If being in the mafia was as profitable as being on Wall Street, would you do it?

I just found out my godfather as well as my great uncle both 'disappeared' one day and were never seen again. Case closed etc... They had sports cars, nice houses in the best areas, and were always 'working'. It got me thinking, if I was them, I would have stayed on their path. So I ask you WSO, if you had an in with the Mafia, would you do it?

 
GoodBread:
finger_me_elmo:
It got me thinking, if I was them, I would have stayed on their path.
If you were them, you'd be dead according to your story.

They were union bosses and stole money from the union. It wasn't the smartest idea haha

That being said, some other family members have done pretty well for themselves who have passed on. No hard crimes though I don't think.

Whats the matter? Scared of my little red fuzzy anus? Don't be shy,let me show you the way, give me your hand and I will take you to paradise
 
finger_me_elmo:
GoodBread:
finger_me_elmo:
It got me thinking, if I was them, I would have stayed on their path.
If you were them, you'd be dead according to your story.

They were union bosses and stole money from the union. It wasn't the smartest idea haha

That being said, some other family members have done pretty well for themselves who have passed on. No hard crimes though I don't think.

Ask yourself if you really want to know. You have options, but most of those guys led a very hard life and regret it. "Let sleeping dogs lie."

Times have changed, and this post has probably already tripped a dozed red flags down on some Arlington computer. Choose happiness. Failing that, choose life.

Get busy living
 

It's way too tough to make it in America today as a mobster. The US judicial system has very little tolerance for violent crime and will spend millions of dollars to prosecute even low level street soldiers. Plus once you factor in RICO and the fact that Americans are much more likely to snitch, because of the witness protection program and a lack of loyalty to their patron families.

In summary, you'd be outright insane to pursue a career in organized crime on American soil. However, many countries such as Mexico, Russia, and Italy still have very powerful criminal organizations, and I'm guessing due to budget problems, organized crime in Sicily isn't going anywhere in the imminent future, except maybe on a vacation in Monaco.

Competition is a sin. -John D. Rockefeller
 
Best Response
Hooked on LEAPS:

It's way too tough to make it in America today as a mobster. The US judicial system has very little tolerance for violent crime and will spend millions of dollars to prosecute even low level street soldiers. Plus once you factor in RICO and the fact that Americans are much more likely to snitch, because of the witness protection program and a lack of loyalty to their patron families.

In summary, you'd be outright insane to pursue a career in organized crime on American soil. However, many countries such as Mexico, Russia, and Italy still have very powerful criminal organizations, and I'm guessing due to budget problems, organized crime in Sicily isn't going anywhere in the imminent future, except maybe on a vacation in Monaco.

This is the type of advice you just don't get on other sites.

"When you stop striving for perfection, you might as well be dead."
 
BlackHat:
Which mafia is most prestigious?
'Ndrangheta

A good mobster can make far more than a banker. It sucks when you get whacked or go to jail, if you didn't grow up around it you don't stand a chance. Keep your day job kid.

Get busy living
 

My dad was a banker and in the mafia. He'd come home blackout drunk late at night with random dudes to eat dried fish and drink more and often had cash falling out of his pockets. Would sometimes send my mom and I to his mom's farm because he was paranoid about the KGB or whoever else. This may or may not have just been an excuse to binge drink. Eventually left him and moved to the States.

There's good money to be made in corrupt post-Soviet shitholes for the enterprising. People whine about the wealth gap here in the States, but go to Kiev and it's 98% Skodas from the '50s and 2% Ferraris and shit. My uncle is honestly pretty dumb, but pretty clever about working the corrupt system they have in place and is in the mid 8 figure range. The guy is so Euro new money it's painful.

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 

If the two pursuits had the same profitability, why would I choose mafia given it has higher risk? Sharpe ratio tells me I should go with banking.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 

My landlord's son is a "medium scale" drug dealer and has an operation of about 15 people, covering an area of approximately 50-75 sq mls.
He was robbed twice, at gunpoint, and arrested once. Charges didn't stick and they had to let him go. At about 29 years of age he owns multiple properties, a bunch of nice cars, has girls around him all day long and doesn't have to do any boring office work. net worth about 2 million?  You don't necessarily have to be "in the mafia" to be in organized crime, but a smaller group can also be very profitable and is less likely to be detected.

I would say it is worth it if you know what you are doing and can take the heat.

 

Good/interesting question OP. I guess (if you take the morality/ethics part of the question away) it really depends on what are your other opportunities like? By that I mean - watch the Sopranos, the guys who are in Tony’s family didn’t choose between that life and a top MBA programme. Realistically it was a choice between that and being a “nobody”/Mr Average (which without giving away spoilers is a decision Chrissy directly faces towards the end of the series, in a certain gas station scene).

And if you’re talking about whether the average poster on here would go into the mafia for higher pay? I very much doubt it - I certainly wouldn’t. Again leaving out the morality aspect, banking/finance is a relatively low-risk (albeit stressful) career - once you get in, if you work hard you should have a relatively long career with relatively high earnings.

Contrast that to the mafia/cartels - at any time you can get killed, not only by your enemies but by your juniors looking for a promotion - if the government arrest you they can seize all your assets including your family home, and send you away for the rest of your life. Also you don’t even need to be directly involved to get indicted due to RICO.

Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that the mafia/cartels are a pyramid structure similar to banking or law - the guys at the top make huge $$$, but your average foot soldier might be enjoying a nice middle-class lifestyle but isn’t necessarily raking it in. Again if you watch the Sopranos or the Wire, you’ll see the mid-level drug dealers/enforcers make a decent amount but they’re also not making it rain in clubs, rather it’s only enough to give their family an upper middle-class lifestyle.

 

Tenetur qui praesentium quo ut aut modi magnam. Non fugit repudiandae aut et excepturi. Minima ea neque dolor velit qui qui consequuntur. Aut nihil voluptatum maxime id modi eius ex.

Perspiciatis ipsa ipsum totam. Ab at in est est reprehenderit earum eos. Iure enim consectetur nihil distinctio rerum nisi.

Iste molestiae optio fuga est quia. Similique debitis eveniet corrupti praesentium magnam. Omnis temporibus vitae non et et soluta.

Rerum explicabo consequatur voluptate. Est consectetur in ut qui. Omnis enim debitis et et impedit. Rem id reprehenderit explicabo ipsa. Est est saepe rerum dolorem voluptatem eligendi. Velit voluptatem natus rerum et est dolor.

 

Dolores illo deserunt ut officia assumenda est est. Rem quo sed harum et et. Pariatur id optio molestiae praesentium aut. Ut nemo id et vel. Enim est et aut ut dolorem nihil.

Eaque dolorem nobis sapiente rerum doloremque. Aspernatur quos sit consectetur vel odit tempore. Aliquid quisquam nulla nesciunt. Ut minus pariatur odit qui minus eos unde.

Dolor et mollitia ipsum quia nihil. Dolore corrupti nisi numquam aut error. Voluptatum quis similique ducimus suscipit.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”