Is Pittsburgh alive?

[Targenmantarian]

Keep in mind that in rust belt cities, Italian immigrants weren’t flocking to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St Louis etc because the steel industry collapsed in the very early 1970’s. Pittsburgh had the 3rd largest Southern Italian population in the 1920’s-30’s behind NY and Chicago. Railroads, steel, manufacturing, auto industry were good jobs for immigrants and southern Italians were primarily poor, uneducated laborers who flocked to Pittsburgh for the work. Over time, the demographic landscape of the city changed. Buffalo, Detroit, Northeast PA, St Louis, KC lost many manufacturing jobs hence the rackets shrunk over time. When rackets shrunk, the amount of $$ coming in from gambling and loansharking took a major hit leading eventually to narcotics trafficking and stiff sentences. Domino effect on the local economy, including the rackets.

Only thing that's left is drugs. Virtually anything else can be done legally with less hassle.

[Wiseguy]

Keep in mind that in rust belt cities, Italian immigrants weren’t flocking to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St Louis etc because the steel industry collapsed in the very early 1970’s. Pittsburgh had the 3rd largest Southern Italian population in the 1920’s-30’s behind NY and Chicago. Railroads, steel, manufacturing, auto industry were good jobs for immigrants and southern Italians were primarily poor, uneducated laborers who flocked to Pittsburgh for the work. Over time, the demographic landscape of the city changed. Buffalo, Detroit, Northeast PA, St Louis, KC lost many manufacturing jobs hence the rackets shrunk over time. When rackets shrunk, the amount of $$ coming in from gambling and loansharking took a major hit leading eventually to narcotics trafficking and stiff sentences. Domino effect on the local economy, including the rackets.

Only thing that's left is drugs. Virtually anything else can be done legally with less hassle.

Legalization has cut into a lot of things over the years but, as I keep saying, it remains to be seen how much of an impact legalized sports betting will have. Especially in the extended New York metro area where the amount of gamblers has always been the highest by far. You also see a more diverse range of other rackets there, including different types of business racketeering.

[Targenmantarian]

NYC will die most slowly. They have divrse rackets and a huge gambling culture

Anyhwere else it's weed coke and opiate pills and then everything else.

[Wiseguy]

NYC will die most slowly. They have divrse rackets and a huge gambling culture

Anyhwere else it's weed coke and opiate pills and then everything else.

Agreed about New York.

Elsewhere?

Looking at the cases over the past decade or two, drugs are not a primary source of income for any of the remaining families outside New York. New England seemed to have the most involvement in drugs of the remaining families outside New York but it seemed to supplement their gambling income.

[Targenmantarian]

Weed is a staple for Philly and Detroit.

They just haven't gotten indicted on it because it's not a huge priority for the feds.

Detroit just had a soldier get jammed up in a cocaine case.

I'm saying weed coke and pills because that's primarily the stuff that white suburban drug dealers make the most money off of and that's going to be the associate base for most if not all of these guys.

I know from younger knock around guys that I know that they all primarily sell drugs and do everything else second. And they usually mess with stuff that fits in their milleu and customer base.

[Pogo The Clown]

Detroit just had a soldier get jammed up in a cocaine case.

John Sciarrota wasn't made and it is questionable wether he was even still associated with LCN. Not only was LCN not mentioned in the case but the drug ring was a Latino drug ring.

They just haven't gotten indicted on it because it's not a huge priority for the feds.

Drugs are a much bigger LE priority than gambling but we still see a lot more LCN related gambling cases than drug cases.


Pogo

[Wiseguy]

And if you look at the (relatively few) mob cases in Detroit over the past 20 years, you'll see how unusual that bust was.

It's easy to say there aren't busts because it's marijuana is not a big priority but we have frequently seen marijuana (and cocaine, pills) trafficking charges in cases involving the New York families; where drug trafficking is a staple.

To be clear, there have been drug cases in New England and Philadelphia over the past 20 years but, as I said, it seems to be more a supplement to the gambling. There may be young, "knockaround" guys who deal in weed, but I'm not sure it's in enough quantity to be considered a staple for the family as a whole.

[Pghcraig10]

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime ... 1912300087

[Pghcraig10]

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime ... 1912300087
I was just at a social club in greenfield Friday and saw he was on the board of trustees and asked how he was still alive

Sorry for the double post

[FriendofFamily]

That is just crazy - being somewhat involved all those years and get picked off like that - at the age of 90.

[JoeTheBoss]

no Springfield, Ma

[Pogo The Clown]

no Springfield, Ma

Springfeild was never its own family. They were a Genovese Crew.


Pogo

[JoeTheBoss]

i know but everyone said they were dead and gone.

[SonnyBlackstein]

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime ... 1912300087

“The 90-year-old Mr. Rende .... He remarried and had two daughters — one is currently in college and the other in high school.

Popping out kids in his late 70’s?

Ooookay.

[chubby]

Whats the skinny on Pittsburgh? I thought they were defunct but I've been reading some about them and it seems they may not be defunct, just laying low, running gambling ops and what not. Seems to be the trend, long thought dead LCN families coming back from the 'dead'. Buffalo and Springfield being the best examples. Any thoughts on Pittsburgh? Any evidence? Thanks

I wouldn’t say that Springfield fits into this conversation considering it’s not it’s own family. It’s just a crew of the genovese family.... and it’s always seemed to have very limited made men.. honestly when they killed Bruno was probably the height of that crew, besides the heyday of course ... but for 2003 you had Bruno as a captain, arrilotta as made, tranghese- made, fusco- made, santaniello and his father Amedeo and his brother italo as associates, calvanese- associate , depergola- associate , the geas brothers- associates , Calabrese- associate, valentini- associate... so honestly I’n the early 2000s that’s a pretty solid fucking crew.... when rooster took over as skipper somewhat recently he said he had 6 guts up there and was proposing 1 for membership, which was Ralph santaniello... which makes me think Springfield has 0 made men the last few years, judt associates kicking up to the captain rooster.. and when jr rubeo the rat asked rooster if he could go up there and if there was money to be earned rooster said he already had enough guys (6). Lol but they’re basically all off the street now besides calvanese and Ralph’s father..