Always was a lot of small time independents in Bensonhurst, when they either got big enough to attract attention or they were approached and then had to run to somebody for protection.

A lot of associates would play a game to whereas they didn’t want to tell “THEIR GUY” about the racket because they had to kick up right away, the strategy was to go as long as you could and then when they had some sort of beef run to their guy.

So it would go something like this they would NOT mention the racket and say hey I’m thinking or I am going to start, or look into “THE RACKET”

So if they “GUY” came back and said “WTF” they say remember I mentioned to you we were going to start whatever.

Let’s say it was loan sharking and you had 30 customers you would lie and say we have 4-5 customers were not making anything yet, it’s new we need sometime to get if off the ground.

Now today it has to be 1000 times worse you have “Guys” and “Associates” they don’t want to go near a lot of situations like that, unless they know the guy, and they feel he will not go to the feds.

Way different today.
However, still does exist.