They say in Vegas
Joe K was just involved in bootlegging as Bronfman - really his only rival as a middleman/importer. Joe Sr, old Joe, was partnered with Lansky's and Chicago Outfit in liqur through prohibition and Vegas Hotels and dozens of other rackets afterwards. One of the reasons the mob hated Bobby was his using Justice Department wire taps to check that Joe wasn't getting beat on the Vegas skim - a misuse of government power irritated OCs founding fathers more than it would the average citizen.
Especially since the Chicago outfit got JFK elected.
JFK and old Joe met face to face with his father's business partners and agreed that exchange to the mob's support and assured victory in key states and jurisdictions they were promised that Justice Department prosecution and FBI selective harassment of OC would cease.
It wasn't a casual agreement. It was we'll elect JFK, and you promise us we get business as usual. In that world giving your word in front of witnesses means keeping your word.
Bobby knew the deal that was made. He refused to honor it, told old Joe piss off and JFK wouldn't stop him.
Old Joe stroked out over it
Jack got killed over it (IMO)
Bobby - he committed suicide.
Bobby was determined to fuck with his old man's business partners (who jdid old Joe two huge favors - the let him have Merchandise Mart in Chicago as "walking away" $ -and they got his son elected POTUS
So why did RFK go sukiyaki on the mob? Why was he serious in a way none of the other blowhard politicians investigating OC then were, representing a danger to powerful individuals and agencies?
There was a thing back in Bobby's generation, among his peers at Harvard. It was called a "double banger" and a "double banger" was defined as making more money than your father doing something he despised.
Bobby was going for the double banger, betraying both his father, and his father's business partners since the 1920s, in effect Bobby changed sides.
Shed no tears for old Joe this guy ran his family like an OC car theft crew, had his daughter Rosemery lobotomized when her mom was out of town. The teen was talking back.
Rosemary would be able to do a "double banger" and the president's hands must be kept clean, but an AG? Bobby was a moralist, a Catholic bootlegger's son who went Harvard. Maybe he was an anon.