History Main / JustAGangster

* Unusual example in ''ComicBook/TheSuperiorFoesOfSpiderMan''. The gangster Tombstone loves his daughter, Janice, and has invested in her education including law school (in which she has excelled) in part because he wants her to become an AmoralAttorney providing his organization with a legitimate front. However, Janice would rather be a supervillain acting in the open - not because she's violent or crazy, but essentially because she [[BreakingTheGlassCeiling wants to break the glass ceiling of the criminal underworld]] and sees being [[TheManBehindTheMan The Woman Behind The Man]] as counterproductive.

* In ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'', [[spoiler:Daigo Dojima and Masaru Watase of the Tojo and Omi Clan respectively, have made an agreement on disbanding both Clans, in light of anti-yakuza laws being in full effect (not helped that the modern day yakuza now represent what people fear about them), and not wanting the Clans to become government pawns for their scheme. Understandably, a lot of the low-level foot soldiers are angry about this announcement and voice their displeasure by attacking them. In a rare instance, this actually defied. Both Daigo and Masaru are aware of this trope happening, and both founded a security company so that yakuza foot soldiers will have a place in this new era and not become a liability.]] This also plays into ''Videogame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName'', which canonically happens concurrently with the events of Like A Dragon, where [[spoiler:the final boss is a Watase lieutenant who ends up enacting a coup because he refuses to give up the life he's built for himself as a criminal and the endgame is Kiryu helping ensure that the dissolution goes through]].

* In ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'', [[spoiler:Daigo Dojima and Masaru Watase of the Tojo and Omi Clan respectively, have made an agreement on disbanding both Clans, in light of anti-yakuza laws being in full effect (not helped that the modern day yakuza now represent what people fear about them), and not wanting the Clans to become government pawns for their scheme. Understandably, a lot of the low-level foot soldiers are angry about this announcement and voice their displeasure by attacking them. In a rare instance, this actually defied. Both Daigo and Masaru are aware of this trope happening, and both founded a security company so that yakuza foot soldiers will have a place in this new era and not become a liability.]] This also plays into ''Videogame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName'', which canonically happens concurrently with the events of Like A Dragon, where [[spoiler:one of the antagonists is a Watase lieutenant who ends up enacting a coup because he refuses to give up the life he's built for himself as a criminal and the endgame is Kiryu helping ensure that the dissolution goes through]].

* In ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'', [[spoiler:Daigo Dojima and Masaru Watase of the Tojo and Omi Clan respectively, have made an agreement on disbanding both Clans, in light of anti-yakuza laws being in full effect (not helped that the modern day yakuza now represent what people fear about them), and not wanting the Clans to become government pawns for their scheme. Understandably, a lot of the low-level foot soldiers are angry about this announcement and voice their displeasure by attacking them. In a rare instance, this actually defied. Both Daigo and Masaru are aware of this trope happening, and both founded a security company so that yakuza foot soldiers will have a place in this new era and not become a liability.]] This also plays into ''Videogame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName'', which canonically happens concurrently with the events of Like A Dragon, where [[spoiler:the main villain Shishido is a Watase lieutenant who enacts a coup because he refuses to give up the life he's built for himself as a criminal and the endgame is Kiryu helping ensure that the dissolution goes through]].

* In ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'', [[spoiler:Daigo Dojima and Masaru Watase of the Tojo and Omi Clan respectively, have made an agreement on disbanding both Clans, in light of anti-yakuza laws being in full effect (not helped that the modern day yakuza now represent what people fear about them), and not wanting the Clans to become government pawns for their scheme. Understandably, a lot of the low-level foot soldiers are angry about this announcement and voice their displeasure by attacking them. In a rare instance, this actually defied. Both Daigo and Masaru are aware of this trope happening, and both founded a security company so that yakuza foot soldiers will have a place in this new era and not become a liability.]]

* The 1948 FilmNoir, ''Film/IWalkAlone'' by Byron Haskin is perhaps an early TropeCodifier. Creator/BurtLancaster plays Frankie Madison, a gangster from the Prohibition era who was arrested and spent 14 years in prison only to find that his former associates have moved into legitimate business and see their old boss as a liability. Madison confronts his rival "Dink" Turner (Creator/KirkDouglas) at one part asking for his cut in the business, but Dink and his men explain that a legitimate business is backed by corporations, board of directors, shareholders and the days of having money and assets in a simple safe are long gone.
--> '''Dink''': This isn't [[TheRoaringTwenties the Four Kings]]. No hiding out behind a steel door and a peephole, this is big business. We deal with banks, lawyers and a Dun and Bradstreet rating. The world's gone right past you, Frankie. In [[TheRoaringTwenties The '20s]], you were great. In TheThirties, you might have made the switch, but today you're finished, as dead as the headlines the day you went to prison."

