SOC229 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Organized Crime, Prohibition In The United States, Small Business
Document Summary
The mafia (cosa nostra) model of organized crime. No one definition: lack of consensus. Characteristics of organized crime involves criminal conspiracy between 2 or more individuals. 1: profit driven (apolitical) sale of illicit goods and services; on-going; consensual (non-predatory, potential for violence (not going to use a court if the client doesn"t pay, corruption. Protecting leadership (bosses unlikely to deal or smuggle; those at the top in leadership are less likely to be involved in dangerous aspects; all efforts are made to protect the boss) Trail that leads to growers in s. america: secrecy. Next up the chain is unknown to you. Cartels don"t actually control drug sales, they"re just supplying (role of distributer/wholesaler) Smaller fragmented independents selling to ethnic groups; can"t connect people to each other this way; can"t get caught or arrested, also protects leader. Drug traffickers rationalize that they are businessmen. Operate on same set of business principles.
