Trump’s Business Empire: Triumphs, Failures, and the Mob Connection

Donald Trump’s business ventures are a tapestry of soaring ambition, dazzling triumphs, and profound controversies. Trump Tower stands as a symbol of luxury and power, yet its construction was marked by an unusual choice of ready-mix concrete — a material controlled by mob-connected companies. This decision allowed the project to circumvent union strikes and continue construction uninterrupted, revealing a complex relationship between legitimate business and organized crime.

His foray into professional sports via the New Jersey Generals and the USFL league was marked by aggressive litigation tactics, including a high-profile antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. Despite winning a symbolic $3 in damages, the legal battle contributed to the league’s collapse — a costly lesson in the limits of courtroom gambits.

Atlantic City casinos, once a cornerstone of his empire, faced repeated financial distress and multiple bankruptcies. These struggles necessitated government and bank bailouts to stay afloat, contradicting the public image of unassailable wealth and success.

These ventures illustrate a pattern of bold risk-taking, strategic alliances with questionable partners, and a readiness to use legal battles as tools of business strategy. For a comprehensive overview of these entanglements and their political ramifications, The Atlantic's newsletter offers detailed insights into the Trump family’s business complexities and conflicts of interest 3 .