Five Families

The Five Families are the five major Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in New York City since the 1930s. The Five Families, under the suggestion of Salvatore Maranzano and Charles "Lucky" Luciano, were responsible for the establishment of The Commission, a council which demarcated territory between the previously warring factions and governs Mafia activities in the United States. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Sicilian Mafia in the US.

The five families and their bosses are (currently):

Bonanno: Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano (Salvatore Montagna is the acting boss)^[1]
Gambino: (Ruling Committee/Panel - Daniel "Danny" Marino, Giovanni "Johnny" Gambino, Robert "Bobby" Vernace)^[1]
Colombo: Carmine "Junior" Persico (Thomas Gioeli is the acting boss^[2])
Genovese: Unknown Boss (Daniel Leo is the acting boss)^[1]
Lucchese: Vittorio "Vic" Amuso (Ruling Committee/Panel - Aniello "Neil" Migliore, Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli, Matthew Madonna)^[1]

The DeCavalcante crime family, based in nearby Elizabeth, NJ, also has ties to the five New York families.^[3]

[edit] In pop culture

In the 1972 mafia-centered novel and movie The Godfather, five crime families dominate the Mafia of New York, but the families have different names from their real life counterparts above. The Corleones, from their compound on Long Island, go to war with the other members of the Five Families, the Tattaglias, the Barzinis, the Cuneos, and the Straccis.

In the HBO series The Sopranos, the DiMeo Crime Family of New Jersey have close business connections with the Lupertazzi Crime Family of Brooklyn, one of the five families in New York. Members of the DeCavalcante family believed themselves to be the inspiration for the DiMeo family.^[4] Due to its large size, the Lupertazzi crime family likely represents either the Gambino or Genovese crime families. Also, there have been references to four other families in the show: the Paglieri Family, the Mangano Family (the former name of the Gambino Crime Family), the Tarese Family and the DeBenedetto family. Although in episode 8 of the first season, “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti”, Meadow refers to Charles “Lucky” Luciano as the founder of the Mafia and in that context cites the names of the original Five Families.

The Grand Theft Auto video game series represents many of the Five Families in the game with the Leone, Sindacco, and Forelli families. In addition, Grand Theft Auto IV features a parody of the Five Families ruling body called "The Commission", consisting of the Ancelotti, Pavano, Messina, Gambetti and Lupisella families, with the smaller New Jersey (Alderney) Pegorino family trying to become a sixth entity.

In the episode Chair Model from The Office, Kevin mentions the "Five Families" of the Scranton Business Park, referring to the heads of the five companies which operate out of the business park.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cohen, Stefanie. "IT'S A MOB FAMILY CIRCUS". The New York Post, 8 March 2009.
^ http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/organizedcrime060408.htm
^ Crime Family Dealt a Blow, Police Say - By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM - October 20, 2000 - The New York Times Company
^ "New Charges for Mob Family as U.S. Indictment Names 20", New York Times April 20, 2001