Organized Crime

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.

Looking at the characteristics, resources, and strategies of organized crime from around the world and the social, political, and economic context in which they function, Organized Crime provides a fascinating and in-depth account of the criminal underworld and its inhabitants. From Al Capone and Pablo Escobar to the lesser-known Russian, Chinese, and Southeast-Asian crime figures, this is an insider's guide to each organization's origins, codes of conduct, and control of illegal markets-and the law-enforcement agencies and justice systems around the world that try to stop them.