When US officials unveiled two staggering illegal sports betting investigations on Thursday, they described the operations as something "reminiscent of a Hollywood movie".
The schemes, which allegedly involved NBA stars, specialised contact lenses, marked cards, an x-ray table and $7m (£5.2m) in losses, led to the arrest of 31 people across 11 states, including members of the American-Sicilian mafia operation La Cosa Nostra.
Part of what makes the case feel so cinematic is the alleged involvement of the mob. Thanks to decades of film, television, and books dedicated to tales of mafia exploits, the mafia has developed a mythical place in American culture.
"As Ray Liotta said in Goodfellas: 'We were treated like movie stars with muscle'," said attorney Ed McDonald, who, as the real-life prosecutor who managed former mobster-turned-FBI informant Henry Hill, played himself in the iconic film.
But former prosecutors said the mafia's influence and activities have changed since its heyday in the 20th century, when blood-soaked tabloid covers bearing news of mafia hits, business shakedowns, and blockbuster trials were the norm.
