MAFIA


     Nothing has popularized or legitimized the Mafia more than "The Godfather." After all, the films were extremely well done and worth watching. Millions walked away from the theatre with a seeming admiration for the lifestyle of the Mafia that the movies portrayed. Perhaps it was that these guys did not worry about other people's rules -- they just made their own. Some Americans of Italian descent have gotten a vicarious thrill from the Mafia's image. Despite the fact that Godfather I and II have grossed several hundred million dollars for Paramount Pictures, none of the television networks has decided to produce a spinoff show as has been the case with many other multi-million dollar movies. It is possible, despite the great emphasis that the movie places on the importance of the family unit, that the Mafia's business does not lend itself to a suitable hour of television drama or a situation comedy.


THE BUSINESS OF THE MAFIA

     A.  LEGITIMATE - LEGAL BUSINESS: The Mafiosi as a whole are excellent businessmen. If there is a good profit to be made, it is probable that the Mafia might invest in that particular business.

     B.  DRUGS: Extremely high profit -- non taxable income -- not shared with Uncle Sam. Some people pay up to $2,000 for a pound of weeds and as much as $3,000 for an ounce of powder. How dope prices seem to rise with inflation is not a problem which the consumer asks the government to solve. Little competition.

     C.  PORNOGRAPHY: Legal and illegal -- extremely high profit -- illegal profit, non-taxable.

     D.  MOTION PICTURES: Legal business often used to camouflage where money comes from.

     E.  GAMBLING: Legal and illegal -- Las Vegas, Atlantic City, racetracks,and other legalized forms of gambling in addition to illegal bookmaking all over the country.

     F.  RULES: They make their own. Although they are not written, they are pretty well understood. If you break the rules, they do not file a lawsuit and bring you to court. Justice is an internal matter. Sometimes you need not be a willing player to be involved in the game.

     G.  MURDER: This is a business. Anyone who believes that a "working" family member can be your friend may eventually regret thinking so. You may follow the rules, but if someone plunks down money on your number -- you will end up dead .

     Super Bowl XIII favored Pittsburgh by four points. The final score was Pittsburgh 35 -- Dallas 31. Bettors tied, or pushed. If you bet Pittsburgh or Dallas at the four-point spread, you did not lose. The only times a bookie loses is when everyone else doesn't.

     Much of the Mafia's business may be deemed proper by a large portion of the American public. If so, those family ventures should be legalized so that the government could share in tax revenues. Our government is seemingly too moral to engage in these businesses and yet not moral enough to stop them. Instead, it chooses to pretend that they do not exist.

MONOPOLY -- The Game by Parker Bros.

     A.  BRIEF IDEA OF THE GAME. The idea of the game is to BUY or SELL properties so profitably that one becomes the wealthiest player and eventual WINNER. Starting from "Go," move Tokens around the Board according to throw of Dice. When a Player's Token lands on a space NOT already owned, he may BUY it from the BANK; otherwise it is auctioned to the highest bidder. The OBJECT of owning property is to collect Rents from Opponents stopping there. Rentals are greatly increased by the erection of Houses and Hotels, so it is wise for a player to build them on some of his lots. To raise more money, Lots may be mortgaged to the Bank. Community Chest and Chance spaces give the draw of a Card, instructions on which must be followed. Sometimes players land in Jail! The game is one of shrewd and amusing trading and excitement.

     B.  EQUIPMENT consists of the Board with spaces indicating Avenues, Railroads, Utilities, Rewards, and Penalties over which the players' pieces are moved. There are 2 Dice, Tokens of various designs for playing pieces, 32 Houses and 12 Hotels and 2 sets of cards for Chance and Community Chest spaces. There is a Title Deed card for every property, and Scrip representing MONEY.

