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RICO

Did You Know . . .

Organized crime family members who broke the code of silence and testified in RICO proceedings received much shorter prison sentences than if they had not cooperated.
By the 1990s with many Mafia leaders convicted under RICO and in prison, the life of traditional organized crime members became less attractive. A considerable number of young people from Mafia families chose to attend college and adopt lawful careers and lifestyles. The face of American organized crime changed significantly as crime bosses were forced to recruit uneducated youth from impoverished backgrounds. These new recruits had neither loyalty to the crime families nor skilled leadership qualities.
While drug trafficking continues to be a top moneymaker, weapons, diamonds, luxury cars, and even natural resources such as Russian oil are smuggled and illegally bought and sold by organized crime groups.