The American Mafia, particularly the Five Families of New York City, has long been a dominant force in organized crime, wielding significant power and influence over various aspects of society. However, in recent decades, the Mafia’s grip on power has been steadily declining, with a combination of factors contributing to its diminishing presence in the criminal underworld.This blog post will explore the history of the New York Mafia, its rise to power, and its eventual decline. We will examine the key factors that have led to the Mafia’s downfall, including law enforcement crackdowns, the willingness of members to cooperate with authorities, and the emergence of new criminal organizations.

The Five Families of New York City

The American Mafia in New York City is primarily composed of five major crime families, known as the “Five Families.” These families are:

1. Bonanno Family
2. Colombo Family
3. Gambino Family
4. Genovese Family
5. Lucchese Family

Each family has its own distinct history, leadership, and sphere of influence within the New York criminal landscape. However, they have also worked together through the Commission, a governing body that coordinates activities and resolves disputes between the families.

The Rise of the New York Mafia

The origins of the New York Mafia can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Italian immigrants began arriving in the United States. These immigrants brought with them the traditions and criminal practices of their homeland, which eventually evolved into the American Mafia.During the Prohibition era of the 1920s, the Mafia families in New York City engaged in a violent struggle for control over lucrative bootlegging rackets. This period saw the rise of infamous mob bosses like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, who consolidated power and established the structure of the modern American Mafia.In the 1930s, Lucky Luciano reorganized the New York Mafia into the Five Families, each with its own territory and hierarchy. This structure allowed the families to operate more efficiently and maintain a degree of order within the criminal underworld.

The Mafia’s Heyday

The 1950s through the 1980s are often considered the “golden age” of the New York Mafia. During this time, the Five Families were at the height of their power, controlling a vast array of criminal activities, including extortion, loan-sharking, gambling, and labor racketeering.The Mafia’s influence extended beyond the criminal realm, as they sought to infiltrate legitimate institutions like unions, businesses, and even law enforcement agencies. This infiltration allowed the families to further their criminal enterprises and protect their interests.One of the most notorious examples of the Mafia’s power during this period was the rise of John Gotti and the Gambino Family. Gotti, known as the “Dapper Don” for his flashy style and media savvy, orchestrated the 1985 assassination of Paul Castellano, the Gambino Family’s boss at the time. Gotti’s bold move and subsequent acquittals in several trials cemented his reputation as a powerful and untouchable mob boss.

The Mafia’s Decline

Despite the Mafia’s dominance in the latter half of the 20th century, the tide began to turn in the 1980s and 1990s. Several key factors contributed to the decline of the New York Mafia:

1. Law enforcement crackdowns: The federal government’s increased focus on organized crime, particularly through the use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, led to the prosecution and conviction of many high-ranking Mafia members.
2. Informants and cooperating witnesses: The willingness of Mafia members to cooperate with authorities and provide information about their criminal activities has been a significant blow to the organization. High-profile defectors like Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, who testified against John Gotti, have helped to dismantle the Mafia’s code of silence known as “omertà”.
3. Emergence of new criminal organizations: As the Mafia’s power has waned, other criminal groups, such as Russian, Chinese, and Albanian organized crime syndicates, have emerged to fill the void. These groups have been able to adapt to new technologies and methods, making them more difficult for law enforcement to combat.
4. Demographic changes: The declining Italian-American population in New York City has also contributed to the Mafia’s decline. As the traditional base of support and recruitment has diminished, the Mafia has struggled to maintain its presence and influence.

The Mafia Today

While the New York Mafia is a shadow of its former self, it still maintains a presence in the criminal underworld. The Five Families continue to engage in various criminal activities, such as extortion, loan-sharking, and illegal gambling.However, the Mafia’s power and influence have been significantly reduced. High-profile mob hits, once a hallmark of the organization, have become increasingly rare. The Mafia has also lost control of many of the unions and businesses it once dominated.Law enforcement agencies continue to monitor the activities of the Five Families, with periodic arrests and indictments. The Mafia’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances and maintain its secrecy has been compromised by the willingness of members to cooperate with authorities.

Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, two former New York City Police Department (NYPD) detectives, were exposed as the notorious “Mafia Cops” who secretly worked for the Lucchese crime family. Key points about their case:

• Beginning in the early 1980s, while serving as NYPD detectives, Caracappa and Eppolito passed sensitive law enforcement information to high-ranking Lucchese mobsters, compromising investigations and disclosing identities of cooperating witnesses.
• As part of the Organized Crime Homicide Unit, Caracappa was well-positioned to access information about organized crime informants, homicides and investigations.
• After retiring in the 1990s, the two moved to Las Vegas and continued their involvement with the mob, conspiring to commit murders and engage in drug distribution and money laundering.
• In 2005, Caracappa and Eppolito were indicted on racketeering charges for a pattern of murders, kidnappings, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, money laundering and drug dealing from the mid-1980s to mid-2000s.
• Both were convicted in 2006 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009. They died in prison in the late 2010s.

The exposure of Caracappa and Eppolito as “Mafia Cops” highlighted the Mafia’s ability to infiltrate and corrupt law enforcement, and the need for increased oversight and accountability within police departments to prevent such infiltration

What specific roles did Caracappa and Eppolito play in the Lucchese Crime Family

Based on the search results, Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, the notorious “Mafia Cops,” played the following key roles in assisting the Lucchese crime family:

1. Providing confidential law enforcement information:

• As a member of the NYPD’s Organized Crime Homicide Unit, Caracappa had access to sensitive information about organized crime informants, homicides, and investigations.
• From 1987 to 1993, Caracappa and Eppolito were paid $4,000 per month by Lucchese underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso in exchange for providing highly confidential law enforcement information.

1. Facilitating murders and retaliation:

• In 1986, Caracappa and Eppolito lured jeweler Israel Greenwald into a car, drove him to a garage, and executed him on behalf of Lucchese associate Burton Kaplan.
• In 1986, they kidnapped James Hydell, a Gambino family associate, and delivered him to Casso, who then killed Hydell after extracting information about the attempt on Casso’s life.
• In 1986, they provided Casso with the name of Nicholas Guido, a man with the same name as a Gambino associate, leading to the murder of the wrong Nicholas Guido.
• In 1990, they accepted a $75,000 contract from Casso to murder Edward “Eddie” Lino, a Gambino family captain.

1. Assisting Casso’s rise to power:

• Caracappa and Eppolito helped Casso locate and murder Anthony DiLapi, a Lucchese family soldier who refused to meet with Casso after he became underboss.
• They provided Casso with information that helped him evade capture for nearly two years after a federal indictment was returned against him.

In summary, Caracappa and Eppolito abused their positions as NYPD detectives to provide the Lucchese crime family, particularly underboss Anthony Casso, with sensitive law enforcement information and assistance in carrying out murders and other criminal activities. Their actions significantly aided the Lucchese family’s criminal operations during the 1980s and 1990s.