The feds will never say the American Mafia is dead. Like you already know, they will use attractive headlines in their press statements on the day of a huge bust like "Crippling mob bust decimates Gambino Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra!" Then a month later, announce how the mob is still alive and well. Yet, they're cutting back the task forces in charge of investigating LCN. Hmm
As far as Giuliani and the elimination of 'mob tax' on goods and services go... Yep, he sure did swing a heavy bat and cracked many a criminal skull to put an end to that, but guess who took the mob's place at the table? That's right, the people who learned how to extort from the best... The City and it's governing agencies. Exempli gratia: Garbage pickup in NYC. Little mom and pop shops weren't overcharged, they just had to use whatever company had that area. Large corporations & government agencies were jacked up and over billed. Take from the rich mentality. Today, the mob tax has been revamped and renamed to disguise itself as a legitimate cost of business. It costs approximately 10 thousand dollars annually to maintain a license to pickup trash in NYC. It also costs approximately 7 thousand annually per truck for the placard stating that you have that license. That gets passed to the consumer. Years ago, it cost roughly 1,000 - 1,500 a year, per truck to insure a truck. You didn't even need workers comp if you were a one man show. Today that same truck costs up to 11,000 to insure and workers comp is mandatory at a cost of 5,000 annually. Oh, and who do you think offers the 'best' workers comp plan? That's right, the government backed one. Next up, fuel. Companies used to get great deals on fugazi fuel. Or off road diesel/heating oil or 'red fuel' as we called it. Today, 4-5 bucks a gallon and if you get caught trying to save money using off road diesel (which, by the way is good for a diesel truck engine due to a higher sulphur content which promotes lubricity in the engine) it's a 20,000 dollar fine. Next up. Sanitation trucks ran 24/7. The garbage got picked up. If a private company doesn't have the trash off the sidewalk by 5am in Manhattan, 10, 000 dollar fine per location. If the truck doesn't have clear readable lettering, 10,000 dollar fine. If the tires are 'too old' 10 grand, if there's water leaking from the truck, 10 grand. And the city will use these types of fines to claim they're keeping the industry safer. Safety = cash bill in their eyes. I can go on and on and on, I'm sure you get the picture.
It's no different in the fish, veggie & meat markets. The city taxes them just as heavy. The regulatory fines they pay are through the roof. I know, I service these people and they all complain that they wish it was the way it used to be years ago. Times change and bad guys do too. Only difference is these days the ones with their hands in your pockets are the people with the suits on who you vote into office and who you pay their salaries. Believe me, I have left out a lot of other examples in the interest of not boring you to death, it I'm sure most here already know what I'm talking about.
