Firstly, I'd like to say salutations to the members here and to state that I am new to posting here but well versed in mob-related topics.
Secondly, as I read through some of the posts here, something has stricken my mind and it is not indicative to any one person or organization or anything like that. But time and time again you hear that "the reality is that today’s Mafia is an empire based on greed. Its financial structure is a pyramid scheme in which money flows upward to the Don, not downward to soldiers."
I understand why this is said but what really pisses me off is the fact that most corporations and businesses and business models are not only pyramid schemes but are primarily based upon greed. I know because I've worked for a few corporations and businesses where this is exactly the case and I'm sure alot of you have too. Now I know I may come off as though I'm a huge fan of the mob and it's tenets and I'm not going to say I'm not, but I'm also not a fanboy as I've heard some here call others.
I am a fan of being realistic and up front though. And this is what gets me mad. These corporations and alot of legitimate businesses claim that they're so law abiding and doing the public good by being in existence when the truth of the matter is that they're just as greedy and dishonest as any mob family ever was. And what do you think they're in business for? For the benevolent good of their fellow man? No! For the dollars, always the fricking dollars.
At least with the mob you know what they're here and in existence for. They're making no bones about it. Can't say the same for most legitimate corporations or businesses.
So am I a fan of the mob and it's ways? You bet I am! I can honestly say that this country alone was a far better place to live in for the average WASP during the first half of the 20th century than it is today. Just make a quick comparison of Detroit in the 1940's to the Detroit of today. A city destroyed by greedy corporations amongst other things. And that is just one example and you can find many others like it throughout the rust belt of the United States of America and beyond. I'm sure there are some members here that remember when Detroit was THE premier city to live in in America and now look at it.
So in all honesty, I long for the day when Joe Batters ran Chicago and most cities beyong going west with an iron fist in a velvet glove. If that makes me a fanboy or however you call it, then hey, yeah, I'm that!
And the same opinion goes for the government who has destroyed more lives, killed more innocent people, and extorted and continues to extort more dollars from the honest, hardworking citizen than any mob family. I'd rather pay a few dollars more for an item or service, even knowing that those dollars go into the pockets of mobsters than have a situation like we have today.
I guess I'm just sick of the side taken is based on such a black and white concept that it's bad because it's illegal, illegitimate as opposed to legal and legitimate. Some of you are going to read this and say to yourself, "Whaa, yeah so and your point is??" And maybe I don't have a point other than to voice that I can't stand when people take sides based on such a broad basis of being legal (legitimate, corporations, businesses, government) and that that is right and good and everything mob related (illegal, illegitimate) is just flat out bad. If I had my choice in who to root for and kend support to, the mob or the government, corporations, most businesses, I would give my support to the mob hands down. At least they're not fronting like they're some great benevolent operation being in existence for the good of mankind. And even though I know they do bad and extort others, I can't ignore the fact that America was a much better place to live in when the mob had an all powerful stranglehold on America and alot of its citizens.
For the members here and to give some usefulness to this thread, what do you guys think about this viewpoint? Are there others here who hold this same feeling/belief and are not scared of the responses of others in voicing it? Thanks for reading and your participation.

So if you do not like la famiglia and aren't a groupie or fanboy like a lot of people who post here are who will remain nameless, why do you think that Accardo is a Saint? Or did you like him from a business model standpoint?

I read your long post and you'll find people on here who claim things like that they're "dead", "no longer around", "weak", "severely weakened by RICO", etc. and it's not true both in other countries and in the United States.

No one ever said it was dead. It's just not what it used to be. That's all.

yes you are right that many large corporations are extremely unethical, but at the end of the day i'd still rather owe money to chase manhattan than the mafia.

also look up the definition of pyramid scheme. corporations may be run in a top down manner but this doesn't make them a pyramid scheme.

You assume something just from a name. I used the name because it was a moniker I thought I could use that hasn't been used that has some relevance to this site. Since I had the book "The Genuine Godfather" sitting here on my coffee table, the foreward in the book where Roehmer describes how Antoinette Giancana accuses him of thinking JB is Saint Accardo, I used it as my username. That's why it is my username.
And yes, from all that I've read and seen on The Man, I do admire his business model in comparison to other Dons. I thought he was a very fair, level headed, yet ruthless when he had to be man's man.

Well if we want to nit pick at the definition of a pyramid scheme then no its not a by definition pyramid scheme. I am just using the term in the same manner as others here have referred loosely to it being so. And the bottom line is that in a corporation or most other business, you're never going to make more than the guy who's above you, and in that respect I refer to it as a pyramid scheme.
I can see and I understand, that because I'm a NFG (new f/%=÷ guy) here, everything I type is going to be inspected and perused for any mistake or misclaimed remark. That I get, but lets not get overzealous with it. If I may ask that of the members here whom I would assume are mostly intelligent men who don't have inferiority complexes and give others who aren't part of their internet forum posse a hard time. I'm just here to contribute my opinions as is everyone else. Mine aren't any more or less important than anyone elses. Granted there are those who really know what they're talking about like pizzaboy, HuronAthleticClub, IvyLeague, and a few others, and these guys opinions and responses I respect much more than others where it concerns the goings on of the modern LCN. It's like with anything in life, if you know, you just know and you know when others know what it is also.

