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29 Facts About Crime That Probably Won't Pay

By:: Cracked Writers; Brian C. Miller

June 17, 2022

29 Facts About Crime That Probably Won't Pay

Crime is a pretty broad word. It can range from shoplifting, to organized violence with deep family roots, to terrible murders… But across the board, it's probably not something you should get caught up in if you enjoy NOT living in a prison cell for an extended period of time or worse. Below are a bunch of facts about some of the most famous figures in organized crime, and the surprising ways they've gotten away with things (or not.)

Also included are a bunch of famous myths about crime and murder that you've maybe spent your entire life believing, but have been wrong about the whole time. It's not your fault! Mystery movies and cop shows have basically pummeled our brains into thinking we have an idea about how the legal system works, when in reality cops on TV are basically as accurately portrayed as a super hero in a Marvel movie.

Anyway, don't do crime? Is that the lesson here?

29 El Chapo's Meal

IN THIS TOGETHER CRACKED.COM In 2005, Mexican drug lord Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán dined at a restaurant. His henchmen told the 30 diners to remain calm as they locked the doors, and collected their cell phones. After finishing his meal, he left and paid everyone's bill. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

28 Capone's Brother

CAPONE'S COP BROTHER CRACKED.COM As Capone built a fortune from illegal alcohol during Prohibition, while his older brother, Richard James 'Two Gun' Hart (born Vincenzo Capone) was tracking down bootleggers from Nebraska to South Dakota, exhibiting a tireless dedication to the law. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

27 As long as it's "the good guys"

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Cops manhandling a suspect in a movie or TV show? It's okay if it's the good guys doing it. REALITY: No, it really isn't. A study of 26 crime series (from How To Get Away With Murder to Mindhunter) showed that abuse of power is often portrayed as acceptable, forgivable, and even virtuous, as long as it's the heroes doing it. In reality, this type of conduct is an example of injustice itself. It's also a dangerous belief, as most people think they're the good guys. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

26 Reporting a Missing Person

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person. 12 II I 10 2 9 3 REALITY: Don't. It might be too late. The first 48 hours are crucial. Some police departments might tell you to wait, but even they state that a report should immediately be filed if the missing person is under 18, elderly, anyone with a physical or mental illness, or in cases where foul play is suspected. Which pretty much covers most serious missing cases. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

25 Pablo Escobar's Zoo

ESCOBAR'S HIPPOS CRACKED.COM Pablo Escobar built a personal zoo and imported a few hippopotamuses from Africa. When his property was seized, most animals were sent to Colombian zoos, except the hippos. There are thought to be 70 in the marshy grounds where Escobar used to live. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

24 The Errol Flynns

DETROIT- SIDE STORY CRACKED COM In the 1970s, a murderous Detroit gang called the Errol Flynns (named after Hollywood actor, Errol Flynn) were known for their flamboyant clothing style and a special dance for their gang sign. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

23 The First Fantasy Game

FANTASY FOOTBALL CRACKED.COM Drug lords Pablo Escobar and El Mexicano hand-picked a dream team of pro soccer players and flew them to Escobar's private field. Today, fans of every sport play in virtual fantasy leagues, and many believe this was the very first Fantasy game ever played. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

22 Al Capone's Vaults

ALL THAT FOR NOTHIN' CRACKED.COM In 1986, 30 million people watched Geraldo Rivera's 'The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults'. Hoping to find money, weapons, and buried enemies, the viewers watched for 2 hours to witness the uncovering of some dirt and empty moonshine bottles. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

21 Newton's Third Law

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Gunshots can easily knock you off your feet (and big guns will send you flying across the room). REALITY: If they did, the shooter would be flying, too. It's Newton's third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In fact, the recoil of the gun will exert greater force, because while the bullet loses energy thanks to aerodynamic drag, the gun does not. Bullets are also pretty small in mass compared to our bodies, and they don't carry enough momentum to just throw us off our feet. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

20 Chloroform

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Chloroform can knock you out in seconds. REALITY: Nope, try five minutes. While chloroform has been used in murder cases, it doesn't have an immediate effect on a damp cloth over one's face. It will take around five minutes to kick in, and there will be a lot of kicking from the victim. In real murder cases, victims were usually tricked into taking the anaesthetic, or giving drugs prior to getting chloroformed. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

19 "Genius" Serial Killers

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Serial killers are geniuses. REALITY It's mostly just the ones they make shows about. The latest studies put the average intelligence of serial killers barely above what's considered below average. One study puts it more clearly, saying that there is almost zero correlation between intelligence and psychopathy. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

18 Mental Illness & Violence

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Mental illness and gun violence go hand in hand. REALITY: Incorrect. It's estimated that only 4% of all violent gun crimes involve mental illness. Yet the majority of Americans believe otherwise. Alcohol abuse and stress from getting a divorce or losing a job are way more likely to induce gun violence. Mental illness, however, is a great risk factor for gun suicides, and makes up the majority of gun-related deaths in the US. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

17 Luca Brasi's Actor Was Legit

AUTHENTIC CRACKED.COM In 'The Godfather' Don Corleone's hitman Luca Brasi was played by a real-life hitman. Born Leonardo Passafaro, Lenny Montana had a successful pro wrestling career before becoming an enforcer in the Colombo crime family. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

