena loyalists and ended when Carmine Persico went to the commission and it was ruled all members would wear the Colombo yogurt jackets, Hats, Pants ! Full uniform when out or attending formal meetings with other members

[stubbs]

What gets me is how it seems some people actually wish the mob was still active in their region, like it would somehow improve their life.

Fucking EVERYBODY in Las Vegas does this. "This town was so much better when the mob ran things!"

I hear it from people who come back from living there, or returning from vacations. Same thing with other places. There must be truth to it.

It's pretty much the consensus there, so I think there might be something to it. I never set foot in the place before 2014 so I have no real reference point myself.

I think this is the Casino effect: I think Casino glorified that era so much that people have this false nostalgia that everything was better back when the mob was shaking people down and killing people. They watch Casino and see the lavish high rolling lifestyle and then walk outside and see a bunch of overweight, sunburnt midwesterners in shorts and sneakers waddling down the Strip and the image of Vegas in their heads from the movies doesn’t square with the reality.

People love to watch The Godfather, Casino, and other mob movies and only take away the glamorous things while conveniently ignoring reality of rotting corpses in car trunks, businesses being shaken down, and paying a higher tax on things like garbage collection due to massive mob backed corruption.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love these movies too. And I’m not criticizing the movies themselves. But I can see how people can take away the wrong lessons from them.

[FriendofHenry]

Shown to be made huh, do they carry their made-certificates around with them too?

Look for the "Made in the Basement" Tag on their Clothing.

How 'bout a Members Only jacket

[Moscone65]

Shown to be made huh, do they carry their made-certificates around with them too?

They used to carry their laminated licensed certificates around in their wallets but that was ended in the early 90s by the Commission as it was drawing too much heat from LE. There was an incident in Downtown Pittsburgh years ago between an Lcn member and a 1%er where the Lcn guy pulled his certified license out on the biker and it was ended right there . The Commission was notified and this member had his licensed certificate revoked and had to pay a fine and numerous surcharges !. Colombo members used a similar tactic in the late 90s where they had to wear Colombo yogurt employee jackets and hats as to know who was who after the early 90s war . that was also banned by Orena loyalists and ended when Carmine Persico went to the commission and it was ruled all members would wear the Colombo yogurt jackets, Hats, Pants ! Full uniform when out or attending formal meetings with other members

The certified licence also gets you a 10% discount off every meal at IHOP.

[Lupara]

Pittsburgh is as dead as Osama Bin Laden. Buffalo however, is here to stay. Some people here simply have to deal with that proven in court fact. It is what it is.

[Nepa31]

I think the Genovese and Gambino’s have spent the last decade cultivating rackets in areas that used to have small family’s. The Decavs are no longer the Decavs and are just a crew under the Gambino flag. A few rackets that are still going in NEPA were taken over by associates of the Genovese and Norristown is run by a made Genovese guy. I think that strategy will continue in any of the cities/areas that have enough people/money to sustain a small racket or two. Pittsburgh will probably(if it doesn’t already) have somebody from the Genovese out there making a few bucks. The small time families are dead but making money in those areas has not. Somebody will fill the void.

[Wiseguy]

Pittsburgh is as dead as Osama Bin Laden. Buffalo however, is here to stay. Some people here simply have to deal with that proven in court fact. It is what it is.

And then you woke up.

The Decavs are no longer the Decavs and are just a crew under the Gambino flag.

That's misleading. The DeCavalcantes are still their own family. They are affilated with the Gambinos.

A few rackets that are still going in NEPA were taken over by associates of the Genovese and Norristown is run by a made Genovese guy.

And who would that be?

I think that strategy will continue in any of the cities/areas that have enough people/money to sustain a small racket or two. Pittsburgh will probably(if it doesn’t already) have somebody from the Genovese out there making a few bucks. The small time families are dead but making money in those areas has not. Somebody will fill the void.

Again, what evidence is there about any "strategy" by the NY families moving into fill a void elsewhere?

[Lupara]

Telling children Santa Clause doesn't exist is a dick move. Let them believe. Let us believe.

Todaro, Violi, Buffalo, they are up to something.