Gangster clans names. Italian mafia: history of appearance, names and surnames

Despite Hollywood's relentless use of mafia images that have long since become clichés, there are still illegal groups in the world that control industry, engage in smuggling, cybercrime, and even shape the global economy of countries.

So where are they located and which ones are the most famous in the world?

Yakuza

This is not a myth, they exist and, by the way, were among the first to make significant efforts to help after the tsunami in Japan in 2011. The traditional areas of interest of the Yakuza are underground gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, arms and ammunition trafficking, racketeering, production or sale of counterfeit products, car theft and smuggling. More sophisticated gangsters engage in financial fraud. Members of the group are distinguished by beautiful tattoos, which are usually hidden under clothes.

Mungiki

This is one of the most aggressive sects in Kenya, which emerged in 1985 in the settlements of the Kikuyu people in the central part of the country. The Kikuyu gathered their own militia in order to protect the Maasai lands from government militants who wanted to suppress the resistance of the rebellious tribe. The sect, in essence, was a street gang. Later, large detachments were formed in Nairobi, which engaged in local racketeering transport companies transporting passengers around the city (taxi companies, car parks). They then switched to waste collection and disposal. Each slum resident was also obliged to pay representatives of the sect a certain amount in exchange for a quiet life in his own shack.

Russian mafia

This is officially the most feared organized crime group. Former FBI special agents call the Russian mafia "the most dangerous people on Earth." In the West, the term “Russian mafia” can mean any criminal organizations, both Russian and from other countries post-Soviet space, or from the immigration environment in foreign countries. Some people get hierarchical tattoos, often use military tactics and carry out contract killings.

Hell's Angels

Considered an organized crime group in the United States. This is one of the world's largest motorcycle clubs (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club), which has an almost mythical history and branches all over the world. According to the legend posted on the official website of the motorcycle club, during the Second World War the American Air Force had the 303rd heavy bomber squadron called “Hell’s Angels”. After the end of the war and the disbandment of the unit, the pilots were left without work. They believe that their homeland betrayed them and left them to their fate. They had no choice but to go against their own " cruel country, get on motorcycles, join motorcycle clubs and rebel.” Along with legal activities (sales of motorcycles, motorcycle repair shops, sale of goods with symbols), the Hells Angels are known for illegal activities (sale of weapons, drugs, racketeering, control of prostitution, and so on).

Sicilian Mafia: La Cosa Nostra

The organization began its activities in the second half of the 19th century, when the Sicilian and American mafia were the strongest. Initially, Cosa Nostra was engaged in the protection (including the most brutal methods) of owners of orange plantations and nobles who owned large plots of land. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had turned into an international criminal group, whose main activity was banditry. The organization has a clear hierarchical structure. Its members often resort to highly ritualistic methods of revenge, and also have a number of complex rites of initiation for men into the group. They also have their own code of silence and secrecy.

Albanian mafia

There are 15 clans in Albania that control most of Albanian organized crime. They control drug trafficking and are involved in human and weapons trafficking. They also coordinate the supply of large quantities of heroin to Europe.

Serbian mafia

Various criminal gangs based in Serbia and Montenegro, consisting of ethnic Serbs and Montenegrins. Their activities are quite diverse: drug trafficking, smuggling, racketeering, contract killings, gambling and information trading. Today there are about 30-40 active criminal gangs in Serbia.

Montreal Mafia Rizzuto

The Rizzuto are a crime family that is primarily based in Montreal but also operates in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. They once merged with families in New York, which ultimately led to the mafia wars in Montreal in the late 70s. Rizzuto owns hundreds of millions of dollars worth of real estate in different countries. They own hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, construction, food, service and trading companies. In Italy they own companies producing furniture and Italian delicacies.

Mexican drug cartels

Mexican drug cartels have existed for several decades; since the 1970s, some government agencies Mexico. Mexican drug cartels intensified after the collapse of the Colombian drug cartels - Medellin and . Currently the main foreign supplier of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine to Mexico, Mexican drug cartels dominate the wholesale illicit drug market.

Mara Salvatrucha

Slang for "Salvadoran Stray Ant Brigade" and often shortened to MS-13. This gang is found primarily in Central America and is based in Los Angeles (although they operate in other areas of North America and Mexico). According to various estimates, the number of this brutal crime syndicate ranges from 50 to 300 thousand people. Mara Salvatrucha is involved in many types of criminal businesses, including drug, arms and human trafficking, robbery, racketeering, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, car theft, money laundering and fraud. Distinctive feature members of the group have tattoos all over their bodies, including on the face and inner lips. They not only show a person’s membership in a gang, but also with their details tell about his criminal biography, influence and status in the community.

