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The Russian Mafia (Русская мафия, Russkaya Mafiya), Red Mafia (Красная мафия, Krasnaya Mafiya) or Bratva (Братва; slang for 'brotherhood'), is a name given to a broad group of organized criminals in the former Soviet Union territories after its fall in 1991. "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Russian Mob's own members have been known to call their crime group "Организация" ("The Organization").

Contents

History

Despite seeming to arise during the Fall of the Soviet Union, organized crime had existed throughout the imperial and communist eras as a form of open rebellion against the systems in the form of the "Thief's World". The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 Thief in law ( Russian: вор в законе, "vor v zakone" plural thieves in law "vory v zakone" is a skilled individual particularly During this time organized crime was fiercely honor-based and often attacked and killed traitors among their ranks. Honor or Honour (see spelling differences) (the latter directly from the Latin word honos honoris) is the evaluation of a person's Nevertheless, during World War II, many enlisted in the Russian Army resulting in the The Bitch Wars, which killed many of the thieves who were branded as government allies as well as the original thief underworld during Stalin's reign. The Bitch Wars or Suka Wars (Сучьи войны or in singular Сучья война occurred within the Soviet labor camp system between 1945 Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The criminals, seeking a new survival strategy, began to ally with the elite in the Soviet Union as a means of survival, creating a powerful Russian black market. The Russian Mafia is notorious for underground operation and clean transactions, and, unlike certain vestiges of the Italian Mafia, it is known for its secrecy and un-flamboyant manner.

The real breakthrough for criminal organizations occurred during the economic disaster and mass emigration of the 1990s that followed the fall of the Soviet Union. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Desperate for money, many former government workers turned to crime, others joined the large numbers of Soviet citizens who moved overseas primarily to the United States and the Mafia became a natural extension of this trend. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment Former KGB agents, sportsmen and veterans of the Afghan and Chechen Wars, now finding themselves out-of-work but with experience in areas which could prove useful in crime, joined the increasing crime wave. KGB ( Transliteration of "КГБ" is the Russian abbreviation of Committee for State Security ( Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving [1]

Backed by its extensive connection to the apparatchik (аппаратчик) power network of the Soviet Union, between 1992 and 1994 the Russian Mafia targeted the commercial centers of power, seizing control of the nation’s fragile banking system. At first the criminal gangs were content to merely “park” their large cash holdings in legitimate institutions, but soon they realized that the next step was the easiest of all: direct ownership of the bank itself.

One of the ways the mafia got so much power was that after the breakup of the union, many state-owned industries were privatized. Rather than bidding for shares, the general public were randomly given vouchers which represented share certificates in the companies. After Moscow lost direct control of Eastern Europe and had more open borders, many Russians wanted higher quality western goods and given that they lacked basic necessities, a few pieces of paper were of little use. So they traded their shares for the goods they wanted, which only the mafia were able to smuggle and supply, giving the various criminal organisations legal and financial control of major industries, obtaining international business contracts by bribery and offering jobs in the companies to mafia allies and those who would infiltrate the company for them and act as enforcers. Thus the privatization backfired and rather than leading to widespread, but private-sector public ownership, instead led to ownership by an elite cabal of criminals.

It is believed, however, to be a very loose organization with internal feuds and murders being commonplace. Banking executives, reform-minded business leaders, even investigative journalists, were systematically assassinated or kidnapped. In 1993 alone, members of the eight criminal gangs that control the Moscow underworld murdered 10 local bankers. Calling themselves thieves in law (Воры в законе, Vory v zakone), Russian gangsters murdered ninety-five bankers between 1993 and 1998. Thief in law ( Russian: вор в законе, "vor v zakone" plural thieves in law "vory v zakone" is a skilled individual particularly

Beginning in the late 1970s systematically, the Communist bloc began encouraging large numbers of its people to emigrate to the United States and Europe. Encouraged by diplomatic feelers put out by the Soviet government, both the Carter and Reagan Administration in association with the government of Israel began pushing for the emigration of the Soviets' large Jewish population. That was soon joined by other non-Jewish ethnicities. By the late 1980s large colonies of former Soviet and Communist bloc subjects had been established throughout the United States. Most of these ethnic colonies became dominated by the Soviet crime groups who answered to their associates and superiors in the USSR. After the fall of the Soviet Union that emigration increased.

Via their large communities throughout the West and in particular the United States, since the mid-90s the crime groups have been trying to expand their criminal empire into the United States, most often via the trafficking of drugs, illegal weapons and prostitutes. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This has led to some brutal wars with the organizations already present, including the Italian Mafia, and Chinese Triads all of whom also had their own communities to operate inside of with protection. The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century Triad ( also known as) is a term that describes many branches of Chinese underground society and/or organizations based in Hong Kong and Macau and also

This has led to a number of alliances between the gangs of the former USSR and others. The group is believed to have links to Colombian drug smugglers and many smaller gangs as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Some also believe they are at the heart of gangs smuggling illegal workers west to the European Union and often Britain, though no proof has been offered for this at this time. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located While the home of the Russian Mafia in America is in the Brighton Beach neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, it is also widely believed that there is a prominent West Coast operation as well, with constant communication between the two coasts. BrightonCOOPsJPG|thumb|Newly built luxury condos on Brighton Beach]]BrightonSchool1438 Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The City of New York

The Russian mafia is ethnically diverse[2] [3] [4], Chechens[5], and Georgians[6]. Chechens ( Chechen: Hохчи / Noxçi) constitute the largest native Ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region The Georgians (ქართველები kartvelebi) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the The Russian Mafia is still operating and running today.

