NYC Mafia: The Five Families - Where Are They Now?

16 May, 2025

Do the names Gambino, Genovese, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Colombo still strike fear into the hearts of New Yorkers? The notorious Five Families, once the undisputed overlords of organized crime in New York City, may not command the same level of influence they once did, but they are far from relics of a bygone era.

The updated news on the Gambino, Genovese, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Colombo organized crime families of New York City reveals a complex landscape of diminished, but not extinguished, power. These families, synonymous with the American Mafia, continue to operate, albeit under increased scrutiny and with a fraction of the reach they possessed during their heyday. Understanding their current status requires delving into their history, their organizational structure, and the challenges they face in the 21st century.

Category	Information
Family Names	Gambino, Genovese, Bonanno, Lucchese, Colombo
Origin	Italian-American Mafia
Location	New York City, with influence extending to New Jersey, Florida, and other regions.
Establishment	Formally organized in 1931 by Salvatore Maranzano following the Castellammarese War.
Purpose	Control and profit from organized crime activities.
Activities	Historically involved in racketeering, extortion, gambling, loan sharking, labor racketeering, construction fraud, drug trafficking, and murder.
Peak Power	Mid-20th Century, particularly the 1970s and 1980s.
Current Status	Diminished power due to law enforcement pressure, internal conflicts, and changing criminal landscape, but still active.
Key Figures (Historical)	Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino, Vito Genovese, Joseph Bonanno, Tommy Lucchese, Joseph Colombo, John Gotti
Organization	Hierarchical structure with a boss, underboss, consigliere, capos (captains), and soldiers.
Commission	A governing body formed by the bosses of the Five Families (and others) to resolve disputes and set policy.
Public Exposure	The families' inner workings were publicly revealed in 1963 when a Mafia soldier testified at a congressional hearing.
Recent Activities	Raids on illegal poker clubs connected to the Lucchese family, highlighting continued involvement in gambling operations.
Challenges	Increased law enforcement scrutiny, RICO Act prosecutions, informants, internal power struggles, competition from other criminal organizations.
Legacy	Significant impact on American organized crime history, popular culture depictions, and ongoing law enforcement efforts.
External Reference	Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The Five Families refer to the five Italian-American Mafia crime families that operate, or at least maintain a presence, in New York City. Their roots trace back to the early 20th century, but it was in 1931 that Salvatore Maranzano, after emerging victorious from the bloody Castellammarese War, formally organized them. Maranzano, briefly declaring himself "boss of all bosses," restructured the existing gangs into what became known as the Five Families: Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese.

For decades, these five entities exerted an iron grip on New York City’s underworld. They controlled lucrative rackets, from construction and garment industries to gambling and loan sharking. Their influence seeped into legitimate businesses, corrupting unions and manipulating markets. They ruled through fear and violence, their names whispered with a mixture of dread and grudging respect.

The Gambino family, for instance, boasts a particularly storied history. Reputedly headed at one point by Frank Cali, the Gambino family rose to prominence in the American Mafia, reaching its zenith under the flamboyant and ruthless leadership of John Gotti in the 1980s. Gotti's high-profile lifestyle and brazen disregard for the law ultimately contributed to his downfall, but the Gambino family persisted.

The question of who currently leads the Gambino crime family is a subject of speculation and debate. The era of undisputed, publicly known bosses like Gotti is largely over. According to some sources, the last active Gotti, Peter Gotti, passed away in prison. However, this did not signify the end of the Gambino family, which, like the other four, has adapted and evolved to survive in a changed environment.

Maranzano’s reign as "boss of all bosses" was short-lived. In September 1931, he was assassinated in his office by a squad of contract killers, a move orchestrated by Lucky Luciano, who recognized the inherent instability of a single, all-powerful boss. Luciano, along with other ambitious mobsters like Vito Genovese and Meyer Lansky, established The Commission, a governing body comprised of the bosses of the Five Families and other key Mafia figures. This council was designed to prevent future power grabs and to provide a forum for resolving disputes and setting policy.

The Commission originally comprised seven family bosses: Lucky Luciano, Joseph Bonanno, Joe Profaci, Vincent Mangano, and Tommy Gagliano (representing the Five Families), Al Capone (representing Chicago), and Stefano Magaddino (representing Buffalo). This structure aimed to distribute power and prevent the kind of internecine warfare that had plagued the Mafia in the past.

