Up next in 10
You think the mafia only dealt drugs and ran illegal gambling? Wrong. The real money came from businesses you use every day.
We're exposing 8 secret mafia operations that infiltrated legitimate industries and generated billions in criminal profits while hiding in plain sight. From the garbage you throw away to the buildings you work in, the mob's tentacles reached everywhere.
What you'll discover:
• Waste Management – How the mafia controlled NYC garbage collection for 40+ years, charging businesses 3X normal rates through a brutal cartel system worth over $1 billion
• Art Theft & Forgery – The mob's sophisticated operation stealing masterpieces and selling forgeries, using stolen art as criminal collateral worth millions
• Fulton Fish Market – How the Genovese family extracted $8 million yearly by controlling every fish sold in New York
• Garment District – Mob control of NYC fashion through trucking monopolies that cost the industry $100+ million in inflated fees
• Concrete & Construction – The "Concrete Club" that rigged bids and built Trump Tower, Javits Center, and Manhattan's skyline for $2 billion in criminal profits
• Pharmaceutical Fraud – Modern mob schemes diverting prescription drugs and defrauding Medicare for $100+ million
• Adult Entertainment – How organized crime controlled 90% of pornography distribution and strip club empires nationwide
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0:00
When you think about mafia businesses,
0:02
you probably picture the classics. Drug
0:05
trafficking, illegal gambling, lone
0:08
sarking, extortion,
0:10
the crimes we see in every mob movie,
0:12
the operations that fill courtroom
0:14
testimony, and FBI reports. But here's
0:17
what most people don't realize. Those
0:19
obvious criminal enterprises were never
0:21
where the real money was made. The
0:23
smartest mobsters figured out decades
0:25
ago that the best business model wasn't
0:27
selling drugs on street corners or
0:29
running underground casinos. It was
0:31
infiltrating legitimate industries,
0:34
taking control of businesses that every
0:36
single person uses every single day and
0:39
extracting millions of dollars while
0:41
hiding in plain sight. We're talking
0:43
about industries so normal, so essential
0:47
to everyday life that nobody even
0:49
questions them. You've probably given
0:51
money to a mafa controlled business this
0:53
week without knowing it. Maybe multiple
0:56
times. The genius of these operations is
0:59
their invisibility. They don't look like
1:01
organized crime. They look like regular
1:04
companies providing regular services.
1:06
But beneath that legitimate surface, the
1:09
families perfected a system of control
1:11
that generated more consistent, safer
1:13
profits than any drug operation ever
1:16
could. No flashy violence drawing police
1:18
attention.
1:20
No undercover buys leading to arrests,
1:22
just steady, reliable income flowing
1:25
from businesses that society depends on.
1:28
These operations were so successful that
1:30
some continued for decades before law
1:32
enforcement even understood what was
1:34
happening. And when the FBI finally did
1:36
figure it out, they discovered criminal
1:38
enterprises so deeply embedded in
1:40
legitimate commerce that untangling them
1:43
seemed almost impossible. The families
1:45
had contracts, unions, political
1:48
connections, and legal frameworks
1:51
protecting operations that were
1:52
fundamentally criminal, but appeared
1:54
completely legitimate on paper. Today,
1:57
we're opening the vault. These are the
1:59
secrets they thought were buried
2:01
forever. We've spent months analyzing
2:03
RICO case files, reading testimony from
2:06
federal trials where these secret
2:08
empires were finally exposed, and
2:11
studying investigative reports from law
2:13
enforcement agencies that dedicated
2:15
years to understanding how the mafia
2:17
infiltrated America's legitimate
2:18
business world. What emerged is a
2:21
pattern of brilliant criminal
2:23
innovation. The families identified
2:25
industries with specific
2:26
vulnerabilities, limited competition,
2:28
union control, cash transactions,
2:31
complex supply chains, or regulatory
2:34
gaps. Then they moved in systematically
2:36
using intimidation, corruption, and
2:39
strategic violence to seize control.
2:41
Once established, they operated these
2:44
businesses like any corporation, except
2:46
with the added advantages of being
2:47
willing to murder competitors, bribe
2:49
officials, and ignore regulations. The
2:52
profits were staggering. Some of these
2:55
operations generated tens of millions of
2:57
dollars annually, all while maintaining
2:59
the appearance of legitimate commerce.