Organizations

Notable members

Foreign businessmen and the Russian mafia

An unknown number of foreign businessmen, believed to be in the low thousands, arrived in Russia from all over the world during the early and mid 1990s to seek their fortune and to cash in on the transition from a communist to a free market/capitalist society. Nikolai "The Russian" Radev was a Bulgarian Refugee who became known as a career criminal in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where This period was referred to by many of the businessmen as the "second great gold rush". A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of Gold.

Generally, 1990 to 1998 was a wild and unstable time for most foreign businessmen operating in Russia. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Dangerous battles with the Russian Mob occurred, with many being killed or wounded. The Mafia welcomed the foreign businessmen and their expertise in facilitating business and making things happen in a stagnant and new economy. The Mafia considered them as a good source of hard currency, to be extorted under the usual guise of "protection money". A protection racket is an Extortion scheme whereby a powerful entity or individual coerces other less powerful entities or individuals to pay protection money Many different Mafia groups would fiercely compete to be able to "protect" a certain businessman; in exchange, the businessman would not have to worry about having more than one group showing up demanding tribute from him. Many foreign businessmen left Russia after these incidents.

Foreign businessmen associated with the Russian mafia

The Russian Mafia in popular culture

Films

Video games

Comics/Anime

Books

Television

See also

References

  1. ^ [BBC News - The Rise and rise of the Russian mafia http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/03/98/russian_mafia/70095.stm]
  2. ^ http://www.jewishtribalreview.org/criruss.htm
  3. ^ http://www.doeda.com/mafia.html
  4. ^ http://gangstersinc.tripod.com/Rus.html
  5. ^ http://www.123exp-culture.com/t/03604190566/
  6. ^ http://www.123exp-culture.com/t/03604190566/
  7. ^ Oleg Liakhovich, A Mob by Any Other Name, The Moscow News
  8. ^ B. This page is a list of Criminal organizations including Organized crime groups criminal Gangs, or other organizations who engage in such activities for either profit Thief in law ( Russian: вор в законе, "vor v zakone" plural thieves in law "vory v zakone" is a skilled individual particularly Tattoos are used among criminals to show ownership of The Bitch Wars or Suka Wars (Сучьи войны or in singular Сучья война occurred within the Soviet labor camp system between 1945 The Chechen mafia, or Obshchina ( Russian: Община meaning "community" is one of the largest and most important organized crime (OC groups Armenian Power, also known as AP, is an Armenian Street gang located in Los Angeles County. Podstava (Подстава literally meaning "set-up" is a type of blackmail originating in Russia. The Russian Business Network (commonly abbreviated as RBN) is a multi-faceted Cybercrime organization specializing in and in some cases monopolizing personal identity Ohr, Effective Methods to Combat Transnational Organized Crime in Criminal Justice Processes US Dept. of Justice
  9. ^ Домашняя библиотека компромата Сергея Горшкова (Home library of Sergei Gorshkov)
  10. ^ US, COMM, PERM, p. 201
  11. ^ Russian-Armenian organized crime 'like the 1930s New York mob' Los Angeles Daily News
  12. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  13. ^ The HUMINT Offensive from Putin's Chekist State Anderson, Julie (2007), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 20:2, 258 - 316, page 309.
  14. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  15. ^ Telegraph - Mobster turns from gunning down rivals to shooting TV series
  16. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  17. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  18. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  19. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  20. ^ [http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2006/09/19/5630.shtml Kavkaz Center - Georgian Police Seize House of Top Russian Mafiosi
  21. ^ Jürgen Roth, Die Gangster aus dem Osten, Europa Verlag Publishers
  22. ^ Bandits, Gangsters and the Mafia (Martin McCauley)
  23. ^ Hughes, James, Chechnya: The Causes of a Protrated Post-Soviet Conflict, 2001
  24. ^ BBC News- Alleged Russian mafia boss cleared
  25. ^ Semyon Mogilevich, the 'East European mafia boss', captured in Moscow
  26. ^ Friedman, Robert I. Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
  27. ^ Aleksandr Zhilin, The Shadow of Chechen Crime Over Moscow, The Jamestown Foundation 1999
  28. ^ BBC article, with information on Alexander Solonik
  29. ^ BBC News, So Who are the Russian Mafia?, BBC Online Network, April 1, 1998
  30. ^ CNN:Russian organized crime implicated in skating scandal
  31. ^ Why gangland's bloody code is hard to crack John Silvester, The Age April 20, 2003

Further reading

  1. James O. Finckenauer & Elin J. Waring, Russian Mafia in America: Immigration, Culture and Crime, Northeastern University Press Boston, 1998, ISBN 1-55553-374-4.
  2. Mark Galeotti (ed. ), Russian and Post-Soviet Organized Crime, Ashgate/Dartmouth, 2002, ISBN 0-7546-2176-6
  3. Federico Varese, The Russian Mafia, Oxford University Press, 2001.
  4. Robert I. Friedman, Red mafya, Penguin Group, 2002, ISBN 0-425-18687-3.
  5. Yvonne Bornstein and Mark Ribowsky, "Eleven Days of Hell: My True Story Of Kidnapping, Terror, Torture And Historic FBI & KGB Rescue" AuthorHouse, 2004. ISBN 1-4184-9302-3.
  6. Teresa Staffer, "Russian mafia leaves Bay Area Jews alone, officials say," The Jewish News Weekly, March 22, 1996.
  7. "Red Cocaine," Joseph D. Douglass, Ph. D. (Chronicles Soviet development of South American drug cartels. )
  8. Claire Sterling, Thieves' World: The Threat of the New Global Network of Organized Crime, Simon & Schuster, 1994, ISBN 0671749978. Claire Sterling nee Neikind ( October 21, 1919 - June 17, 1995) was an American Author and Journalist.

External links

"Midnight in Moscow - Part Two Of The ISIS Project" by M. D. Johnson available September 2008

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