New Theory podcast Pennisi part 3

[jimmi_beans8]

2 different

[Jezza9009]

I asked him on instagram if he had any idea on the amount of made guys currently active in the Luchesse family. He mentioned possibly 200, but he wasn't sure. Could this be right? they didn't even field that many in the 60/70/80s right?

[NothingNew44]

If memory serves he testified to having 7 crews. 2 LI, Jersey, Brooklyn (SI), Manhattan, and 2 Bronx Crews. 200 members under that seems a bit much. But he was there. I see him making a guess or perhaps even repeating a rumor. The impression he gives is that he didn’t know all or even a lot of members from other crews. Who knows.

[Manf]

For a number of reasons the Lucchese family very likely doesn't have anywhere close to 200 members. The caps, the other families, dwindling pool of recruits, etc. I mean there not a motorcycle club that is just gonna rapidly expand like that.

[Pogo The Clown]

Didn't he previously testify that there were about 8 Soldiers per crew? So counting the Capos and administration you have a little over 60 active members or a little over half their total membership. That seems to be the standard ratio for the remaining families.


Pogo

[TommyNoto]

Didn't he previously testify that there were about 8 Soldiers per crew? So counting the Capos and administration you have a little over 60 active members or a little over half their total membership. That seems to be the standard ratio for the remaining families.


Pogo

I agree , I can see 60-75 active guys and another 60-75 inactive / in jail

[Pogo The Clown]

I re-checked and he said 7 or 8 per crew. Don't know if he is counting the Capos in that count. So about hslf to just slightly over half of their total membership is active.


Pogo

[Jezza9009]

Maybe i'm completely looking at it in the wrong way, but isn't 70+ active guys on the street for the Luchesses quite the achievement? I mean, if they have at least 40-50 guys in jail ( correct me if I am wrong ) wouldn't that equal their numbers in the 80s?

There's always guys behind bars and in the 80s no exception, so they never could field their complete ''team'' so to speak.

John also mentioned a couple of times that LCN was doing well and they had plenty of numbers, and that their demise was greatly exaggerated.

[bluehouse]

If they do have only 60 guys then the bonnanos and possbly the colombos have more members

[Wiseguy]

The feds have the Luccheses at approximately 100 members. I've never seen any estimate in years as high as 200 or as low as 60. If Pennisi said 7-8 members per crew, he must have been referring to active ones.

Maybe i'm completely looking at it in the wrong way, but isn't 70+ active guys on the street for the Luchesses quite the achievement? I mean, if they have at least 40-50 guys in jail ( correct me if I am wrong ) wouldn't that equal their numbers in the 80s?

There's always guys behind bars and in the 80s no exception, so they never could field their complete ''team'' so to speak.

John also mentioned a couple of times that LCN was doing well and they had plenty of numbers, and that their demise was greatly exaggerated.

Where do you get 40-50 members in prison?

[Jezza9009]

Well, as Pennisi in his podcast mentioned 60-70 active guys, and most modern rough estimates put them at around 100-115 total members, there is still a significant numbers of shelved/jailed/inactive/old/retired etc?

[johnny_scootch]

100 members is about right. I think Pennisi's number of 7-8 active was on the low side.

Pogo has 86 identified members listed as free men and another 19 imprisoned.

Say 15 members are inactive due to old age and/or being shelved

but you also have to figure they have around 10 made guys completely unknown to us

and you end up with exactly 100 members.

2 Long Island crews, 2 Bronx crews, 1 Manhattan crew, 1 Brooklyn crew, 1 Staten Island crew & 1 NJ crew.

It's a historical average of 10 men per but if Paolo LoDuca has men in his crew we come closer to Pennisi's number.

[Pmac2]

seems like it doesnt take that much today to get inducted like pennisi did. what did he bring to the table besides being a goon who killed somone and did a few decades of jail time. i bet they could have a steady line of recruits. same as it ever was. 100 guys easy

[Jezza9009]

Yeah I don't get the recruitment part either... surely there's enough guys around with an Italian sounding last name that would be open to becoming a member?

[Shellackhead]

When he told his story of the day he got made, he said he was there with 5 other guys, he only knew one guy who was his friend, Anthony Guzzo, so maybe for THAT Brooklyn/Staten Island crew they don’t have any candidates at the moment, but what about NJ, Bronx, Long Island, etc candidates?