3:01
The beauty of the system was
3:03
sustainability. A drug dealer eventually
3:05
gets arrested or killed. But a business
3:07
that's been part of the community for
3:09
decades, paying taxes and employing
3:11
people that's untouchable, or at least
3:14
it was for a very long time. What you're
3:16
about to discover are eight businesses
3:19
that the mafia controlled or heavily
3:21
infiltrated. Operations that most people
3:23
have never heard about, but that
3:25
generated enormous criminal profits.
3:27
From the trash you throw away to the art
3:29
hanging in museums, from the fish you
3:32
eat to the buildings you work in. The
3:34
mob's tentacles reached into every
3:36
aspect of American life. First up, the
3:38
business that became synonymous with
3:40
mafia control for decades. Private
3:43
sanitation and waste management. This is
3:45
the industry that inspired entire
3:47
storylines in The Sopranos, and for good
3:50
reason. It's arguably the most
3:52
successful mafia infiltration of a
3:54
legitimate business in American history.
3:56
The story starts in New York in the
3:58
1950s and60s. The city's waste
4:00
management was handled by a combination
4:02
of municipal services and private
4:04
haulers, small companies that contracted
4:07
with businesses to collect their
4:08
garbage. The mafia, specifically the
4:10
Gambino and Genevese families,
4:13
recognized an opportunity. Waste
4:15
collection was essential, localized, and
4:18
operated with minimal oversight. They
4:21
moved in and established what became
4:23
known as property rights. Here's how it
4:26
worked. The families divided New York
4:29
into territories, and each carter or
4:32
garbage company was assigned specific
4:35
customers that became their exclusive
4:37
property. If you were a restaurant owner
4:39
and your building was in a particular
4:40
carter's territory, you had to use that
4:43
carter. No competition, no choice. The
4:47
carter could charge whatever they wanted
4:49
and you paid it or faced consequences.
4:51
The consequences weren't subtle.
4:54
Buildings that tried to switch carters
4:56
or negotiate prices experienced
4:58
problems. Trucks wouldn't show up,
5:00
leaving garbage piling up. Equipment
5:04
would be vandalized. Drivers would be
5:06
threatened. In Sicasis, the businesses
5:09
themselves faced violence or arson. The
5:12
message was clear. Pay the inflated
5:14
prices and don't ask questions. The
5:17
system was enforced through a cartel
5:18
structure. The mob controlled trade
5:20
associations that set prices, allocated
5:23
territories, and punished anyone who
5:26
broke the rules. Legitimate haulers who
5:28
wanted to compete were intimidated out
5:30
of business or forced to join the
5:32
cartel. For decades, this system
5:34
operated openly. Business owners in New
5:37
York paid two to three times the market
5:39
rate for garbage collection because they
5:41
had no alternative. The total economic
5:44
impact was estimated at over $1 billion
5:47
in overcharges during the systems peak.
5:49
The families made millions in profits,
5:52
both from companies they owned directly
5:54
and from payments by independent carters
5:56
who needed permission to operate. The
5:58
criminal enterprise was so entrenched
6:00
that it took a massive federal RICO
6:02
investigation in the 1990s to finally
6:04
break it. The Manhattan District
6:06
Attorney's Office created a special
6:08
trade waste commission with the
6:10
authority to license carters and ban mob
6:12
connected companies. Multiple mobsters
6:14
were convicted, companies were forced
6:17
out of business, and the cartel was
6:19
dismantled. But it had operated
6:21
successfully for over 40 years, proving
6:24
that controlling an essential
6:25
unglamorous service could be more
6:27
profitable than any traditional crime.
6:30
But that's not all. The next secret
6:33
takes us into the world of high culture
6:35
and milliondoll paintings, art theft,
6:38
and forgery. While this might sound
6:40
sophisticated and unusual for the mob,
6:43
it became a significant business for
6:44
certain families, particularly in the
6:46
Northeast. The mafia got involved in art
6:49
crime for several reasons. First, stolen
6:52
masterpieces are valuable and portable.
6:55
A painting worth $5 million can be
6:57
rolled up and carried out in a tube.
6:59
Second, the art world operates with
7:02
discretion and privacy that makes it
7:03
vulnerable to criminal exploitation.
7:06
Third, stolen art can serve as
7:08
collateral in criminal deals or
7:10
bargaining chips if members get
7:12
arrested. The most famous example is the
7:14
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in
7:16
1990, which we've covered before. While
7:19
the art has never been recovered,
7:21
investigators have confirmed mob
7:23
involvement. But that's just the most
7:25
spectacular case. The families ran
7:28
ongoing operations dealing in stolen and
7:30
forged art. Here's how it worked.
