Russian Mafia in America: Immigration, Culture, and Crime.

• Author: Ferrall, Bard R.
• Position: Review

JAMES O. FINCKENAUEUR & ELIN J. WARING, RUSSIAN MAFIA IN AMERICA: IMMIGRATION, CULTURE, AND CRIME (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998) 303 pp.

The notion that there is a "Russian Mafia," or that emigres from the former Soviet Union constitute an organized crime threat to the United States is not supported by the facts compiled by the authors in this study. To examine the question of organized crime among Russian emigres in the United States, the authors worked closely with the Tri-State (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) Soviet Emigre Organized Crime Project. In addition they surveyed hundreds of law enforcement agencies, examined indictments and trials of Russian emigres, conducted extensive interviews and studied the entire literature on the subject. The authors also examined the history of organized crime in Russia, reviewed the facts and myths of organized crime in general, and examined where the connotations of the term "mafia" are based in fact and where in myth. From this research, the authors concluded that whatever criminal organization exists among recent Russian immigrants is small scale, single-venture oriented, fluid, and unstable over time. This differs greatly from "mafia" type organization. The authors did not find the highly structured and stable "family," using crime and violence to support the ongoing organization, among Russian emigres. Rather, temporary associations to exploit some limited criminal opportunity, with individuals forming new groups as situations warrant were found. Although organized crime has become a significant problem in post-Soviet Russia, little interconnection between criminal organizations in Russia and among emigres in America was found. Thus, another feature associated with mafia-type criminal...