How Cosa Nostra is making money in 2018

[Wiseguy]

I understand, thanks, is that nowadays one does not see many news about bank robbery, usually when talking about mob refers to extortion, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and etc ...

There have been some examples of prostitution in recent years. For instance with the Gambinos using Craigslist ads and running an escort service, as well there being some in mob-run strip clubs. But relatively speaking, prostitution isn't really a core racket and those recent cases were more the exception than the rule.

As well as Al Trucchio and Tony Frascone's scheme of importing girls from Russia and selling them to strip joints.

That would fall under the mob-run strip clubs. It was also among the charges in the 2008 indictment of the Corozzo crew.

[gohnjotti]

I understand, thanks, is that nowadays one does not see many news about bank robbery, usually when talking about mob refers to extortion, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and etc ...

There have been some examples of prostitution in recent years. For instance with the Gambinos using Craigslist ads and running an escort service, as well there being some in mob-run strip clubs. But relatively speaking, prostitution isn't really a core racket and those recent cases were more the exception than the rule.

As well as Al Trucchio and Tony Frascone's scheme of importing girls from Russia and selling them to strip joints.

That would fall under the mob-run strip clubs. It was also among the charges in the 2008 indictment of the Corozzo crew.

Ok, thanks Wiseguy.

[santos]

and ofcourse...the big one now... crypto coin scams

Any examples?

https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/01 ... ocurrency/

White collar stuff, I think the mob are all over these kinda things.

[aleksandrored]

I understand, thanks, is that nowadays one does not see many news about bank robbery, usually when talking about mob refers to extortion, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and etc ...

There have been some examples of prostitution in recent years. For instance with the Gambinos using Craigslist ads and running an escort service, as well there being some in mob-run strip clubs. But relatively speaking, prostitution isn't really a core racket and those recent cases were more the exception than the rule.

Thanks for the information, this was new for me, I thought that prostitution was one of the main rackets (since prostitution and gambling are the oldest crimes), but it makes sense even as over the years prostitution has had a great fall.

[Wiseguy]

I understand, thanks, is that nowadays one does not see many news about bank robbery, usually when talking about mob refers to extortion, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and etc ...

There have been some examples of prostitution in recent years. For instance with the Gambinos using Craigslist ads and running an escort service, as well there being some in mob-run strip clubs. But relatively speaking, prostitution isn't really a core racket and those recent cases were more the exception than the rule.

Thanks for the information, this was new for me, I thought that prostitution was one of the main rackets (since prostitution and gambling are the oldest crimes), but it makes sense even as over the years prostitution has had a great fall.

Back in the old days the mob was involved in the racket, either running it directly or extorting prostitution rings. Later on that sort of became passe as they moved into other areas of the sex business - strip clubs, peep shows, porn, gay clubs, etc. Prostitution still occurred through these on some level but it was a side business and not really one of their main rackets. Later, as porn became more mainstream and the market was saturated with video tapes and DVDs, and then the internet, that became passe as well. Strip clubs have been the main sex business the mob has remained involved with in more recent years.

[furiofromnaples]

http://abc7chicago.com/archive/6311572/

And the mob's illegal video poker racket ?

In 2008 Samuel Volpendesto a chicago outfit made man ordered to outlaws mc biker Mike Polchan to blow up a a videogame company that made losing $$$ to the outfit due the competition.

[PHL_Mob]

I know in philly I recently heard that they're into parking garages. Not necessarily owning them all the time, but they're running all kinds of flim-flam in the center city garages. For instance, you'll come back to your car and the guy will be like oh you locked your keys in the car, but we have a guy who can be here in 5 mins and can unlock your door for you for a $100 cash. That sort of thing. They won't bother locals or regulars since that's their business, but if you pull in with a rental car or out of town plates their antennas are going up.

[The Cat]

They are still in prostitution I don’t know if they’re using craigslist but they are using Backpage and same guys that own strip clubs or putting pressure and getting kicks from strip club owners are using the girls on the back page they are rotating them around the Northeast and further ,using the strip clubs as a stepping stone to get young and new faces so they don’t have to intimidate the women so much that they will run to the feds . They have a Constant supply of new girls coming out of little towns to their local strip clubs willing to prostitute . They swip on phones and use PayPal and other new paying systems that the Internet has made very easy and almost impossible to trace other than the John with the checking debit or savings account .

[gohnjotti]

http://abc7chicago.com/archive/6311572/

And the mob's illegal video poker racket ?

The video-gambling/Joker-Poker rackets are still very lucrative, from what I hear.