7:33
Thieves, sometimes mob associates,
7:36
sometimes independent criminals working
7:38
with the families, would steal artwork
7:40
from museums, galleries, private
7:42
collections, or churches. The mob would
7:46
then act as brokers, connecting thieves
7:48
with corrupt dealers or private
7:50
collectors willing to buy stolen goods.
7:53
The transactions happened in the
7:55
criminal underworld with the families
7:57
taking a percentage for facilitating the
7:59
deal. In some cases, the stolen art
8:02
wasn't sold immediately. It was held for
8:04
years, even decades, until the heat died
8:07
down. During that time, it could be used
8:11
as collateral. A mobster negotiating a
8:13
drug deal might offer a stolen Rembrand
8:16
as security, something with undeniable
8:19
value, even if it couldn't be sold
8:21
openly. If the deal went bad, the
8:23
painting could be traded rather than
8:25
money changing hands. The FBI's art
8:27
crime team has recovered numerous pieces
8:30
that spent years or decades in mob
8:32
hands, moving through the underworld as
8:34
a form of criminal currency. The forgery
8:37
side was equally profitable but less
8:39
risky. The families connected with
8:41
skilled forggers who could create
8:42
convincing reproductions of valuable
8:44
works. These fakes were sold through
8:46
corrupt dealers to unsuspecting
8:49
collectors. The profit margins were
8:51
incredible because the cost of
8:53
production, paint and canvas and the
8:54
forger time was minimal compared to the
8:57
sale price. Some forgeries were so good
8:59
they fooled experts for years. One
9:02
operation in New York involved a mobster
9:04
who ran a gallery that sold dozens of
9:06
fake paintings supposedly by famous
9:08
artists. The scam netted millions before
9:11
being exposed. The beauty of art crime
9:13
for the mob was that it attracted
9:15
minimal law enforcement attention
9:17
compared to drugs or violence. Art theft
9:20
was investigated, but it was never a
9:22
priority. The FBI's art crime team was
9:25
tiny compared to drug enforcement
9:27
divisions. From mobsters looking to
9:29
diversify income while reducing risk,
9:31
art was perfect. And because the art
9:34
world values discretion and often
9:35
involves cash transactions, it was
9:38
relatively easy to operate without
9:40
creating obvious evidence. Coming in at
9:42
number six, a business that controlled
9:44
what you ate for breakfast in New York
9:46
City for decades, the Fulton Fish
9:49
Market. This is one of the most
9:51
documented examples of mafia control
9:53
over a seemingly innocent industry, and
9:55
it shows how the families could dominate
9:57
an entire supply chain. The Fulton Fish
9:59
Market in lower Manhattan was the
10:01
largest fish distribution center on the
10:03
East Coast. Every restaurant, grocery
10:06
store, and seafood shop in the region
10:09
bought their fish there. It operated in
10:11
the middle of the night with trucks
10:12
arriving with fresh catches that were
10:14
sold wholesale to buyers. The Govi's
10:17
crime family recognized that controlling
10:19
this bottleneck meant controlling the
10:21
entire seafood industry in the area.
10:23
They infiltrated the market through the
10:24
union. The workers who unloaded trucks,
10:27
moved fish, and managed the market floor
10:30
were represented by a union that the
10:32
Genevese family controlled. If you
10:34
wanted your fish unloaded and moved to
10:36
buyers, you paid the mob. The families
10:39
charged what they called fees for basic
10:41
services. Want your truck unloaded
10:43
quickly so your fish doesn't spoil? B
10:47
fee. Want your catch displayed in a good
10:50
location where buyers will see it? Pay
10:52
the fee. The fees were pure extortion.
10:55
Money for services that should have been
10:57
included in normal union wages and
10:59
market operations. But refusing to pay
11:02
meant your business couldn't function,
11:04
your trucks wouldn't be unloaded, your
11:06
fish would rot, and you'd be shut out of
11:08
the market. Beyond extortion, the mob
11:11
controlled access to the market itself.
