For many people, the Mafia is synonymous with organized crime, but due to the constant efforts of the government and law enforcement agencies, the traditional American mob has suffered some setbacks. This has created some setbacks. This has created openings more than amply filled by a variety of other criminal organizations hailing from many countries around the world. And though the names and faces may change, many of the rackets remain the same. This is a comprehensive reference to organized crime in the global era and the world's most notorious crime syndicates. Whether their business is counterfeiting, prostituting, gambling, smuggling, extorting or thieving, this book covers all the major criminal groups, their origins, their practices, and their place in the global underworld in more than 450 entries. Exposed here are Asian gangs such as the Yakuza, the Triads, and the Tong; the Jamaican Posse of the Caribbean; the drug cartels of South America; and the Russian Mafia. Each of these groups not only is a significant criminal power in its home territory but has also significantly infiltrated the American underworld. This look at the world's most active international criminals also covers other powerful world criminal leaders, such as the Krays in Great Britan and Ned Kelly in Australia.