CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. ORGANIZED CRIME- WHAT IS IT, AND CAN IT BE STOPPED? PT 8.

The Rapid Growth OF ORGANIZED CRIME, FROM THE NUMERICALLY SMALL SHOOT 'EM UP BANK ROBBERS of the '20s and '30s, and the INNER CITY ETHNIC GANGS That Were the Product OF CULTURAL ISOLATION AND POVERTY, Was the REALIZATION BY A FEW HIGH PLACED CRIMINAL LEADERS THAT BIG MONEY AND INFLUENCE COULD BE OBTAINED BY PROVIDING AMERICANS WITH SPECIFIC GOODS, LUXURIES, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN  CERTAIN PERSONAL "ACTIVITIES."

To put it Bluntly, it is a lot easier to get people to give you Money Voluntarily,

then figuring new ways to take it from them.  LEGALITY WAS NOT A 

MAJOR CONSIDERATION, THERE WAS TO MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE. 

SIMPLY ROBBING, BLACKMAILING, AND KILLING etc.,  WERE CRIMINAL 

ACTS THAT OFFERED LIMITED RETURNS, AND JUST CREATED MORE 

ENEMIES FROM THE VICTIMIZED AND THE POWERS THAT BE.  

However,

what if PEOPLE CAME TO THEM WITHOUT COERCION, AND OF THEIR 

OWN FREE WILL?

 This "GREAT AWAKENING" OCCURRED MAINLY AS A PRODUCT OF TWO EVENTS:

-  THE 18TH AMENDMENT, "PROHIBITION."

-  CASTELLAMMARESE WAR OF 1930-1931.

While certain CRIMINAL ACTS THAT ARE THOUGHT OF AS TRADITIONALLY

"MOB OR GANG RELATED" AND "THUG LIKE,"  STILL EXIST, THEY ARE NOT 

AS LUCRATIVE AND WIDESPREAD AS THEY ONCE WERE.

THESE INCLUDE:

-  LOANSHARKING.

-  PROTECTION RACKETS.

-  UNION INFILTRATION

OR UNION BUSTING.

-  EXTORTION.

...AND CRIMES THAT BRING IN 

THE ATTENTION OF THE FEDERAL 

GOVERNMENT, SUCH AS;

-  COUNTERFEITING.

-  KIDNAPPING.

THESE CRIMES ATTRACTED TO MUCH 

ATTENTION, AN UNDESIRABLE RESULT.