Colombian drug cartels

The modern world has many criminal groups, and each has its own leader, its own boss, its own head. But comparing the current leaders of the mafia and criminal organizations with the bosses of past dashing years is a matter doomed to failure and criticism. Past bosses of the criminal world created entire empires of evil and violence, extortion and drug trafficking. Their so-called families lived according to their own laws, and violation of these laws foreshadowed death and cruel punishment for disobedience. We bring to your attention a list of the most legendary and influential mafiosi in history.

10
(1974 - present time)

Once the leader of one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico, which is called Los Zetas. At the age of 17 he entered the Mexican army, and later worked in special squad to fight the drug cartel. The transition to the side of the traders occurred after he was recruited into the Golfo cartel. The private mercenary force Los Zetas hired from the organization later grew into the largest drug cartel in Mexico. Heriberto dealt very harshly with his competitors, for which his criminal group was given the nickname “Executioners.”

9
(1928 — 2005)

Since 1981, he led the Genovese family, while everyone considered Antonio Salermo to be the boss of the family. Vincent was nicknamed "Crazy Boss" for his, to put it mildly, inappropriate behavior. But, it was only for the authorities; Gigante’s lawyers spent 7 years bringing certificates indicating that he was crazy, thereby avoiding a sentence. Vincent's people controlled crime throughout New York and other major American cities.

8
(1902 – 1957)

The boss of one of the five mafia families of criminal America. The head of the Gambino family, Albert Anastasia, had two nicknames - “The Chief Executioner” and “The Mad Hatter”, and the first was given to him because his group “Murder, Inc.” was responsible for about 700 deaths. He was a close friend of Lucky Luciano, whom he considered his teacher. It was Anastasia who helped Lucky take control of the entire criminal world, carrying out contract killings for him of the bosses of other families.

7
(1905 — 2002)

Patriarch of the Bonanno family and the richest mobster in history. The history of the reign of Joseph, who was called “Banana Joe,” goes back 30 years; after this period, Bonanno voluntarily retired and lived in his personal huge mansion. The Castellamarese war, which lasted 3 years, is considered one of the most significant events in the criminal world. Ultimately, Bonanno organized a crime family that still operates in the United States.

6
(1902 – 1983)

Meir was born in Belarus, the city of Grodno. A native of the Russian Empire became the most influential person in the United States and one of the country's crime leaders. He is the creator of the National Crime Syndicate and the parent of the gambling business in the states. He was the largest bootlegger (illegal liquor dealer) during Prohibition.

5
(1902 – 1976)

It was Gambino who became the founder of one of the most influential families in criminal America. After seizing control of a number of highly profitable areas, including illegal bootlegging, a government port and an airport, the Gambino family becomes the most powerful of the five families. Carlo forbade his people from selling drugs, considering this type of business dangerous and attracting public attention. At its height, the Gambino family consisted of more than 40 groups and teams, and controlled New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles.

4
(1940 – 2002)

John Gotti was a famous figure, the press loved him, he was always dressed to the nines. Numerous New York law enforcement charges always failed, Gotti escaped punishment for a long time. For this, the press nicknamed him “Teflon John.” He received the nickname “Elegant Don” when he began to dress only in fashionable and stylish suits with expensive ties. John Gotti has been the leader of the Gambino family since 1985. During the reign, the family was one of the most influential.

3
(1949 – 1993)

The most cruel and daring Colombian drug lord. He went down in the history of the 20th century as the most brutal criminal and the head of the largest drug cartel. He organized the supply of cocaine to different parts of the world, mainly to the USA, on a grand scale, even transporting tens of kilograms on airplanes. During his entire activity as the head of the Medellin cocaine cartel, he was involved in the murders of more than 200 judges and prosecutors, more than 1,000 police officers and journalists, presidential candidates, ministers, and prosecutors general. Escobar's net worth in 1989 was more than $15 billion.

