My grandfather, a member of the local KKK didn't like the way it affected my grandmother so he and some friends loaded a white horse on a trailer behind an old Chevy pickup and drove by the wife-beater's house on Sunday morning when the wife was at church. Hubby was drinking on the porch steps and a shout from the truck told him he would be " riding this white horse " if he hit his wife again. My grandmother and her friend were never told about this event but the black seamstress later remarked what a wonderful change had come over her husband - no beatings and he had even stopped drinking all together. In areas where organized criminal/terrorist gangs florish, they tend to act as local police -- it maintains their community support. I wouldn't be surprised to hear similar anecdotes about (for example) the local Mafia enforcers or Hamas cell leaning on a troublemaker.
In areas where organized criminal/terrorist gangs florish, they tend to act as local police -- it maintains their community support. I can't tell you how many times the Mafia has done stuff to that effect, which is why so many folks who should know better, love them.
The mob at times is known to do something good, which buys them goodwill for when they committ horrible inhuman crimes.
It even works to intimidate witnesses and victims from testifying.