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Crime Families
A crime family is a unit of an organized crime syndicate, particularly in Italian organized crime and especially in the Sicilian Mafia and Italian American Mafia, often operating within a specific geographic territory or a specific set of activities. In its strictest sense, a ''family'' (or ''clan'') is a criminal gang, operating either on a unitary basis or as an organized collection of smaller gangs (e.g., ''cells'', ''factions'', ''crews'', etc.). In turn, a family can be a sole "enterprise" or part of a larger syndicate or cartel. Despite the name, most crime families are generally not based on or formed around actual familial connections, although they do tend to be ethnically-based, and many members may in fact be related to one another. Origins The origins of the term come from the Sicilian Mafia. In the Sicilian language, the word ''cosca'', which is the crown of spiny, closely folded leaves on plants such as the artichoke or the thistle, symbolizes the tightness of relat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organized Crime
Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, rebel forces, and separatists, are politically motivated. Many criminal organizations rely on fear or terror to achieve their goals or aims as well as to maintain control within the organization and may adopt tactics commonly used by authoritarian regimes to maintain power. Some forms of organized crime simply exist to cater towards demand of illegal goods in a state or to facilitate trade of goods and services that may have been banned by a state (such as illegal drugs or firearms). Sometimes, criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for "protection". Street gangs may ofte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Italian Nobility
The nobility of Italy (Italian: ''Nobiltà italiana'') comprised individuals and their families of the Italian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of the Italian city-states since the Middle Ages, and by the kings of Italy after the unification of the region into a single state, the Kingdom of Italy. Nobles had a specific legal status, and held most of the wealth and various privileges denied to other classes, mainly politicians. In most of the former Italian pre-Unification states it was the only class that had access to high-level government positions. They also practically monopolized the most distinguished positions in the city-states and in the Catholic Church for a long time. There were several different systems of nobility over time and in different regions. From the Middle Ages until March 1861, "Italy" was not a single country but was a number of separate kingdoms and other states, with many reigning dynasties. These were often relat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drug Cartels
A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking organizations reached an agreement to coordinate the production and distribution. The term is used to refer to any criminal narcotics related organization. The basic structure of a drug cartel is as follows: * Falcons (Spanish: ''Halcones''): Considered as the "eyes and ears" of the streets, the "falcons" are the lowest rank in any drug cartel. They are responsible for supervising and reporting the activities of the police, the military and rival groups. * Hitmen (Spanish: ''Sicarios''): The armed group within the drug cartel, responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, thefts and extortions, operating protection rackets, as well as defending their ''plaza'' (turf) from rival groups and the military. * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Mafia
Organised crime in India refers to organised crime elements originating in India and active in many parts of the world. The purpose of organised crime in India, as elsewhere in the world, is monetary gain. Its virulent form in modern times is due to several socio-economic and political factors and advances in science and technology. There is no firm data to indicate the number of organised criminal gangs operating in the country, their membership, their ''modus operandi'' and the areas of their operations. Their structure and leadership patterns may not strictly fall in line with the classical Italian mafia. Mumbai underworld The Mumbai underworld, also known as the Bombay underworld, refers to the organised crime network in the city of Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra in India. Mumbai is the biggest city of India and its financial capital. Over a period of time, the Mumbai underworld has been dominated by several different groups and mobsters. 1940s-1980s The powerful trio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triad Society
A triad ( zh , t=三合會 , s=三合会 , cy=sāam hahp wúi , j=saam1 hap6 wui6‑2 , hp=sān hé huì , first=t,j ) is a Chinese transnational organized crime syndicate based in Greater China and has outposts in various countries with significant overseas Chinese diaspora populations. The Hong Kong triad is distinct from mainland Chinese criminal organizations. In ancient China, the triad was one of three major secret societies.Wang, Peng (2017). ''The Chinese Mafia: Organized Crime, Corruption, and Extra-Legal Protection''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. It established branches in Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Chinese communities overseas.Chu, Y. K. (2002). ''The triads as business''. Routledge. Known as "mainland Chinese criminal organizations", they are of two major types: “dark forces” (loosely-organized groups) (）and “Black Societies" () (more-mature criminal organizations). Two features which distinguish a black society from ordinary "dark forces" or low lev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tong (organization)
