Author Description

Organized crime is a global phenomenon. From Sicily came the Mafia; Japan spawned and then exported the Yakuza, as China did its Triads, and post-Soviet Russia saw the birth and rapid escalation of its very own Mafia. These criminal fraternities differ from common criminal gangs in that they operate much like legitimate business corporations, highly efficient and massively profitable, with a definite hierarchical structure. There was a time when these various criminal fraternities were solely a problem for the country that created them. Today, however, organized crime has gone international, and North America, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia are now hosts to all of them. These groups, deadly and potentially ruinous to the world's economy, will stop at nothing to preserve their interests. Each title in this series contains a foreword from the Chairman of the National Law Enforcement Association, color photos throughout, charts, and back matter including: an index, chronology, and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text f