[Wiseguy]

http://abc7chicago.com/archive/6311572/

And the mob's illegal video poker racket ?

The video-gambling/Joker-Poker rackets are still very lucrative, from what I hear.

Video gambling machines are probably the second biggest form of gambling after sports betting but it's a very, very distant second. At least for most of the families. Chicago may be an exception. As far as the numbers racket, only the NY families have been involved in that in more recent years and even numbers cases in NY have dropped off. Don't know if it's a generational thing. NY is mainly the area where we still see card and casino-style gambling involving the mob.

[aleksandrored]

I understand, thanks, is that nowadays one does not see many news about bank robbery, usually when talking about mob refers to extortion, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking and etc ...

There have been some examples of prostitution in recent years. For instance with the Gambinos using Craigslist ads and running an escort service, as well there being some in mob-run strip clubs. But relatively speaking, prostitution isn't really a core racket and those recent cases were more the exception than the rule.

Thanks for the information, this was new for me, I thought that prostitution was one of the main rackets (since prostitution and gambling are the oldest crimes), but it makes sense even as over the years prostitution has had a great fall.

Back in the old days the mob was involved in the racket, either running it directly or extorting prostitution rings. Later on that sort of became passe as they moved into other areas of the sex business - strip clubs, peep shows, porn, gay clubs, etc. Prostitution still occurred through these on some level but it was a side business and not really one of their main rackets. Later, as porn became more mainstream and the market was saturated with video tapes and DVDs, and then the internet, that became passe as well. Strip clubs have been the main sex business the mob has remained involved with in more recent years.

Is there any recent information on which Strip Clubs the Mob is involved in?
What did you say applies to New York families or does that also fit the Chicago Outfit?

[MichaelGiovanni]

How big a money maker is cigarette smuggling and which families are involved the most?

[gohnjotti]

How big a money maker is cigarette smuggling and which families are involved the most?

The East Coast LCN Enterprise case (2016) detailed how it is a popular racket for soldiers and associates of all families.

[MichaelGiovanni]

In Andrew DiDonato's book it went into detail about how the mob made money through gambling. For card games he said that whoever was running the game would take a 5% cut off every hand dealt.

He also talks about craps games and players betting against the house but if they wanted they could bet directly with each other but I assume he is talking about table craps.

My question is do the families still run old fashioned street craps games (not table craps) and if the players are betting directly against each other how does the operator get a cut? Do they just charge like a door/entry fee to the players and let them gamble however much they want?

Just curious how this works

[Wiseguy]

Is there any recent information on which Strip Clubs the Mob is involved in?

What did you say applies to New York families or does that also fit the Chicago Outfit?

The recent Bonanno bust last month included a raid on the Xcess gentleman's club on Staten Island. In 2011, both the Gambino and Bonanno families were charged, along with Russian OC figures, of bringing women into the country to work at or extorting several strip clubs in Manhattan and Long Island. That same year, Patriarca family figures were charged with extorting strip clubs in Providence. You can go back further and find a lot of other examples.

If you're talking about mob involvement in the sex trade, it would apply to all the families.

In Andrew DiDonato's book it went into detail about how the mob made money through gambling. For card games he said that whoever was running the game would take a 5% cut off every hand dealt.

He also talks about craps games and players betting against the house but if they wanted they could bet directly with each other but I assume he is talking about table craps.

My question is do the families still run old fashioned street craps games (not table craps) and if the players are betting directly against each other how does the operator get a cut? Do they just charge like a door/entry fee to the players and let them gamble however much they want?

Just curious how this works

Though it's from the 1980s and 1990s, DiDonato's breakdown is still one of the best descriptions of mob-run gambling.

The big "East Coast Enterprise" bust included charges of running a gambling club that had gambling on poker and dice games, as well as horse racing. Not sure specifically what form of dice games but for nearly 20 years now only the NY families have had cases involving this. And even there it's fairly rare compared to the sports betting cases.

If I had to break it down it would look like this in terms of cases from 2000 to the present...

NY families - mainly bookmaking, still involved in video poker machines, numbers cases starting to become more rare, occasional busts involving card and dice games

New Jersey - basically bookmaking, only one case of an associate who was involved in a "pick 6" lottery

New England - mainly bookmaking, a few cases involving video poker machines, only one case that involved some associates run a lottery and card games

Philadelphia - mainly bookmaking, some video gambling, that recent numbers bust involved a non-LCN operation (Creagh family) that paid street tax back in the Scarfo era

Chicago - the one area where the video gambling cases have occurred as often as bookmaking cases