Are you guy's out there familiar with the Russian Mafia.

In Europe they're taking over lot's of "business". Altough i guess they're controlled by our Sicilian friends.

How's that in the States for example.

First of all Don_Michel let me say to you grazie for all of the cool links to other sites which you frequently post. As to your question about the so-called Russian Mafia, are these the same folks who got caught trying to use decommissioned Soviet-era nuclear submarines for transatlantic dope-smuggling?

Don Rico,

Thanx for the graziare.

In Europe the Russian Mob is just as violant as the LCN was before the time of the so called "Commission". You know what i mean, the time before Lucky Luciano. Lot's of the members of the Russian Mob are former Phd's and highly educated persons from behind the "Iron curtain". There papers and certificates are worthless in the west, so they started to counterfeit driverslicense, passports and educational certificates. However, they're now also in big drugsdeals, major constructiondeals, computerfraude, blackmail, prostitution, etc. You name it they do it.

The level where they are working on is compatible to the level where the LCN was in 1930. Highly violent. Everey clan for it self, no commission.

Here in the States, and especially here in New York, the Russian mob is making a name for itself. They're into a lot of financial schemes, and they don't have to answer to the Italian boys (with whom they do a lot of business).

(A personal note) -

My neighborhood (Sheepshead Bay) is becoming largely populated by Russian immigrants, and thus the Russian mob is active in the area. About 15 years ago, I was making my living by driving a cab, and after having bought a new car and waiting for it's first maintenance to be finished, I stepped out of the garage for a smoke. There was a bowling alley parking lot next door, and I leaned up against the fence to relax when I noticed "someone" just sitting down in a deserted section of the parking lot. I walked over (after noticing that he wasn't moving) and discovered a guy, shot in the head. I went back into the garage from where the police were called. I read in the paper the next day that the guy had crossed the Russian mob in some investment scheme, and they just dumped his body there.

They don't play around!

It's like i said in my previous message:

Don't fool around with them, they're very violent. In Amsterdam we've got the same problem.

NB:

I wonder what will happen when they got really organised. At this very moment they're just cells, but when they bundle there force i'll don't know what will happen.

Here's part of a news story (from last week) on the Russian mob:

Russian Mafia Net Threat
By Laura Lorek, Interactive Week
July 16, 2001 9:16 AM ET

Organized crime rings in Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union are increasingly hacking into U.S. e-commerce and banking Web sites, posing an enormous economic threat.

Hackers have launched computer viruses and disruptive denial-of-service attacks, but the biggest danger comes from hackers with ties to organized crime breaking into computers, FBI officials said.

Spearheading the organized hacking rings is the Russian Mafia, security experts say. The Russian Mafia has infiltrated many businesses in the former Soviet Union, and is becoming increasingly sophisticated in computer crimes.

The Russian Mafia is operating in 50 countries, including the U.S., with representatives in every major city, according to Jeffrey Robinson, an expert on the Russian Mafia and author of The Merger. He said it has created a "wealthy cabal destined to become the most powerful special interest group in the world."

[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: SC ]

I've read that book by Jeffrey Robbinson.

Lots of information in it, also about LCN.
It can be ordered at:


The Merger

Maybe i'll put a list of interesting "real live" books on this board.

However, my personal opinion:

I'll guess that the Mafiya will grow bigger and stronger then LCN. It won't take them so much time as our Sicilian friends needed. They have good examples.

You gotta be careful mate; they probably have their own Omerta' thing

I'll bet they have. Nice suit's, big guns.

So are they more powerful than the Italians now?

Not yet Don Thomas, but it won't take long i guess.

They make alliances for only one or two jobs at the moment. In a sort term they will have a syndicate or commission as well. I think it will take them five till ten years to become as powerfull as the Sicilian organisation. But don't forget the "country" is much bigger, so there are more people involved. At this very moment they work together with the Sicilians, Colombians and the "former" Yougoslavian.

I guess the guys are very well equipped with all their Pertroleum connections. I mean, with some favours they could destroy a whole country's economy if you at extreme cases.

Sure Sonny, i agree with that.

Did you know that they have sponsored the Jordan Fomula 1 team. More details about that are in the book "the merger"

Since Russia is pretty much economically defunct, there has to be a mafia to help out right?

Personally, I think the Russian mob will have a lot of influence and may replace the Italian mob in time. They're harder to infiltrate, have vast international and political connections, millions if not billions of dollars at their disposal, violence is not a problem with them. Also, they will do business more readily with other groups if its in their economic self-interest.

If you ask me, they already have replaced it. As have the Asian mob. The Italian mob, at this time, is so behind that even the Federal authorities that hounded it in the 1980s have relaxed their investigation on them, especially on three families (Lucchese, Bonnano and Colombo) which are considered nearly defunct.

The Russians are making a name for themselves in Australia, buying up businesses in Sydney and on the Gold Coast.

There was an article in GQ (of all places) a couple years ago that said that they are preparing to build casinos in Cuba after Castro is gone. The Columbian narco dollars are their main competition but the Cubans don't like the Columbians. The Russians are making a name for themselves all over the world.
They have teamed with the Yakuza in Japan in the skin trade, bring women over for clubs. They are tight with Middle Eastern countries because they have access to weapons like missile technology and nuclear technology from the old Soviet military. They are now becoming experts in money laundering. There is a plane load of brand new 100 dollar bils that leave JFK airport every day for Moscow for the Russian banks supposedly. That is documented.
They have a gas tax scam in full bloom on the east coast and have gotten into book making.
They are poised to either be the heir apparant or as some would argue already the new kings.