ABSTRACT
Russian organized crime including the Russian Mafia began as a prison gang in the gulags of the Stalinist Soviet prison system. The vor has developed into a unique Russian criminal class with its own code of conduct. The Russian Mafia in now a transnational criminal operation and poses a significant threat to international law enforcement. The Irish Mob has clear ties to the United States but still maintains a presence in many other countries. The length of time they have been in existence should not be overlooked, nor should their potential worldwide network. Albanian organized crime is closely related, and its origins closely located to those of Italian organized crime. Differences exist and should not be discounted, as each group has their own specialties and subtleties.
