Quote Originally Posted by Bill Moore View Post
I think it can definitely be a factor. Friends in NYC told me the mob was alive and well, but due to an under the table agreement that don't conduct visible crimes in the streets because the people don't want to see the crime. The crime is still there, but not visible, and not accounted for statistically (good ole measures of effectiveness and measures of performance, they make liars out of all of us).
We had something similar in Germany.

Albanian, Russian and even Chinese organised crime took over red light districts et cetera during the 90's, often times with a degree of brutality that made our German 80's gangsters look nice.
The unofficial response was to allow the rise of the "Hell's Angels" and "Bandidos" so-called "rocker" gangs, who were German organised crime gangs, albeit even using official clubs. The "rocker" gangs took over red light districts, and in turn made them calm, peaceful and chased away the overt drug dealers and addicts so police would tolerate their business (and business would prosper with more customers!).

That gentlemen's arrangement broke down when several chapters of Hell's Angels and Bandidos clashed in an unacceptable way. Authorities would have tolerated indoor brawls, but some idiots went so far as to use a bazooka.
That clearly went beyond the limit, and authorities began to enforce Landfrieden (state monopoly on violence, outlawing of feuds) again.
Authorities had accumulated enough intel on the German-language criminals (easier than with Albanians et cetera!) to crack down thoroughly in some cities.
The stupid chapters were dissolved, the remaining ones had learnt the lesson.


Meanwhile, Germany is still a typical exile and money laundering place for Italian Mafia, but they, too, learnt after some murders during the late 90's to be invisible again.