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Mafia and Organized Crime
Organized crime is both a group of people with some kind of formalized structure, engaging in sustained illegal activity primarily for profit, and the crimes they commit. The Mafia itself is a particular Italian organized crime culture that originated in Sicily and then spread into North America. However, the word Mafia has become both a popular expression for any organized crime gang and a term of art for a specific form of organized criminality adopting a quasi-state role.
Organized Crime
Organized crime is more than just crime that is organized. After all, almost any crimes committed by more than one person and with premeditation will involve a degree of coordination. Nor are any particular offenses to be considered organized crimes as such—organized crime groups carry out the ...
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