I love it. In Korea, I often here the word, “gangster” and it makes me laugh. Just today there was an article in the English paper, the Korean Herald ,about an organized crime ring that is running parts of the Korean entertainment industry. Right now the hot story focuses on a popular Korean actor, Kwon Sang-woo, who has accused a former manager of blackmail. This manager apparently has links to organized crime cartels here in Korea. According to reports, the man allegedly threatened to link details of his private life to the media unless Kwon agreed to extend his contract.
The story itself is not funny but the headline, Gangsters blackmail movie star , is definitely worth a giggle if you are a native English speaker. Calling someone a gangster to me is equal to calling someone a cowboy, a bandit, a desperado. It’s just not a term we use freely in Western culture if you want to be taken seriously (particularly in the media).