     C.  SALARY (THE "GO" SPACE) -- In the course of the game, Players will encircle the board several times. Each time a player's Token lands on or passes over "Go" the banker pays him $200 "salary" regardless of whether he reaches or passes there on a throw of the dice or by drawing a card. However, $200 is paid only once each time around the board, either for landing on, or passing over the "Go" space. A player does not collect another $200 if he has been on "Go" and moves away on his next turn.

He never collects $400. Exception: If a player passing "Go" on the throw of the dice, lands 2 spaces beyond it on "Community Chest", or seven spaces beyond it on "Chance", and draws the card "Advance to Go", he collects $200 for passing "Go" the first time and another $200 for reaching it the second time by instructions on the card.

     D.  LANDING ON UNOWNED PROPERTY - When a Player lands on an unowned property (i.e., on a Proper space for which no other player holds the title deed) whether by a throw of dice or by a move forced by the Draw of a Chance or Community Chest card, the player has the Option of Buying that property from the Bank at its printed price. If a Player elects to Buy, he pays the Bank for that property and receives the Title Deed card showing ownership, which he places face-up in front of him. If the Player declines this option, the Banker immediately offers this property for sale at AUCTION and sells it to the highest bidder, accepting money in payment and giving the buyer the proper Title Deed card as evidence of ownership. Any player including the one who declined the option of buying the printed price, may bid. Bidding may start at any price.

     E.  LANDING ON OWNED PROPERLY - When a Player lands on owned property either by throw of Dice, or by a move forced by a Chance or Community Chest Card, the Owner collects RENT from him in accordance with the list printed on the Title Deed card applying to it. Note: If the lot contains a House or Houses, the rent is larger than it would be for an unimproved Lot. If the lot is Mortgaged, no rent can be collected. Mortgaged property is designated by turning face-down the Title Deed representing that property. Note: If the owner fails to ask for his Rent before the second player following throws the dice, the Rent is not collectible.

     F.  ADVANTAGES FOR OWNERS - It is an advantage to hold Title Deeds to ALL of a complete Color-Group (for example: Boardwalk and Park Place, - or Connecticut, Vermont and Oriental Avenues) because the Owner may then charge Double Rent for unimproved Lots of that property. (This rule holds true for unmortgaged lots even though another lot of that color-group be mortgaged.)

     G.  BANKRUPTCY - A player is bankrupt when he owes more than he can pay either to another player or to the Bank. If his debt is to another player, he mist turn over to that player all that he has of value and retire from the game. SHOULD A PLAYER OWE THE BANK, instead of another player, more than he can pay (because of taxes or penalties) even by selling his business and mortgaging property he must turn over all his assets to the Bank. In this case, the Bank immediately sells by auction all property so taken except buildings. A bankrupt player must immediately retire from the game. THE LAST PLAYER LEFT IN THE GAME WINS.

MOBIL OIL -- Originally part of the Standard Oil Trust


     Standard of New York (SOCONY) merged with Vacuum Oil Co. becoming Socony Vacuum, changing later to Socony-Mobil, and currently calling itself Mobil Oil.

     Several years ago when Mobil's sales and cash flow were extremely high, the company purchased more than half of the Marcor Corporation for somewhere between 500 million and a billion dollars. Marcor owns Montgomery Ward and The Container Corporation of America. Montgomery Ward sells almost every imaginable product. From appliances to clothes, from automobile insurance to car repair, Montgomery Ward advertises and sells it all. In fact, it is difficult to make a list of things that Montgomery Ward does not sell.

     Things continue to go well for this conglomerate. With another roll of the dice and the necessary cash, Mobil announced in 1979 its' intention to buy Bodcaw Co., a Dallas based producer of forest products and minerals. Estimated price was $475 million. In addition, Mobil has bid an estimated $765 million for the General Crude Oil Division, owned by the International Paper Company, the world's largest producer of paper.


A.  1971    8 Billion, 243 Million, 033 Thousand
B.  1972    9,155,332
C.  1973  11,390,113
D.  1974  18,929,033
E.  1975   20,620,392
F.  1976   26,062,570
G.  1977  32,125,828