Out of all the rackets, this one is a bit of a head scratcher for me.

Extortion and protection rackets are very easy to understand. If you don't pay, they harm you. You have to pay money to keep other criminals from....also extorting you. Or you have to pay in order to enjoy the mob's political connections....which in a sense is what it means to be made and pay tribute to a Capo.

Union racketeering, almost self explanatory.

Contract rigging, also self explanatory.

Illegal gambling. Only way to explain this one is the mob must pay out more, and pay more often than legal lotteries in order to attract a loyal following.

But then you have loan sharking. Why in the world would you accept a mobster's money knowing what can happen if you don't or can't pay?

Is this a situation where you don't actually borrow money, but are assessed a "debt" due to some gambling bet that was lost? I don't get it. Maybe business owners that get extorted for protections payments and can't pay on time are then assessed a "vig" and listed as loan shark customers? It makes no sense. I wouldn't take a dime from a made man.


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