organized crime
Mafia-style activity
Organized crime refers to criminal activity conducted by structured groups operating as ongoing enterprises—drug cartels, the Mafia, street gangs with hierarchies.
The organization provides continuity, protection, and efficiency that individual criminals lack.
The FBI's organized crime unit investigated the syndicate for years.
The term also describes this phenomenon collectively: Organized crime has infiltrated legitimate businesses throughout the region.
Criminal organization using intimidation
- cartelPrice-fixing coalition
- Cosa NostraSicilian criminal organization
- gangOrganized criminal group
- syndicateCombined group pursuing shared interest
mob · outfit · ring · crew · network · brotherhood · tong · MS-13
Conducting illegal business schemes
- extortionObtaining through threats
- money launderingDisguising criminal proceeds' origins
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
- traffickingIllegal transport for profit
loan sharking · protection racket · illegal gambling · bootlegging · counterfeiting · fencing · black market · drug trade
Corrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- payoffsBenefits gained from effort
- graftIllicit political gain
- collusionFraudulent secret cooperation
quid pro quo · backroom deals · witness tampering · obstruction · insider · on the take · envelope · patronage
Criminal vow of silence
- code of silenceTacit agreement against disclosure
- blood oathVow sealed by bloodshed
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- loyaltyFaithful commitment to another
vendetta · honor · respect · tribute · sit-down · family · territory · turf
Disguising criminal proceeds' origins
- shell companyInactive firm for transactions
- front companyBusiness concealing illicit operations
- smurfingEvasive transaction splitting
- structuringImposing systematic order
offshore account · tax haven · layering · integration · placement · dirty money · wire transfer · nominee
mafia
Criminal organization using intimidation
- cartelPrice-fixing coalition
- Cosa NostraSicilian criminal organization
- gangOrganized criminal group
syndicate · mob · outfit · ring · crew · network · brotherhood · tong · MS-13 · snakehead
racketeering
Conducting illegal business schemes
- extortionObtaining through threats
- money launderingDisguising criminal proceeds' origins
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
trafficking · loan sharking · protection racket · illegal gambling · bootlegging · counterfeiting · fencing · black market · drug trade · prostitution ring
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
collusion · quid pro quo · backroom deals · witness tampering · obstruction · insider · on the take · envelope · patronage
omertà
Criminal vow of silence
- code of silenceTacit agreement against disclosure
- blood oathVow sealed by bloodshed
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
loyalty · vendetta · honor · respect · tribute · sit-down · family · territory · turf · contract
money laundering
Disguising criminal proceeds' origins
- shell companyInactive firm for transactions
- front companyBusiness concealing illicit operations
- smurfingEvasive transaction splitting
structuring · offshore account · tax haven · layering · integration · placement · dirty money · wire transfer · nominee · bank secrecy
godfather
Male baptismal guardian
capo · consigliere · lieutenant · enforcer · made man · hitman · associate · kingpin · patriarch · button man
- mystery fictionwhodunit, whodunnit, sleuth, murder mystery, detective novel
- crime dataarrest rate, incarceration rate, arrest records, auto theft, cybercrime
- Europol workcounterterrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, fraud investigation
- EU crime lawEuropol, Schengen, police cooperation, harmonization, defense rights
- crimerobbery, accomplice, alibi, burglary, conspiracy
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
crime, criminal, organize, organized, organization, crimes, disorganized, reorganize, reorganization