2
(1897 – 1962)

Originally from Sicily, Lucky became, in fact, the founder of the criminal world in America. His real name is Charles, Lucky, which means “Lucky”, they began to call him after he was taken to a deserted highway, tortured, beaten, cut, burned in the face with cigarettes, and he remained alive after that. The people who tortured him were Maranzano gangsters; they wanted to know the location of the drug cache, but Charles remained silent. After unsuccessful torture, they abandoned the bloody body without any signs of life by the road, thinking that Luciano was dead, where he was picked up by a patrol car 8 hours later. He received 60 stitches and survived. After this incident, the nickname “Lucky” remained with him forever. Luckey organized the Big Seven, a group of bootleggers to whom he provided protection from the authorities. He became the boss of Cosa Nostra, which controlled all areas of activity in the criminal world.

1
(1899 – 1947)

A legend of the underworld of those times and the most famous mafia boss in history. He was a prominent representative of criminal America. His areas of activity were bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Known as the organizer of the most brutal and significant day in the criminal world - St. Valentine's Day massacre, when seven were shot dead influential gangsters from Bugs Moran's Irish gang, including right hand boss. Al Capone was the first among all gangsters to “launder” money through a huge network of laundries, the prices of which were very low. Capone was the first to introduce the concept of “racketeering” and successfully dealt with it, laying the foundation for a new vector of mafia activity. Alfonso received the nickname “Scarface” at the age of 19, when he worked in a billiards club. He allowed himself to object to the cruel and seasoned criminal Frank Galluccio, moreover, he insulted his wife, after which a fight and a stabbing occurred between the bandits, as a result of which Al Capone received the famous scar on his left cheek. By right, Al Capone was the most influential person and terrifying at everyone, including the government, which was able to put him behind bars just for tax evasion.

I suggest you look at the faces of the most famous leaders of criminal gangs in the world, because it is precisely these people who are said to be better never to meet in person in your life. Although all these crime bosses look very different, they all head the largest criminal organizations in different corners of our planet.

One of the bosses of the Mara 18 organized crime group, Marlon Martinez, is on trial in Guatemala, where he is accused of murder. March 30, 2011

"Mara 18" is the largest Latin American gang Los Angeles. It appeared in the 1960s among immigrants from Mexico and still maintains ties with the drug cartels of this country. The group consists of up to 90 thousand people operating in the United States, Mexico and Central America.

The 'Ndrangheta was formed in the poorest province of Italy, Calabria. It is considered one of the most successful Italian organized crime groups. According to some reports, the 'Ndrangheta's revenues amount to up to three percent of the country's GDP.

One of the leaders of the Marseille mafia, 75-year-old Jacques Imbert, after being released from prison on April 8, 2005.

Imber was part of the Three Ducks gang, which was especially influential in the 1950s and 60s. In 1977, an attempt was made on his life, which formed the basis of the film “22 Bullets: Immortal.”

The alleged leader of the Slavic criminal groups in Moscow, Alexey Petrov, nicknamed Lenya the Kricky. September 19, 2011

According to unofficial data, Petrov was elected leader of the Slavic groups in Moscow in 2009 after the murder of Vyacheslav Ivankov, also known as Yaponchik.

One of the alleged leaders of the Tambov organized crime group, Yuri Salikov, is being taken to court spanish city Palma de Mallorca. June 14, 2008

The Tambov organized crime group appeared in St. Petersburg in the late 1980s and in the next decade actually controlled the criminal life of the city. Its creator is considered to be businessman Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin), who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for extortion.

One of the alleged leaders of the Tambov organized crime group, Gennady Petrov, is being taken to court in the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca. June 14, 2008

Petrov, like several other Russian citizens, were detained by Spanish authorities during Operation Troika. They are considered the organizers of an operation to launder criminal money from the Tambov organized crime group. Petrov calls himself a businessman. He has lived in Spain since the early 1990s. In 2012, Petrov left for Russia and refused to return to Spain.

Bonanno family boss from New York, Vincent "Handsome Vinny" Basiano.

The Bonanno family is one of the five Italian-American Mafia families that control the New York City underworld. The remaining families are the Gambino, Genovese, Colombo and Lucchese clans. Basiano has been serving a life sentence for murder since 2011.

Gigante was boss of the Genovese clan from 1981 until his death in 2005. In the early 1990s, he was considered America's most powerful gangster. To avoid trial, Gigante feigned insanity and often walked around New York in a robe and slippers, muttering something inarticulate to himself. In 1997, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison and died in custody.

