In the modern society, we live in a very complex world of gangs. This can be attributed to the contemporary problems and challenges such as poverty, high rates of unemployment, and inequalities that continue to plague both developed and developing nations of the world. A reaction to this is the rapid proliferation of gangs in neighborhoods, increase in criminal activities due to flourishing flow of illegal businesses, and constant cases of insecurity amongst the American people (Franzese, Menard & Cove, 2006).
According to Jerome Skolnick, there are two different types of gangs; Neighborhood- based gangs and Entrepreneurial gangs. These gangs remain distinguishable because of their locations, age differences, and the crime that they commit. The neighborhood-based gangs or cultural gangs are long-established street gangs that operate in various neighborhoods of different states (Franzese, Menard & Covey, 2006). These gangs are bound by a common cultural background originating from the traditions in each neighborhood. Because of their location, they are not intentionally formed to carry out criminal activities. As a result, they engage in a number of different criminal activities. Expansion of criminal activities of these gangs to other localities does not weaken the cultural background that binds them together (Franzese, Menard & Covey, 2006).
Entrepreneurial gangs are organized gangs that commit crime for profit. They are a group of individuals who prioritize the gaining of wealth by employing the use of criminal activities. They are bound by the desire to gain, and their crime is focused on money businesses such as narcotics (Franzese, Menard & Covey, 2006).
Another similar classification of gangs is by Malcolm Klein who distinguishes street gangs from drug gangs. Street gangs comprise of youths bound by mutual interests, and individual objectives. Their ill defined roles and less cohesion are due to lose leadership amongst members (Franzese, Menard & Covey, 2006). Drug gangs refer to an organized group of individuals bound by a common priority to gain wealth. Majority is older individuals with narrow age differences, is more cohesive, and has a centralized leadership. Their criminal activities are limited by their priorities; therefore, they spend considerable time in their drug businesses (Franzese, Menard & Covey, 2006).
The Gangster Disciples refer to a neighborhood-based gang in the streets of Chicago. This gang is an example of a cultural gang because it is bound by a unique cultural background based on the traditions and practices of that neighborhood. They originate from one neighborhood and have inculcated its customs and beliefs.
The persistence of crime in modern society has led scholars to form various theories, which seek to answer the motivation that makes people indulge in such illegal activities. Such theories are useful to give explanation on the criminal increment among famous criminals like John Gotti. This essay explains the development of John Gotti’s criminal behavior according to Merton’s famously known theory of anomie and Sutherland’s theory of differential association. These theories arrive at their conclusions by accounting for some of the elements in his criminal behavior
John Gotti was the fifth born of John Joseph Gotti who had a total of thirteen children, among them five boys. This family resided in the Italian-American enclave of Bronx, New York City where his father was a part-time irregular laborer who indulged in gambling to fend for his huge family (Capeci, 2013). He was very disturbed in this life of poverty. Because of his bullying and malingering attitude, he could not continue with school after dropping out from Franklin K. Lane High school. His life with street gangs predated high school, and was boosted after dropping out due to increase in his criminal behaviors (Capeci, 2013). His devotion to working with gangs in different neighborhoods made him popular among various gangs and was finally admitted into a prominent gang, the Gambino Family under Paul Castellano. His early criminal life was full with numerous hijackings that attracted several jail terms, while in others, he was found innocent of the charges leveled against him.
His new job as a Capo of the Bergin Crew led to big earnings for his Underboss, Dellacroce, who was his closest partner in the Gambino Family. He rose to leadership of the Gambino Family after the arrest of Paul Castellano, making the family the most powerful mafia in America (Capeci, 2013). However, his criminal activities were put on halt after his involvement in a Brooklyn Federal case. The Anonymous jury sentenced him to life imprisonment alongside his colleagues, and he finally died of throat cancer in 2002 (Capeci, 2013).
His offensive criminal attitude can be described by John Sutherlands Differential association theory that argues individuals learn the motives, techniques, and values of criminal behavior from interacting with others (Abadinsky, 2004). Gotti’s association with street gangs in his early life may have led to the development of his criminal behavior. Such street gangs are intimate groupings of individuals who interact and learn from others through communication. Moreover, his criminal activities were furthered by his general needs and values because he lived most of his life in poverty
According to Merton, crime development can be explained by the culturally defined goals and Social values that have a huge impact in shaping people’s identity. Individuals burn with a desire to achieve these goals and may engage in crime if their goals cannot be met through legitimate means (Abadinsky, 2004). These goals and values are laden with desires for material success and modest opportunities, which leads to crime. Because lack of education limited his opportunities for success, he resorted to crime to satisfy his desires for material success.
References
Abadinsky, Howard. (2004). Organized Crime. Belmont, California: Thomson
Wadsworth.
Capeci, J., & Mustain, G. (2013). Gotti: The rise and fall.
Franzese, R. J., Covey, H. C., Menard, S. W., & Covey, H. C. (2006). Youth Gangs. Springfield,
Ill: Charles C Thomas.
