ANIMATION ANARCHY PRESENTS: THE MAFIA IN ANIMATION – A THREE-PART SERIES
ANIMATION ANARCHY PRESENTS: THE MAFIA IN ANIMATION – A THREE-PART SERIES
(Because getting scammed by Hollywood execs isn’t enough—sometimes you need to be extorted by actual criminals too!)
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PART 1: Did Walt Disney Piss Off the Mafia?
(Or: How Mickey Mouse Almost Got Fitted for Cement Shoes)
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Welcome to the Dumbest Conspiracy Theory You’ll Ever Believe
You ever look at Mickey Mouse and think, “Yeah, that guy’s seen some things”?
I mean, look at his eyes. That is the face of someone who has committed unspeakable acts to protect his empire.
Animation is already a crime against sanity—just ask anyone who’s spent 16 hours drawing a single frame. But what if I told you that behind the smiling faces and catchy songs, the mafia was running an animation racket?
Yes. THE ACTUAL MAFIA.
This is not a joke. (It is, but also, it isn’t.)
And because I have no self-preservation instincts, I am here to EXPOSE THE TRUTH before I am mysteriously replaced by an AI-generated version of myself.
Also, before the Disney lawyers show up at my house, SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL because if I vanish after this, you’ll know why. Click here before Mickey finds me.
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DISNEY VS. THE MOB: THE BATTLE FOR CARTOON DOMINANCE
The 1941 Disney Strike: Was It a Union Protest or a Mob Shakedown?
It’s the early 1940s. Walt Disney is printing money, but instead of paying his animators a livable wage, he’s like, “What if I built a train in my backyard instead?”
So his animators, understandably, unionize.
Enter the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)—which, at the time, was controlled by actual mobsters.
Yes. The same people breaking kneecaps over gambling debts were now negotiating wage increases for Goofy’s voice actor.
And just so we’re clear: These guys were not the fun, wisecracking Goodfellas type. They were real-deal Chicago mobsters, including Willie Bioff and George Browne, who made a fortune by extorting every Hollywood studio.
Now, at this point, every other studio had two options:
1. Pay the mob and keep making movies.
2. Refuse to pay and get their projects mysteriously delayed when every union worker “suddenly” went on strike.
Walt Disney, being Walt Disney, said:
“What if I snitch instead?”
Because, see, Walt wasn’t just anti-union. He was so anti-union that he was willing to go full FBI informant to stop them.
And guess what happened next?
• BAM. The Disney strike kicks off in 1941.
• BAM. His animators walk out for five months.
• BAM. Walt screams about Communists, because that was his default setting when things went wrong.
But then—suspiciously—the mobsters behind the whole union racket get arrested.
And suddenly, as if by magic, the strike ends.
COINCIDENCE?
I THINK NOT.
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DID THE MAFIA SABOTAGE FANTASIA?
(The Dumbest, Yet Most Believable Conspiracy Theory Ever.)
Okay, so you know how Fantasia flopped when it first came out?
Like, really flopped?
One theory? The mob blacklisted it.
Now, why would the mafia care about a bunch of dancing mushrooms and an orchestra full of unpaid musicians?
Simple.
1. The mob literally controlled which movies got shown in theaters.
2. Disney refused to pay them off.
3. Fantasia bombed harder than my high school attempt at asking out my crush.
It makes sense.
I mean, sure, the movie could have flopped because:
• It was too artsy for 1940s audiences.
• People weren’t ready for Satan’s personal acid trip in Night on Bald Mountain.
• Maybe, just maybe, the world wasn’t craving an animated ballet featuring hippos in tutus.
But let’s be honest: if the mob controlled the projectionists, they could have just “forgotten” to show the movie.
And let’s be real—if you’re a mobster in the 1940s, are you sitting through two hours of cartoon Beethoven, or are you shaking down a guy named Vinny over an unpaid horse racing bet?
Exactly.
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DISNEY’S POSSIBLE SECRET DEAL WITH THE MOB
Here’s where things get real suspicious.
After the 1941 strike, Walt Disney suddenly stopped having union problems.
Every other studio? Still getting shaken down.
Disney? Suddenly just vibing.
Now, there are two possible explanations for this:
1. He made a deal. Maybe Walt and the mob found a “mutually beneficial arrangement.” Something that involved less extortion and more winks and handshakes in dark alleys.
2. He went full mob boss himself. No, really. The man was ruthless. He blacklisted people, crushed competitors, and controlled Hollywood like a crime lord.
Either way, Walt Disney came out on top.
And considering how much money The Lion King has made, I think it’s safe to say:
MICKEY MOUSE IS NOW THE BIGGEST MOB BOSS IN HOLLYWOOD.
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FINAL THOUGHTS: DID DISNEY BEAT THE MOB, JOIN THE MOB, OR BECOME THE MOB?
The answer?
YES.
The dude snitched on the mafia, took over Hollywood, and then became so powerful that today, Disney literally owns Marvel, Star Wars, and Fox.
If you think about it, Disney didn’t just beat the mafia—he out-mafia’d the mafia.
And if I mysteriously vanish after posting this, just know I was right.
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BEFORE I GET TAKEN OUT BY A GUY NAMED BIG SAL, SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Listen, I’m risking my actual life (and whatever’s left of my career) to bring you THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIMATION AND ORGANIZED CRIME.
And get ready for:
• PART 2: The Fleischer Studios Takeover – How the Mafia May Have Stolen Superman
• PART 3: The Most Mobbed-Up Cartoons in History – From Shark Tale to The Simpsons and Beyond
If I don’t post Part 2, assume I was last seen being escorted into a blacked-out Cadillac while a voice whispered, “Nobody rats on the Mouse.”
Wish me luck.
