Does anyone else think street gangs have outnumbered organized crime? (illegal, drugs)

[wclac]

I know the Mafia and other criminal organizations are more powerful than street gangs, but it seems like the gangs are outnumbering organized crime. How they outnumber one another over the years?

[Frank_Carbonni]

I have seen estimates ranging between 2,000-6,000 made members of the mafia and most of them are in New York and Chicago.

And they have been outnumber for quite some time. The main difference is how organized and disciplined the Mafia is in comparison to street gangs and the connections of organized crime. Organized crime functions because they have connections (bribery, family, friendships, compromise, etc.) with law enforcement and politicians. It helps them get away with their activities for a longer period of time. Even one police officer on the payroll or who happened to be a boyhood friend of a mobster can jeopardize an investigation. Look at the movie The Departed which was based on Whitey Bulger's reign, his brother was state senator and his best friend was an FBI agent and it allowed him to basically have a free hand for many years.

But perhaps the biggest difference is the level of crime the mob is involved in. Most street gangs (even the really scary ones that make the news) aren't all that organized, but some are like little armies and can be more compared to Hezbollah than MS-13, but even then they still aren't engaging in the crimes the mob does. Large scale importation of drugs, labor racketeering, illegal gambling, extortion of large businesses (direct or through the use of unions), and so on.

[Rggr]

Good post, Frank_Carbonni. Thanks for the movie recommendation on The Departed. I read Brutal by Kevin Weeks - good book.

[Gangsta Disciple]

Of coarse they outnumber them...The Gangster Disciples alone are about 30,000 members strong.Not to mention they made over 1 million dollars every 2 and a half weeks in the year 2005

[Tin Knocker]

Whats a Gangster Desciple?

[the one]

last i checked gangs WERE organized criminals. organized crime. not all gangs of course, but the larger more established ones are. gangs have been the biggest plague on society for a while now.

the biggest difference is who they terrorize.
LA M basically started the heron trade in CALI. MS exhtorts all street vendors and drug dealers. several months back, some thugs were tryin to collect from a street vendor who wouldnt pay. they tried shooting him, but instead killed a baby.

these thugs have outnumbered them "mafia" thugs for a long time.

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by Tin Knocker

Whats a Gangster Desciple?

Yet another gang where only the lucky live to see age 25.

[gortamor]

I used to live for awhile in the North End of Boston. All I know was it was safe - unlike neighbourhoods where street gangs ran amok.

[Gangsta Disciple]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

Yet another gang where only the lucky live to see age 25.

ya pretty much.........

[blkfirsprk]

Gd's, Italian mafia they don't have anything compared to the people running the white house right now. Anyways street gangs have always outnumbered the mafia, after all where do you think the mafia recruits from the eagle scouts.