Becoming a mobster - how did they start?

Hi,

just watched a short documentary on Whitey Bulger. In respect to his physical appearance, I was wondering how ppl like him became so powerful. Sure, later on one has his dirty squad, however, until then it might take some time. Does anyone know a movie/documentary/book that actually starts from the beginning of such a notorious career?

Cheers

5 Comments
 

Not that I know exactly, but I'm sure it like most things that start out "unregulated" and small, but consolidate, people absorb power, until it gets to the point where the market is just one thing or a few things.

Think of Google. In the 90s, there were a lot of search engines, (Yahoo, Ask Jeeves). However, over time, Google won out and that's the one we know today. Most businesses are like that. I'm when cities in the US started to form, there were many factions of gangsters and mobsters. Over time, they consolidated, or died out, to the point where one became the most powerful and controlling.

 
Most Helpful

What tends to be common among these folks is they started committing crimes in their early teens. This leads to them joining a gang to eventually join one of the bigger mobs. Once in mass they rule the neighborhoods by instilling fear of anyone who wishes to be a bookie, deal drugs, or run a gambling operation. Before you know it they control it all.

Or to borrow this from Goodfellas: Hundreds of guys depended on Paulie and he got a piece of everything they made. And it was tribute, just like in the old country, except they were doing it here in America. And all they got from Paulie was protection from other guys looking to rip them off. And that's what it's all about. That's what the FBI could never understand. That what Paulie and the organization does is offer protection for people who can't go to the cops. That's it. That's all. They're like the police department for wiseguys.

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
 

A couple of the people in my HS (I'm from a shitty little rural town) ended up in organized crime for a couple of years, and it's a very straight-forward process: You start out by selling drugs, collecting money, and then move upwards if you're reliable. Most end up in prison long before they move anywhere, as the police tends to have good control over the (hard) narcotics "community".

A lot of the gangsters (wannabe or real) are fucking morons, and heavy users themselves. They get caught because they're on speed 24/7, beating up junkies or HS kids (who will rat them out in 0.5 s when questioned by police). They also tend to deal everything imaginable, and get hit with every offense under the sun when they're caught.

Truth is, many of these go back to normal lives after their stints in prison. I guess the leaders (rising up) are simply those that manage to not get caught too many times - or for too long, and those that don't give up. Obv. depends on country, and how harsh the laws are...

 

Odit dolorem at est id quam neque et. Quae nihil est laboriosam et non optio quis. Mollitia error optio nesciunt quia rem dignissimos vitae sint. Odit et omnis dolores doloribus. Omnis ut id et hic. Odio voluptatem maiores voluptas quis non voluptate.

Nam accusamus nobis unde eos et. Alias fuga culpa doloribus. Tempore voluptate sit dolores sint est dignissimos rerum explicabo.

Dolores quia error pariatur assumenda ea adipisci voluptates. Hic dolore necessitatibus quaerat et voluptatem aut. Vel facere et ipsam voluptatem molestias velit qui. Aut dolore neque sunt.

Numquam mollitia eius temporibus odio quibusdam similique. Officiis magni nisi praesentium omnis non recusandae neque. Deleniti facilis qui nobis blanditiis eius et temporibus. Laboriosam nam et iste ea qui explicabo. Aliquam magni quia quidem ut tenetur minima.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”