Jury tampering and the bribing of judges have been other tactics used to prevent successful government prosecutions. One factor has been the threats, intimidation, and bodily violence (including murder) that a syndicate brings to bear to prevent victims or witnesses (including its own members) from informing on or testifying against its activities. The ability of organized crime to flourish in the United States has traditionally rested upon several factors. The hijacking of trucks carrying valuable, easily disposable merchandise has been another favoured activity of organized crime. Real-estate firms, dry-cleaning establishments, waste-disposal firms, and vending-machine operations-all legally constituted businesses-when operated by the syndicate may include in their activities the elimination of competition through coercion, intimidation, and murder. They may also engage in labour racketeering, in which control is gained over a union’s leadership so that the union’s dues and other financial resources can be used for illegal enterprises. In addition to the illegal activities-principally gambling and narcotics trafficking-that have been the syndicates’ chief source of income, they may also engage in nominally legitimate enterprises, such as loan companies (in underworld parlance, “the juice racket”) that charge usurious rates of interest and collect from delinquent debtors through threats and violence. Furthermore, profits from various illegal enterprises have been invested in legitimate businesses. Accordingly, large sums of money have been expended by syndicate bosses in an attempt to gain political influence on both local and national levels of government. Wherever organized crime existed, it sought protection from interference by the police and the courts. At the head of each family was a boss who had the power of life and death over its members. The usual setup was a hierarchical one, with different “families,” or syndicates, in charge of operations in many of the major cities. After repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment put an end to bootlegging-the practice of illegally manufacturing, selling, or transporting liquor-criminal overlords turned to other activities and became even more highly organized. The tremendous growth in crime in the United States during Prohibition (1920–33) led to the formation of a national organization. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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