The New Orleans crime family is an American Mafia Crime family based in the city of New Orleans. It is arguably the oldest Mafia syndicate in the United States, with a history of criminal activity dating back to the late nineteenth century. The family reached its height of influence under Carlos Marcello, one of America's most powerful Mafia dons during the mid-twentieth century. However, a series of setbacks during the 1980s reduced its clout, and law enforcement dismantled most of what remained shortly after Marcello's death in 1993. In spite of this, it is believed that some elements of the syndicate remain active in the Big Easy today.