The GriftMatrix Investigation
Organized Crime
American organized crime didn’t disappear - it got a dress code and a lobbying firm. We track where the mob money went.
3 pieces since July 22nd, 2025
#4 Brighton Beach: How the Russian Mob Set Up Shop in Trump’s Buildings
The Jackson-Vanik Amendment opened American doors to more than 500,000 Soviet emigrants. It also let in the Russian mafia. By the early 1980s, Brighton Beach was its American headquarters - and its money was finding its way into Trump's buildings.
#2 The Test: Trump Tower Was Open for Business and the Mob Came Shopping
Trump Tower opened in 1983 and quickly drew buyers with money to hide. Haiti's dictator, Baby Doc Duvalier, bought through a shell company, Russian mob figure David Bogatin bought five condos, and gambling kingpin Robert Hopkins brought a suitcase of cash to his closing. BuzzFeed found 1,300+ all-cash shell company purchases worth $1.5 billion across Trump-branded condos in the US. The law never made him ask where the money came from.
Sydney Said No to Trump Over ‘Mafia Connections’ - New Jersey Said Yes
In 1987, Aussie regulators said Trump was too mobbed-up for Sydney. The U.S.? They gave him a license and looked the other way G’ Day! Wanna hear another CRAZY story about Donald Trump? My Australian readers are gonna love this one! What a bunch of losers! Back in 1987, while Trump was busy collecting headlines…