Organized crime is a widespread topic of concern among many Americans due to its popularity in the media and entertainment industry. The public is aware of its existence, yet is not fully aware of why and how this complex "underworld" exists. In order to fully understand this area of criminology, one must take into account the characteristics of organized crime, the variables that allow organized crime to thrive, its large-scale effects on society, and the measures that have been taken to extinguish organized crime.

The roots of organized crime can be traced back to periods of vast amounts of immigration within the United States. Many of the immigrants sought wealth and prosperity upon their arrivals but inevitably found themselves to be members of the lower class. While some groups, such as the Jews, were able to climb the social ladder, other groups faced hostility and racism, hindering their acquisition of wealth. Their movement toward crime can be explained by Cloward and Ohlin's Differential Opportunities Theory. This states that there are both legitimate and illegitimate means to achieve desired goals. In the immigrants' case, they "want what American society offer

Criminal Division. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2 March 2000. The firm analogy is founded on the assumption that criminal organizations are involved in different markets and face competition (from other criminal groups) within those markets. "One way to minimize such competition (and maintain a monopoly position) is to invest in weapons and hit-men who will physically deter potential entrants to the market" ("Theories of the Firm" 1996).

Nelken, David. "The Sicilian Mafia: The Business of Private Protection." British Journal of Criminology. 35.2 (1995): 287-289.

According to Ianni, there are six types of causal relationships within the networks of organized crime. The first relationship stems from childhood bonds in which the individuals were of the same race and socioeconomic background. The second segue into organized crime comes from the recruitment of talented young boys. There is also a high amount of involvement in organized crime that stems from past prison acquaintances. Although infrequent, the fourth type of causal relationship is with wives and lovers that have been known to take part in organized crime. Next are kinship ties, which are also capable of fostering criminal relationships. The last and most common type of causal relationship is between partners who are in complementary business positions. Ianni contends that the strengths of each of these causal relationships is due to the fact that each is "marked by a sense of mutual trust in the personal characters of those within the relationship" (Ianni 1998).

Some common words found in the essay are:
Theories Firm, RICO Act, According Ianni, United Organized, Opportunities Theory, FBI DEA, Theory According, organized crime, African-Americans Hispanics, Section OCRS, United Criminal, organized criminals, nelken 1995, miller 1999, theories firm, firm 1996, ianni 1998, causal relationships, theories firm 1996, organized crime kinship, segue organized, white-collar crime, extinguish organized crime, type causal relationship, ties organized crime,
Approximate Word count = 1639
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)