What the guys on the street thought of other families

[bluehouse]

So basically from all the books I've read and interviews I've seen of ex made guys this is what they think of each of families Anthony gaspipe casso said that the luchesses were like a middleweight champion while the gambinos and Genovese wer too big and slow meaning they were like heavyweights he also had the opportunity to join the Colombos but scoffed at the idea meaning that he saw them as a joke Sammy has said that with the columbos it was always about stealing and hijacking while the gambinos were more sophisticated and they were involved in more sophisticated rackets.Tommy Gioleis nephew who wore a wire and spoke to an ex Colombo associate who was now with the lucchese said that the Colombo's we're greedy but the luchesses were more relaxed about asking for money. John Gotti would call the colombos the cambodians the gambinos also would push around the columbos and get the better of them during sit Downs, also when Tommy Giolei was acting boss the only person he would see would be Sal Vitali, Massino would never meet with.It's funny because even that nobody gene borrello looked down upon the columbos and he was a junkie.Also Pennesi would always talk about the westside in high regard

[eboli]

From everything I've read it's a miracle the Colombos are still a thing. Gravano's take is hilarious. In the Colombos everything was about violence, beatings, murders, beefs, etc. When he was transferred to the Gambinos, he was flabbergasted that people actually followed rules, put making money, infiltrating unions, setting up rackets before the violence and the other bullshit.

[Wiseguy]

"The Genovese family is the most sophisticated, cautious, secretive, and powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States." - Phil Leonetti

"I have always considered the Genovese Family to be the most powerful LCN family in the United States. - Al D'Arco

"If anybody survives it will be the Genovese." - Anthony Accetturo

Fat Tony considered the Bonannos "junk men."

Gotti referred to the Vic and Gas-run Lucchese family as "the circus."

There was an article (it's posted somewhere on the forum) from back in the 1960's, not long after Vito died and Carlo was becoming more prominent, that talks about how Genovese members had sort of a blue blood mentality and looked down on Gambino members.

[PolackTony]

"The Genovese family is the most sophisticated, cautious, secretive, and powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States." - Phil Leonetti

"I have always considered the Genovese Family to be the most powerful LCN family in the United States. - Al D'Arco

"If anybody survives it will be the Genovese." - Anthony Accetturo

Fat Tony considered the Bonannos "junk men."

Gotti referred to the Vic and Gas-run Lucchese family as "the circus."

There was an article (it's posted somewhere on the forum) from back in the 1960's, not long after Vito died and Carlo was becoming more prominent, that talks about how Genovese members had sort of a blue blood mentality and looked down on Gambino members.

Was it Tommy Eboli that referred to the Gambinos as "sexual degenerates", or something alike?

[eboli]

"The Genovese family is the most sophisticated, cautious, secretive, and powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States." - Phil Leonetti

"I have always considered the Genovese Family to be the most powerful LCN family in the United States. - Al D'Arco

"If anybody survives it will be the Genovese." - Anthony Accetturo

Fat Tony considered the Bonannos "junk men."

Gotti referred to the Vic and Gas-run Lucchese family as "the circus."

There was an article (it's posted somewhere on the forum) from back in the 1960's, not long after Vito died and Carlo was becoming more prominent, that talks about how Genovese members had sort of a blue blood mentality and looked down on Gambino members.

Was it Tommy Eboli that referred to the Gambinos as "sexual degenerates", or something alike?

Yeah, Genovese members called the Gambinos degenerates, mainly because of their marriages. Carlo married his first cousin, and his brother Paul married another. Eboli hated Carlo's guts, and that's one way he tried to slander him in front of others.

[Pogo The Clown]

Forgot who said it but someone in another family refered to the Luccheses as the LuCrazies. The NY guys also refered to the DeCavalcante guys as farmers.


Pogo

[Jezza9009]

I know the Genovese are considered top dogs and the Gambinos second... but in Don Carlo's heyday... weren't they right up there? He was such a smart and capable guy, almost like a chess master... always a step ahead, didn't he even fuck around with the Genoveses and got one of their bosses in trouble?

[Shellackhead]

I know the Genovese are considered top dogs and the Gambinos second... but in Don Carlo's heyday... weren't they right up there? He was such a smart and capable guy, almost like a chess master... always a step ahead, didn't he even fuck around with the Genoveses and got one of their bosses in trouble?

That was his best skill, he mislead people into believe he’s not a dangerous guy, but in reality he just got people to lower their guard & he would strike if it benefited him. He had a saying, “ Carlo often made the analogy of the Fox and the Wolf, explaining that to be both was optimum in this life, but that the Fox was most important to be able to see the traps and pitfalls in order to avoid them. That’s how he took over the Gambinos from Anastasia, and took over the commission by outing Vito Genovese.

[Jezza9009]

I know the Genovese are considered top dogs and the Gambinos second... but in Don Carlo's heyday... weren't they right up there? He was such a smart and capable guy, almost like a chess master... always a step ahead, didn't he even fuck around with the Genoveses and got one of their bosses in trouble?

