Short Stuff: RICO Act

In this episode, Josh and Chuck break down the RICO Act—the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law that became the feds' most powerful weapon against organized crime. They explain why famous mobsters like John Gotti were so hard to prosecute until RICO came along, how the law works to target the people running criminal enterprises rather than just the people carrying them out, and why courts eventually had to tighten up the language to prevent it from being abused. Along the way, they explore some surprising modern uses of racketeering charges, from the Catholic Church to Atlanta's school cheating scandal, showing that RICO isn't just about taking down crime bosses anymore.