Russian organized crime: the continuation of an American tradition

This research examines the emergence of Russian emigre crime in the United States to determine whether such crime is representative of organized crime in the classic understanding of that term. The prior development of organi zed crime theory based upon the criminal progression of Italian-American or ganized crime families guides the analysis of criminal activity by the Russ ian emigres in order to maintain some sense of boundary maintenance between events and issues pertinent to the phenomenon of organized crime. With a m odel for Russian emigre crime in the United States established, the researc h examines the underlying characteristics of the emergent Russian criminali ty with a goal of determining which theoretical model, if any, this social system of criminality fits best. Case studies of recent motor fuel tax frau ds perpetrated in the metropolitan New York City and Los Angeles areas serv e as examples from which Russian emigre crime is examined, studied, and com pared. An assessment is made as to whether the criminality of the emigre Ru ssians can be correctly identified as being representative of organized cri me in the traditional understanding of this phenomenon. The analysis demons trates that the criminality of the Russian emigre crime groups is character istic of organized crime as this condition has developed and come to be ide ntified and defined by American society.