That was his best skill, he mislead people into believe he’s not a dangerous guy, but in reality he just got people to lower their guard & he would strike if it benefited him. He had a saying, “ Carlo often made the analogy of the Fox and the Wolf, explaining that to be both was optimum in this life, but that the Fox was most important to be able to see the traps and pitfalls in order to avoid them. That’s how he took over the Gambinos from Anastasia, and took over the commission by outing Vito Genovese.

One of the things that always will continue to amuse me; the Genoveses are named after well... a guy who was anything but cunning and smart during his reign? Such a shame.. Luciano... Costello. And they end up being named after him lol.

[PolackTony]

"The Genovese family is the most sophisticated, cautious, secretive, and powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States." - Phil Leonetti

"I have always considered the Genovese Family to be the most powerful LCN family in the United States. - Al D'Arco

"If anybody survives it will be the Genovese." - Anthony Accetturo

Fat Tony considered the Bonannos "junk men."

Gotti referred to the Vic and Gas-run Lucchese family as "the circus."

There was an article (it's posted somewhere on the forum) from back in the 1960's, not long after Vito died and Carlo was becoming more prominent, that talks about how Genovese members had sort of a blue blood mentality and looked down on Gambino members.

Was it Tommy Eboli that referred to the Gambinos as "sexual degenerates", or something alike?

Yeah, Genovese members called the Gambinos degenerates, mainly because of their marriages. Carlo married his first cousin, and his brother Paul married another. Eboli hated Carlo's guts, and that's one way he tried to slander him in front of others.

Thanks for confirming, that was what I recalled.

[MichaelGiovanni]

I know the Genovese are considered top dogs and the Gambinos second... but in Don Carlo's heyday... weren't they right up there? He was such a smart and capable guy, almost like a chess master... always a step ahead, didn't he even fuck around with the Genoveses and got one of their bosses in trouble?

That was his best skill, he mislead people into believe he’s not a dangerous guy, but in reality he just got people to lower their guard & he would strike if it benefited him. He had a saying, “ Carlo often made the analogy of the Fox and the Wolf, explaining that to be both was optimum in this life, but that the Fox was most important to be able to see the traps and pitfalls in order to avoid them. That’s how he took over the Gambinos from Anastasia, and took over the commission by outing Vito Genovese.

One of the things that always will continue to amuse me; the Genoveses are named after well... a guy who was anything but cunning and smart during his reign? Such a shame.. Luciano... Costello. And they end up being named after him lol.

Good point. And he was only on the streets as boss for like 2 years before he went away for good.

[Wiseguy]

I know the Genovese are considered top dogs and the Gambinos second... but in Don Carlo's heyday... weren't they right up there? He was such a smart and capable guy, almost like a chess master... always a step ahead, didn't he even fuck around with the Genoveses and got one of their bosses in trouble?

If you go back and read old articles or reports, by the 1970's you could definitely see prevailing opinion that the Gambinos were the top family in the nation. This view generally prevailed until the 1990's. In hindsight, I think much of it was due to the inaccurate ideas of weak leadership in the Genovese family during those earlier years and that Carlo Gambino was boss of bosses. I think during that time period the two families rivaled each other in many ways. The Gambinos eventually became slightly larger in membership. But the Genovese were always considered wealthier and more sophisticated.

[Jezza9009]

I know the Genovese are considered top dogs and the Gambinos second... but in Don Carlo's heyday... weren't they right up there? He was such a smart and capable guy, almost like a chess master... always a step ahead, didn't he even fuck around with the Genoveses and got one of their bosses in trouble?

If you go back and read old articles or reports, by the 1970's you could definitely see prevailing opinion that the Gambinos were the top family in the nation. This view generally prevailed until the 1990's. In hindsight, I think much of it was due to the inaccurate ideas of weak leadership in the Genovese family during those earlier years and that Carlo Gambino was boss of bosses. I think during that time period the two families rivaled each other in many ways. The Gambinos eventually became slightly larger in membership. But the Genovese were always considered wealthier and more sophisticated.

Yeah I defo think the Gambinos being top dogs, or close to it was simply due to Gamibino's scheming and manoeuvring. I would say that the Genoveses went ahead when Castellano took over... and then firmly became number one again when Gotti became boss.

[Mets86]

If you go back and read old articles or reports, by the 1970's you could definitely see prevailing opinion that the Gambinos were the top family in the nation. This view generally prevailed until the 1990's. In hindsight, I think much of it was due to the inaccurate ideas of weak leadership in the Genovese family during those earlier years and that Carlo Gambino was boss of bosses. I think during that time period the two families rivaled each other in many ways. The Gambinos eventually became slightly larger in membership. But the Genovese were always considered wealthier and more sophisticated.

Yeah when you read the 1985 Commission trial reports Castellano was unequivocally presented as the most powerful boss and the Gambinos as the most powerful family. In reality it must have been a near tie between them and the westside before Gotti ran them into the ground.

[Adam]

I'll reference Gravano from Underboss because I still see it as one of the more honest mob books. But I liked his take on Gigante and the Genovese. It was in reference to Castellano letting the captain in Connecticut getting killed by the Genovese because he was a pain and how bad of a call that was on Castellano's part. But he then specifically talks about how Gigante never would have let that happen. That even though he acted crazy everyone knew he was the boss and everyone knew not to fuck with him. So there was obviously respect there. And Gravano also has that line about how in the early 80s no one respected the Bonannos.