The peak of the power and influence of the American Mafia is generally considered to have occurred during the mid-20th century, from the 1920s to the 1950s. This period, often referred to as the "Golden Age" of the Mafia, was characterized by the consolidation of criminal organizations, growth of organized crime activities such as bootlegging, extortion, loansharking, labor racketeering, and the emergence of prominent mafia families in cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston.