Basic HTML Version
ultimately be traced to mob con–
nections in such Jucrative mother
lodes as the Teamster pension fund
and the eastern seaboard docks
(where the racket-riddled In ter–
national Longshoreman's Associa–
tion holds sway).
One favorite syndicate tactic is to
ostensibly go into legitimate busi–
ness as a distributor, piJe up huge
debts to suppliers, and then sud–
denly drop out of business with the
suppliers left holding what amounts
to worthless IOUs. Small insurance
businesses are another favorite tar–
get of the mob. Once in control,
they can siphon off the company's
reserves and replace them with
bogus or stolen securities.
Organlzed Crlme and Crimes
Agalnst
lh!!
Publlc
Mob activities are often indirectly
responsible for many seemingly un–
related street crimes.
"lt
is estimated
that more tban 50 percent of the
felonies committed in New York
City are by drug addicts," com–
mented Ralph Salerno, an authority
on organized crime. "Since orga–
nized crime controls the importation
of narcotics, it must share the blame
for much of the burglary and rob–
bery. In addition, thieves could not
convert what they steal into cash
without fences to buy it, and they,
too, are part of organized crime"
(The Crime Confederation,
p.
272).
Organized criminals also often
hurt the average citizen by nul–
lifying bis vote. Generous bribes can
buy the allegiance of officials all the
way from the local policeman to
congressmen on Capito! Hill.
In 1967 a group of Republican
congressmen pointed out the seri–
ousness of this type of corruption:
"A tacit alliance between organized
crime and sorne local public officials
has a far more devastating effect on
society and the urban poor than
merely permitting organized crime
to practice its vices. In the broader
sense corruption of local public offi–
cials inevitably results in a break–
clown ofpublic respect for authority.
In recent years ... much has been
said about a deplorable loss of mo–
rality among segments of the urban
poor in America's cities. But to
32
whom are the people to look for
standards of honesty and virtue if
they cannot look to their local pub–
líe officials? What is the lesson
taught to today's young roen or
women when members of their local
public community choose to cooper–
ate with (or choose conveniently not
to see) organized crime?" (Joseph
M. McDade, "Study of Organized
Crime and the Urban Poor,"
Con–
gressional Record,
August 29, 1967.)
And the effect is even more dev–
astating when corruption occu_rs at
higher levels. Corruption preaches a
sermon that all too many Americans
heed: "The government is for sale;
lawlessness is the road to wealth;
honesty is a pitfall and morality a
trap for suckers" (Cressey,
op. cit.,
p.
7).
Cures Won't Be Easy
The complete and successful elimi–
nation of organized crime may take
more effort than most Americans
are willing to exert. "The under–
world is what
it
is largely because
Americans are too moral to tolerate
human weakness, and because they
are too great lovers of liberty to tol–
erate the tyranny which might make
it possible to abolish what they pro–
hibit," says Walter Lippmann
(ibid. ,
p.
72).
Officially, the American govern–
ment is against organized crime, but
it lirnits itself by respecting the
wishes of a large rninority which de–
rnands the "right" to illicit goods
and services.
Organized criminals recognize
this desire for their products. One of
thern, Bill Bonanno, looked at it this
way: " ... gambling ... although il–
legal, is part of human nature. The
nurnbers racket, off-track betting,
prostitution, and their other illegal
endeavors will go on whether or not
there is a Mafia. The mafiosi are
really servants in a hypocritical so–
ciety; they are the rniddlernen who
provided those illegal commodities
of pleasure and escape that the pub–
líe dernanded and the law forbade.
"If people would obey the law,
there would be no Mafia. If the po–
lice could resist graft, if the judges
and politicians were incorruptible,
there would be no Mafia because
the Mafia could not exist without
the cooperation of the others" (Gay
Talese,
Honor Thy Father,
p. 77).
Bonanno's words should not be
construed as a justification for the
Mafia, but there is truth
in
what he
says. Most Arnericans are virtuously
opposed to crime, at least until
it
becomes necessary to sacrifice sorne
of their own pleasures and desires.
Then virtue becomes a heavy burden.
Too many people condone bookies
and casi.nos, but when their children
sample heroin, the reaction is quite
different. They never seem to see the
connection-the gambling pareots fi–
nanced the underworld and made the
narcotics traffic possible.
There are many close ties between
the attitudes ofcriminals and those of
businessrnen. In fact, gangsters often
like to compare themselves to our
early industrialleaders such as Rock–
efeller and Carnegie. Both groups
exploited others to further their own
ends. And the exploitation goes on
today. For every innocent business–
roan who becomes a victim of loan–
sharkingor extortion, there is another
who is willing to call on a hood to
apply sorne muscle on a competitor or
to make a "sweetheart" deal with his
labor union.
The shady area between what is
right and what is wrong is just too
great a temptation for too many
people. And since, as one gangster
said, "Everyone is out to make a
buck that Uncle Sam don't [sic]
know about," quite a few cross over
the hazy line.
In many respects the war on the
syndicate can't even get off the
ground until the whole fabric of our
society is changed. Organized crime
is in itself merely a
symptom
of an
unhealthy civilization. Many of its
chief income-producing activities
such as gambling, drugs and prosti–
tution would dry up if their poten–
tia! victims were rehabilitated
prior
to the commission of the crime.
In the meantime, as long as con–
sumers, corporate executives, and
politicians a re willing to put the !ove
of money ahead of !ove of God and
their fellowman, the mob will not
only continue to exist but continue
to flourish as our organized partners
in crime.
o
The
PLAIN TRUTH September 1978