Russians Organized -not self replicating

[mayugastank]

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Organization and Structure
Russian Organized Crime Groups and Structure in Russia - In early 1993, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported there were over 5,000 organized crime groups operating in Russia. These groups were comprised of an estimated 100,000 members with a leadership of 18,000. Although Russian authorities have currently identified over 5,000 criminal groups in that country, Russian officials believe that only approximately 300 of those have some identifiable structure.11 Organized crime groups in Russia are not nearly as structured as those in the U.S., such as the LCN.

Knowledgeable sources within the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)12 have provided one model of the structure of groups in Russia. The principle behind this structure is to minimize contact with other cells that could lead to the identification of the entire organization.



Each boss, called a "pakhan," controls four criminal cells through an intermediary called a "brigadier." The boss employs two spies that watch over the action of the brigadier to ensure loyalty and that he does not get too powerful. At the bottom of the structure are criminal cells specializing in various types of criminal activity or functions such as drugs, prostitution, political contacts, and "enforcers." A similar structure places an elite leadership on top which is buffered by support and security personnel from the street operators who are commifting the crimes. Street operators are not privy to the identity of their leadership. Strategy and planning is done only at the top echelon in order to minimize the risk of detection.

According to law enforcement sources, those structures described above would fall into the old style of Soviet criminal enterprises. It is quite possible as organized crime has changed in Russia, so has the structure of these groups.

Thieves' Code of Conduct - There is a traditional code of conduct within this old style of organized crime in Russia called "Vory v Zakone," or thieves in law. This group existed throughout the Soviet era and continues today throughout the republics of the former Soviet Union. In this society the thieves in law live and obey the "Vorovskoy Zakon," the thieves' code. The members are bound by 18 codes and if they are broken, the transgression is punishable by death.

Law enforcement officials in the former Soviet Union indicate that most of the organized crime groups are well organized with sophisticated technical equipment, computers, transportation, financial support, and an excellent counterintelligence network. Those groups are involved in extortion, precious metal and raw material smuggling, money laundering, fraud, weapons smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and black marketing.


The Thieves' Code
A thief is bound by the Code to:

Forsake his relatives--mother, father, brothers, sisters...
Not have a family of his own -- no wife, no children; this does not however, preclude him from having a lover.
Never, under any circumstances work, no mafter how much difficulty this brings-, live only on means gleaned from thievery.
Help other thieves -- both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves.
Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices (i.e. dens, districts, hideouts, safe apartments, etc.).
In unavoidable situations (if a thief is under investigation) to take the blame for someone else's crime; this buys the other person time of freedom.
Demand a convocation of inquiry for the purpose of resolving disputes in the event of a conflict between oneself and other thieves, or between thieves.
If necessary, participate in such inquiries.
Carry out the punishment of the offending thief as decided by the convocation.
Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by the convocation.
Have good command of the thieves'jargon ("Fehnay").
Not gamble without being abie to cover losses.
Teach the trade to young beginners.
Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves.
Not lose your reasoning ability when using alcohol.
Have nothing to do with the authorities (particularly with the ITU [Correctional Labor Authority]), not participate in public activities, nor join any community organizations.
Not take weapons from the hands of authorities; not serve in the military.
Make good on promises given to other thieves.

Translated from: Dictionary: Prison, Camp, Blotnoi, Jargon

(Speech and Graphic Portraits of Soviet Prisons)

Authors-compilers: Dantsik Sergeyevich Baldaev,

Vladimir Kuz'mich Belko, and Igor Mikhailovich Isupov.

(Occupation of authors unknown.)

Russian Organized Crime Groups in the United States
Although Russian organized crime activity in the United States has been expanding for the past 20 years, its most significant growth has occurred during the past five years. In August 1993, the FBI reported there were 15 organized crime groups in the United States with former Soviet ethnic origins. 13 There is considerable debate in the law enforcement community as to the level of organization and structure of Russian organized crime groups in the United States. Additionally, many of the Russian emigres who are involved in criminal activity in this country may be career criminals specializing in crime areas having little or nothing to do with Russian organized crime groups.

