Mon 2 Nov 2009
Outrage: Did the Feds cut a deal with the Japanese Mafia in exchange for livers?
Posted by Miss Info under life beyond rap , outrage , ugh , videos[30] Comments
I saw this fascinating segment on 60 Minutes last night about a very suspect deal between one of the biggest Yakuza organized-crime lords in Japan, and the FBI. The crime lord, Tadamasa Goto, needed a liver transplant*, so he made a deal with the US Government (according to this report) to give up information about Yakuza business-holdings in the US, in exchange for a no-wait liver transplant.
This guy got bumped from #80 on the list, to #1 (He also paid UCLA Medical Center, $1 million)….and there were other Yakuza gangsters who also got liver transplants as well….essentially killing a few innocent people who were next in line for organs.
The irony is that, reportedly, after the surgery, Goto went back to Japan, and only gave up a fraction of the intel that he promised. See ya, suckers.
(Interesting facts: 1) the tell-tale full-body tattoos of the Yakuza actually make it hard for their bodies to sweat, and lead to increased liver problems…I’m sure heavy-drinking doesnt help either. 2) *organ donation is not widely practiced in Japan. Sounds like a cultural/religious resistance.) (thanks to Hyun/LTD for the link to the webvid)
(print version of CBS’ Yakuza story)
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:05 pm
the yakuza have more money than most countries in the world, BELIEVE IT.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Just another reason I have a consistently suspect eye and most government organization.
Interesting Tat fact too. Is that because the tats are full body or also because of the method of tattooing they use traditionally?
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Kenny_Goodtimes Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Alittle of both the almost pancake batter layering of tattoos over tattoos on all surfaces of the skin impedes the bodies ability to properly sweat and eliminate waste like urea amongst others through the skin. If your body can’t say detox efficiently by normal means all the extra work of detoxing yourself is left for the liver which is always working over time anyways so you are constantly over working your liver until it decides one day to say fuck off I quit LOL the same goes for alcohol abuse. The most important factor of Liver Disease and Tattoos is Hepatitis though not as much in this country although it still happens but over seas Hep B & C is crazy and people who are inked up are at a higher risk and that shit just kills your liver.
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Zach Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Good question. I would like to know too.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Very Interesting story Info
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Also interesting is that Tadamasa Goto has left the mob and joined the priesthood.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Info, I saw this too. One thing I didn’t like about the segment was the fact that they interviewed one news reporter, and no one else. Also, if this guy’s life is in danger, why doesn’t he just leave Japan? I ddin’t understand that part so much.
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J Seigel Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Most true! Sone need to break out of japan. Is it that important to stay there? Put your wife and kids in constant threat?
Live in shadows, with your eyes wide open constatnly,turning you paranoid?
And I have many cousins, who are physicians in the U.S.
They tell me the medical industry is a hypocracy…that’s why they took/all doctors take a hypocratic oath to be sworn in.LOL There is a low regaurd for life. Mind you they “practice” medicine!
There is little concern for life, and if a lot of doctors didnt get the big bucks, they would have certainly chosen another profession.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Lets be clear!! people die every single day!! People get passed on for donation every single day!! So what are we talking about here? UCLA had a big organ stealing scandal a few years back, maybe 75% asian so ofcourse they w ill look out for their own and for almost 2million upfront how can u turn that down? This isnt a scandal its business as usual… Interesting story but I’m not outraged white people do that enough for everyone!!!
On a side note…
Goto looks like Jet Li haha the first thing I said when I saw the picture was damn Jet Li is stealing livers hahaha
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November 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Why is he still in Japan the reporter that is. Is it because it easier to kill him in America? Man I cant believe the FBI fell for that crap. We loss Americans over greedy asshole at UCLA. I hope that liver goes bad on him. Wow ruthless japanese mob.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Interesting story, I’m not surprised at the US involvement in this, especially that of the FBI. I don’t like however how 60 Minutes tries to garner sympathy for the journalist. I want unbiased news, he knew the risks he was taking, he put himself into their world so now he is bound by their rules.
@NightFall it isn’t the technique which is the same as using a gun, just merely slower, but the density of ink that covers the skin.
