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The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries.
One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808.
In Australian usage, it can mean a tramp or homeless man.
However, many other definitions center around money. People involved in political fundraising, soliciting donations, or otherwise involved in the financial side of a political campaign may be referred to as a bagman. This usage has led to an expansion of meaning to include those who solicit bribes for public officials.
In
The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries.
One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808.
In Australian usage, it can mean a tramp or homeless man.
However, many other definitions center around money. People involved in political fundraising, soliciting donations, or otherwise involved in the financial side of a political campaign may be referred to as a bagman. This usage has led to an expansion of meaning to include those who solicit bribes for public officials.
In organized crime
Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
, a bagman may be involved in protection racket
A protection racket is a type of racket and a scheme of organized crime perpetrated by a potentially hazardous organized crime group that generally guarantees protection outside the sanction of the law to another entity or individual from viol ...
s or the numbers game
The numbers game, also known as the numbers racket, the Italian lottery, Mafia lottery or the daily number, is a form of illegal gambling or illegal lottery played mostly in poor and working class neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a be ...
, collecting or distributing the money involved. When acting as an intermediary in such activities, a bagman may also be called a delivery boy or running man, and may receive a fraction of the money collected. Journalist Jack Shafer
Jack Shafer (born November 14, 1957) is an American journalist who writes about media for '' Politico''. Prior to joining ''Politico'', he worked for Reuters and also edited and wrote the column'' "''Press Box" for ''Slate'', an online magazine. ...
defines "bag man" as a slang term "for criminals who perform deliveries and run errands for other criminals." In criminal operations involving disbursements of cash as illegal payments for some service, a bagman delivers the money, often cash, to the recipient, such as Fred LaRue in the Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...
.
See also
*Batman (military)
A batman or an orderly is a soldier or airman assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant. Before the advent of motorized transport, an officer's batman was also in charge of the officer's "bat-horse" that carried the officer's kit du ...
* Courier
A courier is a person or organisation that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...
References
{{American Mafia Organized crime members by role Illegal occupations Thieves in law