Current information indicates that most Russian organized crime groups are loosely organized and do not have elaborate levels of structure. These groups are often influenced by their ethnic or regional backgrounds. They have formed networks that operate in situations of mutual interest and often shift alliances to meet particular needs.

There is ample information that Russian crime groups operating on the East Coast cooperate and communicate with West Coast groups. Additionally, Russian organized crime groups in the U.S. communicate and operate with organized crime groups in Russia. FBI Director Louis Freeh stated that over 200 of Russia's 6,000-odd crime gangs operate with American counterparts in 17 U.S. cities in 14 states. According to intelligence reports, members of criminal groups in Russia are sent to reinforce and consolidate links between groups in Russia and the United States. Russian organized crime figures are also sent to this country to perform a service such as a gangland murder or extortion.

The following example provides some insight into this activity.


According to law enforcement sources, Vyatcheslav Ivankov ("Little Japanese") a Russian organized crime leader, was believed to have traveled to the United States to organize ROC groups in the U.S. and establish links to ROC groups in the former Soviet Union. Ivankov is considered to be a highranking organized crime leader, or thief in law, both in Russia and the U.S. Ivankov was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, on June 8, 1995, for trying to extort $3.5 million from a Wall Street investment firm.

Vyatcheslav Ivankov

Vyatcheslav Ivankov Some descriptions of the more publicized Russian organized crime groups in the United States are as follows:
According to law enforcement sources, there are approximately 300 former Soviet Union crime figures and associates in the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose. There are approximately 600 to 800 Russian crime figures and associates in the Los Angeles area, home to the second largest number of Russian immigrants in the United States. These figures include members of the Russian and Armenian organized crime groups.

Northern California Auto Theft Group - A Northern California auto theft group came to the attention of law enforcement personnel in Sacramento and other parts of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State in early 1993. This group is primarily made up of blue collar type workers from the Ukraine and Western Russia. Specializing in auto theft and VIN switching, younger members of this group steal vehicles while the older members operate body shops. This group utilizes Interstate 5 to travel to Oregon and Washington to sell the stolen vehicle parts to other Ukrainian and Russian criminals. Additionally, this group is becoming involved in extortion, cellular telephone fraud, prostitution, and trafficking small amounts of narcotics. Group members have been known to carry weapons and are becoming increasingly violent.

This group does not appear to have any clear cut, well defined structure, though its members appear to have formed networks and cooperate with each other in their criminal endeavors.

Odessa Mafia - The Odessa Mafia is considered the dominant Russian organized crime group in the United States. This group established itself in the Brighton Beach area of New York City between 1975 to 1981. In the early 1980s the Odessa Mafia sent two sub-groups to San Francisco and Los Angeles with their leadership remaining in Brighton Beach. The San Francisco Bay Area Odessa Mafia group, unlike their southern counterpart, appear to be highly structured and well organized.

Secrecy surrounds their activities and the language barrier creates additional problems for law enforcement authorities. This has resulted in very liftle information concerning the hierarchy, the scope of their operations, and the number of members. This crime group is believed to be involved in extortion, money laundering, fraud, loan sharking, and homicide.

Armenian Organized Crime Groups - The Hollywood area of Los Angeles and the city of Glendale are the focal points for Armenian organized crime activity. This area has the largest Armenian population outside of the Republic of Armenia.

According to law enforcement sources, several Armenian organized crime groups are becoming well organized with a structured hierarchy. There are in excess of 450 members and associates of these groups. These crime groups are involved in extortion, fuel frauds, credit card fraud, murder, kidnap, and narcotics trafficking. One group is believed to have approximately 150-200 members. Several members of this organized crime group were convicted in 1994 in Los Angeles of attempted murder, kidnaping, and extortion. This group is believed to be responsible for extorting a number of victims in the Armenian community.

