Gangster Squad and the Chinese Mob

Gangster Squad and how it would have played out in China. 

Have you seen this movie?

Gangster Squad is the story of how Los Angeles was able to successfully keep the mob out of LA.   There were several corrupt police chiefs, as well as individual cops.  Yet there was apparently an honest DA, and he had in turn a special group of officers that successfully broke up Mickey Cohen’s attempts to organize LA’s gambling, etc  under the control of the Mob.

The newspapers were all over the story, and the rise and fall of this Cohen was widely publicized.

But what if this movie had taken place in say Shanghai?  How would the Chinese version of Gangster Squad play out?  That is, how would attempts to suppress the mob in China succeed?

One of the things I’m convinced about is without the Communist Party, there would without question be unbridled mob influence in China today.   China would be a more violent society,  guns would proliferate, as would the openness with which the Mob operates.   Just take a look at Russia.  Again, if you want to know what will happen in China should the CCP be kicked out, just look at Mother Russia today.   The mob is everywhere, and is a very powerful force within society.   Some say they even do the government’s bidding.

However, if the Gangster Squad played out in China today, there is no question in my mind, the gangsters would win, and not the cops.

Why is that?

Because in China all one needs to do is bribe the top guy.   He than controls those beneath him.   To the Mob in America, money was the answer to everything.    However, the freedom of the press to publish the rise and fall of politicians, and to document the corruption of policemen was paramount to the success of the LAPD towards stopping the influence of the mob.

The lack of freedom of the press in China today is actually an unintended  ally of the crime establishment in China today.

As for money, don’t forget the sad thing in China today,  is that not taking the money is what puts one’s career and life in danger.    If everyone sees you refusing a handout, you than become the target yourself,  rather than the hero.   And as the top officers and officials are also corrupt, you, your career and your family are thus all in danger.  

Maybe that’s the difference in America.   The top officials during the heyday of the MOB just weren’t as corrupted as today’s officials in China are.    And China’s penchant for keeping everything secret certainly doesn’t lend itself to muckraking journalism.   So the Mickey Cohen of China today would actually have a better chance of succeeding than the Mickey Cohen of yesteryear.