The Russian Mafia has always exercised an important role in the Russian economy. The contemporary mafiosi are descendents of the seventeenth Century highwaymen and Cossack robbers. These men occasionally murdered families prior to raids preventing them from being captured. The Russia mafiosi made a point to remain aloof from the state. Mob men were actually spurned when returning home from fighting in the Great Patriotic War. The gangs begin to dominate markets such as car sales, spare parts, cigarettes, food distribution, and other markets that the Communist Party failed to provide under the Bolsheviks (Remnick196).

Since the collapse of Communism and the dawn of Capitalism, the Russian people have been troubled with innumerable obstacles. There are more than 3,000 gangs known generally as the Russian Mafia. They have proven to be a significant force in delaying the reform process (Goldman 58). The new Russian Mafia has involved themselves in every imaginable kind of criminal activity from drug trafficking and money laundering to protectionism, which penetrates into every area of society. Under the laws of the Soviet Union, the regulations were strong

The Puget Sound Business Journal reported "the Russian mafia is the most Western-like negotiating experience you'll have in Russia...unlike the slow-moving and fractured government the Russian mafia is businesslike and helpful" (18). The Russian syndicates seem far more organized than the legitimate government. The gangsters have a systematic method of retrieving "taxes" from their businesses under their protection. They use force. This is how they sustain control. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported an antidote about protectionism. There was a small store in Moscow selling groceries and other items, Vso Dlyah Vas or everything for you. It was one of the many new stores springing up in the new Russia. The store's front windows were smashed; yet, nothing was stolen. A few days later the store was closed; the owners left town (1B). They had failed to pay the appropriate people. This is just one example of mobsters smashing private businesses for failure to comply with their protectionism mandates.

"Biz in Russia." Puget Sound Business Journal. 7 March 1995: 18.

Europe. Connecticut: McGraw-Hill, 1999. 58-60.

Tanner, Adam. "Russia's Notorious Mafia Spreads Tentacles of Crime

The mafia demands a cut of the earnings but in turn furnish more than adequate security. The mafiosi provides protection from unaffiliated criminals and rival gangs. They ensure that property is not damaged or stolen. If entrepreneurs are visited by another organization, they must only summon their own mafia group. The two gangs will settle the matter themselves (Gustatson 105). This security is an asset that the State seemingly fails to provide. The Russian Mafia has more men and weapons than the Russian law enforcement. The police force is an intently corrupt place as is much of the Russian government. Both army officers and law enforcers are frantic for cash and willing to sell weapons such as guns, grenades, and rocket launchers (Remnick 109). The Russian Mafia is able to easily locate weaponry to carry out its duties as protectorate; while, the authorities lack money and personnel.

Gustatfson, Thane, and Daniel Yergin. Russia 2010: And What It Means

"The Russian Mafia Means Business." Economist 4 July1998: 60.

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Approximate Word count = 2318
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)