The Russian Mafia

What is the Russian Mafia? This unique book explores this question by examining the emergence of the Russian mafia in the context of the transition to the market, the privatization of property, and pervasive corruption. The author draws on reports of undercover police operations, in-depth interviews conducted over several years with the victims of the mafia, criminals and officials, and documents from the Gulag archives. - ;What is the Russian Mafia? This unique book thoroughly researches this question and challenges widely-held views. The author charts the emergence of the Russian Mafia in the context of the transition to the market, the privatization of protection and pervasive corruption. The ability of the Russian State to define property rights and protect contracts is compared to the services offered by fragments of the state apparatus, private secu+M116rity firms, ethnic crime groups, the Cossacks and the Mafia. Past criminal traditions, rituals and norms have been resuscitated by the Mafia of today to forge a powerful new identity and compete in a crowded market for protection. The book draws on and reports of undercover police operations, in-depth interviews conducted over several years with the victims of the Mafia, criminals and officials, and documents from the Gulag archives.