History Main / ProtectionRacket

* ''Film/RoadHouse'': Brad Wesley runs a protection racket on all local businesses in the guise of managing the local "business owners association". All the local cops are in his pocket and he likes to make a public display of wrecking the business of anyone who refuses to pay.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood'': The titular "Red Hood" decides that crime can't be stopped, merely managed, and sets up a protection racket to replace Black Mask's. He offers the Gotham's drug dealers protection from Black Mask and Batman, in exchange for forty percent profits and an agreement to stay away from schools. Unlike most examples his threats are not subtle, he shows the kingpin the heads of their lieutenants and threatens to do worse.

* ''Film/TheDeparted'': Costello's Irish-American crew is involved in shaking down various businesses in Boston. In the prologue, Costello is shown doing the collecting personally before he later hands it off to his underlings as he rises in power; he meets his protege Sullivan while doing his rounds and his eventual mistress is the daughter of a corner store owner. Costigan also beats up two mafioso from Providence who attempt to extort an indian store owner.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Arlong, a Fishman pirate took over Nami's island and forced its citizens to pay exorbitant protection fees, which he partially uses to bribe Marines into leaving him and his operations alone.

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* ''Series/TheSopranos'': Played with in the final season. One of the family's minor protected businesses folds and is replaced with a BrandX Starbucks. Patsy Parisi and one of his guys go in to try this routine on the new manager. The manager recognizes what they are doing, but in an almost sympathetic tone he points out that the company is a billion dollar multinational with complete insurance so they won't care -- or even notice -- if the place is vandalized. What's more, every single bean is in the computer so he can't even cave under personal threats, since if he started skimming for the mob he'd be fired immediately and a new manager brought in. The two mobsters leave, complaining about the state of modern business and how tough things have gotten for 'the little guy'. The episode ends with Tony Soprano himself selling one of his buildings in Newark to Jamba Juice who push out the current tenant to install a franchise, and when Patsy learns about that he wonders what is even happening to the city.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Earth-Two ComicBook/{{Huntress}} and Blackwing fight a group that's been forcing small business owners all over Gotham to pay them protection money and are lead by a guy who goes by Boa.

* [[StarterVillain Tetsu Ushio]] from the ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' manga and Toei anime was running a protection service from bullies for a hefty fee. He was shown forcing Yugi to pay him for protection even with Yugi refusing. Ushio soon became the first victim of Yami.

* ''BatmanUnderTheRedHood'': The titular "Red Hood" decides that crime can't be stopped, merely managed, and sets up a protection racket to replace Black Mask's. He offers the Gotham's drug dealers protection from Black Mask and Batman, in exchange for forty percent profits and an agreement to stay away from schools. Unlike most examples his threats are not subtle, he shows the kingpin the heads of their lieutenants and threatens to do worse.

* The ''Gargoyles'' episode "Protection" deals with such a thing. The subject is apparently new to Goliath, who is uniquely disgusted by such threats being known under the title of what gargoyles are usually all about doing sincerely.

* ''Series/TheSopranos'': Played with in the final season. One of the family's minor protected businesses folds and is replaced with a BrandX Starbucks. Two of Tony's lieutenants go in to try this routine on the new manager. He immediately recognizes what they are doing, but in an almost sympathetic tone he points out the store's workforce isn't unionized and the company is a billion dollar multinational with complete insurance. What's more, every single bean is in the computer, so if he started skimming for the mob he'd be fired immediately and they'd have to start over. The two mobsters leave, complaining about the state of modern business.

* In ''Literature/TheExpanse'' novel ''Leviathan Wakes'' Joe Miller interviews a shopkeeper who used to pay protection money "insurance" to one of Ceres's criminal syndicates, and never went to the cops because this was just how things worked. When the extortionists suddenly disappeared he figured that the cops had finally managed to put the gang out of commission, and so when a new criminal claiming to be with the Outer Planets Alliance tries to pull the same scam he actually reports him to the cops. Since the cops ''hadn't'' managed to stamp out the gangs this is one of the clues to Miller that something big is in the works, and when the ''real'' OPA executes the new extortionist he realizes that the OPA is planning to take over the ''cops'', not the gangs.

* In ''Literature/TheExpanse'' novel ''Leviathan Wakes'' Joe Miller interviews a shopkeeper who used to pay protection money via a transparently fraudulent "insurance policy" to one of Ceres's criminal syndicates, but then they suddenly disappeared [[spoiler:-- hired by Protogen as cannon fodder on Eros]]. Shortly after a teenager showed up at the shop and tried extorting the same money from him, but the shopkeeper refused and informed his friends in the [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters Outer Planets Alliance]], who dealt with him.

->''[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3XGAmPRxV48 Now the guy's got Paulie as a partner.]] Any problems, he goes to Paulie. Trouble with the bill? He can go to Paulie. Trouble with the cops, deliveries, Tommy, he can call Paulie. But now the guy's gotta come up with Paulie's money every week, no matter what. Business bad? Fuck you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning, huh? Fuck you, pay me.''

In Medieval focused works, taxes from the [[FeudalOverlord local lord]] are usually portrayed in a similar manner.

* In [[BooksOfSamuel 1 Samuel 25]], David and his men protected Nabal's flocks, and David sent to ask for supplies in return. When Nabal responded by insulting David and turning his men away empty-handed, David furiously swore that he would leave not one male of Nabal's household alive by morning. Fortunately, Nabal's wife, Abigail, met David in secret on the way, gave him supplies, apologized for her husband's behavior, and convinced him to turn back.