NCJ Number
13312
Date Published
1973
Length
37 pages
Annotation
EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE STRUCTURE OF ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN URBAN SOCIETY AND ORGANIZED CRIME AS A SOCIAL SYSTEM.
Abstract
'ETHNIC SUCCESSION' IN ORGANIZED CRIME, IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH SUCCESSIVE URBAN IMMIGRANT GROUPS USE ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS A MEANS TO ATTAIN WEALTH AND POWER BEFORE GAINING A FOOTHOLD IN LEGITIMATE BUSINESS. THIS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CRIMINOLOGISTS AND OTHER SOCIAL SCIENTISTS FOR SOME TIME BUT IT HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY STUDIED. THIS REPORT EXAMINES THE PROCESS AND DEVELOPS A MODEL OF HOW NEW MEMBER GROUPS ORGANIZE THEMSELVES TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND HOW THESE GROUPS DEVELOP AND ENFORCE RULES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR CRIMINAL EFFORTS. THE RESEARCH STRATEGY USED WAS TO GATHER DATA ON SOCIAL RELATIONS IN ORGANIZED CRIME THROUGH PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA. FROM THIS DATA, MODELS OF ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS AMONG BLACKS AND PUERTO RICANS WERE GENERATED THROUGH THE TECHNIQUE OF NETWORK ANALYSIS, AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL TOOL USED TO CHART SOCIAL INTERACTIONS. ORGANIZED CRIME IS THEN ANALYZED FROM THREE ASPECTS - THE SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL FIELD, PERSON-TO-PERSON CONTACTS, AND PATTERNED SOCIAL RELATIONS. ANALYSIS OF THE OBSERVATIONS SHOWED ORGANIZED CRIME NETWORKS OPERATING PREDOMINANTLY WITHIN YOUTHFUL GROUPS, THROUGH INMATE ALLIANCES CONTINUED AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON, AND IN CRIMINAL BUSINESSES. ATTENTION IS ALSO GIVEN TO THE TYPES OF STRONG PERSONAL LINKS WITHIN THE NETWORKS. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT ORGANIZED CRIME IS A UNIQUE SOCIAL SYSTEM, THEY CONTEND THAT MORE ATTENTION TO THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS, WHICH ALLOW ORGANIZED CRIME TO GROW, WOULD GET BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CURRENT EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUAL CASE DEVELOPMENT. FOR COMPLETE REPORT, SEE NCJ-13291. (SNI ABSTRACT)