Organized crime in The US honestly doesn't exist anymore. What we are seeing now are simply crews of crooks with little power and influence trying to hold on to dreams of old.
Businesses won't be shaken down by these guys anymore, they can't kill anyone and get away with it anymore, labor unions and construction are not going to kick back anything to a crew of nobodies who can't intimidate like they once did.
RICO, technology and the snitch culture makes it nearly impossible for a criminal organization to operate long enough to become a force to be reckoned with.
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Most of what you said Iceveins is true. But as Mafia101 stated, and last week's big mob-related construction indictment, as well as, several other construction bid-rig cases over the last year or so have proven, the mob is still firmly entrenched in the construction industry. Although, not nearly as pervasively as in years back when they held ironclad control over dozen of construction-oriented labor unions and labor officials.
In fact, "construction" per se, is one of the very very few legitimate industries the mob still exerts a measure of control over.
Well yes but since they still have so many people in construction is why they got busted, this was a scam ring with many people involved, they weren't muscling in on contracts with influence and intimidation like they once did. You can find this same kind of thing happening in every state, construction will ALWAYS be a business where people try to cut corners or do what they can to get contracts.
Iceveins, you are 100% correct. NO, you are 101% correct!
What "passes" for construction racketeering today, was but a bleep on the mob's radar screen decades back. Essentially, what they do today is "inflate" bids, and/or steer bids, toward friendly contractors. Ya DON'T have to be in the Mafia to do that. Even in NYC.
Sucker companies have been doing that foreverrrrrrr!
Years back? The mob exerted pivotal control over dozens of construction-related labor unions; laborers, concrete workers, carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, drywall, roofers, excavation, demolition removal, etc., etc., all over NYC, all over the entire country in fact!
Straight-out extortion, sweetheart contracts, union pension fund embezzlements, padding payrolls, bloated expense accounts, selling union membership books, dictating and installing the actual union officials to their posts in various labor locals - from the president on down, kickbacks or every shape and size from vendors and anyone doing business within those sub-industries ie; building supplies, etc.
They had an absolute field day!...For many, many decades.
Today? Thats not the case...Not even close!
