There are also well-known entrepreneurs who have lost their lives due to such extortion.

I’d be interested to read more, but I’m not sure I’ve heard about “distant sea fishing” before. Can you pass the articles/links to the stories you’re referencing?

Point of further support: Hawaiians have a weird (to us haoles) love of Las Vegas, going as far as to call it “the Ninth Island”. I mean, if you live on a tropical paradise, where are you supposed to go for vacation?

And Elvis is (or at least has a rep as being) super popular and iconic in Vegas. I could definitely see some of that influence back flowing from the Ninth Island back to Hawaii.