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• • <br />fashion with organized cnme either the mafia or some other facet of non< <br />mafia never-the-less highly organized crime. <br />Id. at 1047-48. <br />Thomas Bohling of the Chicago Police Department Organized Crime Division, Vice <br />Control Section, told the Pornography Commission that "it is the belief of state, federal <br />and local law enforcement that the pornography industry is controlled by organized <br />crime families. If they do not own the business outright, they most certainly extract <br />street tax from independent smut peddlers.' ]d. at 1048 (emphasis in original). <br />The Pornography Commission stated that it had been advised by Los Angeles' <br />Police Chief Daryl F. Gates that "organized crime famflles from Chicago, New Yorir, <br />New Jersey and Rorida are openly controlling and directing the major pornography <br />operations in Los Angeles.” Id. <br />The Pornography Commission was told by Jimmy Fratianno, describ^ by the <br />Commission as a member of LCN, "that large profits have kept organized crime heavily S- <br />involved In the obscenity Industry." jd. at 1052. Fratianno testified that ."95% of ttie- •’ <br />families are involved in one way or another in pornography. ... h’s too big. They just <br />won’t let it go.' Id. at 1052-53. ‘ <br />% <br />The Pornography Commission concluded that "organized crime in its traditional <br />LCN forms and other forms exerts substantial influence and control over the obscenitjf <br />* 1 <br />industry. Though a number of significant producers and distributors are not members <br />of LCN families, all major producers and distributors of obscene material are highly <br />organized and carry out illegal activities with a great deal of sophisfication.” Jd. at 1053. <br />The Pornography Commission reported that Michael George Thevis, reportedly <br />one of the largest pomographers in the United States during the 1970’s was convicted <br />in 1979 of RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) violations including <br />murder, arson and extortion. The Commission also reported examples of other crimes <br />associated with the pornography industry, Including prostitution and other sexual <br />-18* <br />______