Organized crime and its origins: a comparative case study

This thesis seeks to shift away from the traditional direction of research concerning organized crime, such as an organization’s characteristics, role in society or affect on international crime. Instead it determines the societal elements which allow for the initial appearance of criminal organizations and that permit them to strengthen and expand. By tracing the history of the two case studies, those of the Sicilian Mafia and the Russian Mob, and closely examining the environments in which they developed, five salient traits have been identified as crucial in the manifestation of organized crime. The combination of these five characteristics proves to create a climate where criminal organizations can easily emerge