Yakuza
<i>One of main sources of income they had was debt collection.  They would actually go and buy entire loan databases and pay off the money people owed.  Of course, after that happened, those debts were just transferred over to the yakuza. ... Here too there was unspoken pressure.</i><p>Yeah, when I called the police regarding the two gentlemen who had just spray painted "Pay us our money or die" on my neighbor's house, as far as I know no words were actually exchanged between the two gentlemen and the 60 year old woman who was best known in the neighborhood for feeding stray cats.<p>Every criminal society has a rich culture with fascinating history.  The ones we don't grow up with sometimes even sound romantic.  They're thugs, pimps, and murderers.  Don't <i>ever</i> forget that.