Few underworld rackets have ever been as durable and profitable as the shylock business. Shylocking, or Loan-Sharking, has been a tried and true, dependable money-maker for the mob since day one.

Lets take a good look shall we?


https://thenewyorkmafia.com/2020/07/10/mafia-loansharking-racket-shylocking/

This article is a precursor of sorts for an expansive upcoming expose we're putting together called "The Gambling Rackets"

It will explain the mechanics of the various gambling rackets that were, and in some cases still are, operated by organized crime. From policy-numbers, bookmaking, dice games, one-armed bandits, and a whole lot more.

I felt that our previous expose on the shylock business, which is a "sister" operation to gambling, was a nice "appetizer" to whet your whistle so to speak.

Gambling and loan sharking are the twin pillars of organized crime.

The customer base is huge whether it be numbers,sports,illegal casinos or in some cases,guys that need money to expand/start a business or to pay off personal debts and can't get a stick of gum from the banks.
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The profits are steady and very lucrative,and in most cases,the criminal penalties are not that harsh.

A guy can earn serious money while staying away from the more "criminal" type stuff. Build up a nice business,kick up to whoever you have to kick up to,and in a few years - Bada Bing,Bada Bang,Buttafucco !

You got a nice stash and instead of eating mystery meat in the joint,you get to bounce the Grandkids on your knee at your Condo in Miami.

QUESTIONS?? ARE YOU GOING TO DISCUSS THE COLLECTION METHODS OF THE LOAN SHARKS THAT INVOLVED THREATENING TO MURDER THE BORROWERS CHILDREN OR RAPE THEYRE WIFE, IF THE BORROWER DIDNT MAKE THE SHYLOCK PAYMENTS. OR WHEN THEY WOULD ACTUALLY RAPE SOMEONES WIFE IF THE GUY DIDNT PAY?

Frustrated much? ~LisaB

No, not at all, I'm just asking a question...Your giving an overview of the racket and the techniques used to run the racket, so Im asking a question regarding the article... Which Im sure you know was a common technique used to extract money, such as threatening to follow the children home from school and murder them or gang raping the wife if the borrower didnt have the shylock vig....

Wow. You need to go to comeback school. Get yourself an education. BTW, that doesn't really fall within my department. Maybe yours, though? - ~LisaB

what comeback? im asking a simple question. Ill repeat it again! so Im asking a question regarding the article... Which Im sure you know was a common technique used to extract money, such as threatening to follow the children home from school and murder them or gang raping the wife if the borrower didnt have the shylock vig....

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Tell ya the truth Louie, I've honestly never even heard that sort of sick, depraved-type thing actually happening in real life. Nor do I believe it's ever been documented that true, inducted Cosa Nostra members would ever do such degenerate things. Certainly not in New York City, and areas that I'm familiar with at least.

But why would you even ask about such a sick thing as that? It makes me think that you are speaking from personal experience? Have you borrowed from a shylock in the past, and had that happen to you, your wife or your girlfriend? Or even worse God forgive, have you personally ever been forcibly sodomized, or forced to perform fellatio on your loan shark for seriously falling behind on your "vig" payments?

Even sicker, I had heard a story once, where a borrower actually had the money in his pocket to pay his shark, but feigned poverty just so he could hopefully be asked to suck his shylock off. Imagine that? Lol

I hope not for your sake. But it may explain why you always seem annoyed and angry. Maybe you still feel like you have a stick (or a dick) up your ass. It could be a latent memory of days gone by maybe?? Of having taken a hard one up the back chute maybe?

If so, I don't doubt that a good shrink could maybe help sort things out for you.

..... "The Other Guy!"

To say that it was "common" to engage in wife-raping and child murder to collect shylock debts is ridiculous.
A beating,broken bone,or business takeover,sure,that can and does happen.
In fact,I can only think of one case that might apply and that was "Mad Sam" DeStefano,but I believe that even if he was a civilian,he would have wound up as a psycho rapist and killer since he was certifiably insane and sadistic.

I remember that particular incident with Mad Sam De Stefano also Lou. He was a sick demented MoFo! But he, and his mentality was an aberration. Not indicative of CN at all. As you said, he would have been who he was, regardless of what he did for a living. Just a sick, sick psycho from the get-go.

Thanks for the backup info Luigi. Much appreciated.

I’m not going to resort to name calling and getting upset because I’m giving information taken from witnesses and wiretaps,even as you insult me because I’m bursting your bubble of love for criminals and yet you think I need counseling..what did they call it. “The hoodlum complex”....Tommy Bilotti for instance would force oral sex on his customers that didn’t pay... I’ll quote Jules Bonavalonta who early in his career went undercover against the mob...

“He runs up behind her, spins her around and punches her in the face with a closed fist,not once but 3 times” “I couldn’t believe it, I had never seen anyone hit a woman like that before,but he doesn’t just hit her once, he keeps hitting her as hard as he can in the face”—-this was a member of the Genovese family and it was explained to him that he had the “right,because he was her old man and she was HIS WIFE”. Sounds like biker trash to me....

