I am currently watching the Godfather trilogy for the first time. No I was not under a rock for several decades. I was wondering if the Mafia is still around in the US? Seems like they vanished into the shadows or are they considered not to be much news these days?
There were a lot of crackdowns on mafia activity, mainly against racketeering - which is the mainstay of the mafia - over the past few decades. Yes, the mafia is still active, though a few prominent big busts like that of a few members of the Gambino family a few years ago have limited a lot of the activity or driven much of it further "into the shadows".
I'm not an expert, but the Families are involved in a lot of legitimate businesses as well as shady and illegal stuff.
Most of what goes on in the mafia probably wouldn't make for interesting movies or television.
EDIT: In 2011 there were a lot of arrests:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/January/11-ag-077.html
Some interesting charges there.
Some very recent activity as well:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/feds_charge_32_alleged_mafia-c.html
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