Search -
The Russian Mafia in America: Immigration, Culture, and Crime
The Russian Mafia in America Immigration Culture and Crime Author:James O. Finckenauer, Elin J. Waring, Elin J. Waring Does a "Russian Mafia" really exist? This book seeks to answer that question by examining the intricate history of Russian organized crime in both its homeland and the United States. It investigates in detail such topics as the characteristics of the Russian criminal tradition of Vory v Zakone ("thieves professing the code"), contemporary Russia... more »n mobs, criminal activity among Russian immigrants, claims of KGB involvement in American crime, and connections between crime bosses and gangsters in both countries. Drawing on research conducted in cooperation with the Tri-State Joint Soviet emigre Organized Crime Project as well as on privileged access to confidential information, James O. Finckenauer and Elin J. Waring particularly focus on criminal networks in the New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania area. They also report on a nationwide survey of law enforcement agencies and examine major criminal cases, notably Russian participation with Cosa Nostra families in bootleg gasoline schemes. The Russian Mafia in America is the first in-depth study on Russian organized crime since the break-up of the Soviet Union and the arrival of the latest wave of immigrants to the United States. It is an eye-opening expose of major players in America's underworld and a significant contribution to the literature on organized crime. James O. Finckenauer is Director of the International Center at the National Institute of Justice. He is the author of Russian Youth and Organized Crime in America. He lives in Washington, D.C. Elin J. Waring is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York. She is the co-author of Crimes of the Middle Classes: White Collar Offenders in the Federal Courts. She lives in New York City.« less