Christian Cipollini

This is fact. You cannot operate on a multi-million dollar level, talking about, you know, decades ago, and that would be billions if they were doing it. You cannot successfully operate at that level unless you have people in your pocket that are in politics or high up in business organizations on the legitimate end. So yes, it's not a conspiracy.

I mean, it is conspiracy, but not conspiracy theory. You cannot operate on that level unless you have that. Gangsters are opportunists. An opportunity arises. Take a prohibition in the United States. They took away alcohol. They swooped in, and it was the same with narcotics. There's some denial that the mafia didn't deal drugs in the United States. I can assure you, yes, they did.

I mean, it is conspiracy, but not conspiracy theory. You cannot operate on that level unless you have that. Gangsters are opportunists. An opportunity arises. Take a prohibition in the United States. They took away alcohol. They swooped in, and it was the same with narcotics. There's some denial that the mafia didn't deal drugs in the United States. I can assure you, yes, they did.

I mean, it is conspiracy, but not conspiracy theory. You cannot operate on that level unless you have that. Gangsters are opportunists. An opportunity arises. Take a prohibition in the United States. They took away alcohol. They swooped in, and it was the same with narcotics. There's some denial that the mafia didn't deal drugs in the United States. I can assure you, yes, they did.

It followed right in the footsteps of alcohol prohibition. They fell around the same time. But yes, prostitution, gambling, extortion, loan sharking, basically charging high interest to give a loan to somebody that can't get it from the bank. So what happens though when you become an organization large that conducts most of its business in the shadows?

It followed right in the footsteps of alcohol prohibition. They fell around the same time. But yes, prostitution, gambling, extortion, loan sharking, basically charging high interest to give a loan to somebody that can't get it from the bank. So what happens though when you become an organization large that conducts most of its business in the shadows?

It followed right in the footsteps of alcohol prohibition. They fell around the same time. But yes, prostitution, gambling, extortion, loan sharking, basically charging high interest to give a loan to somebody that can't get it from the bank. So what happens though when you become an organization large that conducts most of its business in the shadows?

You can't call the police if something happens. You have to police yourself. So what does that create? Murder and mayhem. Hence the dark, bloody side of the mob in America. How do you police your own organization? By violence, essentially.

You can't call the police if something happens. You have to police yourself. So what does that create? Murder and mayhem. Hence the dark, bloody side of the mob in America. How do you police your own organization? By violence, essentially.

You can't call the police if something happens. You have to police yourself. So what does that create? Murder and mayhem. Hence the dark, bloody side of the mob in America. How do you police your own organization? By violence, essentially.

That's a great way you pointed that out, because the federal government wasn't inept. They understood, at least certain departments were well aware that some people are in charge and some are the minions. But the problem is insulation. Setting up any kind of an organization, you insulate your CEOs, your CFO from potential lawsuits in legitimate business.

That's a great way you pointed that out, because the federal government wasn't inept. They understood, at least certain departments were well aware that some people are in charge and some are the minions. But the problem is insulation. Setting up any kind of an organization, you insulate your CEOs, your CFO from potential lawsuits in legitimate business.

That's a great way you pointed that out, because the federal government wasn't inept. They understood, at least certain departments were well aware that some people are in charge and some are the minions. But the problem is insulation. Setting up any kind of an organization, you insulate your CEOs, your CFO from potential lawsuits in legitimate business.

from danger that's what the mob did when you made it through the ranks in the hierarchy you were afforded certain protections other people were going to take the fall for you it's almost like if you signed up for this job you were a street level soldier and to your point the government was having a very difficult time getting the guys they knew were calling the shots down the hierarchy

from danger that's what the mob did when you made it through the ranks in the hierarchy you were afforded certain protections other people were going to take the fall for you it's almost like if you signed up for this job you were a street level soldier and to your point the government was having a very difficult time getting the guys they knew were calling the shots down the hierarchy

from danger that's what the mob did when you made it through the ranks in the hierarchy you were afforded certain protections other people were going to take the fall for you it's almost like if you signed up for this job you were a street level soldier and to your point the government was having a very difficult time getting the guys they knew were calling the shots down the hierarchy

Sure. The Sicilians, you know, two centuries ago really came up with this kind of existential concept of omerta. It can be – people have different definitions of it, but basically it means you take care of things yourself or within your group. You don't speak to law enforcement. You don't snitch on somebody, rat them out. That stuck with almost every organized crime group in the United States.

Sure. The Sicilians, you know, two centuries ago really came up with this kind of existential concept of omerta. It can be – people have different definitions of it, but basically it means you take care of things yourself or within your group. You don't speak to law enforcement. You don't snitch on somebody, rat them out. That stuck with almost every organized crime group in the United States.

Sure. The Sicilians, you know, two centuries ago really came up with this kind of existential concept of omerta. It can be – people have different definitions of it, but basically it means you take care of things yourself or within your group. You don't speak to law enforcement. You don't snitch on somebody, rat them out. That stuck with almost every organized crime group in the United States.

It didn't matter what ethnicity or if you were part of the mob, the rule was you get caught. You take that.