# How Could I Tell If My Trash Collection Company Is Mob-Owned/Controlled? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825 "2011-02-18T17:16:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/21 "2011-02-20T23:52:17Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I found it absolutely hysterical that Violia has a european presence … I found Violia cans in Germany and Holland, and just after I got back a Romanian buddy sent me a picture of a Romainan Violia can =) It’s more like Veolia has an American presence, as it’s a French company. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/22 "2011-02-21T00:03:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **Veolia**. LOL I always do that, damned autocorrect [my aunt is named Violia] ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/23 "2011-02-21T00:08:07Z")
“Aiyo!,” or “Aiya!” ? I hear both. I’ve principally heard the former from Cantonese speakers, the latter from Mandarin speakers, but it’s not as though my sample size is big enough to draw any conclusions from that. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/24 "2011-02-21T05:16:08Z")
Ooookay… But what do Chinese Mob-connected trash collectors say when arrested? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/25 "2011-02-21T16:26:57Z")
“Dirty coppers. Dirty rottern coppers.” Just like Irish- or Italian-American mobsters do. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/26 "2011-02-21T17:55:00Z")
Your garbage collection company isn’t Barone Sanitation is it? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/27 "2011-02-21T18:00:17Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Ooookay… But what do Chinese Mob-connected trash collectors say when arrested? Supplies! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/28 "2011-02-22T01:53:20Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Supplies! No, that’s what the _cops_ say. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/29 "2011-02-22T15:09:18Z")
> [@Gil-Martin](#): > > I’m actually involved in the garbage business, and I’ve got to say, this is not the place I would want to go if I wanted to illegally make a really large amount of money. The corporation for which I work labors under too much scrutiny from too many eyes to get away with very much for very long. If it’s not too much of a hijack, I would like to ask how exactly the Soprano family’s trash company fits into its criminal enterprises (I’ve never seen the show, but I’ve got the first season somewhere on my NetFlix queue). I thought the Soprano family used the trash business as one of their methods to launder their ill-gotten gains. For certain it’s how Tony showed a ‘legitimate’ income to the tax authorities. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/30 "2011-02-22T16:33:55Z")
One reason that the mob was involved in trash collection is that it is a business where monopolies can be very profitable and enforcement is relatively easy. If you get a monopoly on cupcakes and jack up the prices, people can start eating more pie, so you can only make so much money. However people will always need trash picked up so no matter how much you raise rates people will not stop having their garbage picked up. Also if someone does try to come in and undercut the monopoly the mob can easily punish the newcomer by disabling the trash truck or beating up the garbage men. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825/31 "2011-02-22T17:14:49Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > I thought the Soprano family used the trash business as one of their methods to launder their ill-gotten gains. For certain it’s how Tony showed a ‘legitimate’ income to the tax authorities. Yes, a “no-show” job, which he got because the company was controlled by the Soprano family. Mr. Barone of Barone Sanitation was boss of the company in name only. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-tell-if-my-trash-collection-company-is-mob-owned-controlled/571825.md?page=1)