One of Luciano's most consequential acts was his involvement in the elimination of Joe Masseria. Masseria discovered Luciano's plot against him and attempted to have Luciano killed first, but Luciano received a warning. Then, on April 15, 1931, during a card game at a restaurant on Coney Island, Luciano excused himself to the restroom just before four gunmen – Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese, Joey Adonis, and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel – burst into the room and riddled Masseria with bullets.

The Lucchese crime family, another of the Five Families, controls organized crime activities in New York City as part of the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). Originally put together by Gaetano "Tommy" Reina in the early 1920s until his murder in 1930, their illicit activities include profiting from labor and construction racketeering. In a recent example of their continued activities, police raided four illegal poker clubs connected to the Lucchese family, two of which were run out of the backrooms of restaurants. They also searched a business in Paterson, New Jersey, that was storing gambling machines and the homes of seven people allegedly managing the gambling operation. This illustrates how these families, while diminished, remain active in traditional rackets.

While the Five Families' absolute power has waned, they still maintain influence in various locations. The Genovese family, for example, with an estimated 270 "made" members, is believed to maintain power and influence in New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City, and Florida. Their resilience is a testament to their deep roots in the city and their ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

It's worth remembering that the families and their inner workings were publicly revealed in 1963 when a Mafia soldier testified at a congressional hearing. This marked a turning point, exposing their secrets to the public and paving the way for increased law enforcement scrutiny.

However, even as their power diminishes, it's premature to write them off completely. These organizations have a long history of resilience and adaptability. They have survived internal conflicts, betrayals, and relentless pressure from law enforcement. While they may no longer command the same level of fear and respect they once did, they remain a force to be reckoned with in the underworld.

The legacy of the Five Families extends beyond their criminal activities. They have become ingrained in popular culture, inspiring countless movies, television shows, and books. The image of the Italian-American mobster, with its code of honor, its rituals of loyalty, and its penchant for violence, has become a cultural archetype. The reality, of course, is far more complex and far less romantic.

The decline of the Five Families is attributable to several factors. Increased law enforcement pressure, particularly the use of the RICO Act, has been instrumental in dismantling their leadership structures and disrupting their operations. Internal conflicts and betrayals have also taken their toll, weakening the families from within. Furthermore, the changing criminal landscape, with the rise of other criminal organizations and the emergence of new forms of crime, has eroded their dominance.

Consider the case of family businesses run by the Gottis, which agreed to pay at least $210,000 in fines and clean up toxic chemicals that spewed from a Queens scrap yard they operate. This underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the families, even in their legitimate business ventures.

Peter Gotti, who passed away while serving a sentence for racketeering, money laundering, extortion, and plotting to kill, was reputed to have become the official boss of the family after his brother John's death. His death marked the end of an era, but not necessarily the end of the Gambino family's influence.

While the Five Families continue to operate, their power is a shadow of what it once was. The heyday of the Five Families is long past, but their story remains a cautionary tale about the enduring allure and the destructive consequences of organized crime.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that depending on who you ask, the former powerhouse Big Easy crime family run by Carlo Marcello is dormant or extinct. The same might be said of organized crime in San Francisco and St. Louis, demonstrating the cyclical nature of Mafia power.

The current panel, if in place, could contain some of the families' top members, like Leo, Bellomo, and Muscarella. The constant shifts in leadership and the secretive nature of these organizations make it difficult to definitively determine the current power structure.

Looking back, four crime families, including D'Aquila's own crime family based in East Harlem, Manhattan, which was also the base of the first family, the Morello crime family, once held sway. The reorganization into the Five Families was a deliberate effort to consolidate power and prevent future conflicts.

In 1936, Lucky Luciano was convicted and sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison. Although imprisoned, Luciano continued to run his crime family, demonstrating the enduring power of a Mafia boss, even from behind bars. In 1937, Vito Genovese was indicted on murder charges and fled the country to Italy, further illustrating the challenges faced by law enforcement in bringing these figures to justice.

From 1957 to 1976, Carlo Gambino ran the Gambino family and is known as one of the most successful crime bosses of all time. He strengthened the family and increased the organization's profit levels all while staying out of the public eye, thus never spending any time in jail for any criminal activity. Gambino's success was due, in part, to his ability to avoid the spotlight, a stark contrast to the flamboyant Gotti.

The Five Families, a moniker given to the five major Italian American Mafia families in New York City: Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese, represent a significant chapter in the history of American organized crime. While their power may be diminished, their story continues to fascinate and to serve as a reminder of the enduring challenge of combating organized crime.

The Five Families In New York CURRENT Hierarchies in 2022 All 5

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Current Leadership Charts of the Five Families Five Families of New

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