Mafia Insider (Episode 3) Whats your racket?

Over the years, the general public has heard a lot about the Mafia being involved this racket or that racket. We hear them being indicted for “racketeering”. They even have an anti-racketeering law called “The RICO Act” (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act). But what exactly are these so-called rackets, and what makes them illegal?

A gangster, by his very nature, is a racketeer. Whether he’s selling liquor in a speak-easy during prohibition, or hijacking cargo from a freighter, the fact is he’s found a way to make money illegally and if he’s good at it, he doesn’t get caught.

One of the earliest rackets that American mobsters embraced, took place on the docks. The mob controlled the “International Longshoremen’s Association” and only allowed ILA members to unload cargo from the ships. The ship owners, in turn, had to pay the mob to unload the ship. And the ILA members, in addition to paying monthly dues, had to pay the mob in order to work each day. On top of that, the mob took a percentage of the goods that were being unloaded. It was (and is) a nice racket. But they didn’t stop there. As time went on, they seized control of the Teamsters and only allowed trucks driven by Teamster members to transport cargo from the docks to the warehouses. So, if a shipping company refused to pay the wiseguys, they not only wouldn’t be able to unload their cargo, they wouldn’t be able to have it transported to the warehouses either.

The docks are a prime example of how a mobster is able to profit from legitimate businesses, but how does that apply to a role-playing game? More importantly, how can we integrate the rackets into the game? And, what sort of game mechanics do we employ to measure the success or failure of a racket?

I have my own ideas, but I want to hear yours. Discuss??

Regards,
Rob