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New York mafia crippled by coronavirus lockdown as illegal income worth millions is wiped out in 'historic' blow

As per law enforcement sources, the shutdown of major sports in the face of the outbreak has caused losses worth tens of millions of dollars in illegal gambling income
UPDATED MAR 30, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

The coronavirus has successfully put a freeze on mob activity in New York — something that lawmen like Bobby Kennedy and Rudy Giuliani failed to do for more than a century.

Law enforcement sources told the New York Post how the shutdown of major sports in the face of the outbreak had dealt a "historic" blow to the mafia, wiping out tens of millions of dollars in illegal gambling income.

“There’s never been a time when they weren’t making money through gambling,” one insider said. “Since the days of Lucky Luciano, when the Five Families started.

“This is historic," they added.

A view of 45th Street as the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States on March 14, 2020, in New York City (Getty Images)

Sources noted how it previously seemed as though illegal betting would emerge unscathed during the early days of the virus, considering the internet had replaced the cramped social distancing nightmares of erstwhile wire rooms.

But when leagues such as the NBA, MLB, March Madness, the NHL, MLS, horse racing and pro golf announced postponements and cancellations, the gangsters were left with no wiggle room.

Despite almost all American sports being shrouded by an indefinite lockdown, few dedicated gamblers tried to venture out by betting on African cricket and Australian soccer matches, but sources say the underground betting scene has mostly gone dry and will remain so until the disease burns out.

While the worst of the outbreak is yet to come, per experts, mafia sources told the outlet that a lot of them "are living off that money" for now — with amounts estimated to be in the eight figures.

Meanwhile, other mob mainstays including extortion of restaurants have also been hit hard due to eateries being closed except for takeout and delivery. Even construction rackets are not in play, especially after Gov Cuomo put a stop to all nonessential projects on Friday.

“Construction’s a very big deal because it has a lot of branches,” according to one law-enforcement source, who noted that the mob also profits from related ventures like trucking and the ports.

But even historically popular mafia enterprises like private carting companies are feeling the pinch, with fewer businesses open and generating garbage.

A normally very busy Times Square is nearly empty on March 12, 2020, in New York City (Getty Images)

Now, the wiseguys may be forced to rely more on narcotics trade, a business that has prevailed despite much of the world grinding to a halt.

One insider said how "there's still deals being made" in the general drug trade, considering conversations captured recently on surveillance wires that indicated a possible shift to drug peddling.

“A lot of the time, the big topic of conversation would be talking about gambling. That’s dried up,” one source said, saying the focus has now turned to narcotics.

Nonetheless, even that trade has its own hurdles during this crisis, considering a lot of the product used to primarily move in mobbed-up bars, strip clubs, and restaurants that are now closed by state order.

One law enforcement insider highlighted how the coronavirus was able to effect a shutdown that anti-mob firebrands liken former federal prosecutor Giuliani, US Attorney General Kennedy, and NYPD top cop Lt Joseph Petrosino had tried for more than a century to achieve.

“This is doing what they couldn’t do,” a source said.

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