[mayugastank]

Essentially,they lack structure ,hold no official way to become a member -and most of these groups come and go and fade away-out of the thousands of Russian Mobsters -only 300 groups had a structure. Out of those 300 only a handful were actually considered crime groups-this in my opinion is why you may have Russian Mafioso who excel in a criminal venture but not a single Russian group who are capable of self replicating-hitting snitches or continuing a criminal enterprise. Just like Pablo Escobar, they may be here a minute but they fade with the time. These guys are way overhyped. Anyone is labeled a mafia leader ,even police captains, ex-KGB officials and soldiers. THIEVES CODE among law enforcement? how about Manuel Ortega and his deals with the goverments of Nicaragua,El Salvador. What about FARC -who snitch and drop dimes on their enemies regularly? MAFIA my ass .......

[thewestside]

The vor v zakone are more traditional in terms of membership and more hierarchial in their organization, but most Russian and Eastern European groups have a much more horizontal, descentralized, and fluid structure. While Russian and Eastern European groups are a major organized crime threat in their respective countries and around the world, I do think the whole "Red Mafia" thing has been overblown here in the U.S. by both the press and some in law enforcement over the past 20 years.

[Faciulina]

there are only 3 criminal organization in the world capable of replicating themselves for even centuries, the italian mafia, the yakuza and (maybe) the triads

[mayugastank]

there are only 3 criminal organization in the world capable of replicating themselves for even centuries, the italian mafia, the yakuza and (maybe) the triads

The Yakuza is not self replicating. They are new! They are overhyped as well -they were a post world war 2 invention. They didnt begin to flourish till after world war 2. The ideas of tattooing themselves came from hispanic street gangs -as they didnt begin to tattoo till after the 1960s-dont believe the hype

[Faciulina]

The Yakuza is not self replicating. They are new! They are overhyped as well -they were a post world war 2 invention. They didnt begin to flourish till after world war 2. The ideas of tattooing themselves came from hispanic street gangs -as they didnt begin to tattoo till after the 1960s-dont believe the hype

i thought the yakuza was old... are you saying they started only after the world war 2? the yakuza is sure younger than italian mafia, but i thought it started at the ending of 1800s

[thewestside]

The ideas of tattooing themselves came from hispanic street gangs -as they didnt begin to tattoo till after the 1960s-dont believe the hype

False.

[mayugastank]

The ideas of tattooing themselves came from hispanic street gangs -as they didnt begin to tattoo till after the 1960s-dont believe the hype

False.

NO ITS NOT FALSE. The first ideas of patterned tattoing meaning modern tattooing and ideas of color in patterns are an American invention. That style of tattooing didnt happen till after the 1950s -prior to this tattoo guns -colored patterns and formwork were unheard of -the tattoos of history-are either simply in style -lack color or are mediocre in their detail. Officialy tattooing en masse and the ideas of today almost exclusively started amongst sailors and hispanic gang members. Of which only in ELA did that style become dominant in its form. Simply open up any tattoo magazine and youll see that far and wide chicano style artwork is blasted on every page and our ideas made tattoing what it is WORLDWIDE.

[mayugastank]

The Yakuza is not self replicating. They are new! They are overhyped as well -they were a post world war 2 invention. They didnt begin to flourish till after world war 2. The ideas of tattooing themselves came from hispanic street gangs -as they didnt begin to tattoo till after the 1960s-dont believe the hype

i thought the yakuza was old... are you saying they started only after the world war 2? the yakuza is sure younger than italian mafia, but i thought it started at the ending of 1800s

YES THEY ARE POST world war 2. Their were japenese bandits before the Yukuza but they arent representative of who the yukuza are now and after WW2 -its not even at all like the yukuza you see who is tattooed and business like-those ideas didnt happen till after WW2. And honestly WAY later about the 1980s or so!

[mayugastank]

These members include the bakuto (traditional gamblers) and the tekiya (street peddlers). These terms are still used today to describe yakuza members today, although a third group, gurentai (hoodlums) has been added in the post World War II era. Everyone in those groups came from the same background: poor, landless, delinquents and misfits. The groups stuck closely in the same small areas without problems, as the bakuto remained mostly along the higways and towns, and the tekiya operated in the markets and fairs of Japan.

