EPISODE · Sep 7, 2026 · 8 MIN

The Hidden Economy of Mafia Loansharking: How the Underworld Racked Up Money

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

In this episode we peel back the veil on the Mafia’s street‑level lending—high‑interest, weekly payments that kept gamblers, laborers, and small business owners afloat while feeding a profitable underground economy. We explore how the threat of violent repayment turned creditors into opportunistic owners, financed bookmaking, skimmed casino cash, and underpinned union extortion, all while revealing why law‑enforcement pursued these cases with such vigor. 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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The Hidden Economy of Mafia Loansharking: How the Underworld Racked Up Money

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This episode is 8 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 7, 2026.

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