Revolution Of The Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
4-2025
Abstract
I will be paralleling the International Brotherhood of Teamsters through the civil rights movement and the white-collar criminal activity conducted by Paul Castellano of the infamous Gambino crime family. I will show the transition from a traditional mob Criminal Enterprise in comparison to modern years where the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) can be applied to corporate, and business criminal activity like pharmaceutical companies and political figures. The (RICO) Act of 1970, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon to indict criminals for comprising criminal rackets that have been delegated or an affiliation to the crime. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a United States Federal Law that in regard to extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The study of the (RICO) Act allows me to look at its past and present developments through Paul Castellano a Gambino crime figure who eluded a (RICO) conviction by reason of, while he was out on a three-million-dollar bond he was shot to death outside of Sparks Steak House New York City December 16, 1985, around 5:30 P.M. that evening. Paul Castellano was described as bad but not that bad in regard to past mob bosses. He was considered boss of bosses, who was a white-collar criminal capitalist who made it very hard for the F.B.I. to get him indicted because he was not your typical mafia street thug. The F.B.I. did clip the wings of the mob significantly, Because of Paul Castellanos (RICO) prosecution that he never survived to see the end of, even though the rest of the commission did get convicted. Nonetheless, allowing the (RICO) Act to expand into future indictments like the ones directed at pharmaceuticals, or political figures. One of the most important struggles in American history is the movement of Men & Women through unions to take on big corporations that employed them. This presentation also re-explores Jimmy Hoffa, the union leader of the (IBT) and the complex legacy that he entrusted to the IBT American labor movement, his demise, and American justice. Hoffa today is remembered as a union autocrat, who broke the law and worked closely with organized crime. Hoffa became the nation’s best known, and most feared, labor leader at a time when unions were booming in America. Historians agree that his ties to the mob ultimately led to his mysterious demise authorized by two of the most powerful gangsters at the time of their dispute, Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano. This presentation will be laid out in chronological order. Geographics and demographics will be abroad regarding the stakeholders alone. Ultimately operations are centralized out of New York City. My methods approach is through credible journalists that are published in American newspapers and 1st hand revelations released by the monitoring agents of the F.B.I: This research and data convey the expansion of (RICO). My rationale for using this method is that the (RICO) Act was made to protect American society from corrupt organizations. This presentation is important as it shows the development and expansion of the (RICO) Act for the reason of past criminal racket history to transitions regarding corporate crimes. (RICO) has been very effective in the fight against organized crime as it takes a lot of evidence and lawful conduct of law enforcement to indict. To the audience, the description of (RICO) rackets and crimes can be informative, and how the white-collar criminal capitalist operated, and corporately continue to operate.
Recommended Citation
Knapp, Mike, "Revolution Of The Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act" (2025). Student Research Symposium 2025. 34.
https://digitalcommons.tamusa.edu/srs_2025/34
Comments
Poster Session 1
3:30-5:00 p.m.
BLH Lobby