Retired yakuza boss Shinji Ishihara opens up about his criminal past to reporters. April 5, 2006

Ishihara served in one of the largest gangster syndicates in the world, the Yamaguchi-gumi, which has several tens of thousands of members. The group's headquarters are located in Kobe. Unlike many other organized crime groups, members of the yakuza are allowed to “retire,” as Ishihara did after serving his next term.

Funeral of the leader of the Taiwanese group "Bamboo Union" Chen Chili, nicknamed the Duck King, in Taipei. October 18, 2007

The Bamboo Union, or Zhuliangban in Chinese, is the largest organized crime group in Taiwan. It belongs to the triads, as the Chinese call it criminal groups or secret societies. The Bamboo Union maintains close ties with the nationalists of the Kuomintang party and shares their political platform.

The leader of the Hong Kong branch of the 14K group in Macau, Wan Quokkoi, nicknamed Broken Tooth, is being taken to court on November 23, 1999

14K is considered the largest triad in Hong Kong and in the world. It has about 20 thousand members and also operates in Europe and North America. 14K controls the supply of heroin and opium from Southeast Asia. The group is known for its clear management hierarchy and brutality.

The grave of Aslan Usoyan, better known as Ded Hasan, at the Khovanskoye cemetery in Moscow. January 20, 2013

Usoyan is believed to have headed ethnic Caucasian criminal groups operating in Russia. At the same time, it is known about conflicts between his clan and other gangs led by immigrants from Transcaucasia. Usoyan was shot dead in Moscow by an unknown sniper on January 16, 2013.

The leader of the Taiwanese triad was forced to flee his home island when the authorities decided to limit the influence of criminal groups. Chen Chili moved to Cambodia and even became an adviser to the government. He lived in a huge villa on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, where large caches of weapons were discovered.

Cosa Nostra is one of the most famous groups of the Italian mafia. She appeared in late XIX century and is considered the inventor of racketeering. Cosa Nostra does not have a rigid structure. The group consists of numerous clans that control their territory.

Abroad, Kalashov is often called a representative of the Russian mafia, although sometimes also a Georgian crime boss. He began his criminal activities back in the Soviet Union. He is considered a supporter of the late leader of the Caucasian clans, Aslan Usoyan. Since 2010, Kalashov has been serving a prison sentence in Spain, which has already agreed to extradite him to Georgia, where he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

One of the leaders of the Italian group "Ndrangheta" Pasquale Condello after his arrest. February 19, 2008

Condello was on the run for about twenty years. All this time he lived in his hometown of Reggio Calabria. During his criminal career, he managed to earn at least $57 million. In any case, the real estate he owns is valued at that amount. Condello is accused of murdering the head of Italy's national railway company.

Sinaloa drug cartel member Juan Miguel Allier Beltran at a press conference at police headquarters in Tijuana. January 20, 2011

American intelligence agencies consider Sinaloa the most powerful drug cartel in the world. It comes from the state of the same name on the Pacific coast of Mexico. During the 1990s - 2000s, Sinaloa supplied more than 200 tons of cocaine to the United States. The cartel also produces significant quantities of opiates and marijuana.

Salvatore Micheli, who was in charge Sicilian mafia for international drug trafficking, at Caracas airport before extradition to Italy. June 30, 2009

Miceli was considered a kind of foreign minister in Cosa Nostra. He was responsible for the supply of cocaine, heroin and other drugs produced in other regions of the world, primarily in Latin America, to Europe.

One of the leaders of the Tijuana cartel, Gilberto Higuera Guerrero, in Mexico City before extradition to the United States. January 20, 2007

The Tijuana drug cartel from the Mexican state of Baja California ranks third in drug trafficking in the United States. He is a principal competitor of the Sinaloa cartel. In the mid-2000s, a significant number of Tijuana leaders were arrested and handed over to American authorities.

Joseph "Giuseppe" Bonanno is the founder of the eponymous crime family in New York. 1960s

Bonanno is considered one of the main prototypes of Vito Corleone, the main character of the crime saga “The Godfather”. Bonanno never spent long periods behind bars during his tumultuous career. He died in 2002 at age 97 in Tucson, Arizona, from heart failure.

The leader of the Corleone clan from the Sicilian city of the same name, Gaetano Riina, after his arrest in Palermo on July 1, 2011

The Corleone clan, which gave its name to the character of the famous film trilogy, has long been main family"Cosa Nostra" Its leaders bear the title of "boss of bosses." The town of Corleone with a population of 12 thousand people is located in the hills south of Palermo at an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level.

