[buffs79]

Can someone answer a serious question for me? Any history geeks?

Was the UPS seriously started by the Mafia?
And does the Mafia still own it?
I've actually gotten conflicting viewpoints online, so I was wondering if anyone here knew.

(The whole reason I bring this up is because my brother and some of his friends talked about it in a Youtube video.)

[horatio]

A mobster makes a living with illegal business, so it seems pretty unlikely.

[Gary Seven]

After years of silence, buffs79 speaks out loud what grown men fear to whisper. Now we're faced with a long, destructive war with FedEx. it's bad for business. buffs, I know it was you. You broke my heart.

[MissionTrek08]

Buffs, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you didn't look up the history of UPS on their official website or Wikipedia?

UPS was started by two men with a $100 investment in Seattle, WA back in 1907.

Two guys talking on YouTube may not always be your best bet for historical accuracy.

[martok2112]

But...didn't anyone hear about the merger between Federal Express and UPS?


The new company is called Fed UPS.

[jaksajak]

"Federal Expressed myself to UPS and forgot the return address"

[MrQ1701]

Who knows. "Official" histories can be changed to make them more appealing. Mobsters make money and need to launder it somehow. Many businesses have sprung up that were started with "dirty" money. I also heard Panda Express was started as a "front"

[jerhanner]

If I were a mobster, I'd launder my money in something like a laundromat chain. UPS is wayyy to complex to be totally dirty - someone would have to notice. Like, the IRS?

[MrQ1701]

Originally Posted by jerhanner

If I were a mobster, I'd launder my money in something like a laundromat chain. UPS is wayyy to complex to be totally dirty - someone would have to notice. Like, the IRS?

Of course, NOW it is a legit business, but what about the startup cash? Or later expansions? Of course this is all speculation, but I am certain Mobster/Mafia money has made it's way into lots of businesses.

[MissionTrek08]

Originally Posted by MrQ1701

Of course, NOW it is a legit business, but what about the startup cash? Or later expansions? Of course this is all speculation, but I am certain Mobster/Mafia money has made it's way into lots of businesses.

Let your conspiracy theories roll, but I highly doubt any Mafia-fronted business was started with only $100.

If you're going to argue that any official histories can be changed to clean up an image, then every single venture in human history was started by the Mafia if that's all the 'proof' you need.

Noah's Ark: built by Teamsters with Mafia money who wanted to corner the animal husbandry industry.