The yakuza began organizing into families, adopting a relationship known as oyabun-kobun (father-role/chiled-role). The oyabun was the "father," providing advice, protection and help; the kobun acted as the "child," swearing unswerving loyalty and service whenever the oyabun needed it.

The initiation ceremony for the yakuza also developed in this period of time. Instead of the actual bloodletting that was practiced by the Mafia and the Triads, the yakuza exchanged sake cups to symbolize the entrance into the yakuza and the oyabun-kobun relationship. The amounts of sake poured into each cup depended upon one's status, whether the participants were father-son, brother-brother, elder-younger, etc. The ceremony was usually performed in front if a Shinto altar, giving it religious significance. (Kaplan, p18-20)


Their initiation ceremonys didnt happen till after WW2 -they did not tattoo themselves till after the examples of WESTERN TATTOOING was introduced after world war 2. They werent even a crime group till the 1950s.

[thewestside]

NO ITS NOT FALSE. The first ideas of patterned tattoing meaning modern tattooing and ideas of color in patterns are an American invention. That style of tattooing didnt happen till after the 1950s -prior to this tattoo guns -colored patterns and formwork were unheard of -the tattoos of history-are either simply in style -lack color or are mediocre in their detail. Officialy tattooing en masse and the ideas of today almost exclusively started amongst sailors and hispanic gang members. Of which only in ELA did that style become dominant in its form. Simply open up any tattoo magazine and youll see that far and wide chicano style artwork is blasted on every page and our ideas made tattoing what it is WORLDWIDE.

Your information simply sucks. And that's because your research sucks. Probably because you're too concerned with trying to give credit to Hispanic gangs for coming up with tattoos. Tattooing, known as "Irezumi" in Japan, goes back centuries. The Yakuza were tattooing themselves long before Hispanic gangs came along.

[Coup]

LOL....tattooing is much older than the modern gang culture that we see now. Shit, you can go back to the Somoans, Africans, shit most tribal peoples tattooed before what we call modern gangs came along.

I have to go read your thread about tattoos in the race section....I glanced over it once and really didn't pay attention to what you were trying to point out..

[mayugastank]

NO ITS NOT FALSE. The first ideas of patterned tattoing meaning modern tattooing and ideas of color in patterns are an American invention. That style of tattooing didnt happen till after the 1950s -prior to this tattoo guns -colored patterns and formwork were unheard of -the tattoos of history-are either simply in style -lack color or are mediocre in their detail. Officialy tattooing en masse and the ideas of today almost exclusively started amongst sailors and hispanic gang members. Of which only in ELA did that style become dominant in its form. Simply open up any tattoo magazine and youll see that far and wide chicano style artwork is blasted on every page and our ideas made tattoing what it is WORLDWIDE.

Your information simply sucks. And that's because your research sucks. Probably because you're too concerned with trying to give credit to Hispanic gangs for coming up with tattoos. Tattooing, known as "Irezumi" in Japan, goes back centuries. The Yakuza were tattooing themselves long before Hispanic gangs came along.

CENTURYS? BS you dont know how to read!!!


! In 1827, publisher Kagaya Kichibei commissioned Utagawa Kuniyoshi to produce a series of woodblock prints illustrating the 108 heroes of the Water Margin.[7] The 1827-1830 series, called 108 Heroes of the Water Margin or Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori, catapulted Kuniyoshi to fame.[7][8] It also brought about a craze for multicolored pictoral tattoos that covered the entire body from neck to mid-thigh.[8]
Following the great commercial success of the Kuniyoshi series, other ukiyo-e artists were commissioned to produce prints of the Water Margin heroes, which began to be shown as Japanese heroes rather than the original Chinese personages.[7]

Among these later series was Yoshitoshi's 1866-1867 series of 50 designs in Chuban size, which are darker than Kuniyoshi's and feature strange ghosts and monsters.[7]



What a crock ! the patterns seen today could never have been completed without the use of a gun which penetrates past the dermis and into the epidermis -essentially a full body tattoo -wouldve taken 1000 years to ink! Another thing the tattoo gun was invented in the good ole USA. Also the first colored ink capable of being permenant wasnt discovered till the 1950s-what you point out as a culture of tattooing was in fact similiar to what all cultures had! simple lines and cultural symbols. The japense didnt begin to tattoo in the fashion that is now YUKUZA till after WW2 as my argument made clear!

