Of course nobody can be quoted as a 100% undeniable source, but Pizza struck me as believable as an anonymous commenter can be. I can't remember if he said that ALL contractors had to go through the mob, rather that it was extremely widespread while the mob were at their peak.
As far as the Trump debate goes, I don't think an European like me got enough clear intel on the matter to form any kind of strong opinion. Let's say that, from a personal point of view and based on what i've read, I find his antics - past as well as present - "questionable" at best; but like I said, I better keep shtum.
So now it's not "all" contractors, just "some".
Glad you guys are starting to face reality. And, Trump was part of that "some" who knowingly worked with the mob to get an edge on his competition, which was dishonest and criminal. Trump was not just going with the flow. He was an exception. Builders who didn't have his daddy's connections had to do things the right way. They had to pay the inflated prices and report instances of extortion, over billing, etc. Many of them never saw justice, and the few that did had to wait a long time for it. All the while, Trump got richer and richer and richer. He's a cheater who made a deal with the mob to keep his costs low, so he could undercut his competition. He got away clean because the most crooked lawyer in American history, Roy Cohn, fixed it for him.
