Vengeance is mine : by Michael J. Zuckerman. MacMillan Publishing Company (866 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022), 1987, 412 pp., hardcover—$.19.95

Abstract

Organized crime is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that is difficult to define, describe, and operationally deal with. It refers very broadly to the general organization of the underworld, more narrowly to the groups within its economy that plan and execute elaborate, sustained criminal activities. In this article the narrower meaning is used to examine the forms and contingencies of organized crime, focusing in particular on the USA. Key conclusions are: (a) There is no single monolithic criminal organization or syndicate that provides central direction for organized crime. There is no global Mafia. Even at the domestic or regional level, this generally appears to be the case—even though mafia-type syndicates such as the US Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia, and the Colombian cartels have linkages and cooperative enterprises that are national in scope. (b) There are many crime organizations with distinct structures, varying criminal specialities, distinct modi operandi, and geographical scope. Some are hierarchically structured, some are not. Some are based in a single city or region, while others transcend even national boundaries. (c) Ethnicity and kinship typically play an important role in the formation and function of organized crime groups. (d) Just as there has been considerable change in recent decades, there also is much continuity in organized crime. (e) The organized crime phenomenon is primarily economic and institutional, more so than merely criminal. (f) There is not a universal panacea for addressing organized crime. Specific policies will depend on which group or product market is targeted. Effective strategies are likely to be those that target governmental weakness and official corruption, financial markets and accumulated capital, and the institutional degeneration that allows organized crime to continue and grow worse.