Ranking the Mafia's Most Profitable Businesses
Franzese Wines
24,929 views
Text Michael: +14243250921
Full video: 10 Ways The New York Mafia Made Their Money
Brought to you by: Michael Franzese Wines
Media outlets, true crime writers, and government agencies have long published sensational estimates claiming the American Mafia generated billions of dollars across dozens of illicit rackets. In this breakdown, former Colombo family Caporegime Michael Franzese analyzes a published list ranking the top 10 most profitable businesses in Cosa Nostra history. Michael cuts through the exaggerated statistics, explaining why the public numbers are largely fabricated by law enforcement and desperate informants looking to reduce prison time, while revealing how organized crime ventures actually functioned on the street.
From inside-job warehouse hijackings at JFK and rigged Wall Street penny stocks to union pension manipulation, loan sharking, and the waste management cartel, Michael shares firsthand insights into how money flowed up the family chain of command. He breaks down why his multi-billion-dollar gasoline bootlegging scheme stands alongside Prohibition as the most profitable racket ever devised, why traditional American mob bosses strictly avoided narcotics to protect their political ties, and the golden street rule of putting criminal enterprises "on record" to avoid deadly disputes between families.
0:00 - What Was the Most Lucrative Mafia Business in History?
1:04 - The Strict Mob Rule: Why Narcotics Were Banned in My Era
2:32 - Territories, Overlaps & Running Legitimate Businesses
3:45 - #10: Cargo Hijacking at JFK Airport (Goodfellas vs. Reality)
6:02 - #9: Restaurant & Nightclub Extortion Rackets
7:33 - #8: Bid-Rigging, Stock Scams & Russian Healthcare Fraud
11:11 - #7: Street Loan Sharking: 52% Interest & Street Limits
12:47 - #6: Union Racketeering, Pension Funds & Labor Peace
14:50 - #5: Protection Rackets & The Waste Management Association
15:58 - #4: The Gas Tax Scheme: Did It Out-Earn Every Modern Racket?
17:25 - #3: Drug Trafficking: Debunking the $1 Billion Claims
19:19 - #2: Illegal Sports Betting, Bookmakers & Vegas Operations
20:16 - #1: Prohibition Bootlegging: The Catalyst That Built the Mob
23:11 - The Golden Street Rule: Putting Businesses "On Record"
20 Comments
Do you think it’s possible for the LCN to regain power and how would that work and what would it look like?
I’m a huge fan and always wanted to be an associate and I think the community would be safer and better off.
In your opinion, who was the top 10 best earners out of all the families, not everyone can make money, some better than others and if you were a good earner would that move you up the ranks quicker
Ranking the Mafia's Most Profitable Businesses
Franzese Wines
24,929 views
Text Michael: +14243250921
Full video: 10 Ways The New York Mafia Made Their Money
Brought to you by: Michael Franzese Wines
Media outlets, true crime writers, and government agencies have long published sensational estimates claiming the American Mafia generated billions of dollars across dozens of illicit rackets. In this breakdown, former Colombo family Caporegime Michael Franzese analyzes a published list ranking the top 10 most profitable businesses in Cosa Nostra history. Michael cuts through the exaggerated statistics, explaining why the public numbers are largely fabricated by law enforcement and desperate informants looking to reduce prison time, while revealing how organized crime ventures actually functioned on the street.
From inside-job warehouse hijackings at JFK and rigged Wall Street penny stocks to union pension manipulation, loan sharking, and the waste management cartel, Michael shares firsthand insights into how money flowed up the family chain of command. He breaks down why his multi-billion-dollar gasoline bootlegging scheme stands alongside Prohibition as the most profitable racket ever devised, why traditional American mob bosses strictly avoided narcotics to protect their political ties, and the golden street rule of putting criminal enterprises "on record" to avoid deadly disputes between families.
0:00 - What Was the Most Lucrative Mafia Business in History?
1:04 - The Strict Mob Rule: Why Narcotics Were Banned in My Era
2:32 - Territories, Overlaps & Running Legitimate Businesses
3:45 - #10: Cargo Hijacking at JFK Airport (Goodfellas vs. Reality)
6:02 - #9: Restaurant & Nightclub Extortion Rackets
7:33 - #8: Bid-Rigging, Stock Scams & Russian Healthcare Fraud
11:11 - #7: Street Loan Sharking: 52% Interest & Street Limits
12:47 - #6: Union Racketeering, Pension Funds & Labor Peace
14:50 - #5: Protection Rackets & The Waste Management Association
15:58 - #4: The Gas Tax Scheme: Did It Out-Earn Every Modern Racket?
17:25 - #3: Drug Trafficking: Debunking the $1 Billion Claims
19:19 - #2: Illegal Sports Betting, Bookmakers & Vegas Operations
20:16 - #1: Prohibition Bootlegging: The Catalyst That Built the Mob
23:11 - The Golden Street Rule: Putting Businesses "On Record"