The Five Families is a term given to the five dominant organised crime families of New York City, formed during the turbulent 1920's and 1940's. The families dominated New York City and New Jersey's crime shebang for most of the 20th century, and they would have influence in narcotics, bootlegging, spice smuggling, tooth-paste smuggling, chips smuggling, cookie smuggling, prostitution, racketeering, extortion, politics, religion-bashing, the police force, gambling, the legal system, diamond smuggling, coffee smuggling, and other businesses.