Wow, what a stupid debate and thread. OP seems like hes high on coke. Use your insight...Do you actually think anyone would debate corporate greed and how it relates to the structure of the mob thats the whole point. They are prosecuted at times as well just like the mob but the mob uses violence. No need to waste time.

I don't do coke asshole and I'm not setting up a debate either. Sounds like you may need some coke to stroke that damaged ego of yours. I'm making a point that it irks me that people put down the mob all the time as scum and bad just because they're involved in illegal doings yet corporate greed and even moreso, regular businesses are ok and get no downplay on the premise that they're legal.
This thread is no dumber or more asinine than alot of the threads here. But you keep going ahead with your fucking attitude for the simple fact that I'm the new poster here. I'm sure if someone familiar posted this it wouldn't get near the negative responses it has. But maybe you're one of the board assholes then too, I have no idea. I guess I'll find out and judging by your immediate jump to being an asshole, I'll assume so.

Cut out all the name-calling, everyone.

Saint Accardo,welcome to the Board.Enjoy the give and take with the serious posters,and ignore the rest.

Sorry guys. I apologize. Just woke up and this is what I saw. Not the best thing to wake up to as I don't understand the dynamics of the board yet.

I understand your point man, but these businesses your denouncing operate WITHIN the law. It's not like if you don't pay Captial One Bank for your monthly credit card they are going to try and carbomb you or your family. Sure they will put the pressure on you to get their money back, but in a LEGAL way.

It sounds like your saying it should be okay for the mob to operate however they please because big businesses sometimes operate with sleazy tactics.

I kinda am. The mob doesn't car bomb you either if you don't pay. When was the last time that happened to any loanshark victim? Last bombing I and everyone else knew took place was because someone killed a boss.
And this whole premise that they, the government, corporations, and businesses operate within the law is just not true for the vast majority of them. And another thing that gets me is that I've heard time and again, Chase doesn't break your legs if you can't pay. No, they just ruin your life by making it so you can't get a loan, a job, ruin your financial reputation. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have my legs broke. Yeah it hurts but they heal. Its much harder to patch your life up and that of your family when they, the banks, have absolutely decimated your life basically. And I also don't like the fact that it's so easy for many to welch on what they owe. Maybe they should get their legs broken. That would hold alot more people accountable and make them be a man about things, not crying to the authorities claiming bankruptcy babies.
I guess my biggest point is that I respect upfrontness and with the government, most all corporations, and alot of businesses, you don't get anything close to that. With the mob at least you know what you've got and what you have to deal with and honestly, I know they do much less permanent harm to our world than the other three I've just mentioned. Look at the destruction of the rainforests, rivers, wildlife all in the name of progress but really due to corporate greed and lets not forget about the exploitation of labor.
I know im not going to convince you guys otherwise and im not going to try. I just want others to take a look, a real objective look at the situation before you go off calling them all scum and no good and on and on and on. Yes, alot of them are people that you wouldn't want to be around or have your friends run into with them. Some of them are just downright embarrassing to be around. But thats not all of them and I think Accardo is one of the best examples of one of the ones who was not like this. In fact that's why he stepped aside, because he was tired of being around most of them.
I just think as a whole, I'd like to say I respect and like the mob families and how they influenced our country far, far better than I like all these so called legal entities in our country that have come to dominate.
Just look at Vegas for instance. Many that lived there during the 60' and 70's will flat out tell you the town was a much more pleasant place to live than it is now. Thats what corporations do to others.
I think alot of us have become so conditioned to think that illegal=bad, legal=good based on laws and our systems use and implementation of those laws that in a big way we have been blinded to whats really better and worse.
I'll leave this alone now because I can see why alot here would think this is a stupid topic as it really doesn't add anything. I just speak my mind and like to take the position less popular, even if its wrong to many others. Just food for thought more than anything and a call to people to not blindly label something as bad because our government says it is so.

On, the first part, that is just where we will agree to disagree.

On the second part, what about the Mafia in Italy, giving weapons to the Africans for exchange of dumping toxic waste on their land? Your dealing with a double edged sword there my friend.

Just agree to disagree .

Welcome, Saint Accardo. But a quick heads up: These threads go nowhere and ALWAYS end up getting shut down by the mods .

Thats a much smaller area than the rainforests of Central and South America. I'm going to get arguements from every angle here. The bottom line is they are all ineffective and pale in comparison to what our government and the corporations of our country do.
And I am only referring to the American mob here also. Not the italian mafia, the N'draghetta, or the Cammora.
Yes, pizzaboy, I will agree to disagree. People by the time they're 20 are conditioned to be who they are and what they are and as they say, a leopard doesn't change its spots.

Saint A-If you like them that's OK. There are a lot of groupies and fan-boys here on this site. Some of them even purposely go to places to meet them, or to their trials.

I agree with the person who said that it's better to be in debt to a bank or credit card company than it is to an OC group.

Great observation Capt. Obvious. The reason people go to OC groups for Loans is usually because they can't get a loan from a bank or even get a credit card at that. most of these people are degenerate gamblers\ drug addicts who couldn't get a 5 cent loan if they put 10 cents down. Allot of these people bet what they don't have and when they lose they are fucked. Usually they already burned through all of their lines of legit credit by the time they hit their "friendly" neighborhood shy for a loan.

Funny thread. Who recently got banned that was a tad long-winded and opinionated? Is right on the tip of my arm, er, tongue.
Welcome, NFG!

Posticonis repetitious =/