11:14
If you wanted to sell fish at Fulton,
11:16
you needed permission. New vendors had
11:18
to get approval from mob connected
11:20
market administrators. That approval
11:22
came with a price. Kickbacks,
11:24
percentages of sales, and ongoing
11:26
payments to maintain your spot. The
11:28
economic impact was significant. The
11:30
extortion tax was passed along to
11:32
consumers, meaning everyone in New York
11:35
paid inflated prices for seafood. The
11:38
mob made millions annually from what was
11:41
essentially a protection racket
11:43
disguised as market operations. Federal
11:45
prosecutors estimated that the Govi's
11:47
family extracted over $8 million per
11:50
year from the fish market at its peak.
11:52
The operation was so blatant that it
11:54
became a prime target for federal
11:56
investigators in the 19 Rudy Giuliani,
11:58
then a federal prosecutor and later
12:01
mayor of New York, made cleaning up the
12:03
Fulton Fish Market a priority. The
12:05
investigation used wiretaps,
12:07
surveillance, and eventually informant
12:10
testimony to document the extortion
12:12
scheme. Multiple mobsters were
12:14
convicted, and the city implemented new
12:16
oversight and regulations. The market
12:19
eventually moved to a new facility in
12:20
the Bronx with stricter controls
12:22
designed to prevent mob infiltration.
12:24
But for over 30 years, every piece of
12:27
fish sold in New York passed through mob
12:29
hands, generating steady criminal
12:32
profits from an industry nobody
12:33
associated with organized crime. The
12:36
fifth secret business might be hanging
12:38
in your closet right now, the garment
12:40
district and fashion industry. In the
12:42
midentth century, New York's garment
12:45
district was the center of American
12:47
fashion with thousands of shops,
12:49
factories, and showrooms producing
12:52
clothing, and the mafia controlled
12:53
significant portions of it through
12:55
trucking and unions. The control worked
12:57
similarly to the waste management
12:59
system. The families, particularly the
13:01
Gambino and Lucesi families, dominated
13:04
the trucking companies that moved
13:06
garments between manufacturers,
13:08
finishers, and retailers. If you made
13:10
dresses in one location, had them
13:13
finished in another, and needed them
13:15
delivered to stores, you used mobc
13:17
controlled trucking. There was no
13:20
alternative. The mobs at the prices,
13:22
which were inflated far beyond market
13:24
rates. They controlled the teamsters
13:26
locals that represented the drivers. So,
13:29
they had leverage over both the trucking
13:31
companies and the workers. manufacturers
13:33
had no choice but to pay the excessive
13:35
fees or see their deliveries delayed,
13:38
damaged, or simply not happen. The mob
13:40
also infiltrated the unions representing
13:42
garment workers themselves. By
13:44
controlling these unions, they could
13:46
call strikes, disrupt production, and
13:49
demand payments from factory owners to
13:51
maintain labor peace. It was a
13:54
sophisticated extortion scheme that gave
13:56
them multiple pressure points. The
13:58
profits were enormous because the
14:00
garment industry processed huge volumes
14:02
of goods with tight deadlines. Fashion
14:04
operates on seasonal schedules and
14:06
delays mean missed sales and lost
14:08
revenue. Manufacturers couldn't afford
14:11
to fight the mob because the cost of
14:12
disruption was higher than the cost of
14:14
paying the extortion. Federal
14:16
investigations in the 1980s revealed
14:18
that mob control of the garment industry
14:20
cost businesses and consumers hundreds
14:23
of millions of dollars. One trucking
14:25
company alone, controlled by the Gambino
14:28
family, generated over $30 million in
14:30
inflated fees over a 10-year period. The
14:33
investigation led to RICO convictions
14:35
and the removal of mob influence from
14:37
several major unions, but it took
14:39
decades of federal pressure to break the
14:42
family's grip on the industry. The
14:44
Garmin District case demonstrated that
14:46
the mob could control an entire
14:48
legitimate industry through strategic
14:50
infiltration of key choke points like
14:52
trucking and labor, extracting massive
14:55
profits while providing legitimate
14:57
services. But let's move to number four.