* In ''Film/RomeoMustDie'', Isaak plans to move his criminal empire into the legit world by becoming the owner of a new sports team, but TheDragon, Mac, rejects this, saying that all he ever wanted was control of the street. He also reveals that he's been covertly working against Isaak's dream throughout the whole movie and trying to inflame a MobWar against their Chinese rivals.
-->'''Mac:''' I've had enough of this legit shit. ... You lost your mind when you thought this white boy was going to let you have a piece of that game. You want a damned owner's box? I just want to own the streets.
-->'''Isaak:''' That's always been your problem.

* In ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery'' Dr. Evil, thawed out after thirty years as a HumanPopsicle, wants to return to his "TakeOverTheWorld" criminal activities but is told that his organization's front business Virtucon is much more profitable. The RunningGag throughout all three films is Number Two trying to convince the Doctor that corporate evil is the kind of evil which pays better, but the man's love of BondVillainStupidity doesn't just translate into a love for over-complicated [[DeathTrap death traps]].
-->'''Dr. Evil:''' For thirty years, Number Two has run Virtucon, the legitimate face of my evil empire.
-->'''Number Two:''' Over the last thirty years, Virtucon has grown by leaps and bounds. About fifteen years ago, we changed from volatile chemicals to the communication industry. We own cable companies in thirty-eight states. In addition to our cable holdings, we own a steel mill in Cleveland. Shipping in Texas. Oil refineries in Seattle. And a factory in Chicago that makes [[OnlyAModel miniature models of factories]].
-->''snip''
-->'''Dr. Evil:''' Here's the plan. We get the warhead and we hold the world ransom for... ONE MILLION DOLLARS!
-->'''Number Two:''' Don't you think we should ask for ''more'' than a million dollars? A million dollars isn't exactly a lot of money these days. Virtucon alone makes over 9 billion dollars a year!
-->'''Dr. Evil:''' Really? That's a lot of money.

* ''Series/TheWire'': The TropeNamer.
** The top figures in the Barksdale drug empire are Avon Barksdale and his friend since childhood, Russel "Stringer" Bell. At the end of Season 1 Avon is arrested on possession charges and goes to jail, leaving Stringer as the acting head of the group. During that time Stringer, who has always been the more intellectual of the two and more interested in the legit world, comes to realize that the Barksdales cannot survive by continuing Avon's style of constant warring with other gangs and attempting to seize control of the streets, so he makes peace with the various rivals of the Barksdale group and pushes the gang both towards legitimate investments and becoming the supplier for drugs to all the gangs in the city, rather than just another gang peddling drugs on the corners. By the time Avon gets out of prison Stringer seems tantalizingly close to the legitimate business world he's been dreaming of, but Avon is dead set on still being an old school gangster and has no use for Stringer's ambitions. That disagreement, combined with a powerful new gang that challenges the Barksdales to a MobWar, results in [[spoiler:Stringer getting killed, Avon going back to jail, and the Barksdale empire collapsing entirely.]]
** Their successor Marlo Stanfield, when he and his gang are finally indicted, is given a deal by the DA to [[KarmaHoudini walk away from the criminal life a rich man]] because of political necessities and the fact that two rogue cops misappropriated police funds to put illegal wiretaps on Marlo. After retiring he's introduced to various businessmen by drug lawyer Maurice Levy, but Marlo slips away from the party to go back and fight with some corner boys because that's all he really knows and what he does best. Marlo is obsessed with the drug trade and his street reputation, far too much to ever leave it behind. Although his final fate is left open-ended, it's clear that this will inevitably end with him either in jail or as another corpse on the streets.
* ''Series/HawaiiFive0'': Adam Noshimuri takes over for his father as the head of the {{Yakuza}} in Hawaii, then decides he wants to take all of the Yakuza's Hawaiian business interests legitimate. When Adam's brother gets out of prison, Adam plans to set his brother up with a cushy business position, but his brother, [[HadToComeToPrisonToBeACrook hardened by his time on the inside]], is more interested in colluding with other Hawaiian Yakuza members who aren't happy with the prospect of going straight. It ends [[CainAndAbel about as well as you'd expect]].
* In an episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'' a crime boss steps down and his two offspring, a son and a daughter, end up having a turf war over how to run the family business. The son basically wants to continue conducting business as usual while the daughter, who went to business school, realizes that the enterprise could make a lot more money if they went legit while adding some even more profitable illegal activities on the side. But nobody pays attention to her suggestions because she's just a woman.
* During an early episode of ''Series/BurnNotice'', Michael is hired to save a local neighborhood from Concha, a cruel gangster who is demanding outrageous amounts of [[ShameIfSomethingHappened protection money]] from residents. Eventually it's revealed that Concha is deliberately setting the prices too high to afford, because she has a scheme to drive residents out, [[VillainousGentrification buy up the vacated properties through seemingly unrelated businesses, and then make millions when the area is targeted for urban redevelopment]]. Her [[OlderSidekick older and more traditional]] [[TheDragon dragon]] Diego disapproves of the scheme and Concha's callous readiness to [[LackOfEmpathy kill anyone who gets in her way]]. (Including [[AndYourLittleDogToo their entire family too]].) Michael cuts a deal with Diego to help get rid of Concha if Diego and the rest of the gang leave the neighborhood and find someplace else to run their rackets. Diego agrees, helps get rid of Concha and goes about being a gangster offscreen instead of taking advantage of her plan to make "legit" money.

** ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' demonstrates that Saul himself has shades of this. James [=McGill=] had ample opportunities to be a legitimate lawyer or businessman, and would probably have been very successful due to his talents and intelligence. However, the irresistible thrill of being a conman and crooked lawyer meant he couldn't be happy working on the right side of the law. He’s also simply unable to understand basic work ethics like waiting for the bosses' approval to run his commercial or ''not fabricating evidence'' which ruins his attempts at legitimate business practices.

** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has this conflict in the hood. CJ sees no hope in the old community-oriented gang represented by his elder brother Sweet, because they don't make enough money and can't compete with the drug dealing Ballas gangs. His friends, Big Smoke and Ryder, also agree but where [[spoiler:they betray Sweet and CJ and go into the drug business, CJ works as a freelance mercenary]] doing jobs for the Triads, the US Government, and eventually becoming a legitimate entertainment mogul, though at [[spoiler:Sweet's stubborn insisstence, he returns to his gangster ways to reclaim the hood]].

** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has this conflict in the hood. CJ sees no hope in the old community-oriented gang represented by his elder brother Sweet, because they don't make enough money and can't compete with the drug dealing Ballas gangs. His friends, Big Smoke and Ryder, also agree but where [[spoiler:they betray Sweet and CJ and go into the drug business, CJ works as a freelance mercenary]] doing jobs for the Triads, the US Government, and eventually becoming a legitimate entertainment mogul, though at [[spoiler:Sweet's demand, he returns to his gangster ways to reclaim the hood]].

** The game's BigBad, Bartholomew Roberts has a more nihilistic take on this trope. He starts out as a honest sailor, but being repeatedly chased by multiple targets ultimately leads him to becoming a pirate. Upon taking a pirate, he spouts a creed of "A merry life but a short one, the world owes us nothing more". He embraces the violence and daring pirate life knowing fully well that he'll die, but damn it if he isn't going to have fun while he's still kicking.

** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' has Tommy Vercetti who was a mob hitman who wants to make a transition into legitimate business, while his mob bosses back in Liberty City wanted him to remain as a gangster. Lance Vance is likewise not as competent in civilian endeavors, so [[spoiler:they turn on Tommy and Tommy ends up killing them both]].
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has this conflict in the hood. CJ sees no hope in the old community-oriented gang represented by his elder brother Sweet, because they don't make enough money and can't compete with the drug dealing Ballas gangs. His friends, Big Smoke and Ryder, also agree but where [[spoiler:they betray Sweet and CJ and go into the drug business, CJ works as a freelance mercenary]] doing jobs for the Triads, the US Government and eventually becoming a legitimate entertainment mogul, though at [[spoiler:Sweet's request, he returns to his gangster ways to reclaim the hood]].

