Providing a fascinating and in-depth account of the criminal underworld, from Al Capone and Pablo Escobar to the lesser-known Russian and Chinese crime figures, this is an insider's guide to each organization's origins, codes of conduct, and control of illegal markets.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
From the obscure origin of the term "Mafia" to the hit TV series The Sopranos, Lunde, who, according to his bio, "has long been interested in the structure and spread of organized crime," surveys a subculture that most law-abiding readers will hope they never directly encounter. In the first section, "What Is Organized Crime?," the author gives a succinct overview, then in part two identifies four major areas of criminal activity: "Exploiting the Human Condition," "Supplying the Illicit," "Extortion and Protection" and "Manipulating Money." The bulk of the book focuses on crime groups by geographic or cultural origin, starting with the Sicilian Mafia and including those that operate in Britain, Russia, Japan, China, the U.S., Mexico and South America. Color and sepia-toned illustrations, ranging from photos of such recent white-collar felons as Nick Leeson and Michael Milken to mug shots of such legendary mobsters as Al Capone and grimly similar pictures of bloody victims of gangland hits, perfectly complement the incisive text. FYI: James Morton (Gangland International) is credited as the associate author.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Paul Lunde has long been interested in the structure and spread of organized crime, both in the pre-modern and contemporary world, and its relationship with power structures.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good overview of all organized crime.,
By The Next Professional Horseplayer "Rick" (SA, Hol, Dmr, Fpx) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Organized Crime: AN INSIDE GUIDE TO THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRY (Hardcover)
This book does a good job of covering all organized crime groups in the world.
The book starts out by giving a brief history of organized crime from the Blackbeard pirate days to the American Mafia. The book then goes into the illegal activities that are the bread and butter money makers for these organizations. From there the author dedicates a chapter to every type of group covering, The American Mafia, Sicilian Mafia, Drug Cartels, Yakuza, Triads, and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. Also listed were groups that I never heard of or did not know much about like Sacra Corona, and Camorra. The book has very good pictures and graphics. If you want to know about any of the groups in great detail, this is not the book for you. Just a good review of all organized crime in the world, and an excellent brief history on these organizations.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read, very interesting,
By Anthony (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Organized Crime: An Inside Guide to the World's Most Successful Industry (Paperback)
Excellent collection of information about organized crime throughout the world dating back to the 1800s. Along with the general text of the book which is arranged by region and semi chronologically, the books is also filled with snapshot bios of individuals and groups, graphic photos, and some maps to illustrate crime groups. Great beginning to end read but also good for a coffee table book. Well cross referenced within each topic as well.I think the book is good literature to better understand the impact and magnitude of organised crime in U.S. and the world history, as well as its adaptations to social, wartime, and industrial/economic changes. Highly recommended.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Overview,
By
This review is from: Organized Crime: An Inside Guide to the World's Most Successful Industry (Paperback)
For a coffee table-type book of less than 200 pages, this does provide a pretty good overview of the history, structure, and operations of major organized crime groups throughout the world and also offers a wonderful photo collection. Documentation is sparse, a few common legends are recirculated, and the sidebar on the Tommygun contains some inaccuracies but it's still a much better book than I expected.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Attempts by law enforcement and other agencies to provide a single definition of organized crime have been confounded by the fact that the activities of the criminal underworld are, by their nature, kaleidoscopic, constantly responding to shifts in market conditions and exploiting the myriad money-making opportunities provided by the legitimate overworld. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
national syndicate, fifteen families, national crime syndicate, carpet joints, organized crime groups, tobacco smuggling, labor racketeering, organized crime gangs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, Cosa Nostra, World War, Sicilian Mafia, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Soviet Union, Meyer Lansky, Vito Genovese, Christian Democratic Party, Hells Angels, Albert Anastasia, Black Hand, Carlo Gambino, Tammany Hall, Chicago Outfit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans, Frank Costello, Los Angeles, Coney Island, Cascio Ferro, Frankie Yale, South American Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Attempts by law enforcement and other agencies to provide a single definition of organized crime have been confounded by the fact that the activities of the criminal underworld are, by their nature, kaleidoscopic, constantly responding to shifts in market conditions and exploiting the myriad money-making opportunities provided by the legitimate overworld. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
national syndicate, fifteen families, national crime syndicate, carpet joints, organized crime groups, tobacco smuggling, labor racketeering, organized crime gangs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, Cosa Nostra, World War, Sicilian Mafia, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Soviet Union, Meyer Lansky, Vito Genovese, Christian Democratic Party, Hells Angels, Albert Anastasia, Black Hand, Carlo Gambino, Tammany Hall, Chicago Outfit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans, Frank Costello, Los Angeles, Coney Island, Cascio Ferro, Frankie Yale, South American Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
2
books
cite this book:
- Shadow People: Inside History's Most Notorious Secret Societies by John Lawrence Reynolds in Back Matter
- Five Families by Selwyn Raab in Back Matter
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