The MAFIA: Dirty business

Now i know there has already been a lot of posts on the internet regarding the mafia, But let me review them in my own words. There are numerous factions of the so called "mafia" spread all over the world. Mafia also known as the "la cosa nostra" in an underground organization of criminals. Its like an society away from the normal society, A network of evil. They have been around since the 19th century originating from Sicily. The mafia has a very strict code known as the OMERTA or code of silence, Forhibitting any participating member to speak about theyre business and affairs to "outsiders" or people who are not associated with the mafia. Disobedience of the code of silence is punishable only by death.

They operate in numerous illegal businesses such as:

Gambling: It could be book making, Sports betting, Card games and a lot more. A lot of people are suckers for "get-rich-quick" schemes therefore making the gambling racket a very profitable business. Gamblers sometimes manage to win and when they do, the hope of them winning a large sum of money again drives them to keep gambling. Sometimes the thought " I just want to get even" overcomes the body and mind and then the gambler would then lose more than he hoped for resulting in bankruptcy due to debts, When the gamblers are now in Debts and they cant get a proper loan from the bank, they must get it from other sources

Numbers racket: This should be in gambling as well but since it needs more detail i decided to post it here. It is also called "Street lottery" where they have runners to collect 3 digit bets from individuals and the winner wins a large amount of money with even just the smallest of bets

Loan sharking: Is when they lend out their money and charge high interest rates with the threat of bodily harm or death should the borrower fail to pay the loan shark back. They are also called shylocks.

Extortion, "shakedown" or protection racket: Is when certain mobsters forcibly demand money from an individual with the fear of Harm, Destruction of property or death should the individual refuse to meet the demands of the mobster. In most cases, Freelance racketeers are often shaken down by members of the organized crime, Demaning a large percentage of their operation. This is a great cashcow for mobsters for they do not need to be doing much. Money comes to them everyweek without them risking their neck for anything. The only problem they face is to kill the person who isnt paying them what theyre supposed to.

Hi-jacking: Another racket of the mob where they forcibly take the goods normally from a truck. They hold the truck driver at gun point as other members unload the cargo and they then sell the product on the street.

Murder for hire: Ever played the game hitman? Yep! thats what this is all about. But instead of being contacted from a laptop and sending you to different countries, it is mostly done locally. They pay a group of toughies who most likely have nothing to live for and those guys would kill the man theyre employer asked them to kill.

Drug trafficking: It's pretty much self exlanatory. This is the illegal distribution of narcotics and by far the most lucrative of all rackets. It involves importing and exporting this illegal substances. similar to smuggling.

Arms Dealing: very similar to drug trafficking only this time what their actually transporting are guns and all sorts of tools that will bring destruction upon mankind. A good example of this is the movie "lord of war" where nicholas cage plays as a gun runner supplying every army but the salvation army so he says....

So much for the businesses they take part in. Theyre are hundreds of scams and other rackets that the mafia are responsible for. This is just a glimpse of their world.