15:00
An industry most people don't think
15:01
about, but that was absolutely essential
15:04
to New York's expansion. Concrete and
15:06
construction. This is perhaps the most
15:09
lucrative and longestrunn mafia business
15:11
outside of traditional crime. The story
15:13
of mob control of concrete is the story
15:16
of how New York City was built in the
15:18
20th century. Starting in the 1960s and
15:20
running through the 1980s, virtually
15:23
every major construction project in New
15:25
York involved the mafia, the commission,
15:28
the ruling body of New York's five
15:30
families, established a concrete club
15:32
that rigged bids and allocated contracts
15:35
for all concrete work on projects over
15:38
$2 million. Here's how the system
15:41
worked. Construction companies that
15:43
wanted to pour concrete on big projects
15:46
had to use mo approved concrete
15:48
suppliers and had to pay a tax to the
15:50
families, usually about 2% of the
15:53
contract value. The families would
15:55
designate which company would win which
15:58
contract and the companies would submit
16:00
coordinated bids that ensured the chosen
16:02
company won while maintaining the
16:04
appearance of competition. Companies
16:06
that tried to bid independently or
16:08
refused to pay the mob tax faced severe
16:11
consequences. Union strikes would shut
16:13
down their projects. Deliveries of
16:15
concrete and other materials would be
16:17
delayed.
16:20
Equipment would be sabotaged. Workers
16:22
would be threatened. Insomas company
16:25
executives faced direct violence. The
16:29
message was clear. Play by the mob's
16:31
rules or don't build. in New York. The
16:34
financial scale of this operation was
16:36
staggering. Trump Tower, built in the
16:39
early 1980s, involved mobcrolled
16:42
concrete. The Jacob Javitz Convention
16:44
Center, a massive public project, was
16:46
built with concrete supplied by mob
16:49
connected companies at inflated prices,
16:52
costing taxpayers millions in excess
16:55
charges. Virtually every skyscraper
16:57
constructed in Manhattan during this
16:59
period contributed to mob profits.
17:01
Federal prosecutors estimated that the
17:03
Concrete Club generated over $2 billion
17:06
in inflated costs on construction
17:09
projects over its 20-year operation. The
17:11
families split the proceeds according to
17:13
commission agreements with each family
17:15
receiving percentages based on their
17:17
power and territory. The scheme was
17:20
finally exposed in the mid1 1980s
17:22
through a massive RICO prosecution that
17:25
targeted the heads of all five New York
17:27
families. De Gasi. De Gasi, which became
17:31
known as the commission trial, used
17:33
testimony from informants and extensive
17:36
surveillance evidence to prove that the
17:38
mafia operated as a criminal cartel that
17:40
rigged the construction industry.
17:42
Multiple bosses were convicted and
17:44
sentenced to long prison terms,
17:47
effectively breaking the concrete club's
17:49
power. But by that point, the families
17:51
had already profited from building much
17:53
of modern New York's skyline, literally
17:56
constructing the city while extracting
17:58
criminal profits from every major
18:00
project. The third secret business on
18:02
our list is one that combines legitimate
18:04
medicine with criminal opportunity,
18:06
pharmaceutical distribution, and
18:08
prescription fraud. This operation was
18:10
more recent, emerging in the 1990s and
18:13
2000s as the families adapted to
18:15
changing opportunities. The scheme
18:17
worked on multiple levels. First, the
18:20
mob infiltrated legitimate
18:22
pharmaceutical distribution networks.
18:25
They would establish companies that
18:26
appeared to be legal wholesale
18:28
distributors, obtaining proper licenses
18:31
and paperwork. These companies would
18:33
then engage in what's called diversion,
18:35
buying prescription medications through
18:37
legitimate channels and then selling
18:39
them illegally. The medications might be
18:41
sold toarmacies willing to buy under the
18:43
table at discount prices or exported to
18:46
other countries where American
18:48
pharmaceuticals commanded premium prices
18:50
or sold to illegal operations that
18:52
repackaged and resold them. The profits
18:55
were substantial because prescription
18:57
drugs, especially popular medications,
19:00
have high retail values. A shipment of
19:02
diverted pharmaceuticals could generate
19:04
profits comparable to drug trafficking,
19:06
but with much lower legal risk if
19:08
caught. The medications were legal
19:10
substances and the crime was essentially
19:12
fraud and diversion rather than drug
19:14
dealing which often carried lighter
19:16
sentences. The second component was
19:19
prescription fraud. Mob connected
19:21
doctors would write prescriptions for
19:22
medications that weren't medically
19:24
necessary, particularly expensive drugs.
19:27
The prescriptions would be filled using
19:29
Medicare, Medicaid, or private
19:31
insurance, which would pay for the
19:33
medications. The drugs would then be
19:35
collected and resold with the mob
19:38
pocketing the insurance reimbursement
19:39
and the street sale price. This scheme
19:42
defrauded taxpayers and insurance
19:44
companies of millions of dollars. In one
19:46
notable case in New York, a Gambino
19:49
family operation ran a network of
19:51
corrupt doctors andarmacies that
19:53
submitted over $100 million in
19:56
fraudulent Medicare claims for
19:57
prescription drugs over several years.
