The West Side Secrecy

[SB1825]

Haven't they had the highest membership totals on paper for the last 40 something years? Yet they manage to remain the most secretive? I always found that to be the most interesting part about them.

I would imagine they have to have some guys into drugs somewhere down the chain right now. I just don't see it not happening in this day and age

Genovese soldier Salvatore "Sally KO" Larca is currently in prison for running a large weed-trafficking ring in the Bronx.

He was released last year

[SonnyBlackstein]

There are many reasons, but it boils down to tradition. After the problems they experienced in the late 1950s, the family adopted their modus operandi that carries them to this day. Almost everything can be traced back to the administration that ran the family while Vito was in prison.

1) Acting bosses with a ton of influence that were kept in check by other powerful high-ranking members.
2) More operational freedom for the West Side captains compared to the other New York families, but harsher punishments.
3) With ruling panels and different messengers, they are more effective in running their operations.
4) Being very selective who they propose for membership. More focus on money-making abilities and less on street cred.
5) Hereditary rulership i.e. the Genovese boss picks and grooms his replacement.

This + Allocutions + Luck.

[Wiseguy]

Haven't they had the highest membership totals on paper for the last 40 something years? Yet they manage to remain the most secretive? I always found that to be the most interesting part about them.

I would imagine they have to have some guys into drugs somewhere down the chain right now. I just don't see it not happening in this day and age

Over the past 20 years or so, the family has had several drug cases connected to it, but the majority of those charged have been associates. Associates being the ones mostly involved in drugs is the case with all the NY families but pretty much all the Genovese members charged with narcotics have been soldiers. Namely six of them: Albert Scibelli, Anthony Arilotta, Ralph Balsamo, Anthony Scaffidi, Joseph Ida, and Salvatore Larca. One possible captain was Anthony Romanello but that never went passed information passed to law enforcement by an informant.

By comparison,when it comes to the family with the membership being most involved in drug trafficking, it would definitely be the Gambinos. They've had the most drug cases over the past 20 years, as well as the most members indicted; including high level ones - a consigliere, four captains, and 10 soldiers. Also possibly an underboss.

[elasticman]

Haven't they had the highest membership totals on paper for the last 40 something years? Yet they manage to remain the most secretive? I always found that to be the most interesting part about them.

I would imagine they have to have some guys into drugs somewhere down the chain right now. I just don't see it not happening in this day and age

Over the past 20 years or so, the family has had several drug cases connected to it, but the majority of those charged have been associates. Associates being the ones mostly involved in drugs is the case with all the NY families but pretty much all the Genovese members charged with narcotics have been soldiers. Namely six of them: Albert Scibelli, Anthony Arilotta, Ralph Balsamo, Anthony Scaffidi, Joseph Ida, and Salvatore Larca. One possible captain was Anthony Romanello but that never went passed information passed to law enforcement by an informant.

By comparison,when it comes to the family with the membership being most involved in drug trafficking, it would definitely be the Gambinos. They've had the most drug cases over the past 20 years, as well as the most members indicted; including high level ones - a consigliere, four captains, and 10 soldiers. Also possibly an underboss.

Which drugs specifically do LCN families get involved with nowadays? Historically obviously its been heroin.

[Etna]

Haven't they had the highest membership totals on paper for the last 40 something years? Yet they manage to remain the most secretive? I always found that to be the most interesting part about them.

I would imagine they have to have some guys into drugs somewhere down the chain right now. I just don't see it not happening in this day and age

Over the past 20 years or so, the family has had several drug cases connected to it, but the majority of those charged have been associates. Associates being the ones mostly involved in drugs is the case with all the NY families but pretty much all the Genovese members charged with narcotics have been soldiers. Namely six of them: Albert Scibelli, Anthony Arilotta, Ralph Balsamo, Anthony Scaffidi, Joseph Ida, and Salvatore Larca. One possible captain was Anthony Romanello but that never went passed information passed to law enforcement by an informant.

By comparison,when it comes to the family with the membership being most involved in drug trafficking, it would definitely be the Gambinos. They've had the most drug cases over the past 20 years, as well as the most members indicted; including high level ones - a consigliere, four captains, and 10 soldiers. Also possibly an underboss.

Which drugs specifically do LCN families get involved with nowadays? Historically obviously its been heroin.

Some of them - including Basciano's kids were involved in smuggling weed from California. I think the Gotti kid was selling steroids. Others are in pills - probably a little bit of everything. The latest Philly indictment had them involved in fentanyl if I'm not mistaken.

[Wiseguy]

Which drugs specifically do LCN families get involved with nowadays? Historically obviously its been heroin.

In New York over the past 20 years, the LCN families traffic mainly in marijuana and prescription drugs. We also see regular cocaine charges in cases involving the LCN but the volume is much lower compared to the other two. Ecstasy was also big for them back in the 2000's but I haven't seen a case since 2013. Relatively little in the way of heroin, meth or other drugs.

[Pmac2]

Massimo had made a rule weed trafficking was ok just not coke and dope. Kinda smart. He was ahead of his time but even old time racketeer like gerry angulo was caught on a wire back in 1980 calling himself a weed trafficker then he went on to say with the rico law it didnt matter there all going to jail and he was rite

[slimshady_007]

Massimo had made a rule weed trafficking was ok just not coke and dope. Kinda smart. He was ahead of his time but even old time racketeer like gerry angulo was caught on a wire back in 1980 calling himself a weed trafficker then he went on to say with the rico law it didnt matter there all going to jail and he was rite

Massino’s rule was bs lol. Bonanno capo Tony Graziano was big into moving coke around Brooklyn in the 90’s while Massino was boss.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Haven't they had the highest membership totals on paper for the last 40 something years? Yet they manage to remain the most secretive? I always found that to be the most interesting part about them.

I would imagine they have to have some guys into drugs somewhere down the chain right now. I just don't see it not happening in this day and age

Genovese soldier Salvatore "Sally KO" Larca is currently in prison for running a large weed-trafficking ring in the Bronx.

See? They're not only giving stiff sentences for drugs they're giving stiff sentences for weed, too.

[newera_212]

Haven't they had the highest membership totals on paper for the last 40 something years? Yet they manage to remain the most secretive? I always found that to be the most interesting part about them.

I would imagine they have to have some guys into drugs somewhere down the chain right now. I just don't see it not happening in this day and age

Genovese soldier Salvatore "Sally KO" Larca is currently in prison for running a large weed-trafficking ring in the Bronx.

See? They're not only giving stiff sentences for drugs they're giving stiff sentences for weed, too.

But that's really only because of who he is and the "scope" of the indictment. I'm not going to say they were discriminated against because they were italian, but if that were just a regular pot trafficking operation and didn't involve what...at least 2 crime families... it probably would have been different. I think Larca was an established, reputed Genovese solider when he got indicted - I'm sure that factored in, big time. It seems like everyone in the Bronx from every family represented there was eating off of this operation. There's something in the FBI Files section, ostensibly about Crea and the murder case, that talks about it.