10 Businesses Supposedly Controlled by the Mafia | HowStuffWorks | Opinion

Just like workers in any field, Mafia members are changing with the times and running some old schemes in new ways. 

Source: 10 Businesses Supposedly Controlled by the Mafia | HowStuffWorks

The United States

Several years ago I was in a remaindered bookstore and picked up a title by a Muslim author. His critique of the USA was that, according to him, the American mafia could be likened to the terrorists who took down the original World Trade Center.

Myself, I am not convinced that US organized crime can be compared to radical Muslim extremists as the author suggested. Sweeping generalizations like that do little to help us paint a picture of what’s really happening in the world today.

In Canada

In Canada, I think crime can crop up in the most unexpected of places, say for instance, academia. This could be partly due to an open-door immigration policy which historically had little in the way of thorough background checks.

So while the vast majority of immigrants to Canada are fine, hard-working people a tiny percentage will likely take advantage of our kindness and bring their old-world crime with them into Canada.

On Television

I’m not a huge fan of TV crime shows. But for me, three stand out.

First, The Sopranos. Although dark and upsetting, the nuanced treatment of characters as real people and not just cardboard cutouts is noteworthy.

Second, I’d say Suburra: Blood on Rome is my runner-up. Some might say Suburra glamorizes crime with chic characters and cool hairdos. But like The Sopranos, we see real people here, not just one-dimensional ‘bad guys.’

Third, Gomorrah takes another look at Italian crime, this time not quite so glamorous. The downbeat ambiance of Gomorrah may appeal to those who don’t see bling and crime as bedfellows even if in some instances they may be.

Gomorrah refers to the Old Testament’s “Sodom and Gomorrah,” two cities destroyed for their wickedness

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