NCJ Number
146570
Journal
Catholic University Law Review Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 579-613
Date Published
1993
Length
35 pages
Annotation
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) provides a proper and effective means for prosecuting sophisticated urban street gangs and is also essential for working toward the goal of eradicating organized crime in the United States.
Abstract
Congress enacted RICO in 1970 to dismantle the Mafia. RICO prosecutions have crippled the Mafia's financial base, eroded the infrastructure of Mafia families throughout the Nation, and reduced the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. As a result of the Mafia's loss of power, a new type of criminal organization is moving swiftly to fill the void left in the illegal marketplace: the sophisticated urban street gang. Many of these groups have matured into calculating and efficient criminal organizations, wielding considerable power. Prosecutors have begun to use RICO to prosecute street gangs successfully, but criticism and controversy surround this use of RICO. The design, intent, and language of the statute, coupled with the established organized crime framework and the similarities between the Mafia and gang organizations, make RICO appropriate and necessary for controlling organized crime. 281 footnotes