20:00
The medications were never given to
20:02
patients, but were instead diverted and
20:04
resold. The family members involved made
20:06
millions before federal healthc care
20:08
fraud investigators shut down the
20:10
operation. The pharmaceutical scheme
20:12
showed how the modern mafia adapted to
20:14
new opportunities, exploiting complex
20:17
regulatory systems and insurance
20:19
structures that earlier generations of
20:21
mobsters couldn't have accessed. It was
20:24
white collar crime that required
20:26
sophistication and connections rather
20:28
than violence. Though the threat of
20:30
violence still backed up the operations
20:32
when necessary. Coming in at number two,
20:35
an industry that the mafia helped create
20:37
and dominated for decades, the adult
20:40
entertainment industry. From the 1960s
20:43
through the 1990s, organized crime
20:45
controlled significant portions of
20:47
pornography, production, distribution,
20:49
and the businesses where it was sold.
20:51
This control extended to strip clubs,
20:54
adult bookstores, massage parlors, and
20:56
later adult video stores. The mob got
20:59
involved in adult entertainment for
21:01
practical reasons. It was highly
21:03
profitable, operated in legal gray areas
21:06
that limited competition, dealt in cash,
21:09
and attracted minimal public sympathy
21:11
when law enforcement cracked down. The
21:13
families, particularly in New York and
21:15
Los Angeles, established production
21:17
companies that made pornographic films.
21:20
They controlled distribution networks
21:22
that moved these films to theaters and
21:24
stores across the country, and they
21:26
owned or extorted the venues where adult
21:28
entertainment was sold. In New York, the
21:31
Gambino family controlled much of Time
21:33
Square's adult entertainment district in
21:35
the 1970s and 80s, a period when the
21:37
area was known for its pornography
21:39
theaters and peep shows. The family
21:41
owned venues directly and extorted
21:43
others, collecting percentages of
21:45
revenue in exchange for protection and
21:47
permission to operate. In Los Angeles,
21:49
the Columbo and Bonano families were
21:52
involved in pornography production and
21:54
distribution, working with industry
21:56
figures who were either mob associates
21:58
or independent operators who paid
22:00
tribute to work. The FBI estimated that
22:02
in the 1970s, organized crime controlled
22:05
over 90% of pornography distribution in
22:08
America. The profits were enormous
22:10
because production costs were low and
22:12
demand was high. Strip clubs were
22:14
particularly lucrative. They generated
22:16
revenue from drink sales, admission
22:19
fees, and private dances, all largely
22:22
cash transactions. The mob owned chains
22:25
of clubs in various cities or controlled
22:27
them through intimidation. Club owners
22:29
who resisted mob involvement faced the
22:32
usual consequences, violence, property
22:35
damage, and harassment. The mob also
22:38
used strip clubs for other criminal
22:40
activities, money laundering,
22:42
prostitution, drug sales, and as meeting
22:45
places for conducting mob business.
22:47
Federal and local law enforcement
22:49
eventually targeted mob control of adult
22:51
entertainment through obscenity.
22:53
Prosecutions in the 1980s and RICO cases
22:56
in the9s. As the industry became more
22:58
mainstream and legal, and as the
23:00
internet changed how adult content was
23:02
distributed, the mob's control
23:04
diminished. But for several decades,
23:06
this was a major revenue source that
23:08
most people never associated with
23:10
organized crime. And finally, the number
23:13
one secret mafia business, the operation
23:16
that continues to this day and generates
23:19
billions in criminal profits worldwide,
23:22
online gambling and sports betting.
