Since the late 1950's the American LCN has been out of the importation business--Anastasia didn't want to give his up, which is why I think he got hit---and heavily into distribution on a wholesale level (1/8th of a key and up)

While many other groups also have accsess to wholesale (White dope, mexican is another story) junk---Russians("We're Israeli"), Colombians, Chinese, Koreans, Albanians, and a mish mash of central Asians as well, the heroin business is a small club compared with cocaine.

Ant with a day on the street can find a wholesale coke connect and then proceed to break it down and sell it in bars or whatever. You can't do that with dope. The American LCN are one of the largest wholesalers to the black and latino bosses all over the east coast and into the rust belt.