re: How Powerful was Carlos Marcello?

My thinking is Godfather and New York nexus of power. It seems to me that would be the center of mafia power but that's why I'm asking. How could a relative unknown from NOLA have a reputation as the biggest of them all? Most outside of Louisiana still have never heard of him.

quote:

---

Port City and union control would be my guess. Alcohol and gambling as a kicker.

---

Would think they owned politicians, including sheriffs, who all had complete control of little fiefdoms we call parishes. When I was in elementary school in Videlia, the Concordia Parish Sheriff was Noah Cross. In the 70's, he was convicted of perjury after saying he did not take bribes from the owner of a bar that had gambling and was a whore house.

You can imagine how close a man like Marcello might be to people in those types of positions. He may have been getting monthly payments just like the sheriff did. He may have gotten tributes from the sheriffs. Who knows? New Orleans and parishes like Concordia were like living in another country with the vices that were rampant.

Noah Cross wiki

Cross' lead deputy, Frank DeLaughter, also went to jail for racketeering and for violating the civil rights of a black prisoner he beat. A little bit about him is on that Noah Cross wiki page.

If you want to check out some of the other things that went on in Concordia check out these Concordia Sentinel articles

My dad worked at the IP mill in Natchez. Guys that worked there tried to recruit him, and my mom's brother in law, who also went to work there, into the Klan.