i can admire them for their qualities of being able to not only operate, but thrive in a one of the most stressful and cutthroat environments out there while withholding moral judgement. their ability to constantly play chess against the feds and other fellow wiseguys and come out on top. it's the same way one can admire hitler or stalin and that all entailed their rise to power and retention of it, without necessarily agreeing with the consequences of their rise to power.

are they vicious sociopaths who would strangle their mother for a nickle? yes. would i want them as next door neighbors? no. but they're highly competent and intelligent in ways most people could never hope to be, and this is what i admire. or at least find interesting.