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Robert I. Friedman

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Red Mafiya: How the Russian Mob Has Invaded America Hardcover – May 1, 2000

by Robert I. Friedman (Author)

4.4 232 ratings

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A prize-winning investigative journalist and author of Zealots for Zion provides an incisive exposT of the dramatic growth of Russian organized crime in both the former Soviet Union and the United States, discussing its role in the international financial world, drug trafficking, weapons sales, and other activities.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amid his efforts to expose the Russian mob, Robert I. Friedman learned from the FBI that "the most brilliant and savage Russian mob organization in the world" had put a $100,000 price on his head. Reading Red Mafiya, it's not hard to see why: this is a brave book about a troubling subject. Friedman, a freelance journalist, describes the research behind it: "I ventured into the Russians' gaudy strip clubs in Miami Beach; paid surprise visits to their well-kept suburban homes in Denver; interviewed hit men and godfathers in an array of federal lockups; and traveled halfway around the world trying to make sense of their tangled criminal webs, which have ensnared everyone from titans of finance and the heads of government to entire state security services." Their racket involves heroin smuggling, weapons trafficking, mass extortion, and casino operation, among other activities. "Blending financial sophistication with bone-crunching violence, the Russian mob has become the FBI's most formidable criminal adversary, creating an international criminal colossus that has surpassed the Colombian cartels, the Japanese Yakuzas, the Chinese triads, and the Italian Mafia in wealth and weaponry," writes Friedman. They've even penetrated professional hockey, as Friedman shows in an eye-opening chapter ("Federal authorities have come to fear that the NHL is now so compromised by Russian gangsters that the integrity of the game itself may be in jeopardy").

Red Mafiya benefits from a breezy narrative in detailing a master criminal operation whose influence on the United States is growing rapidly. Russian mobsters already have siphoned off millions of dollars in foreign aid meant to prop up their country's economy--and they may have a more direct impact on American national security concerns in the years ahead: "The Russian mob virtually controls their nuclear-tipped former superpower," writes Friedman. Now, there's a scary thought. Lifting the Iron Curtain seems to have been a mixed blessing: it let freedom in, and organized crime out. --John J. Miller

From Publishers Weekly

This disturbing, sharply rendered account tells how the post-Communist Russian Mafiya has infiltrated American life with tactical intelligence and a rare level of viciousness. Drawing from interviews with top Russian mobsters and police, journalist Friedman (Zealots for Zion: Inside Israel's West Bank Settlement Movement) trenchantly explores the brutal corruption of the U.S.S.R. and the anarchic greed that has flourished since its collapse, incubating a "criminal colossus that has surpassed the Colombian cartels, the Japanese Yakuzas, the Chinese triads and the Italian Mafia in wealth and weaponry." Friedman, whose reporting on this subject has appeared in Vanity Fair, the Village Voice and other publications, writes of one wise guy responsible for 100 hits and of "Tarzan"Dthe swaggering Miami mobster busted while attempting to tender a Russian submarine to Colombian drug lords. Friedman documents how the mobsters have imported their brand of terror tacticsDshakedowns, kidnappings, bombings and public assassinationDfrom Moscow to Russian communities in Denver, Brooklyn's Brighton Beach and elsewhere, and examines what he casts as the largely inadequate, uninformed responses by law enforcement. Perhaps most disturbing, he suggests, is this: following profitable 1980s-era gasoline bootlegging schemes, Mafiya criminals shrewdly expanded into numerous quasi-legal pursuitsDestablishing luxurious Russian-themed nightclubs, corrupting Russian migr ice hockey players and making inroads in Israel through their own Jewish ethnicity. Friedman isn't always in control of the bewildering array of players and narrative threads that make up his complicated tale. But there's much to praise in this frightening, urgent reportorial projectDa project that has resulted in death threats against Friedman, as he relates in his hair-raising introduction. Photo insert not seen by PW. BOMC alternate. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; First Edition (May 1, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316294748
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316294744
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #616,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #308 in Poverty
- #1,517 in Russian History (Books)
- #1,910 in Criminology (Books)

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4.4 232 ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They appreciate its history of the Russian Mafia and open discussion of Jewish involvement in organized crime. The storytelling is described as neat, compact, and colorful. Readers praise the clear, precise writing style. However, opinions vary on the information quality - some find it detailed and informative, while others feel it lacks depth and makes it difficult to understand the minds of the characters.

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Readability History Storytelling Writing style Information quality

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability and find it interesting. They say it's an entertaining read with good stories.