[mayugastank]

ONE MORE THING HISPANIC GANGS OWN TATTOOING PATTERNS -the stylization of modern american tattooing is almsot completely owned by hispanic americans-open up any tattoo magazine and youll see the tribute-the symbols and lettering hispanic gangs made popular. This months issues of skin art and inked both have covers featuring hispanic tattoos....just about any page on any months issue is filled to the brim with styles WE made popular. You point to the japense having centurys old tattooing as culture yet your research was faulty -is wasnt till after a book influenced japense culture -that the styles seen on the YUKUZA were made popular( early 1900s!)-and it wasnt till after the 50s that those patterns recieved color. A little in depth research couldve showed you that! The dragons-fish-birds and creatures werent apart of Japenese culture till after the printing of the book in the early 1900s. You might rephrase and say CENTURY instead of CENTURIES!

[mayugastank]

Samuel O'Reilly was a successful New York tattoo artist and the inventor of the modern rotary tattoo machine, which he patented in 1891.[1][2] He began tattooing in New York around 1875.[3] O'Reilly's machine was based on the rotary technology of Thomas Edison's autographic printing pen.[4] It was the first tattooing device which ran off of electricity.[5] Tattoo machines have had very few changes since then.[6] O'Reilly owned a shop in New York City at #11 Chatham Square.[7] Charles Wagner worked with O'Reilly as an apprentice.[8] In 1908, Samuel O'Reilly fell while painting his house and died.


The invention of the tattoo gun-right here in the USA. Without it no full body tattoo

[Coup]

Mayuga, check your facts homie....the Japs been full body tattooing for centuries...they used a needle on a bamboo stick...hours of pain homie.

The History of Japanese Tattoos

The history of Japanese tattoos goes back to 10,000 BCE. The woman of the Ainu people used tattoos to make themselves look like their goddess, so that demons (who caused diseases) would mistake them for the goddess and get scared. These tribal tattoos started at an early age with a small tattoo on the upper lip. When growing older this small tattoo was expanded.

From 300 BC to 300 AD tattoos were used for spiritual and social purposes. Just like in other tattoo cultures, they were an indicator of ones social status.

From 300 AD on, tattoos were used in Japan to mark criminals. This practice is called bokukei or bokkei. Japan was the last country to stop marking criminals with tattoos (in 1870). People started covering up these marks of shame with more decorative tattoos and that's how the art started.



Japanese Tattoo Art (1870)

Tattooing in Japan reached its zenith in the 1800s, during the Edo period, a time when the power and influence of the common people was very much on the rise. One way in which people chose to use their new-found wealth was to celebrate their art and culture with tattoos. The beauty of the images created was considered a reward for enduring what was, at the time, a long and painful process.

Around 1870 the Japanese government outlawed tattoos in order to make a good impression on the Western world. As a result, Japanese tattoos went underground and became affiliated with the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia.



Tattooing in Japan was legalized again in 1945 by the occupying forces, but never really lost its association with crime. Even today people with tattoos are still banned from businesses like fitness centers, in an attempt to restrict the yakuza from entering their place.

