CabriniGreen wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:55 pm
Some great info here @ Villian....
I wanna look at some contemporary examples... to illustrate the criminality aspect over the legitimate....
1. Arrilotta - Made guy. West Side, the " Ivey League".
You know what threw me about this guy? He got involved in the streets, he himself said he didnt give education much interest. He gets in debt 100k to a shylock, then he just....... goes and ask his Dad for the 100k. Then proceeds to say his Dad had a very successful flower business.
Now, I was confused, like..... why didnt you just go into the family's LEGITIMATE BUSINESS? Or at least, try to expand it? If he wasnt into flowers, he coulda went to his DAD, not a LOANSHARK, for the 100k and started a legit business. No, he goes to the streets. And not a Union racket, or gambling either. No, he goes and sell the Mexican brick weed.
2. Leandro Greco - Scion of a mafia dynasty in Sicily.... but the son of a law abiding citizen. His father didnt get involved in crime, and instead became I think, a movie director.
Leandro however, takes after his Grandfather, Michele and becomes the latest in the line of Greco clan bosses.
I doubt the clan threw its resources and full support behind the elder Grecos film endeavors. Hes probably looked at as a " civilian". Leandro could have run for public office, anything. He became a mafiosi.
Whom do we think holds the greater respect? The citizen? Or the Boss?
3. Paolo Bontade - again, son of a mafia Scion. Could run for Mayor probably, or started ANYTHING legit, but his name pops up in criminal investigations.
4. Leonardo Rizzuto - Scion of a powerful mafiosi. An actual lawyer, but just couldnt stay legitimate. Hell, same with the construction based murdered son, Nick jr.
5. The Campos thing - One of the reasons that indictment is silly to me is the inveterate "Hoodlumness"
of it. They couldnt just run a construction company, they had to shit where they ate.
What they did, is what I would expect if you put the typical gang leader in that position. Instead of trying to leverage the next 80 million dollar deal, you worried about floor tiles and a new bathroom.
Even that Hootie guy. Said he got a union job at like 18, in the PJs, I think. Decent money. I'm like, so why you still selling drugs?