The leader of the branch of the organized crime group “Mara Salvatrucha” in the Salvadoran city of Quezaltepeque, nicknamed El Diabolico, and the leaders of the local branch of the organized crime group “Mara 18” announce a truce in the prison of the same city. January 31, 2013

Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, is one of the most violent Latin American groups. It was formed in Los Angeles among Salvadoran emigrants who fled the civil war, operates in California and Central America and, according to various sources, has from 50 to 80 thousand fighters. A distinctive feature of the members of the Mara Salvatrucha are numerous tattoos, often covering the entire body.

Police escort Indian crime lord Rajendra Nikalje, nicknamed "Little Rajan" (Chhota Rajan), to the Bangkok Criminal Court after an attempt on his life. September 28, 2000.

Rajendra Nikalje was originally a member of the group of crime boss Dawood Ibrahim, which the media calls D-Company. The gang operated in Mumbai, but then spread its influence throughout South Asia. After a quarrel with his boss, Nikalje collaborated with Indian intelligence agencies to weaken Ibrahim in exchange for information about plans to assassinate him. The Ibrahim and Nikalje gangs, like other Indian criminals, launder money by investing it in the production of films in Bollywood.

Former leader of the Tijuana drug cartel Benjamin Arellano Felix.

Felix was arrested in March 2002 in Mexico and extradited to the United States. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for extortion and money laundering. After serving his sentence, he is expected to be returned to Mexico, where he faces another 22 years in prison.

Abu Salem initially collaborated with the Mumbai group D-Company, but then began to act independently. He is accused of numerous murders and participation in terrorist attacks. In 2007, Abu Salem was extradited to India by Portugal. Subsequently, Lisbon reconsidered this decision, but Delhi refused to return Abu Salem to Europe. He has not yet been sentenced.

Colluccio belongs to an influential mafia clan. His brother Giuseppe was one of the leaders of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto, Canada, and was involved in the supply of cocaine to Europe. Salvatore was wanted for four years. He was found in a bunker equipped with an electric generator and supplied with significant supplies of water and food for self-sufficient living.

The Gambino clan was once the most powerful of New York's five mafia families. Both infighting and FBI scrutiny contributed to its gradual decline. The last major operation against the family, which led to the arrest of several capos, took place in 2011, when a network of forced prostitution of women from Eastern Europe was uncovered.

Vyacheslav Ivankov, nicknamed Yaponchik, leaves the Moscow City Court building after the jury found him not involved in the murder of two Turkish citizens. July 19, 2005

Ivankov, until his death in 2009, was considered the leader of the Slavic criminal groups in Moscow. In 1997, he was convicted in the United States for extortion, and after serving his sentence in 2005, he returned to Russia. In July 2009, he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt and died a few months later from complications caused by the wound.

One of the leaders of the Tijuana drug cartel, Eduardo Arellano Felix, is in custody in Mexico City. October 26, 2008

After the arrest of the three Arellano Felix brothers, that is, Eduardo, Javier and Benjamin, as well as the death of Ramon in a shootout with the police, the cartel was led by the youngest of the brothers, Luis, nicknamed the Engineer. Mexican authorities promise to pay $2.5 million for help in his capture.

A graduate of the journalism department of Moscow State University, Lerner served 11 years in the Soviet Union for financial fraud in student construction brigades. In 1998, he was convicted of stealing money from Russian banks. Since 2006, he has been in an Israeli prison for creating a financial pyramid and stealing money from investors.

Former Gambino family underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano takes the oath of office in his corruption trial in professional boxing. April 1, 1993

In 1991, Gravano became the highest-ranking member of the mafia to break his vow of omerta silence and cooperate with the authorities. Based on his testimony, Gambino clan boss John Gotti was sentenced to life in prison. In 1995, Gravano, who moved to Arizona, refused to participate in the witness protection program. He published an autobiography and then went into drug trafficking, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He has been serving his sentence since 2002.

Former Bonanno family boss Joseph Massino.

Massino became the first boss of five New York families to make a plea deal. In 2004, he was sentenced to death based on the testimony of his comrades, including his deputy Salvatore Vitale. In 2011, Massino, in order to earn the right to life, in turn, acted as a witness in the case of his successor Vincent Basiano.