[mayugastank]

I do check my facts its you whom didnt!.....The culture of tattooing goes to the beginings of man. Their was an ancient eurasian discovered with markings preserved on his skin goinbg back thousands of years. The aztecs -incas -ancient africans-mauris( whom were killed for their heads) romans-visogoths and others were tattooed in nonintricate designs-NONINTRICATE is the key! Squirrly lines-dots to represent kills-war designs signifying a kill in battle or shaman signs-The YUKUZA is a post world war 2 invention-just like the masons -they claim an ancient lineage -HOWEVER the truth is that during the endo-period the groups that existed thence had no structure were bandits and outlaws WHO DID NOT TATTOO THEMSELVES. Yet the yukuza hoping to create some illusions about their beginings latched onto the history of these bandits and claimed to come from them. It would be like the modern CHOLO claiming to have evolved from ancient aztec tribes! The designs seen on the YUKUZA are not even part of japenese culture-those designs are part of CHINESE culture! After the writing of a certain book -a craze took off following an illustrated copy of thus book THE HEROES OF THE WATER MARGIN-the ideas came from chinese artistry and culture-not japanese culture. It was about 1870 -when the beginings of full body tattoos took off in Japan. It would take decades to finish designs using the woodblock method and any color added to the tattoo was not permenant. Colored tattoo ink wasnt discovered till 1953 in NEW YORK -USA. Permanent colored ink was not used in full body tattoos by the Japenese. The yukuza has latched onto some sort of medieval history when in actuality they didnt evolve as culture till ideas from the west were introduced to Japan -by US servicemen. The tattoo gun and colored ink revolutionized tattooing period and patterned designs and intricate detail -were extremely rare outside of the USA. Chicano street gangs have been tattooing and revolutionalizing the patterns seen throughout the world -the two most influential cultures in tattooing worldwide are chicano streetgangs and oceanic designs. Simplky click on ANY tattoo link or open up ANY tattoo magazine and youll see clearly that oceanic (hawaiian-japenese colored-chinese) and US born chicano themework is not lacking ON ANY PAGE! Every single page fromcover to cover will hold the patterns poularized-and invented by hispanic street gangs-its evenly split between the designs of ELA and the patterns of asia.

[Coup]

The invention of the tattoo gun-right here in the USA. Without it no full body tattoo

This is what I was replying too homie....

[Coup]

The invention of the tattoo gun-right here in the USA. Without it no full body tattoo

This is what I was replying too homie....

Full bodies was going on without the gun....

[cliffard]

not true about yakuza being a post ww2 thing, the big families were about in the 1910s - 1920s, the tradition of yakuza goes back to the togukawa shogunate, which started in the 1600s and ended when commodore perry landed....

[Ha330]

Not only did the Yakuza start in the 1600s, but it was formed from loose knit criminal groups and families, who only started to band together after they were forcefully tattooed as PUNISHMENT for crimes.

That's how the Yakuza tradition began, from trying to put fanciful designs around and over the tattoos that identified them as convicted criminals.

That is centuries before WW2...

[Babmuk]

Russians "kinda" Organized in Russia not USA,they got their hands in oil gas and earth resourses,,billions of dollars,but still they r having war right now.2 clans.And Mafia is a big word.i would call them all gangs.I was there for 2 months just came back about 2 weeks ago and from what ive heard people in goverment,each of them got at least 2-3 criminal records..now all the mafia in the goverment.

[mayugastank]

Not only did the Yakuza start in the 1600s, but it was formed from loose knit criminal groups and families, who only started to band together after they were forcefully tattooed as PUNISHMENT for crimes.

That's how the Yakuza tradition began, from trying to put fanciful designs around and over the tattoos that identified them as convicted criminals.

That is centuries before WW2...

ABSOLUTELY FALSE. The rebirth of the Yukuza is a WW2 invention and they wield limited power today in Japan. They are also not a secretive society as has been claimed and openly do their affairs in public going as far as putting on charity events. They also RARELY ever committ a homicide. They would be more of a group then an organization in Japan. Comparable to the definition of criminal Organization --the Triads and Russian mob BOTH dont fit the definition and would resemble what they do in the states. Loose knit criminals of the same nationality getting together to committ a crime but not particularly being a group. The only European or White groups we have in the USA are the La Cosa Nostra and Armenian Power ( who were formed on the identity of Mexican American gangs in Los Angelos. )