There's a fine line between cops and robbers:
"A gang can be defined as a structured group (of five or more people) that maintains an exclusive membership marked by common identifiers and formal rules that supersede the rules of the state."
- Patched; The History of Gangs in New Zealand, Preface, pg. ix.
Cheap fast food for business-friendly intimidators? Someone's tax is another one's protection money. Either way, the citizens pick up the tab.