* ''Film/{{Casino}}'' deals with this trope and shows how it happens. The mob's skimming operation in Vegas runs on a front of legitimate business and they hire Sam "Ace" Rothstein to be the man who runs things while Nicky Santoro serves as "the muscle". Ace is a "good earner" and a ConsummateProfessional, as such he improves efficiency in the casino, improves business and innovates on entertainment and by increasing the income, he increases the money the mob skims off. Nicky Santoro being TheBrute and mob enforcer resorts to more traditional means by doing a series of daring heists across the city and attracting a lot of heat. Eventually, the [=FBI=] gets involved and the Mob decides to LeaveNoWitnesses to wipe away traces of evidence. [[spoiler:"Ace" Rothstein survives because as he notes at the end, he is still a good earner while Santoro gets brutally killed]].

* ''Film/{{Casino}}'' deals with this trope and shows how it happens. The mob's skimming operation in Vegas runs on a front of legitimate business and they hire Sam "Ace" Rothstein to be the man who runs things while Nicky Santoro serves as "the muscle". Ace is a "good earner" and a ConsummateProfessional, as such he improves efficiency in the casino, improves business and innovates on entertainment and by increasing the income, he increases the money the mob skims off. Nicky Santoro being TheBrute and mob enforcer resorts to more traditional means by doing a series of daring heists across the city and attracting a lot of heat. Eventually, the [=FBI=] gets involved and the Mob decides to KillEmAll to wipe away traces of evidence. [[spoiler:"Ace" Rothstein survives because as he notes at the end, he is still a good earner while Santoro gets brutally killed]].

* Befitting her nature as a hardcore criminal, Revy from ''Anime/BlackLagoon'' hates the idea of living an honest life, as she is too violent and hot-headed to even resort to non-violent means and would rather go on killing people and commiting heists instead. She is essentially a predecessor to Johnny Gat but much more nihilistic.
* In ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' the Red Dragon Syndicate was less trying to become legitimate than to become NeighborhoodFriendlyGangsters. Vicious, the most powerful assassin/enforcer for the Red Dragons and a supreme BloodKnight psycho, however, sabotages these efforts first by assassinating both Red Dragon capo Mao Yenrai and a captain from a rival syndicate who were looking to make peace, and later performs a coup against the highest echelons of the Red Dragons leadership, making himself the kingpin of the syndicate and presumably looking to start bloody wars against his various enemies.

** ComicBook/LexLuthor is the biggest offender. He was originally a diabolical mastermind and MadScientist whose inventions begged the question why he would try and kill ComicBook/{{Superman}} or rob banks. In the Post-Crisis continuity, Luthor became a CorruptCorporateExecutive and tech-magnate, yet he still devoted time, money and resources to killing Superman, the Justice League and other endeavours. He even became US President, and held a MaskOfSanity for a while before he ''tried to kill Superman again''. Luthor insisted that without Superman he would be the great hero and "cure cancer". Yet during ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' when Superman was missing for a year, Luthor once again lapsed into villainy and on his return, Superman asked "Where's the cure for cancer, Lex?".

** ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' demonstrates that Saul himself has shades of this. James [=McGill=] had ample opportunities to be a legitimate lawyer or businessman, and would probably have been very successful due to his talents and intelligence. However, the irresistible thrill of being a conman and crooked lawyer meant he couldn't be happy working on the right side of the law. He is also simply unable to understand basic work ethics like waiting for the bosses' approval to run his commercial or ''not fabricating evidence'' which ruins his attempts at legitimate business practices.

* In ''Series/{{Narcos}}'', Gustavo criticizes Pablo for his lofty political ambitions, which have caused a lot of trouble for {{the cartel}}, and tells him that he needs to remember that they're just criminals.

** Their successor Marlo Stanfield, when he and his gang are finally indicted, is given a deal by the DA to [[KarmaHoudini walk away from the criminal life a rich man]] because of political necessities and the fact that two rogue cops misappropriated police funds to put illegal wiretaps on Marlo. After retiring he's introduced to various businessmen by drug lawyer Maurice Levy, but Marlo slips away from the party to go back and fight with some corner boys because that's all he really knows and what he does best. Marlo is obsessed with the drug trade and his street reputation, far too much to ever leave it behind.

