After losing $0.50 in a soda vending machine, a co-worker ruminated that back in the 1950’s, the Mafia owned or controlled most of the vending machines in the USA…according to him, juke boxes as well. I can see the attraction-a cash business, and you coulduse “muscle” to intimidate/cow any potential competitors. He told me that in the NE, the Mafiia wouls stock candy machines with out-of-date, discarded candy bars…some of them in an advanced state of decay! If the merchant who owned the premises complained, he would get a visit from “Rocco” or “Guido”, after which the scared-out-of-his -wits proprietor would agree that things were just fine!
I also know that the late Raymond Patriarca (the former godfather of the Rhode Island Mob) owned several vending machine companies, all of which lost money (according to the books).
Is this true? It’s hard to imagine the “godfather” running a shoddy vending machine business…but probably the profits on vending machines are enormous (no labor, and you can cheat the tax man).
The mafia owned alot, and the business is still a shadey one.
Saying ‘all’ is a tough thing to substantiate, but it’s no secret the mafia had their hands in the vending machine pot for years, either as shakedowns, or flat out ownership.
Much of the mafia is nickel and dime crap. Goodfellas and The Sopranos are excelllent representations of it. Most ‘mafia’ guys are nickel and dime guys.
Erase the Godfather image of Royalty.
Nickels and Dimes, Hi jacking cigarrette trucks, running numbers, street lottery, quick race fixes, loan sharking, bookies.
Controlling unions and construction were hi end, high mgnmt stuff that resulted in lots of nickel and dime action for the mechanics and scrubs in the mob.
As is Donnie Brasco which has an excellent scene of
Al Pacino hacking the tops off parking meters to crack them open and steal the quarters.
Well, my grandfather owned a lot of vending machines in San Francisco back in those days, and as far as I know he wasn’t involved in organized crime. Or even disorganized crime, for that matter.
Maybe things were different between the East and West Coasts.