Giuliani championed organised crime act Rico. Now he’s charged under it

Georgia’s grand jury indictment charges all of the 19 co-defendants, Rudy Giuliani included, with ‘racketeering activity’ in Georgia and other states. Photograph: John Bazemore/AP

Rudy Giuliani has dined out for years on his aggressive use of Rico, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which he wielded with dramatic effect against New York mobsters in the 1980s.

For his pains, he was granted an award by the Italian government. Later, as New York City mayor, he turned his use of the anti-racketeering law into a vote-getter, presenting himself as the hero of Rico.