The original of Russian organized crimes was in the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries where exiling of Siberian peasants led to the rise of a group of underworld professional criminals. The prisoners formed the “thieves-in-law” jailed for being “enemies of the Soviet system.” The imprisonment led to struggle for power between different criminals groups Russian Mafia were however legal and were supported by the governments. They could legally conduct business and even invest in companies.
In America, organized crime groups originated from desperate poor people mainly immigrants who resided in crowded slums grouped together by their ethnic backgrounds (WRIGHT, 2006). The groups sought organized crime as a means of survival, to improve their lives and protection from corrupt police officers and other gangs. The groups were illegal, and members had no support from the government.
In Mexico, organized crime rose as a result of law enforcers and lack of resources for the police leading to inability to curb drug trafficking. Organized crime groups in Mexico concentrate on drug trafficking business (LEONG, 2007). The groups are highly developed merging corporate and criminal cultures with special emphasis on division of labor and members specialization.
Defining organized crime, (The OCTA, 2006)
- Territorial based, with a range of transnational activities, with the possibilities of protecting their assets and leadership even outside of the European Union.
- Ethnically based homogeneous groups, with assets and leadership mainly based abroad.
- A dynamic organization of perpetrators whose organization is less likely to attack from the state law enforcement than their finances and communication.
- Groups without an ethnic component with strict organization principles and which has large international presence.
The Russian organized crime
Development of criminal professionals during the seventeenth to the nineteenth century
- Soviet period: 1990s
- Criminalization of the state
- In 20th century, there was a rise of vory v zakone, or “thieves-in-law,”. Further, there was the creation of criminal organizations aimed to seek survival in GULAG.
In the 1930’s an elite group from the Soviet underworld, “thieves in Law” (Vory v Zakone), controlled major criminal activities. They developed in Russian prisons and Stalin’s Gulags prisons after the end of World War 2 to form Russian mafia. In 1917, Vladimir Lenin, and especially Josef Stalin was in control of the totalitarian state that which offered no space for disobedience or the citizens questioning the authority (MEAGHER, 1983). Many people were executed, and other sent to the Gulags and prisons where they were forced to work under harsh conditions.
In the prisons, the criminals against Marxism indoctrination of the communist party formed their own group, “thieves in law “ or Vory v Zakone and set regulations that did not recognize the outside world rules. They refused to work and disobeyed prison guards, and were not to participate in activities involving politics.
In 1941, when Hitler attacked Russia, Stalin offered to pardon prisoners so that they could fight Hitler, but the “thieves” rejected the move. After the end of the war, many of the pardoned prisoners returned to prison after committing a new crime. The prisoners, therefore, ford their selves without control in prison and were often harassed by the veterans. The “Suki”, the professional criminals, had experience from the civil war built up as more of them increased in the prisons (MEAGHER, 1983). They rose against the other prisoners and cooperated with the prisoners. The move led to the infamous “Bitch Wars”, the guards encouraged the rivalry between the two groups and lasted up to 1953.
In 1970, the thieves changed some of their rules where they were allowed to marry, have families, and they also started working and cooperating with the government. Because of consumer goods shortage, the criminals took to the black market (WRIGHT, 2006). There was a rise in Corruption grew in the communist state and criminals, and politicians started interacting.
In 1991, the country landed in an economic crisis the people took advantage of the state to their benefit. They competed for banks, steel, oil, and the privatized state sectors. The competition led to increases in violence activities. Organized crime groups took over more than half of the state’s economy. This was the era during when the Russian Mafia rose. They were protected by the state’s legal system and took on illegal activities and even legally invested in companies.
Today, the Mafia is composed of educated individuals who have a connection globally, and they conduct legal businesses through threats and corruption (LEONG, 2007). It is hard to recognize them because they have done away with the traditional tattoo.
Italian-American Mafia
American organized crime can be traced back from the street gang in 1800’s which came together for financial gain and their own security. Examples of these groups are the Forty Thieves in New York which was composed of hundreds of immigrants. The people believed that they could only trust and rely on each other. They sought organized crime as a means of survival, to improve their lives and protection from corrupt police officers and other gangs. The group known as 'Forty Thieves' was composed of Irish-Americans who reside in slums and worked peanuts for the rarely available work.
The Italian immigrants established the group is working together to fight against oppression so that they could rise above the poverty level. The group adopted tactics such as extortion, selling stolen goods, prostitution and various other illegal activities to make quick money. The mafia organization became successful during the prohibition period, and they became very dangerous and established. During this time, around 1920, competing Italian crime families got into producing and distribution of alcohol after the US government declared illegal the production or sale of alcohol (WRIGHT, 2006). The rival groups worked together but often rose against each other with the intention of becoming a highly profitable alcohol trade leader. One such incidence is the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre where members of Al Capone’s family pretending to be police officers shot down seven rivals from Moran crime family.
Some mafia leaders like “Lucky” Luciano and Al Capone became very famous leaders leading the FBI to build cases against them. In the 1930's, there rose a wave of violence between the Mafioso families when the newly created subgroups started war against the Mafia groups. The Maranzo family was highly targeted by the new factions and the younger criminals undertook a bloody coup after which they took over and formed the next generation of the American Mob.
Organized crime in Mexico
Organized crime rose, as a result, of corruption of law enforcers and lack of resources for the police. Organized crime groups in Mexico concentrate on drug trafficking business. The groups are highly developed merging corporate and criminal cultures with special emphasis on division of labor and members specialization. Their 2,000 mile border with the United States gives them an advantage to access the vast drug consumer market in the United States. In 1929 to 2000 during the single party era, drug trafficking and its associated violence was contained.
In 1945, the Mexican established drug trafficking routes in Mexico. The main Mexican drug trafficking families are
- The Arellano-Felix Brothers organisation
- The Caro-Quintero syndicate
- The Amezcua-Contreras organisation
The group came into existence fist in 2003 and has four divisions. Violence is evident in Mexico due to the drug trade where Nuevo Laredo city is fought over as a favorable route to the US (MEAGHER, 1983). The two main drug cartels, Gulf and Sinola, continuously fight to control drug trafficking routes. This war was accelerated in 2005 when the cartels recruited Mexico Special Forces defectors.
During the time of democracy transition from 2000, there rose a fight between the drug traffickers and the state but yet there was no reduction in violence. But around 7,882 drug traffickers were reported to be killed.
References
WRIGHT, A. (2006). Organized crime. Cullompton, UK, Willan Pub.
MEAGHER, D. (1983). Organized crime. Canberra, Australian Government Pub. Service.
LEONG, A. (2007). The disruption of organized crime and analysis of legal and non-legal strategies. Aldershot, Hants, England, Ashgate. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=438787.
PADHY, P. (2006). Organized crime. Delhi, Isha Books.