@Big I agree with you, this isn’t a scandal just the capitalistic business as usual nature of the United States.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pm
And I always thought I didn’t sweat because I was a cool customer….
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November 2nd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
who’s watch was this on Obama or Bush
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Flowdini Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
bush
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Los Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Put down the Kool Aid
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November 2nd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/30/local/me-ucla30
but I’m not mad, ha ha. it’s very interesting!
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November 2nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
so that would make it under bush
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November 2nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I appluad the journalist for bringing light to one of many stories where the powerful conflict with the less powerful…To say that he shouldn’t report a story or shouldn’t stay in the region where he’s built sources for years because of safety concerns shows the importance of men and women like him. For all the journalist that risk their lives(and the lives of their families) in “hot” regions around the world- to provide insight for the masses(or those that choose to investigate)its a credit to humanity…INformation is power for those that seek it…
To the other point, many religions and cultures dissuade or disallow organ trasplantation. The moral and ethical delemma that arise from this situation may be to great for mankind to handle.
Many people forget that the I in FBI stands for INvestigations… A criminal organization cannot be prosecuted by rounding up a few low level runners, it must be infiltrated( many times by using information provided by informants within the organization). The problem with that is there is no guarantee that the information provided by the informant,who has already proven to be of poor character by being in the organization in the first place, will be useful. You can be skeptical of any government agency’s intentions but these are the best and only tactics that have some effectiveness.
The dynamic between so called criminal oranganizations and those authorites who are to investigate and prosecute them is to complex to sum up in a right or wrong black or white package.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 pm
hey info , i guess ya grandpa got u if u need an organ …lol… i kidd, i kidd
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Miss Info Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
clever.
not.
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Yos Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:58 am
Info’s Korean, the Yakuza is Japanese, idiot.
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Miss Info Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
thank you : )
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
having just watched the latest South Park episode, i wont be able to take anything relating to Japan seriously for a little while
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November 2nd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
….damn even BMF couldnt pull off that shit… FREE BIG MEECH AND J-BO BY THE WAY lol
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Yos Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:07 am
BMF is to the Yakuza, as a rubber duckie is to a battleship.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 am
i would’ve taken that money if I was the journalist. This shit happens all the time, rich folk drop some dough and get special treatment….wealth is wealth and no one gives a damn stateside about what some Japanese boss did, so I doubt much comes of this.
But now dude has to roll around with security and keep his wife and kid in hiding for God knows how long. You gotta pick your battles.
p.s. 60 minutes does some of the worst journalism on television. if you look at the H1N1 segment they had not one guest who held a dissenting viewpoint. Just a bunch of pharma reps, and the focus of the piece was really about supply and demand, how soon everyone will have access to the vaccine.
Same goes with the movie pirating segment. Just a bunch of Hollywood folk being interviewed, not one individual from the flipside of the issue. But this is what passes for top notch journalism in America.
ok, i’m done.
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Bartholomew Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
even if he took the money they might have killed him anyway (along with his family) just for knowing. He would have always been a threat to the Yakuza.
His situation probably would’ve been fucked anywhere he is, since they did say the Yakuza are fronted by American companies.
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Los Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
They didn’t say that at all (fronted by American companies). This is just 1 of about 5 comments where people are letting their hatred for America blind them to what’s actually being said in the piece… auditory comprehension isn’t a strong suit for some I suppose.
They *own* several business fronts in America, they aren’t *fronted* by American companies. These are merely businesses used for money laundering and/or expendable ventures that can be shut down after undertaking criminal activity, mostly white collar of course.
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Bartholomew Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Soooo…ur basically saying that the Yakuza own and oversee businesses in the US, which means that they could easily utilize their American resources since they’re already involved in illegal business activities…
…Which is exactly what I was saying, since the Yakuza’s activities in the US are masked, or “fronted” by the activity of certain American companies.
I guess reading comprehension isn’t a strong suit for some… smh, relax with the pretentious insults buddy
RA Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
you’re right. but isn’t that the case for any organize crime groups in the US?
man, those guys can buy manhattan in an instant. trust.