Unveiling Organized Crime: Structures, Behaviors, and History

1. 1 Understanding Organized Crime

2. Definitions of Organized Crime • Any group having some manner of a formalized structure and whose primary objective is to obtain money through illegal activities.

3. Definitions of Organized Crime • Refers to those self-perpetuating, structured and discipline associations of individuals, or groups, combined together for the purpose of obtaining monetary or commercial gains or profits.

4. Definitions of Organized Crime • Organized crime means the unlawful activities of the members of a highly organized, disciplined association, engaged in supplying illegal goods and services including but not limited to gambling, loan sharking, human trafficking, prostitution, drug trafficking, counterfeiting – money, documents, products, drugs.

5. Definitions in the Scholarly Literature • Organized crime involves social relationships, informal social structures and "networks" of individuals. • Organized crime is involved in the provision of illicit goods and services for the purpose of realizing a profit. • Organized crime is integral to the society in which it operates.

6. The Empirical Research • Small and fragmented enterprises tend to populate illegal markets. • Organized crime is a profit-driven enterprise.

7. Redefining Organized Crime • An organized crime “group” contains at least three people. • The group is motivated by a desire for profit and/or power. • The group commits serious offenses (felonies).

8. The Forms of Organized Crime • Standard Hierarchy • Regional Hierarchy • Clustered Hierarchy • Core Group • Criminal Network

9. Categories of Organized Criminal Behavior • Provision of Illicit Services: • Protection rackets, loan sharking, and prostitution. • Provision of Illicit Goods. • Conspiracy to Commit Crimes. • Bribery • Extortion

10. Categories of Organized Criminal Behavior • Penetration of Legitimate Business • Extortion • Corruption

11. Mussolini's Mafia Purge • The Hennessey Incident in New Orleans • Landesco's Organized Crime Investigation • The Castellammarese War • Thomas Dewey and the Mob

12. Mussolini's Mafia Purge • The Kefauver Committee • The Apalachian Incident • The Valachi Testimony at the McClellan Committee • Robert Kennedy's Justice Department Task Force

13. Mussolini's Mafia Purge • Palermo's Maxitrial • Buscetta's Dilemma • The Pizza Connection • Giuliani's Mafia Trials • Louis Free and the New Mafia War

14. Models of Organized Crime • The Criminal Group • Continuity • Structure • Membership

15. The Criminal Group • Criminality • Violence • Power and profit

16. The Criminal Group • Protectors • Specialized Supporters • User Supporters • Social Supporters

17. Cressey's Cosa Nostra Theory • The boss • The consigliere • The underboss • The caporegime • Soldiers

18. Rules of Conduct • Be loyal to members of the organization • Be a man of honor and always do right • Be rational • Be a stand up guy • Have class

19. Organized Crime, the Media, and Popular Culture • Superficiality • Sensationalism • Creating reality