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Message no. 1
From: Danyel Woods 9604801@****.ac.nz
Subject: Organised crime and unions
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 15:58:55 +1200
I was writing up the background to an adventure over the weekend, and
realised that I don't know as much about unions and their relationships with
organised crime as I probably should if I want to GM a realistic conflict
between PCs and the crims. What exactly do syndicates like the Mafia gain
from controlling the unions?

Danyel Woods - 9604801@****.ac.nz <mailto:9604801@****.ac.nz>
_Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you._
Message no. 2
From: Scott Wheelock iscottw@*****.nb.ca
Subject: Organised crime and unions
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 01:17:51 -0300
"And now, a Channel 6 editorial reply to Danyel Woods."
] I was writing up the background to an adventure over the weekend, and
] realised that I don't know as much about unions and their relationships with
] organised crime as I probably should if I want to GM a realistic conflict
] between PCs and the crims. What exactly do syndicates like the Mafia gain
] from controlling the unions?

I'd say go to the library for this one...that's a really interesting
subject that you can probably find some very light reading on (like
Time Life books), and it wouls give you a good idea of why controlling
the unions was good business for the mobs.

-Murder of One
Message no. 3
From: Manx timburke@*******.com.au
Subject: Organised crime and unions
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 19:51:08 +1000
At 15:58 15/06/99 +1200 Danyel Woods wrote
>What exactly do syndicates like the Mafia gain
>from controlling the unions?
>

Go to your local Blockbuster and rent "Hoffa" with Jack Nicholson.

__________________________________
Manx || timburke@*******.com.au || #950
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt
and then it's just hilarious." - Faith No More
__________________________________
Message no. 4
From: Anders Swenson anders@**********.com
Subject: Organised crime and unions
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:00:54 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: Danyel Woods <9604801@****.ac.nz>

> I was writing up the background to an adventure over the weekend, and
> realised that I don't know as much about unions and their relationships
with
> organised crime as I probably should if I want to GM a realistic conflict
> between PCs and the crims. What exactly do syndicates like the Mafia gain
> from controlling the unions?
>
They get the opportunity to make the employers play ball with them, several
ways:
1) They can strike any firm they want to.

2) They can make deals behind the workers' backs and get kickbacks from the
employers in return for low wages paid to the union members.

3) The employer can play fast and loose with working conditions, and pay off
the mob not to let the union do anything about it. Again, more money for the
mob and the employer is deeper into the mob's influence.

4) Probably other stuff I'm not thinking of, maybe money launduring, maybe
using the employer in rackets, it can go on.

--Anders
Message no. 5
From: Adam Lewis adamswork@*****.com
Subject: Organised crime and unions
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 08:02:00 -0700 (PDT)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Danyel Woods <9604801@****.ac.nz>

>What exactly do syndicates like the Mafia gain
> from controlling the unions?


Among other things, the mafia originally got involved
with the union to get paychecks and avoid charges of
tax evasion.

They would make business owners put people on the
payroll that never actually worked. So if Vinny had
just got $1000 for some stolen car, he would give the
money to a business owner and tell him to write him a
payroll check for $1000 and record a certain number of
hours worked. This way he could file taxes and show he
had a legitimate income.

However, eventually the mafia got nasty and didn't
even give the business owners money to cut them
checks. If a business owner wanted to do business in
their part of the city, they had to write payroll
checks to a dozen or so "employees" that didn't really
work.

Controlling the Unions made this scam very hard for
the Feds to prove they were doing anything illegal.




=­amL
===="My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural
deficiency in moral fibre, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."
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Message no. 6
From: Ignacio De Lucas morrisjila@*******.com
Subject: Organised crime and unions
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 10:50:25 PDT
To start whit they gain a legal coverup for ther operatinos, that gives them
a wide range of oportunities to do their money laundring.

Another important point is that sindicates have a very powerful influence in
goverments, so a Mob boss can pres a politician through the union he
controls using strikes and manifestations to make the ploitician do what he
wants.

ATTE el MORRIS


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These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!