mafia bosses start out as street thugs

The example of organised crime seemed to offer a metaphor. Mafia bosses often start out as street thugs. But over time, the ones who make it to the top transform their appearance. They take to wearing impeccably tailored suits, owning legitimate businesses, and wrapping themselves in the cloak of upstanding society. They support local charities and are respected by their communities... However, beneath this patina is a trail of blood. When the debtors cannot pay, hitmen move in to demand their pound of flesh.