loansharking

or loan-shark·ing

[ lohn-shahr-king ]

noun

1. the practice of lending money at excessive rates of interest.

Word History and Origins

Origin of loansharking¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; loan shark + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Putting aside the differences in Gotti and Trump’s criminality, such as the former’s convictions for five murders, conspiracy to commit murder, illegal gambling, and loansharking or the latter’s indictments for espionage, a failed insurrection or coup d’état, and conspiracies to interfere in presidential elections, the two men have much more in common than the former president and President Richard Nixon ever did.

From Salon

Scarfo and other members of his mob family were convicted in 1988 in a racketeering conspiracy involving 13 murders, with Scarfo found guilty of taking part in eight of those murders — as well as drug dealing, extortion, loansharking, and bookmaking.

From Washington Times

In 2019, a joint investigation by the commission and New Jersey’s attorney general led to the sentencing of six men for their roles in criminal schemes that involved loansharking, illegal gambling and money-laundering on behalf of the Genovese family.

From New York Times

According to a superseding indictment unsealed Monday, the defendants engaged in racketeering conspiracy, illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and drug trafficking.

From Washington Times

Federal prosecutors allege the crime family sought to use its “reputation and influence to exercise control over criminal rackets, like bookmaking and loansharking, in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, particularly Atlantic City.”

From Washington Times