[cherry]

they had just as good if not better chance then the Irish, the Poles, the Russians or Germans....etc....

it was purely a selfish pursuit for them to gain lots of tax free money and live like kings....

OTOH....consider our present American condition...

nobody gets rich alone...you know somebody, you do favors for some govt official, you get cozy with the cops, you do underhanded accounting ...

your kid gets arrested for murder and IF you know the right people, he'll be free...

that is the sad reality....connections and quid pro quo...

so the reality is that the Mafia just played the game...

[Persevero]

Well yea. The ideal is equality and justice for all,
Civil rights enforced. That is what I fight for.

[MoochPooch]

nobody gets rich alone...you know somebody, you do favors for some govt official, you get cozy with the cops, you do underhanded accounting ...

Balzac: "There is no fortune without a scandal."