NCJ Number
153763
Editor(s)
J Albanese
Date Published
1995
Length
223 pages
Annotation
This book adds to the knowledge base about organized crime by focusing on contemporary activities that have been little known and little understood.
Abstract
The first issue discussed in the book is the connection between organized crime and legitimate businesses, i.e., casino gambling, sports gambling, and white-collar crime. In the second section, the authors discuss how crime becomes organized, using case examples of a rural crime network, membership in organized street gangs, and the role of women in the Mafia to illustrate how criminal groups emerge under various conditions. The chapters comprising the third section examine the law enforcement response to organized crime, focusing on the use of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and strategies to combat money laundering. The final section discusses two new areas in which organized crime is flourishing; in motor fuel tax frauds in the U.S., and in the economic chaos of Eastern and Central Europe. Chapter references