comaparison and contrast of chapters in understanding organized crime in global perspectives

A detailed Summary of comaparison and contrast of chapters in understanding organized crime in global perspectives

The two articles to be compared are The Functions and Structure of Criminal Syndicates by Donald R. Cressey and Donald Cressey's Contributions to the Study of Organized Crime by Joseph L. Albini. Though the second article is merely an evaluation of the first, the goal is to show how Albini agrees with some of Cressey's points, and to present Cressey's evidence that Albini has rejected in a way that will challenge Albini's accusations.

In the essay written by Donald R. Cressey deals with Cressey's view on the organization and function of organized crime. First, he touches on how Italians and Sicilians perceive people and the occupation they dwell in. Next, Cressey shows how local organized crime entities combined to form a commission to overlook each other, while within this he touches on important morale concepts, and the hierarchy or the family itself. Lastly, Cressey goes through each of organized crimes big business's and explains how each operates and pays a profit.

In the essay written by Joseph L. Albini deals with Cressey's interruption and report of organized crime to the U.S. government in 1967. Albini starts off by reminding the reader that by no means was Cressey an organized crime expert, on the contrary

Albini indicates that when Cressey wrote his book Theft of the Nation instead of offering more substantive evidence for his task force report, he merely restated he's previous points with little or no elaboration (Albini p. 19). Albini himself has acknowledged the fact that Cressey felt that his life could be on the line for doing this task force report on organized crime (Albini p.18). Albini merely shrugs off the idea because he asked police officer Ralph Salerno if he was in any imminent danger, and the policeman responded "your as safe as a baby in the arms of its mother"(Albini p.18). Compare this to Cressey's essay when he breaks down into major points what organized crime is all about, stating one that it uses muscle to achieve its goals, and two seeks out every opportunity to corrupt and influence anyone in government to aide them in the future (Cressey 14). Whether this is some coincidence that Cressey's book merely backs up his task force report or whether organized crime managed to strike fear into his heart is for the spectator to determine.

Albini states that Cressey made a critical mistake in that he says the American Mafia and the Sicilian Mafia are not connected, but further rebuts that the Sicilian Mafia never existed as a structured organization (Albini p.22). In addition to this Albini indicates Cressey inferred that organized crime did not exist before the immigration of Italians and Sicilians (Albini p.22).

In contrast to Albini's accusation to there being no organized structure called the Mafia in Sicily, why as indicated in Cressey's essay did during the 1920's Mussolini have an official crack-down on a criminal organization in Southern Italy and Sicily (Cressey p.5). In respect to Albini's statement that Cressey did not address the p

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Approximate Word count = 1202
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People