ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at different groups involved in organized crime including La Cosa Nostra, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Chinese triads and tongs, the Japanese Yakuza, drug cartels, Russian organized crime, and street gangs. Regardless of the form it takes—national syndicate, drug cartel, street gang, or transnational network—organized crime is an illegal business enterprise. Much organized crime traditionally has been found in areas of illicit behavior, such as gambling, loan sharking, prostitution, and narcotics. Transnational organized crime groups are responsible for much of human trafficking. This chapter examines organized crime in the context of control of illegal activities, control of legitimate business, and racketeering.
