The Helpful Mafia Neighbor
photo taken from themafiaguy.com
This urban legend describes a couple who have moved to an expensive suburb. They return home from a weekend trip to find out that their home had been burglarized. They ask their new neighbors if they had noticed any suspicious activity and the neighbors, who are soft spoken and well dressed, advise them not to report the crime until they “make a few phone calls and see what can be done.” The next morning, they find all their possessions piled neatly on their front porch.
This urban legend has been circulating ever since the 1930s. The suburban version is told in several large American cities as a recent occurrence. Older American versions of this urban legend imply that the helpful neighbor had Stateside gangland connections, not necessarily being connected with the Mafia.
(Source: Brunvand, Jan H. Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. 2001.)
