How did collecting ransom from a kidnapping ever work in the USA?

Question

Kidnapping for ransom was apparently a big deal in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Even later Frank Sinatra went through it.

I can’t wrap my head around it. If you have to tell them where to drop the money, you either get ambushed there. Or just abandon the money altogether?

Am I missing something? I can’t see how this got popular with criminals.

In: 3

Answer 1

> you either get ambushed there. Or just abandon the money altogether?

The person paying the ransom leaves the money there, and eventually someone comes to pick it up. They leave with the money and satisfy themselves that they weren’t followed, all the cash is there, etc. Only then do they turn over the kidnapped person, by calling and saying where they were dumped.

The kidnapped person would be kept as a hostage until all this was done. The threat was that if the police jump the person picking up the money then an accomplice would kill the kidnapped person.