Compare and contrast ResignationsNotAccepted, NoPlaceForMeThere, ChronicVillainy, and VisionaryVillain. If someone wants to leave a life of crime but cannot because they'll be killed if they do, that's TrappedInVillainy. Underlings who try to undermine a boss from retiring or making the organization legitimate often overlap with TheStarscream and DragonWithAnAgenda. Often leads to AHouseDivided.

** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' has Michael who is an ex-gangster bored by StepfordSuburbia, while Franklin is a ghetto hood who, like CJ, wants to move up the crime ladder and work for bigger scores. Trevor however is entirely conformtable being a gangster and wouldn't dream of being anything else.

There are many stories where a criminal dreams of leaving the life of the criminal behind them, either seeking to turn their organization into a legitimate business empire or to retire.

** Their successor Marlo Stanfield, when he and his gang are finally indicted, is given a deal by the DA to walk away from the criminal life a rich man because of political necessities and the fact that two rogue cops misappropriated police funds to put illegal wiretaps on Marlo. After retiring he's introduced to various businessmen by drug lawyer Maurice Levy, but Marlo slips away from the party to go back and fight with some corner boys because that's all he really knows and what he does best. Marlo is obsessed with the drug trade and his street reputation, far too much to ever leave it behind.

* The 1948 FilmNoir, ''I Walk Alone'' by Byron Haskin is perhaps an early TropeCodifier. Creator/BurtLancaster plays Frankie Madison, a gangster from the Prohibition era who was arrested and spent 14 years in prison only to find that his former associates have moved into legitimate business and see their old boss as a liability. Madison confronts his rival "Dink" Turner (Creator/KirkDouglas) at one part asking for his cut in the business, but Dink and his men explain that a legitimate business is backed by corporations, board of directors, shareholders and the days of having money and assets in a simple safe are long gone.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'' describes this dynamic in twenties' Germany, via the interactions between the Mob boss Pums and his other racketeers. Since it's written by a German leftist avant-gardist, it's made into an allegory for capital-labor relations:
--> '''Narrator''': Early in October the dispute which Pums had feared started among the members of the gang. About money, Pums as usual, regards the sale of their stuff as the main business of the gang, Reinhold and others, including Franz, its acquisition. It's according to the latter and not according to the sales, that the division of the spoils should be regulated; they constantly attribute too high receipts to Pums and resent his monopoly in the dealings with the fences; the reliable fences want to deal with Pums alone. The gang, although Pums makes many concessions and allows them a free hand whenever possible, insist that something has to be done about it. They are more for union methods. He says they've got them already. But they refuse to believe that.
[[/folder]]

---------------

** Ben King managed to raise his street gang, the Vice Kings, to a state of semi-legitimacy, focusing more on the operation of his legal (but still rather corrupt) record label than his illegal prostitution and gambling rings and using his connections to city councilors, judges and the chief of police to keep the Vice Kings out of the spotlight. His lieutenant [[TheDragon Warren Williams]], on the other hand, feels that schmoozing politicians is a waste of time and demands they start an all-out gang war with the 3rd Street Saints whenever they're brought up. [[spoiler:It's for these reasons that he feels that King's gone soft and [[TheStarscream tries to take over]] late in the VK story arc.]] What's interesting is that Warren is King's "numbers guy" and the front manager of his record label, and would be in the best position to profit from a turn to legitimacy, but because [[YoungGun he's young, brash and feels that he's got something to prove]], he can't see that.

* In ''Film/{{Solo}}'', Han repeatedly suggests Qi'ra leave Crimson Dawn and start a new life with him, but she seems reluctant, also hinting that she cannot just up and leave because of [[BadBoss Vos]]. After she [[spoiler:kills Vos]], she gives Han the impression she's going to take him up on his offer...but [[spoiler:it turns out she was lying to get him out of the way before cozying up to Maul to secure her position as [[KlingonPromotion Vos's replacement]]]].

This is not that type of character.

->'''Stringer:''' I mean, we past that run and gun shit man. We make so much goddamn straight money, if the government come after us, man, ain't shit they can say.\\
'''Avon:''' Businessmen, huh?\\
'''Stringer:''' I mean, who gives a fuck who's standing on what corner if we're there taking that shit off the top, putting that shit to good use, makin' that shit work for us? We could run more than corners, B. We could do like Little Willie, man back in the day, with all that number money. And run this goddamn city.