16 The Godfather & Family

WE'RE A FAMILY! INT. h LIVING ROOM EVENTN - photograph of a pretty as MAN hand. which For It happened A happen 0912 adidas embraces. and Godfather' was disrupted by actual In 1971, production of'The A MALE I sat on a S mg goa pan wor ms.c Piece by mob boss Joe Colombo, who removed the word Mafia from the But the the MAN, CRACKED COM = S script, or replaced it with family or family business. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

15 Capone's Limousine

SINCE YOU'RE NOT USING IT CRACKED.COM Al Capone's armored limousine was seized by the FBI, and was later used to protect President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was the first time a U.S. president was protected by an armored vehicle. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

14 Even Crime Has Gone Green

GREEN INITIATIVE CRACKED.COM Mexico's drug cartels can communicate out of the reach of the government through a nationwide encrypted radio station. They have even gone green, with solar panels powering the radio towers. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

13 Bonnie and Clyde

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Bonnie and Clyde: The Legendary Bank Robbers. REALITY: They mostly robbed small grocery stores and gas stations. In the four years the Barrow gang targeted banks, they hit less than 15, didn't get away with much money, and a lot of times Bonnie stayed home and wasn't even involved. It was also easier to rob places with lower risk and quicker getaways. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

12 Serial Killer Origins

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Most serial killers had an abusive childhood. REALITY: A whopping 70% of serial killers reported no child abuse. These numbers might include individuals who don't want to admit experiencing a traumatic childhood, but that's still a pretty high number debunking the popular belief. Many of them did however report bed wetting, abusing animals, and setting things on fire. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

11 The Most Serials Killers in a State

CRACKED.COM MYTH: State with the most serial killers? Must be Florida, or California. REALITY: It's Alaska. Proportional to its population, Alaska wins this one with around 15.65 serial killings per one million inhabitants. It's followed by Nevada, then Florida. Criminologists speculate that it might be due to the cover of darkness during those long Alaskan winter nights. The isolation of the state's remote locations might also play a part. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

10 Remaining Silent

CRACKED.COM MYTH: If you get arrested, you can just remain silent and the cops must stop questioning you. REALITY: You have the right to remain silent, but you need to state it out loud. Rulings by the Supreme Court have stated that you must vocally assert this right. You can also state that you will remain silent until you have a lawyer present. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

9 Sinatra & Organized Crime

SINATRA PAYS HIS DEBTS GRACKED.COM Frank Sinatra acted as a liaison between Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana and the Kennedys to get Union backing. When JFK reneged on his promises after being elected, Sinatra was punished by having to play 8 straight nights at the crime boss' club. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

8 Removing Tattoos

TATTOO REMOVALS REMOVE YOUR TATTOO CRACKED.COM The Los Angeles based organization Clean Slate LA offers significantly discounted tattoo removals for former gang members. Their slogan is Empowering people to rebuild their lives. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

7 Pinball Wizard (of Crime)

PINBALL CRIME BOSSES VISSI RESCU CRACKED.COM Pinball was made illegal across the U.S from the early 1940s until 1976. Underground pinball rings sprouted in NYC, Chicago, LA, and crime boss James В. Elkin became a noted organizer of Portland's illegal pinball machine industry. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

6 Renew Your License!

PROVE IT, COPPER! CRACKED.COM In 2011, a California gang member was arrested for driving with an expired license. While in custody, police noticed that his chest tattoos depicted an unsolved liquor store robbery and murder. After questioning, he confessed and was convicted. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

5 Vincent "The Chin" Gigante

THE ODDFATHER CRACKED.COM Vincent The Chin Gigante was the boss of New York's Genovese crime family, who wandered the streets in pajamas and mumbled incoherently for 30 years, in an elaborate act to avoid prosecution. The media dubbed him The Oddfather. — Source: 15 Embarrassingly Kooky Details From The World Of Organized Crime

4 Fingerprinting Myths

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Found fingerprints at the crime scene? Bingo! REALITY: There are no true consensus as to how and if fingerprint forensics really work. The precision and methodologies of fingerprint forensics have been questioned and opposed by a lot of experts (even entire countries). The claim that no two fingerprints are identical has still not been proven, but the error rate has. Point is that it's not an exact science, and shouldn't be believed to be. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

3 Human Trafficking

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Human traffickers are almost always men. REALITY: Female traffickers make up a large part of all human traffickers. 37% of traffickers are female, which is a pretty large share when compared to other crimes. Female traffickers mostly target women and children, because there's more trust there. Females are also often used to recruit other female traffickers. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

2 The Police & Warrants

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Police can't enter your house without a warrant. REALITY: If they suspect something is wrong, they can. Police are allowed to enter a house if they think someone's life is in danger, if they think there's a suspect they're chasing inside the house, or if they need to collect evidence because there's a chance it might be destroyed. They can also enter if they think there's a dangerous drug lab inside, or if there's a child with serious (and probably abusive) injuries or neglect. The same goes for animals. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

1 Was Manson a Serial Killer?

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Manson and his posse were serial killers. REALITY: None of them were. Serial murder is defined as the killing of three or more people by the same person, with a cooling-off period between the murders. Manson was the mastermind and didn't kill anyone himself, which means he's a murderer by proxy. Manson's followers went on a killing spree (with no cooling-off period) and are defined as mission killers. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

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