Civil RICO: The Legal Galaxy\u27s Black Hole

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute\u27 was enacted as part of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. Congress passed it in response to a growing concern over the pervasive influence of organized crime in America? The statute contains both criminal penalties and civil sanctions, and civil RICO actions are available to both the government and to private individuals. It is a complex, powerful, and controversial law. In its private civil version, RICO is evolving into something quite different from the original conception of its enactors? It offers a federal forum and mandatory treble damages with attorneys fees to successful plaintiffs. For these reasons, civil RICO claims are included with increasing frequency in conventional labor disputes, pension benefit claims, and wrongful discharge action