A Front, also known as a Money Laundering racket, is a business that launders (disguises the source of) mob money that is gained from crime rings.
History[]
Fronts were created in the early 20th century, with mobsters needing to disguise the source of the money that they had gained through illicit means. The fronts were generally fronted by bars, restaurants, or other businesses where nobody would expect to see a racket. The fronts produced mob money, and sometimes, the mobsters would stash their money in mob banks. In 2005, the LAPD destroyed this by marking their money, preventing the use of mob-made money in legitimate businesses.