There are other examples of course. What was considered a racket and who was called a racketeer in one era, becomes a legitimate enterprise run by legit “businessmen” in another era. It all depends on who is doing the naming, and who is in control of the given activity. “Racketeer or “Businessman”…. You decide!

Through the years, the penal laws “on the books” in jurisdictions across the United States have changed drastically. What was at one time considered a criminal violation of law in one era, and punishable by many years of imprisonment and fines became a totally accepted endeavor and behavior, and a legitimate “business” in a later era.
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