BY JESI MUNGUIA
Based on the response to the premiere the documentary "Purple: Organized Crime in a Small Town," Central Michigan University will be hosting a viewing Tuesday on Campus.
The film tells the story of organized crime in the small town of Clare.
The premiere took place this summer at the city's movie theater. The theater holds 400 people. 1,500 people turned out for the show.
The documentary was produced by CMU professor Benjamin Tigner. He said he was interested in exploring how the Purple Gang operated in a small town rather than a big city.
"For the most part people didn't even know they were here they had no idea what was going on and that was part of what attracted organized crime to small towns is their ability to maintain some level of anonymity. Other people contend that they knew exactly what was going on and knew who these people were but as long as these people were generous with the money they were bringing into town." Said Tigner.
Tigner said even small towns provided enough anonymity for organized crime. He said people kept quiet as long as they got their share of the money. Where it came from didn't matter.