I’ll quote him again “people wanna buy the bullshit fine, but I saw them up close and they’re total scum”


Also look up ARLENE BRIKLEMAN..She was gang raped by wiseguys and told that her daughter would be raped if she didn’t pay back Anthony Scarpati.

Look up Frankie Arcona he was a Shylock customer of Jerry Langella...he wore a wire and was told “ if you don’t have the money in three days I’m going to burn down your house and before I do that I’m going to tie you up in a chair and rape your wife and daughters in front of you and after that I’ll burn the house down”

All of That was from the wiretaps and in the court transcripts ... your talking about people that murder theyre family members .....

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I'd be lying if I spoke about those "alleged" incidents because I am unfamiliar with them.

But I can tell you that Arlene Bickleman was a straight up slut and whore. Not even a whore, at least they charge for it. She was a low-life demented slut who loved being with every wiseguy and knock-around guy she could wrap her mouth around. Fucking them wholesale for years. I wouldn't believe her if my life depended on it.

She's been fucked, laid, and parlayed every which way you could think of. I'm not even sure a broad of her caliber could be called a "rape," If anything, she raped the guys who slept with her. They were her victims. Lol....She was a walking venereal disease! FACT!

And anyone in NYC who knew of her will tell you the same exact thing as me.

So what your saying is she deserved to be raped and have her daughter threatened to be raped because she was promiscuous?
Some of you need to get a grip on reality...

Either you can't read, or your just not paying attention. I DON'T BELIEVE HER!

She was writing a book, and looking to sensationalize the content to sell copies. Get it now big guy?

Your an extremely angry person... I haven’t said one thing to insult you..keep worshiping murderers and child pornography pushers...

Gambling, numbers and loansharking went hand-in-hand like PB&J for the mob

I'm not angry at all. Lol... Not even one little bit. In fact, I'm a very happy-go-luck "son of a gun!"... Literally! (pun intended) See what I mean Lou?? Lol

I just don't appreciate receiving comments from posters like you making argumentative statements, instead of just asking the same exact question in a more gentlemanly fashion.

Had you done so, I would have answered you in the same gentlemanly way that I treat 99% of all the other forum members I interact with on GBB.

So understand that it's not your question that bothered me. But rather your sucky "bedside manner" so to speak, that leaves a great deal to be desired Louie!
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On another note, that you so sarcastically commented about me and my partner Lisa being "Fanboys" and "Fangirls" of the mob. Lol.... that's another "slipped in' petty insult attempt by you that didn't go unnoticed by me either.

For your information (not that I need to explain myself to a guy like you, or any other poster here), I happen to have cousins who are part of the NYPD. Three in fact. 2 were policemen, which of whom rose to a Gold Shield Detective who made hundreds of narcotics and homicide pinches in his stellar career. And a 3rd cousin, who rose all the way up to reach the "Top Brass" of the NYPD. If I told you his name you'd shit your pants where you stand.

He was, and is, revered by all law enforcement. From the FBI, right on down the line.

We all love each other very much, and are very close. In fact my entire family is stuck like glue to one another. The way good Italian families are famously known to be.
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Simultaneously with that, I also have guys in my family who were bookmakers, etc. In fact one of those "top cop" relatives of mine that I told you about? Lol... His father was a bookmaker....Big Fucking deal!!!!!

In my very active lifetime, I've learned "both sides of the coin" so to speak. I appreciate the "good" AND the "bad" of both law enforcement and Cosa Nostra. Because I am intimate with each. And I understand the dynamics of both sides, or both lifestyles.

There are many good cops, and there are also cocksuckers! There are good wiseguys, and there are enough cocksuckers too!

You can't walk through life as a blindman Lou. It just doesn't work!

I suggest you try opening your eyes up and really take a good look around you. You may be happily surprised at what you see and find! What I just said also goes for a few other guys on this board as well.


Hope you have a good evening Louis. Or as we say in Hawaii, "Buono Notte"

If I may chime in from the Toronto area ...

I knew a few 'collectors' growing up and still know one or two in my adulthood. I've never heard of or seen violence against a wife or children.

HOWEVER... I have personally overheard the conversations wherein that bookie or collector will say something to the tune of "we know where your wife works and where your kids go to school" .... that's all they have to say ... there's no threat anywhere in that statement. HOWEVER to a person on the other end, it surely acts as an IMPLIED threat .. "pay up or .. well, we know where your mrs and the little ones hang out" ... the implied threat is made and the message is sent without (technically) a direct threat made.

So while I agree with one aspect of the debate above... that they don't target wives and kids, I also know enough that the wife and kids is brought up a scare tactic during collections to instill fear in the debtor.

Now .. NYMafia .. I enjoyed that piece in your first post above.. looking forward to reading the rest.

Cheers all and be safe.

What everyone needs to understand....

NY Mafia puts a lot of time and effort in the work he/they do

We have consistent new and interesting topics to talk/learn and debate about, you get to chose.

Some of NYMafia's posts just do not interest me

Instead of posting something negative I just move onto something I have an interest.in.

Do you know what exactly is the policy regarding kicking up or not your loansharking profits ?

In his book, Gravano said that a made guy could keep all his loan shark profit.

