Organized crime

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Organized crime refers to criminal operations undertaken by a criminal organization in an organized manner.

Many forms of crime involve some degree of planning and organization, typically in a gang. However, organized crime usually refers to larger operations, involving a network or hierarchy of criminal contacts in a mafia or syndicate.

[edit] Activities

Some typical activities of organized crime are:

[edit] Community Support

Smart criminals know that they do not live in a vacuum; they live in communities, and often rely on public support to hide their misdeeds. The Mafia, for example, used to run orphanages and supply food to the needy during a time when welfare wasn't exactly adequate; talking to the police about criminal activity wasn't just about whether or not the mobster goes to sing-sing, it was also about whether or not your cousin would have food on the table next week. In many ways, organized crime acts like a particularly cruel Robin Hood; extorting the "greedy" shopkeepers and (barely) giving to the poor. Of course, by extorting the shops and running the criminal enterprises they keep even more people in poverty.

Keep this in mind whenever someone suggests that we scrap our welfare systems in lieu of charity.


Organized crime is often linked with corrupt government officials, politicians, and police.

Depending on the balance of power in various organized crime syndicates, some syndicates may control some of the aforementioned operations more than others. Some syndicate members may get whacked and end up sleeping with the fishes.[1]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. Read / watch The Godfather.
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