The restaurants are both located on SST. Laurence Street, a very populated area of Montreal. Furthermore, the restaurant owned by the average citizen Of Montreal reached a comforTABLE stability with their clientele, at the time when the second restaurant opened. Firstly, it is important to understand why the criminals do what they do, they way they do it. Although, nobody will fully be ever to understand a criminal’s mind, unless they were a criminal “gone good”.
It is understood that the activity of the Hells Angel’s restaurant owner is involved in illegal activities, Hereford in order to counteract the bad with the good, why not open up a “legitimate” restaurant when their income surrounding their illegal activity is booming? The basic idea behind their need to open up a legitimate restaurant is to basically be TABLE to have an answer if they are asked where their money is coming from (Danni, Module 1, Slide 13). The restaurant itself is used as means to an end.
Meaning that in order to hide their funds, to process their cash and to even make their illegal cash, they will use this restaurant as a cover up. Of course, many Hells Angels groups were stopped and found, but cause they are already involved in illegal matters, using this restaurant enTABLEs them a bit more of security for their risky business and their illegal money. There are many consequences that surround this situation. The first restaurant owner could potentially be major impacted, personally and/or financially. The Hell’s Angel’s bar secretly attracts illegal people.
Not only are they using the establishment to hide their money but individuals who are involved in this, could potentially use the neighbors restaurant, for illegal matters. It is dangerous to get caught up in the workings of organized crime ropes because although they do not personally inflict harm on innocents, they will first make you their worker, then you are not an innocent anymore. Therefore, because these Ana restaurants are neighbors, it automatically makes it easier for the innocent restaurant owner’s innocence to be taken advantage of.
Let’s say that the Hell’s Angel’s restaurant owner became aware that the innocent restaurant owner knows about their illegal business. If this does end up happening, the innocent could potentially get caught up with the Hell’s Angel’s because of their awareness of the matter. The Hell’s Angel’s ant to, of course, keep their restaurant safe therefore who is to say what they will do in order to keep the innocent restaurant owner from not speaking out. Another consequence is that this makes it increasingly difficult for the innocent’s restaurant to compete in the economy (Denis, Module 1, Slide 4).
The Hell’s Angel’s bar will be TABLE to have low prices for whatever they are selling to the public. This will attract an increasing amount of individuals because people want to pay less for good food; common sense. Therefore as they increase their clientele, it is possible for the innocents assistant clientele to begin to decrease because that owner will not be TABLE to lower their prices and still be making an equal or greater amount of income. In order for the economy to have stability, legal competition is needed because business will always strive to meet the publics wants.
In turn, the Hell’s Angel’s make is extremely simple to meet the publics wants and needs because they are using the good with the bad. The concept that this situation is involved in is formally known as “money laundering’ (Danni, Module 1, Slide 4). Elevating insurance rates are also a consequence that the “innocent” assistant owner needs to be aware of. Although his restaurant might or might not be directly affected, there are chances that the Hell’s Angel’s can directly damage his restaurant, whether physical or not.
There are also chances of them damaging another establishment in that same geographical area, which could indirectly affect the innocent restaurant owner’s business and his potential for scofflaws . “Damage to property thus leads to an increase in insurance rates, which can lead to the demise of legitimate businesses, especially if the owner wishes to operate in a gang-controlled area. (Danni, Module 1, Slide 5). Of course, human safety is one of the most important things to consider when in a situation such as this one.
The innocent restaurant owner, because of his indirect implication to the knowledge of this illegal business, could potentially, in order to keep himself safe, move his restaurant to another geographical area that is not gang operated. The theoretical definition that best fits this situation is found within the Canadian legal definition of membership in regards to organized crime. According to the definition, membership within an organized crime organization has two qualifiers: “actually participating in illegal activities, and aiding in these activities” (Danni, Module 1, slide 15).
According to this law, aiding in criminal activities can have a direct and indirect meaning. Moreover, if one is aware of criminal activity, and does not report it they are just as guilty as direct members of an organization. Indirect members of organized crime organizations are known as “hangouts”, which basically means that these people are usually witnessing the illegal activities being performed by the angst because they “hang around” them (Danni, Module 1, Slide 15).
Although the “innocent” restaurant owner, is not taking part in illegal activities, nor is he really spending time with any members of the hells angels gang, he can eventually be persecuted through the Canadian criminal code if it can be proved that he was aware of the criminal activity happening across the street. This puts the “innocent” restaurant owner in a difficult position, because gangs such as the hells angels are known to be potentially quite dangerous.
Seeing that the “innocent” restaurant owner would go to the authorities to port illegal activity he might potentially be putting his establishment in peril, seeing that the gang might retaliate through destruction of property, or worse by harming the “innocent” restaurant owner directly. Therefore, many “innocent” restaurant owners will often not report criminal activity happening in their geographical location because they might feel threatened or afraid. Therefore, much of the criminal activity goes potentially unnoticed, and it is difficult for the government and the police to control it, as well as put a stop to it.
This poses another great problem and can be seen as another important consequence in regards to organized crime. In conclusion, the consequences to having a business within the parameters of another business run by an organized crime group such as the Hell’s Angel’s include mostly issues of finance. For instance, the inflated insurance rate which is directly related to the potential risk of danger surrounding the property. This could eventually lead to destruction of property, physical harm to individuals and emotional stress placed upon these individuals due to the risk.
