Russian mafia and the effects in society:

In today’s society, the Russian mafia is a growing concern and a threat to

American society. Criminal activities going on by the Russian organized crime in Europe

has grown and connected to other criminal activities occurring in American soil by small

cells of Russian-American gangs. Russian organized crime emerged here during the

1970s era of détente with the former Soviet Union, caused by many Russian mobsters

having to immigrate to the United States not for political asylum but to get together with

their fellow comrades in New York. The major threat of illegal immigration involving

mobsters is from what they bring such as a background of murders and dirty shame that

they left back in their old country to bring to the United States. The Russian mafia in their

home country had a lot of pull with governmental monopolies and made extortions to get

their ways. In contrast to the United States, They have strict laws over them that causes

them to pray on the weak.

Protection payments also known as protection rackets make society their client,

and local businesses another source of income by charging a certain percentage of the

businesses’ total net profit per month for protection if they are located in their “Turf”.

Protection Money not paid to the Russian mafia cause them to make death treats, and hurt

physically their victim to intimidate to pay or else. (2001 The Russian mafia: Private protection

in a new market economy. ALEXANDER SHVARTS) . Sources of income for the Russian

organized crime group include money laundering, diamond and arms dealing, cigarette

smuggling, health care and credit card fraud, cyber crime, and an appetite for violence.

According to an undercover FBI agent covertly working inside the organized group have

speculated that "The public has the perception that organized crime has largely gone

away," Mark Mershon, the FBI assistant director in charge of New York. "That of course

is not at all true." In a recent case in 2007 Russian crime lords have come up with a new

strategy to save money in taxes, by transporting blue dyed vodka and labeling it

windshield washer. This innovating new idea increases revenue for the organized crime

by saving the alcohol taxes which would benefit society instead of benefiting their

pockets. (Armen Keteyian “Undercover Look Inside The Russian Mob” CBS, May 13

2008 www.cbsnews.com//stories/2008/05/13/cbsnews_investigates/main4094344.shtml )

Russian governmental corruption may not spring to mind that it affects the United

States in any way, but it does. The Russian organized crime in Russia is very well

connected to government personnel and officials that are corrupt, example The exporting

of products and natural resources to Russia is very profitable while corrupt officials get

involved with the profits, This gets the Russian mafia interested. Direct involvement,

whether knowingly or not, commonly occurs when American businessmen and

corporations form partnerships with Russian companies. Making the partnership brings in

corrupt Russian officials and Russian mafia bosses to the deal for the profit sharing.

According to a report by Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs there have been placed a

large total amount of bribes and other illegal income received by government officials at

$100 billion in 1993 and 1994 in connection to the mafia. All that money being received

by the mafia and Russian governments were all by products sold by American businesses.

(Anderson, A. (1995). The Red Mafia: A Legacy Of Communism Economic Transition in

Eastern Europe and Russia: Realities of Reform

http://maps.unomaha.edu/Peterson/funda/Sidebar/RussianMafia.html)

All That money being tangled in Russia affects the American society in an economical

point. Typically it does not directly affect anyone in particular but it does affect money

that should be spent here in times of hardship.

The general public is not quite aware that fuel fraud is actually affecting directly

inside the United States. This is taking place mostly in California and New York. Costing

the federal and government a range of $2 billion in taxes. The Fraud is made by falsifying

state and federal tax forms which in fact creates the gas station owner more wealthy by

falsely putting the wrong amount of gasoline sold. Fuel fraud is also made by extending

fuel with blending tax-free additives such as transmix or alcohol and selling lower grade

fuel as a premium product. “These criminal groups will import tax exempt fuels from

other states or Mexico. Fuel will be exported out of state. Once exported out of state, the

tax liability will be extremely difficult to track.” According to ("The Looting of Russia."

U.S. News and World Report, March 7, 1994.) To make more profit these groups tend to

use violence to intimate the other local competitors to either increase their price of

gasoline, sell their property at a lower price than market value, or to close their gasoline

station. With Gasoline prices going up, the Russian mafia takes advantage of this by

mostly “watering down” the gasoline with alcohols and other addictives to increase their

pure gasoline and decrease their price per gallon. The fuel fraud is being monitored by

the FBI due to losses of tax money and scams arising out of this situation affecting

millions of people in New York.

The Russian government has moved forward with the full intent of completely

elimination the Russian organize crime ring. Problems have come up with this due to the

weak governmental power in Russia and their heavy corruption this will be difficult to

maneuver around .Russia can not do all the work, They must open themselves to broader

help such as the United States and the European countries. Promoting ideas and practices

increases Russia’s thoughts and ideas in how to dismantle the Russian crime ring with the

big help of the FBI and keep America safe from all the fraud and violence going on.

“Russia must look within itself to solve this vast problem of organized crime, and some

solutions are quite simple. For example, the requirement of businesses to apply for

operation licenses could be replaced with requiring them to register, which would lessen

the power and discretion of government officials“

(James Ruth “The Russian Mob: Organized Crime in a Fledgling

Democracy” http://smu.edu/ecenter/discourse/ruth.htm )

In today’s American culture, the media makes up a good portion of what the American

house hold thinks that there is a majority of the Russian mafia still out there. The Russian

mafia does exists but they do not show themselves as they are part of that group, marking

and signs that reflect of who they are and what they belong to are kept secret from the

outside world to avoid any attention.

Works Cited

2001 The Russian mafia: Private protection in a new market economy. ALEXANDER SHVARTS

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/rusorg4.htm

Armen Keteyian “Undercover Look Inside The Russian Mob” CBS, May 13 2008

www.cbsnews.com//stories/2008/05/13/cbsnews_investigates/main4094344.shtml

Anderson, A. (1995). The Red Mafia: A Legacy Of Communism Economic

Transition in Eastern Europe and Russia: Realities of Reform

http://maps.unomaha.edu/Peterson/funda/Sidebar/RussianMafia.html

The Looting of Russia." U.S. News and World Report, March 7, 1994.

James Ruth “The Russian Mob: Organized Crime in a Fledgling

Democracy” http://smu.edu/ecenter/discourse/ruth.htm

U.S Department of Justice :The threat of russian organized crime

By:James Finckenauer Yuri A. Voronin

http://ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/187085.pdf