Part 4/9:
With the absence of government oversight and a significantly weakened police force, organized crime thrived during this period. Entrepreneurs found themselves in precarious situations where “protection” payments became the norm. The streets morphed into subconscious territories governed by mafia groups, each maintaining their own armed forces and corruption-riddled politicians in tow. Between 1992 and 1999, over 3,000 contract killings were reported, many remaining unsolved, and the line separating business interests from criminal endeavors began to disappear altogether.