A ''tong'' ()Chin, Ko-lin. "Chinatowns and Tongs". ''In Chinese Subculture and Criminality: Non-Traditional Crime Groups in America''. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990 is a type of organization found among Chinese immigrants predominantly living in the United States, with smaller numbers in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In Chinese, the word ''tong'' means "hall" or "gathering place". These organizations are described as secret societies or sworn brotherhoods and are often tied to criminal activity. In the 1990s, in most American Chinatowns, clearly marked ''tong'' halls could easily be found, many of which have had affiliations with Chinese organized crime.Peter Huston. ''Tongs, Gangs, and Triads: Chinese Crime Groups in North America'' (1995) Paladin Press, Boulder CO These associations often provide services for Chinatown communities such as immigrant counseling, Chinese schools, and English classes for adults. ''Tongs'' follow the pattern of secret societies comm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yakuza'' is gangster, meaning an individual involved in a Mafia-like criminal organization. The ''yakuza'' are known for their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature and several unconventional ritual practices such as ''yubitsume'' or amputation of the left little finger. Members are often portrayed as males, wearing "sharp suits" with heavily tattooed bodies and slicked hair. This group is still regarded as being among "the most sophisticated and wealthiest criminal organizations". At their height, the ''yakuza'' maintained a large presence in the Japanese media and operated internationally. At their peak in the early 1960s, police estimated that the ''yakuza'' had a membership of more than 200,000."Police of Japan 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irish Mob
The Irish Mob (also known as the Irish mafia or Irish organized crime) is a collective of organized crime syndicates composed of ethnic Irish members which operate primarily in Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia, and have been in existence since the early 19th century. Originating in Irish-American street gangsfamously first depicted in Herbert Asbury's 1927 book, ''The Gangs of New York''the Irish Mob has appeared in most major U.S. and Canadian cities, especially in the Northeast and the urban industrial Midwest, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Chicago. Organized crime also exists in Ireland, predominantly Dublin and Limerick, but only became of any significance in recent decades. The groups are not related to the American Irish Mob and most often consist of families focusing on the drug trade. United States New York Pre-prohibition Irish-American street gangs, such as the Dead Rabbits (led by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's administrative limits as of 2022. Its province-level municipality is the third-most populous metropolitan city in Italy with a population of 3,115,320 residents, and its metropolitan area stretches beyond the boundaries of the city wall for approximately 20 miles. Founded by Greeks in the first millennium BC, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world. In the eighth century BC, a colony known as Parthenope ( grc, Παρθενόπη) was established on the Pizzofalcone hill. In the sixth century BC, it was refounded as Neápolis. The city was an important part of Magna Graecia, played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society, and was a significant cultural centre under the Romans. Naples served a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sacra Corona Unita
Sacra Corona Unita (, ; acronym: SCU) also known as fourth mafia is a Mafia-type criminal organization and criminal society from the Apulia region in Southern Italy, and it is especially active in the areas of Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto. Origin of the name Informer Cosimo Capodieci said the SCU used "the ''Corona'' because it resembles a crown, meaning the rosary typically used in Church in order to carry out the functions of Jesus Christ and the cross... ''Unita'' because it was necessary to be connected to one another, similar to the rings of a chain." ''Sacra'' (Sacred) because at the time of the affiliation the new member is "baptized". History The Sacra Corona Unita was founded in 1981 as the Nuova Grande Camorra Pugliese by Camorra boss Raffaele Cutolo, who wanted to expand his operations into the Italian region of Apulia. However, with Cutolo's downfall a few years later the organization began operating separately under the leadership of Giuseppe Rogoli. According to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camorra
The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type organizations in Italy , by Umberto Santino, in: Albanese, Das & Verma, ''Organized Crime. World Perspectives'', pp. 82–100 and originating in the region of . It is one of the oldest and largest criminal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
'ndrine
The 'ndrina (, plural: ; , plural: ) is the basic unit of the 'Ndrangheta of Calabria, made up of blood relatives, and is the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia’s "family" or ''cosca''.Varese, How Mafias Migrate'Gratteri & Nicaso ''Fratelli di sangue''p. 27/ref>Nicaso & Danesi, ''Made Men''p. 23/ref> The word derives from the Greek, meaning "a man who does not bend". Each '' 'ndrina'' is "autonomous on its territory and no formal authority stands above the '' 'ndrina'' boss." The '' 'ndrina'' is usually in control of a small town or a neighbourhood in larger cities, even outside Calabria, in cities and towns in the industrial North of Italy in and around Turin and Milan. If more than one '' 'ndrina'' operates in the same town, they form a '' locale'', the main local organizational unit of the 'Ndrangheta with jurisdiction over an entire town or an area in a large urban center.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 29-30 In some cases, sub-'' 'ndrine'' have been established. The '' 'nd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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