WickerMan asked this question on 5/10/2000:

What with law enforcement being budget restricted, and appathy in the general citizenry, are the few remaining crime syndiactes pretty much free to do as they please?

MarcusAurelius gave this response on 5/10/2000:

If you are referring to the old-time "mafia" type organized crime, then the answer is pretty much no because the sense of loyalty and unity that existed in the crime families has been decimated by defections and convictions. For example, look at what Sammy (the bull) Gravano did to his boss, John Gotti. Gravano, an admitted killer, was able to escape serious punishment by rolling over on Gotti. Collaring those type of organized criminals is actually easier now than it has ever been. The opposite is true for syndicates like the Cali cartel or the Mexican drug gangs. Limited resources have strained the US efforts to win the drug war and Mexico is, for all intents and purposes, a lawless society as far as drug smuggling goes.

The average rating for this answer is 5.

WickerMan rated this answer a 5.

Ah, thank you. There are still contraband traffickers that are very wealthy, which makes me wonder if the government can "make a dent" in them legally. People with money tend to stay out of prison.