Personal Perception of Organized Crime
Tina Martin-Fleming
CJA/384
January 22, 2014
Charles Davis
Organized criminal groups have been around since 1920’s, these individuals, fascinated, or placed fear with members of society. We typically gain our perception of organized groups by looking at crime shows and movies. These crime shows give you a brief description of what life is like living as a mafia or a member of a mafia group. Many people try to determine what exactly an organized crime organization is. Why do they not consider that local gangs as organizations? Organized crime is a structure of plans that are placed together among the members and usually created by the crime boss or the leader. (Lyman & Potter, 2007)
When I think of organized crime, I usually think mafia, John Gotti, and the movies Good Fellas, Al Capone. I think of criminal activity that could range from robbery, murder, extortion, and blackmail. This paper will describe my personal perception of organized crime. How my perception compares to the definition in the readings and what characteristics do I think is associated with organized criminal behavior.
The organized crime is considered an enterprise or group of people who engages in illegal activities with the primary purpose of profit. They are individuals who are involved in drugs, fraud, racketeering, robbery, armed assaults, gambling, and murder. These individuals are considered an intelligent group because they carefully plan and carry out their criminal behaviors. They are careful with telephones, paper trails and who they trust within their organizations.
Many of these members are longtime acquaintances who built their reputation through loyalty. I believe that they are so intelligent that it makes it hard for law enforcement to charge them with crimes. For example, John Gotti, it took a number of years for him to be accused with any offense even though they knew he was considered the crime boss. He had an organization surrounded by loyal and dedicated members, political blackmail, extortion his criminal enterprise protected him for a number of years. Often organized crime units carry out criminal behaviors through other loyal members of the group. John Gotti and member of the Good Fellas had other individuals who did their dirty work for them.
How does your perception compare to the definition in the readings
In the readings, Organized Crime, Chapter 1, law enforcement and the media portrays the organized crime unit as a single operation. They think their primary background is massive criminal organization made up of criminal acts of an Italian descent. During this time scholars, who studied organized crime, found that there is no single dominant crime organization. They found that organize crime consist of multiple ethnic and transnational groups. They operate together or apart and in conjunction with legitimate businesses and political entities. Organize crime are a group of individuals who work for the sole purpose of personal, political or financial power that exemplifies John Gotti.
What Characteristics do you think are associated with organized criminal behavior?
Many scholars who studied organized crime all agree that organized crime groups have to maintain a definite hierarchy among its members. It function according to the rules that are enforced within their organization. The behaviors that organized crime consists of are criminal acts that include drug trafficking, blackmail, gambling, extortion,