23:24
While illegal gambling has always been a
23:26
mafia staple, the modern evolution into
23:29
offshore online gambling represents a
23:31
sophisticated criminal enterprise that
23:34
operates globally and is incredibly
23:36
difficult to prosecute. Here's how it
23:38
works. The families, often in
23:41
partnership with international criminal
23:43
organizations, establish online gambling
23:46
websites that are technically based in
23:48
countries with minimal regulations,
23:50
places like Costa Rica, Antigua, or
23:53
various Eastern European nations. These
23:56
websites offer sports betting, casino
23:58
games, and poker to American customers,
24:01
which is illegal in many jurisdictions,
24:04
but the offshore structure makes
24:06
enforcement complicated. The websites
24:08
appear legitimate with professional
24:10
designs, customer service, and payment
24:13
processing. But behind the scenes, their
24:15
mobc controlled operations generating
24:17
massive profits. The genius of online
24:20
gambling is that it eliminated the
24:22
traditional risks of book. There are no
24:24
physical locations to raid, no bookies
24:27
to arrest on the street, no paper
24:29
records to seize. Everything is digital,
24:32
encrypted, and routed through servers in
24:35
multiple countries. The money flows
24:37
through complex networks of payment
24:39
processors, offshore accounts, and
24:42
cryptocurrency exchanges, making it
24:44
extremely difficult to trace. Law
24:46
enforcement would need international
24:48
cooperation and technical expertise to
24:50
investigate. And prosecution is
24:53
challenging because the servers are
24:55
outside US jurisdiction. The scale of
24:57
these operations is enormous. A single
25:00
offshore gambling website can have
25:02
hundreds of thousands of customers and
25:04
process hundreds of millions of dollars
25:06
in bets annually. The mobs cut after
25:09
paying out winnings and operational
25:11
costs can be tens of millions per year
25:14
per site. And because these are online
25:16
operations, they're scalable in ways
25:19
that traditional gambling never was.
25:21
Federal investigators have identified
25:23
connections between major offshore
25:25
gambling operations and American mafia
25:27
families. particularly the Genevies and
25:30
Gambino families as well as Russian and
25:33
Eastern European organized crime groups.
25:35
But prosecutions are rare and difficult.
25:38
The cases that do get made usually
25:40
involve moneyaundering charges or fraud
25:43
rather than the gambling itself. Some of
25:45
the biggest offshore gambling operations
25:47
that have been shut down like Betton
25:49
Sports and Full Tilt Poker had
25:51
documented organized crime connections,
25:54
but most continue operating with
25:55
impunity. The industry adapted again
25:58
with the recent legalization of sports
26:00
betting in many US states. The mob now
26:03
focuses on states where it remains
26:05
illegal or operates in legal gray areas
26:08
like unregulated online casinos. They
26:10
also infiltrate legal gambling through
26:13
partnerships with licensed operators or
26:15
by offering services like credit to
26:17
gamblers which legal casinos can't
26:20
provide. The online gambling business
26:23
represents the modern mafia's evolution.
26:26
Less violent, more technological,
26:28
globally connected, and incredibly
26:31
profitable. It's the perfect criminal
26:33
enterprise for the 21st century,
26:36
generating billions while operating
26:38
mostly beyond the reach of law
26:40
enforcement.
26:41
So, there you have it. eight secret
26:44
businesses that the mafia controlled,
26:46
infiltrated, or created, generating
26:49
billions of dollars in criminal profits
26:51
while hiding behind legitimate facades
26:54
or operating in regulatory gray areas.
26:56
From the garbage you throw away to the
26:58
buildings you work in, from the fish you
27:00
eat to the clothes you wear. From the
27:02
art and museums to the concrete in
27:05
skyscrapers, and from the shadowy adult
27:07
entertainment industry to the modern
27:09
world of online gambling, the mob's
27:11
reach extended into every aspect of
27:13
American commerce. What makes these
27:15
operations so significant is that they
27:17
reveal the true nature of organized
27:19
crime. It's not just about violence and
27:22
traditional illegal activities. It's
27:24
about infiltrating legitimate society,
27:26
corrupting legal systems, and extracting
27:29
profits from everyday transactions. The
27:32
families understood that the real money
27:33
wasn't in dramatic crimes, but in
27:35
controlling the boring, essential
27:37
businesses that society depends on. And
27:40
they proved that with the right
27:42
combination of violence, corruption, and
27:44
business acumen, they could operate
27:46
these criminal enterprises for decades
27:48
before law enforcement even understood
27:50
what was happening. Many of these
27:52
operations have been dismantled through
27:54
federal prosecutions and regulatory
27:56
reforms. But the lesson remains. The
28:00
mafia's greatest skill wasn't killing or
28:03
drug dealing. It was hiding criminal
28:05
enterprise inside legitimate business.
28:07
And in some cases, like online gambling,
28:10
they're still doing it successfully
28:12
today. If you want the full cinematic
28:14
story of the groups behind these
28:16
secrets, check out our 100 episode
28:18
master series on our main channel,
28:21
Global Mafia Universe. The link is in
28:24
the description. Go deep.