NCJ Number
14776
Date Published
1974
Length
239 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF ORGANIZED CRIME AS A SYSTEM OF POWER AND INTERACTION - AN ASPECT OF AMERICAN SOCIETY RATHER THAN SOMETHING DIVORCED FROM IT.
Abstract
THE PHENOMENON OF ORGANIZED CRIME CAN BE SEEN AS THE RESULT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF A COHERENT SOCIAL GROUP OR AS A CONSEQUENCE OF COMPLEX ACTIVITIES AND ROLE SYSTEMS AIMED AT SPECIFIC ENDS. THESE TWO, RESPECTIVELY THE 'SOCIETY' AND 'MATRIX' APPROACHES, PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS PRESENTED IN THIS WORK. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND IS PROVIDED TO SENSITIZE THE READER TO SOME OF THE POINTS AT ISSUE IN THE STUDY OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO FOLLOW THE ANALYSIS. A PROFILE OF THE PARTICIPANT IN ORGANIZED CRIME IS DEVELOPED BY EXAMINING FACETS OF HIS PERSONALITY AND LEARNING HOW SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS ETHNICITY, CLASS, AND AGE INFLUENCE HIS BEHAVIOR. THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZED CRIME IS DISCUSSED. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT ORGANIZED CRIME IS A SOCIAL ORDER AND A SYSTEM OF POWER WITHIN THE LARGER SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT. THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES IN WHICH ORGANIZED CRIME HAS BEEN ENGAGED ARE EXAMINED AND INCLUDE BOOTLEGGING, NARCOTICS, LOANSHARKING, AND THE THEFT OF SECURITIES. IN THIS EXAMINATION THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ORGANIZED CRIME AND THE BROADER ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SYSTEM IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL, WITH EMPHASIS ON ENFORCEMENT POLICY, CORRUPTION, AND SERVICES ORGANIZED CRIMINALS PROVIDE WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDED BY THE WIDER ECONOMIC SYSTEM. THE BOOK CONCLUDES WITH A CHAPTER CONSISTING OF POLICY ORIENTATIONS WHICH FOLLOW FROM THE EARLIER DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND WHICH CAN SERVE TO ORIENT DEBATE ON PUBLIC POLICY IN THE AREA OF ORGANIZED CRIME. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)