The Mob is an American business institution. Killing people is just part of the business, but it’s a very costly part. Cops look the other way for burglary or hijacking, but not for murder. The press and the public don’t generally tolerate this sort of thing, and yet, those very murders that bring the most powerful wrath of law enforcement and public scrutiny down on the Mob are responsible for their greatest cultural legacy. [Warning: graphic images ahead – proceed at your own risk] Who can forget the picture of Carmine Gallante sprawled on a restaurant floor, cigar in his mouth? Or the bloody picture of Ben “Bugsy” Siegal, his face pretty much blown off? These infamous Mafia hits stick in our consciousness longer than any degree of bootlegging or hijacking ever could
Update: Removed links to images because Google images was acting funny.