"...This was a magnificent book." Read more

"...There are some good stories, but most of the stories are told from third person and it's really tough to get into the minds of any of it's players...." Read more

"...on the subject of Russian Organized crime, not to mention the most entertaining read. Friedman (the author) not only names names (gutsy!)..." Read more

"...This book is an essential read if you want to understand why Bill Clinton said (Sept. 2010) it was the Russian émigrés and settlers in Israel who..." Read more

9 customers mention "History"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides a clear account of the history of the Russian Mafia. They appreciate the open discussion of Jewish involvement in organized crime. The book sheds light on the nature and history of the mafia, as well as political and historical events. It is considered one of their favorite true crime books.

"...which together provide a stunning and horrifying description of the Russian mob in America...." Read more

"...Also refreshing is open discussion of Jewish involvement in Russian organized crime...." Read more

"This book is perhaps the greatest authority on the subject of Russian Organized crime, not to mention the most entertaining read...." Read more

"Some very important behind-the-scene insights about political and historical events, linked to the fall of the USSR and how it gave birth to..." Read more

4 customers mention "Storytelling"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the concise and vivid storytelling. They appreciate the clear descriptions of the banks, players, and moves. The background information is helpful, providing a solid framework for the story.

"...It is colorfully told, and its main characters are colorful to begin with. The FBI was just awakening to the threat of the Russian gangsters...." Read more

"...This is how the mafia is owned and operated. It is truly amazing." Read more

"Brilliant!..." Read more

"Dated, but excellent background to where we are, and where we are going...." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the clear and precise writing style. They find it readable and like watching a movie.

"...The best writing rolls forth like a movie and that's true in the case of Red Mafiya. This was a magnificent book." Read more

"...Friedman has a clear and precise writing style and includes details that only he could collect, having personally met some of the major players...." Read more

"Light-shining writing on the darkest criminal organization in human history. Fascinating and chilling...." Read more

"Very readable. Released in 2000, and guess who shows up here?..." Read more

8 customers mention "Information quality"5 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the book's information quality. Some find it informative and fascinating, while others feel it lacks detail and gets convoluted. The subject matter is also praised as excellent research.

"A lot of detail and information!" Read more

"Robert I. Friedman's Red Mafiya, published in 2009, is a masterpiece of research on how the Russian Mafia infiltrated the United States and Israel...." Read more

"...of the stories are told from third person and it's really tough to get into the minds of any of it's players...." Read more

"The author is an expert and demonstrates his knowledge with details and footnoted sources...." Read more

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BC
Thrilling
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2007
Verified Purchase
The first thing I did after opening this book was to go online and see if Robert I. Friedman was still alive because I found it hard to believe he could write a book like this and not get whacked. I was relieved to discover that, while he is deceased, death came from a blood disease as opposed to the hands of Mr. Ivankov or any of the other criminals he exposes in these pages. Simultaneous to reading this work I have open a recently released book on the Mexican Mafia which greatly pales in comparison to the artfulness of this account. I had no problem with Mr. Friedman's organization. The chapters, for the most part, tell differing tales of different characters which together provide a stunning and horrifying description of the Russian mob in America. The personalities depicted are every bit as interesting as those in la costa nostra. Indeed, that Italian gangsters played bocce ball while the Russian ones played chess goes a long way in explaining why they have been as successful as they are. The best writing rolls forth like a movie and that's true in the case of Red Mafiya. This was a magnificent book.

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25 people found this helpful

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Philo
Very readable. Released in 2000, and guess who shows up here?
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
The book follows about a dozen key Mafiya men in the USA (and back and forth to Russia and Ukraine) from the late 1970s through the late 1990s. It is colorfully told, and its main characters are colorful to begin with. The FBI was just awakening to the threat of the Russian gangsters. The later book opens out into the world of offshoring and monmey laundering. It has neat, compact descriptions of banks, players and moves. I would like to see an update, as September 2001 and the pivot of the FBI toward terrorism may have reopened some opportunities for these folks. And I will be interested to see how our Justice Department and FBI are directed in this regard, in the Trump era.
And who shows up here? If you guessed Donald Trump, you win. Might fake news travel back in time? What was Trump doing in this story? He was having a very nasty guy (a guy who sent a very threatening and vulgar note to the author, reproduced in this book) living at Trump Tower, and Mr. Trump was also making money from (the author claims) some very nasty casino patrons. Now, unlike a bank, a residential complex and a casino lack certain "know your customer" laws to frustrate money laundering. (Some big well-connected banks have shown themselves selective in complying with those laws, anyway.) Of course, money laundering, we all know, never happens in foreigners' New York area real estate purchases, or casinos. All this means Trump's behavior (to the extent it is recited here, around page 132) may very well, on its face, be legal. But ethical? That, I suppose, is in the eye of the beholder. Let's say I would never take any of this money I see as blood-drenched (aside from passively receiving the benefits of capital flight into this system from sources we would rather not look at). But I'm just a common fool and a nobody, not a big player like the Trumpster. Surely Mr. Trump has displayed some interesting selectivity about which immigrants he seems to think are problematic or not.
Again, the trump name pops up at page 250, footnote, wherein "a top Russian crime figure in America, who once fought in North Vietnam for the Soviets," jumped bail on criminal charges and fled to Poland. "Before he fled ..., he turned over his mortgages for five pricey Trump Tower apartments to a Genovese [American mafia family] associate. The mortgages were liquidated and the funds were moved through a mafia-controlled bank in Manhattan's Chelsea." Well, certain people congregate around certain people. People are known by the company they keep, in business and not merely as personally. While certainly plenty of law-abiding people have or trade Trump Tower apartments, these do seem a status thing and almost a form of currency, a store of value, among a certain very sleazy global set. And this is our second White House?

