NCJ Number
178733
Editor(s)
Michael Tonry
Date Published
1999
Length
61 pages
Annotation
This analysis of Federal, State, and local governments' use of criminal, civil, and regulatory strategies against the organized crime group Cosa Nostra concludes that this successful law enforcement campaign offers a model for dealing with sophisticated organized crime.
Abstract
This unprecedented law enforcement effort and the civil and regulatory strategies have left the survival of the Italian organized crime families in doubt. The families in various cities generally operate independently, but they have a similar internal composition characterized by a rigid hierarchical structure and an extreme emphasis on secrecy. Thus, the Cosa Nostra can be distinguished from other organized crime groups, including recently developing Asian and Russian gangs in the United States and most domestic youth gangs, due to its focus on infiltration of businesses and domination of such legitimate enterprises over sustained periods, in addition to its involvement in illicit activities and markets. However, in some countries, including Russia and parts of Eastern Europe, where organized crime takes part in both legal and criminal markets, the experience of the United States with Cosa Nostra may offer clues to promising control techniques. First, it is imperative to act quickly in response to developing organized crime syndicates. Second, electronic surveillance through wiretaps and bugs is a necessary and serious impediment to the operation of organized crime groups. Third, a successful effort against organized crime cannot be a short-term campaign. Footnotes, appended list of successful investigations and prosecutions of organized crime, and 95 references (Author abstract modified)