Some friends of mine (these people share a name and bloodline with a last name in Detroit) said that St. Louis is picked apart by The Partnership, that has pieces and interests in Strip Clubs in East St. Louis (Sauget, Brooklyn, etc) and they run some bookies/ sharks in South St. Louis. I could name a few of the bars they mentioned where these guys operate. Most of them are former Teamster guys, most of the names were Italian, some names that could be familiar to people on the boards. I can't vouch for the info, just the source. Which not-for-nothin, is pretty credible.
Edited for subject/verb agreement.
That is consistent with what I have heard - a little book making and loan sharking, almost all on the south side.
I have not heard about them currently being in the strip clubs over on the east side. They were a long time ago, when Nando Bartoltotta / Mike Trupiano were hidden partners in a few massage parlors with Dennis Sonnenschein, who was a front. The ATF and FBI got them on tape discussing how the profits were cut between Art Berne, Joey Auippa, Nando and Trupiano.
