Mobsters’ disorganised crime

Mobsters are failing to adhere to the rules and best practices of the Italian mafia, with some even sending threats by text message.

The declining standards have emerged in court papers filed in a case against the Colombo crime family.

Prosecutors described the family as a “thriving” criminal enterprise but long-time observers say evidence assembled by investigators showed organised crime in New York is no longer well organised.

The filing, asking a court to deny bail to 10 alleged mobsters, suggests that the family’s senior leadership became personally involved in extortion in a manner that would have made their predecessors blanch. It includes alleged transcripts of mobsters discussing business over the phone and apparent evidence of one defendant attempting to conduct racketeering by text message, leaving a digital trail for investigators to follow.

“I’m sure that is frowned upon in mob circles,” Richard Frankel, a former FBI agent, told The Wall Street Journal.

A former member of the Colombo crime family told the paper that mobsters had become over-reliant on their mobiles. “Everything is on the phones with them,” he said.