EPISODE · Sep 7, 2026 · 10 MIN

Mafia Loan Sharking Revealed: The Economics of High-Interest Credit

from A History of the American Mafia Podcast: Organized Crime, Mob Families, Bosses, Gangsters, Prohibition, Criminal Trials, and the Rise of La Cosa Nostra · host Podily & Josh Linsk

This episode delves into the Mafia’s lucrative loan‑sharking racket—examining how families used high-interest credit lines to control small businesses and gamblers alike. From the mechanics of “vig” and the financial logic that turns a ten‑grand loan into a crippling debt spiral, to the federal RICO takedowns that targeted the entire web, we uncover how money flowed through ledgers, intimidation, and violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 7, 2026

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Mafia Loan Sharking Revealed: The Economics of High-Interest Credit

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This episode is 10 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 7, 2026.

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