Criminal Empires Flashcards
Give some reasons as to why Sicilians faced hostility in the US?
They were Catholic, they spoke a different language, and they set up areas of Italian ‘colonies’ that were completely removed from the regular US peoples. Ultimately, there was a lack of understanding by Americans
What are the main areas explored in McMafia- seriously organised crime?
Argues that after the Cold War there was a state of flux that triggered a rise in international crime. An explosion of narcotics, people trafficking, cybercrime which essentially created a shadow economy controlling 20% of GDP
What were these crimes a result of, in McMafia?
The result of a smaller world- trade routes and human movement saw huge changes. The world was experiencing relative peace (Pax Britannica) - only saw smallish conflicts. Movement and interaction opportunities, and normalised- cheap travel.
What did this new ease of travel allow for?
e.g. - ability of pimp Ibrahim El-Gharbi could get any boy/girl in the Middle East
What factors, other than improving technology, allowed for this globalisation of crime?
Imperialism- this distracted the energies of superpowers away from crime
Exploration- gives new resources and creation of markets
Exploitation- development of common language, racial theory
e.g. Joseph Silver - committed crimes across continents, pimping, killing, robbing
Is there any link between different nations and their crime?
Yes- there was a very inter-related nature of political and economic systems; refugees often brought criminal connections/methods with them
Could there be an argument that whole governments could be criminal networks?
Consider new types of criminals.
Yes- from our present day perspective, the treatment of colonies as subhuman is definitely criminal. E.g. Leopold’s Congo or the treatment of aborigines in Australia.
Another way government’s could be considered criminal is the theft of land by Western powers e.g. US West, Siberia, Australia. Further to this, man made famines as in British India or US Indian reservations
How did ease of money transfer help the globalisation of crime?
Sophisticated system of global markets, allows exchange between countries so criminals are not limited to a single area. This also provided funding opportunities- no longer drawing on your local economy.
What did the mafia originate as?
A counterfeiting ring. The standardisation of currency, paper money, and bonds allowed this
What did huge amounts of traffic do for crime?
Vast increase in shipping meant it was easier to hide taking a bit, this also provided a false sense of security due to the size of ships. Goods are not properly tracked. Systems of automation are very crude and in some cases helped criminals e.g. Laurent Deleglise arranges to collect luggage after missing the boat, and ‘forgets’ the keys
What did the growth of urban areas do to help criminals?
Increased anonymity. This sees a growth of gangs (often ethnic). There is an enormous inequality of wealth in cities and within close proximity. Greater opportunity for burglary, kidnapping, and muggings.
What was the emergence of the ‘city machine’?
Political officials were criminal lords that effectively ruled states Michael C. MacDonald and openly supports this corruption
What did the advance of technology allow for?
Development of new products, e.g. morphine, cocaine, heroin. Mass production techniques.
Did the globalisation of information effect crime?
Linotype revolution (1884) meant that newspapers were cheap and widely distributed. There was a creation of crime stories in order to sell papers e.g. jack the ripper This helped to suggest that there was a massive spread of crime and also suggested that certain ethnic groups were responsible for it. Newspaper circulation became dependent on crime
What efforts were taken to control the movement of people?
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, Padrone System in Italy and Greece
