Yakuza Boss Has a Change of Heart and Enters Priesthood
Tadamasa Goto, a once powerful Yakuza godfather has been driven out of the business where he made millions from prostitution and gambling and decided to become a Bhuddist priest.
The crime boss, who has a reputation for the use of extreme violence, was expelled from the 44,000 member strong Yamaguchi-gumi causing the largest crime family in the company to fracture into factions that offered support to Goto or the Yamaguchi-gumi leadership.
Goto was banished from the syndicate over a number of grievances he reportedly exchanged information with the FBI in 2001 in order to be allowed entry into the United States, but the final straw was a lavish birthday celebration in which he invited a number of celebrities and attracted a great deal of unwanted media attention.
Goto remained the head of the newly formed Goto-gumi for some time before his conversion; skeptics claim that his newly found piety is simply an attempt to curry favor with the judge in his upcoming tax evasion case or possibly to use his tax exempt status as a Buddhist priest to launder money from organized crime. [Metro]
[...] About the picture: The men in the picture represent the upper echelons of the Yamaguchi-gumi, with former boss Tadamasa Goto in the center. Goto has since turned his back on the group entered the priesthood. [...]