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52 people found this helpful

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Very informative!
Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
A lot of detail and information!

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John
Invasion of US and Israel, watch out!
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
Robert I. Friedman's Red Mafiya, published in 2009, is a masterpiece of research on how the Russian Mafia infiltrated the United States and Israel. Friedman has a clear and precise writing style and includes details that only he could collect, having personally met some of the major players. It's accurate to say that he risked his life to write this book. Also refreshing is open discussion of Jewish involvement in Russian organized crime. Friedman is perfect for this job, having a Jewish background himself, and the book serves as a warning to the US and Israel that this problem must be tackled and is a national security issue for both countries.

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6 people found this helpful

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ML
2000, not sure how relevant it is today
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2010
Verified Purchase
I liked this book, but that's about it. It featured some key players in the Brighton Beach Brooklyn NYC Russian Mafiya that built their small empires throughout the 90's. There are some good stories, but most of the stories are told from third person and it's really tough to get into the minds of any of it's players. And it jumps all over the place and doesn't really give us a great sense of what was going on in the 90's as the Mafiya grew. Then it jumps to the financial money laundering schemes, mostly out of Russia and europe and it's hard to get a sense as to what was really going on. If the author had thrown in some schemes as they would have gone down, we would have gotten a much more interesting sense of how these Russians thought and acted. Average story telling. I wouldn't read it again. The author should have taken a page out of Ben Mezrich's (Bringing Down The House, Accidental Billionaire) style of telling a true story and this could have been a great book because the subject matter is fascinating to start with.

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6 people found this helpful

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Bryan C. Sawyer
Brilliant!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2010
Verified Purchase
This book is perhaps the greatest authority on the subject of Russian Organized crime, not to mention the most entertaining read. Friedman (the author) not only names names (gutsy!) but slays the sacred cows of political correctness but explaining who exactly are the "Russians" of the Russian Mafiya. You can't go wrong. The only negative criticism that comes to mind has nothing to do with the style or research the author put in, but the fact that it was written in 2000, and some individuals mentioned in the book may be dead or in jail now. But if you want the history of the the Russian Mafiya this will bring you up to speed before delving into a more contemporary book (such as "McMafia, to which this would make and excellent companion).

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5 people found this helpful

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SimonVan
Must know to understand our world
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
Some very important behind-the-scene insights about political and historical events, linked to the fall of the USSR and how it gave birth to criminal lords worse than any scenarist could imagine. Truly scary

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sarah brunk
Great educational tool
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
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For the basics

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Marina Sakhno Gill
Scary but a must read
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
If you want to understand what’s happening in both US and world politics today you must read this book. The seeds of corruption of the ruling class have been planted by the Russian mob for last 50 years. They’ve been bearing fruit for the last two decades.

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Randy Moyer
Things you should know
Reviewed in Canada on October 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
Red Mafiya was suggested thru Twitter to explain some interesting relationships which exist today in world politics. Of particular interest is the Mob influence on US politics...

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JR
Umfassende Darstellung, wie man sie auf dem deutschen Büchermarkt vermisst
Reviewed in Germany on January 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
Eine umfassende, spannend geschriebene Darstellung des Phänomens, wie sie auch für Europa interessant wäre. Leider weitgehend auf die USA beschränkt und auch ganz aus amerikanischer Sicht (daher möglicherweise etwas einseitig), zudem nicht ganz neuesten Datums. Dennoch ein Standartwerk für alle, die sich mit der Materie auseinandersetzen möchten.

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