In his book, D'Arco said that when Paul Vario died, Amuso and Casso told him to collect his loans and kick up some of it to them.

To me, it would make sense to kick up some of your profit because the made guy status plays a big role in the success of your loansharking. As a made guy, you can get loans at a low rates (1 or 2% vig) and then reloan it at hiher rate. It's also easier to collect your loans because only a few people will be brave or stupid enough to try to screw a made guy. Besides, your position is pretty much guaranteed as other loansharks will not try to steal your clientele. So, ultimatley, it's an activity where you can really benefit from your made guy status.


On an other related subject, i was intrigued by what John Pennisi said about the fact that Lorenzo Mannino and Tall Pete Inzerillo would send him customers for his loanshark business. Why would high ranking members from another family be willing to give away their customers ?

I assume he probably got a piece of the profit and he didn’t have to expose himself . By guess.

definitely Njein

Agreed. I don't doubt some frustrated shylock somewhere made an offhanded comment about abusing a guys family if he didn't pay. But 99.9% of the time even the biggest asshole shylock in the world wouldn't go through with something like that. But to shake a guy up, I could imagine those words being spoken somewhere.

I hope to have the gambling expose up soon. And my partner is designing KC expose as we speak. I think most of the forum will like them

Thanks pal

Hi Malavita. I think the proper answer to your question is that just like every other racket run by street guys, the percentage that you kick up varies from guy to guy, racket to racket, and superior to superior.

Depending upon if you found and developed the racket, financed it yourself, ran it yourself, and handled any problems yourself..... then more times than not you kicked up what you felt you wanted to. But obviously the more you kick up, the more you are loved and "respected" if I may be so bold. You are "on your own" so to speak. Good or bad.

On the other hand, if it is a racket operation that is given to you to run by the Family, then your capo or direct superior (whoever that may be) will tell you what you gotta turn in each week. After all, its a gift that you were handed and considered "found" money in your pocket.

It is called "servicing" a business or the racket. It's NOT yours. It belongs to the borgata, and you've been given the privilege of "servicing" it for the Family. So you are told how much % you get. In my experience, most crews allow a soldier to retain 25%. The other 75% gets turned into the family (split between your skipper and the hierarchy).

But if it's a big money producer, you may just be put on a straight salary such as $1000 week or $1500 a week. Everything else gets kicked upstairs.

So there is really no "set in stone" rule on this sort of thing. It very subjective. And it largely depends on how generous or greedy the bosses are.

Two points to add:

1. You mentioned RICO in passing. A victim who pays back a Mob loanshark by busting out his business, or through a "giveup," can be considered a conspirator in a "Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization, and could face the same double digit sentence as his Mob victimizers. That would provide a Grade-A incentive for the victim to cooperate with law enforcement--a big risk to the loanshark and his higher-ups.

2. Some states permit "payday loans" carrying interest rates far above Mob vig. And, it's totally legal.

Check out the Native American/Tribal loan racket. These guys are raking it in. In many states the Tribes are considered "sovereign nations" operating within the US. They're not subject to our banking laws and regulations.and the APR (or more truthfully) vig rates are astronomical.They generally offer small loans,usually under 1,000 bucks, so their potential loss is minimal. The catch is that the loan carries a 30 or 40 % APR, IF PAID BACK IN 2 WEEKS. If not,a new "lending cycle" starts. This includes another "loan processing fee",and the same APR. Once you get caught up in this roller coaster, by the time you pay it off, you can be on the hook for APR's of 1'000% or higher. This practice is as crooked as their casinos. You can't get either one of them into the ground without a corkscrew.

To follow up on this are you gonna touch on more about Sally Burns who was a convicted child molester and big loan shark or Paul Castellano who was a huge loan shark, who sex trafficked children. Or Robert Dibenardo who was a big loan shark and sex trafficked and pimped out children for grown men to fuck?? What about Allie Boy Persico, he had his mistress murdered and chopped up because she might have known his location and told the feds, after he demanded all the money and jewelry back he had given her..An innocent young 30 year old girl, this man of honor who was over 40 when he started dating her and she was 16.....notice a pattern here? I think we all have a certain fascination for the power and mystique of the mob but once you really get into the research and go beyond the media hype, you realize these people especially the made members and higher ups were uneducated, completely ruthless and completely evil people who perpetuated an evil lifestyle.. and that they’re power wasn’t rooted in business smarts but was rooted in organization and most of all being completely devoid of any morals and committing violence including murder without a second thought.. the power was rooted in the ability to snap an arm without a second thought, the ability to baseball bat a 110 pound woman and not bat an eye, and most of all the ability to murder theyre sons, brothers and brother in laws without a second thought and then follow that up by lying to they’re own family about it without losing a wink of sleep or having remorse even for a second....

Louie, I posted my final response to you about this subject matter in the "Philly and Dave S Allegations" thread. So please read and try and digest what I am trying to show you ok?

I believe its called "six degrees of separation"

I think my answer explains all I need to explain. And if after reading my comments if you still feel the way you do, then so be it.

At that point, let's just both "agree to disagree" ok?