Comments on: Wells Fargo, Wachovia, B of A Involved with Mexico Drug Cartel Operations http://spitfirelist.com/news/wells-fargo-wachovia-b-of-a-involved-with-mexico-drug-cartel-operations/ Web site and blog of anti-fascist researcher and radio personality Dave Emory. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:52:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: terrafractyl http://spitfirelist.com/news/wells-fargo-wachovia-b-of-a-involved-with-mexico-drug-cartel-operations/comment-page-1/#comment-17507 terrafractyl Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:48:21 +0000 http://spitfirelist.com/?p=12613#comment-17507 Here's another <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/45947489" rel="nofollow">bonus effect from the eurozone financial crisis</a>: <blockquote> <b>Organized Crime Now 'Italy's No.1 Bank': Report</b> Published: Tuesday, 10 Jan 2012 | 5:11 PM ET Organised crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country's biggest "bank" and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to a report on Tuesday. Extortionate lending by criminal groups had become a "national emergency," said the report by anti-crime group SOS Impresa. Organised crime now generated annual turnover of about 140 billion euros ($178.89 billion) and profits of more than 100 billion euros, it added. "With 65 billion euros in liquidity, the Mafia is Italy's number one bank," said a statement from the group, which was set up in Palermo a decade ago to oppose extortion rackets against small business. Organised crime groups like the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Naples Camorra or the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta have long had a stranglehold on the Italian economy, <b><i>generating profits equivalent to about 7 percent of national output</i></b>. <b>Extortionate lending had become an increasingly sophisticated and lucrative source of income, alongside drug trafficking, arms smuggling, prostitution, gambling and racketeering, the report said.</b> "The classic neighbourhood or street loan shark is on the way out, <b>giving way to organised loan-sharking that is well connected with professional circles and operates with the connivance of high-level professionals</b>," the report said. <b>It estimated about 200,000 businesses were tied to extortionate lenders and tens of thousands of jobs had been lost as a result.</b> Extortion With A Clean Face <b>Old style gangsters handing out cash in bars and pool halls had been replaced by apparently respectable bankers, lawyers or notaries, the report said.</b> ... Small businesses, who have struggled to get hold of credit during the economic slowdown, may have been increasingly tempted to turn to the mafia, said the report. Typical victims of extortionate lending were middle-aged shopkeepers and small businessmen who would struggle to find a new job and who were ready to try anything to avoid bankruptcy, it added. ... </blockquote> And the line between the mafia and high finance gets a little blurrier (it's really less a line and more a vague smudge at this point)... Here’s another bonus effect from the eurozone financial crisis:

Organized Crime Now ‘Italy’s No.1 Bank’: Report
Published: Tuesday, 10 Jan 2012 | 5:11 PM ET

Organised crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country’s biggest “bank” and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to a report on Tuesday.

Extortionate lending by criminal groups had become a “national emergency,” said the report by anti-crime group SOS Impresa.

Organised crime now generated annual turnover of about 140 billion euros ($178.89 billion) and profits of more than 100 billion euros, it added.

“With 65 billion euros in liquidity, the Mafia is Italy’s number one bank,” said a statement from the group, which was set up in Palermo a decade ago to oppose extortion rackets against small business.

Organised crime groups like the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Naples Camorra or the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta have long had a stranglehold on the Italian economy, generating profits equivalent to about 7 percent of national output.

Extortionate lending had become an increasingly sophisticated and lucrative source of income, alongside drug trafficking, arms smuggling, prostitution, gambling and racketeering, the report said.

“The classic neighbourhood or street loan shark is on the way out, giving way to organised loan-sharking that is well connected with professional circles and operates with the connivance of high-level professionals,” the report said.

It estimated about 200,000 businesses were tied to extortionate lenders and tens of thousands of jobs had been lost as a result.

Extortion With A Clean Face

Old style gangsters handing out cash in bars and pool halls had been replaced by apparently respectable bankers, lawyers or notaries, the report said.

...

Small businesses, who have struggled to get hold of credit during the economic slowdown, may have been increasingly tempted to turn to the mafia, said the report.

Typical victims of extortionate lending were middle-aged shopkeepers and small businessmen who would struggle to find a new job and who were ready to try anything to avoid bankruptcy, it added.

...

And the line between the mafia and high finance gets a little blurrier (it’s really less a line and more a vague smudge at this point)...

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