As was pointed out earlier, there is a difference between a couple of street thugs who prey on the weak to get their jollies and organized crime. Organized crime is big business, with big money involved. If one beleives that there is no violent crime coming from the Bloods, Cripps, Hells Angels, etc., or that they will not go to any means necessary to 'protect their investments' they are sadly mistaken. We are not speaking of a street crack dealer here. This is an international organization who already has the funds to recruit, transport, and enslave people. I would bet a days wages that this is only one of their business ventures as well.
When people are desperate they do desperate things. This is a fact. If a person threatens to take hundreds of thousands of dollars away from them, take away their livliehood, or threatens to put them in jail, one can be sure they will do everything in their power to eliminate the 'problem'. This is not TV, this is real life, and it happens all the time. If you don't beleive me, ask any police officer.
I do agree that the smaller hoods might find a rock to crawl under, but as I have stated earlier, this is probably (no make that definately), not a small time operation. Hell, even if only one woman sees three people a day, that is still $600+ every day coming in. That one person alone is an 'investment' to protect.
As another person stated, most gangs do not come out with blazing guns in the middle of daylight. There are more subtle and effective ways of dealing with a problem. Make no mistake also, many criminals are very intelligent. To be able to make shit loads of money, and fly under the radar is not an easy task. Again, I am not talking about an under-the-table construction job, but thousands, or even millions of dollars that are laundered yearly.
If one does not beleive that this goes on in 'the real world', they are living in a dreamland.