RUSSIAN'S MAFIA TODAY

The Russian mafia 

what mafia pervades the daily life of its country and has connections and control of the highest level's in its country's government  ? the italian mafia ,the colombian drug cartels , the chinese mafia ? 

how about russian mafia ?

The power and presence of russian mafia is one that transcend the daily life of its country. the term " mafia " can create specific stereotypical images for most americans. popularized through the media such persons as AL Capone , lucky luciano , and other italian or sicilian mafia members springs to mind . the american definition of mafia dose not transcend to the rest of the world . most people in the united states think of mafia member as a person who is in a particular gang or criminal organization ( the "boss" and his soldiers ) . Also , if the name mafia should arise in association with any crime, whether that crime be white collar or violent , most american immediately place blame on the mafia members. finally, the organizational structure of strict hierarchy and life - time codes are the popular views found in the united states . the russian meaning of mafia differs, dramatically in some areas , from this american perspective .

while american have specific parameters regarding what a mafia is and who a mafia consist of, in russian this membership is much more far reaching . According to finckenauer and mafia waring , those who comprise the russian mafia can include someone in an organized crime group ., those who control the economic and political power in various regions of russian , corrupt government employees , or in the past, the communist party itself (171). Because such a variety of persons can be considered a party of the mafia , Russians rightfully believe that the blame for the commission of mafia crimes , violent or non-violent , can fall equally upon an organized crime group member or a corrupt government employee . the mafia , no matter it exists , can not survive without the assistance of corruption with in the government . while russian therefor , place corrupt officials in the mafia category , most americans continue to reserve the image of a russian member to a "hitman" or "boss" . it is also noteworthy that many within russian believe that the term russian mafia is unfair to ethnic russains because the majority of those  involved in the mafia organizations are American , georgian , ukrainian , jewish , and belorussian .
There are two perspective regarding the origins of the russian mafia . one perspective feels the roots began in the 1600's among the large numbers of thieves . while unorganized and common in the beginning , the 1700 and 1800's saw an increasingly organized group that was responsible for the majority of crimes in the soviet union. it is claimed that these thieves numbered several million and lived by their own rules and jargon . the term vor described a professional criminal who did not engage in any legal activity . In order to become a vor a thief must be voted in by other vory. the vory lived by many codes , and among the top of this list was their  antigovernment philosophy . While this philosophy may have been beneficial to the vory in the earlier years . it also appears to be a stumbling block in current mafia practices. One in which everyday interaction with corrupt government officials is a necessity for an  organizations profits and power . current vory involvement involvement in the russian mafia varies among expert opinion. while some experts still the vory to have important status and influence among the russian mafia , other experts state that the vory have very little involvement and  are reduced to common street crimes.