I hate to be seen as defending the Mafia but the streets of East Boston (where I grew up) were pretty safe as well. The only real crime was organized and those who chose that life knew what they were getting into. Those on the outside were left alone so long as they didn’t interfere and if outsiders came to the neighborhoods to cause trouble, they were very quickly dealt with.
It’s just the truth. The neighborhoods where there is a Mafia presence are usually pretty damn safe.
But hey hurt the average person with higher prices on construction or getting suckered into a boiler room stock.
Also, the rule to not sell drugs has been broken back to the French connection and before that Luciano in Italy.
And a lot of Siclians have come over in the past decade or so. They have no problem selling drugs.
Drugs are part of the reason Gotti killed Castellano.
Castellano rightly believed that Gotti’s crew was pushing narcotics and that was punishable by death.
Gotti struck first.
As far as loansharking, if you’re crazy enough to go to them and try and pay back 100 to 300 percent interest a year plus the original loan, you deserve what’s coming.