The boss of the largest yakuza syndicate "Yamaguchi-gumi" Kenichi Shinoda after serving a six-year prison sentence for illegal possession pistol April 9, 2011

Shinoda holds the title of kumicho, or supreme "godfather", of the largest group of the Japanese mafia. He is the sixth boss of the Yamaguchi-gumi since its founding in 1915. The Synod is characterized by an outwardly democratic leadership style. In particular, he prefers to travel by public transport rather than in a limousine with a personal driver.

From here

11.11.2016

It is not for nothing that the last decade of the 20th century in Russia is called the “dashing 90s”. Organized criminal communities, without hiding much, controlled almost all spheres of life.

The CrimeRussia website published a list of the most influential and brutal Russian organized crime groups of the 1990s.

1. "Shchelkovskaya"

Alexander Matusov

The Shchelkovo organized crime group was based in the Shchelkovo district of Moscow region from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. The organized crime group included residents of the local village of Biokombinat. The Shchelkovskys became famous due to a number of murders they committed. According to investigators, they account for at least 60 deaths of entrepreneurs, gangsters and their own accomplices.

The founder of the group was the criminal “authority” Alexander Matusov, known by the nickname “Basmach”. Before creating his own gang, he was part of the Izmailovskaya organized crime group. “Basmach” created a group that kept the entire village in fear - from police officers to officials. The Shchelkovskys were known in the criminal world for their particular cruelty. Basmach's people preferred not to negotiate, but simply to eliminate competitors. Soon, the organized crime group began working at the request of customers throughout Russia - to kill or take hostages, who were brutally tortured, demanding to pay money. As investigators noted, most of the victims (regardless of whether they paid the ransom or not) were killed and buried in the Shchelkovsky district.

Video: “News” story about the trial of Matusov

The bloody crimes of the Shchelkovites became known law enforcement agencies only during the investigation of the case of the “Kingisepp” group friendly to them. In 2009, a criminal case was opened against members of the Shchelkovo organized crime group, and the escaped leader of the Basmach gang was put on the federal wanted list. However, in 2014, he was detained in Thailand and extradited to Russia. A jury is now being selected for him to try.

2. “Slonovskaya” organized crime group

Vyacheslav "Elephant" Ermolov

The group arose in Ryazan in 1991; its organizers were former driver deputy Ryazan city prosecutor Nikolai Ivanovich Maksimov (“Max”) and taxi driver Vyacheslav Evgenievich Ermolov (“Elephant”) - it was thanks to the latter that the gang acquired its name. The criminals made their first capital by protecting local thimble makers.

Soon the group mastered larger-scale businesses: fraud in the sale of cars and racketeering; then the “elephants” moved on to seize entire enterprises. In a short time, virtually the entire city came under the control of the organized crime group.

However, in 1993, the “elephants” had a conflict with another gang operating in the city, the “Ayrapetovskys” (in honor of the leader, Viktor Airapetov, “Vitya Ryazansky”). During the “strelka”, a fight occurred between the heads of the groups, Ermolov and Airapetov, during which “Elephant” was severely beaten. This started a massive gang war. In response, the “elephants” shot the club of the Ryazselmash plant, where the “Ayrapetovskys” were relaxing. “Vitya Ryazansky” himself miraculously escaped - he managed to hide behind a column. Soon Airapetov struck - “Max” was shot in the entrance of his own house. The “elephants” reached “Ryazansky” only in 1995 - he was kidnapped in front of his own guards, his body was found only a month later in the forest near the highway.

"Slonovskaya" organized crime group

Already in 1996, the “Slonovskaya” organized crime group was virtually liquidated. The most influential members of the gang were convicted in 2000, receiving varying prison sentences (maximum 15 years). At the same time, the head of the group, Vyacheslav Ermolov, managed to escape. According to some reports, he now lives in Europe.

3. “Volgovskaya” organized crime group

Dmitry Ruzlyaev

The “Volgovskaya” criminal group was created by two natives of the city of Tolyatti, employees of the Volga Hotel, Alexander Maslov and Vladimir Karapetyan. The gang's main activity was related to the sale of stolen parts from the local VAZ automobile plant.

Gradually, its influence and income grew: during the heyday of the gang, when the group controlled half of the company’s car shipments and dozens of dealership companies, the Volgovskys earned over $400 million a year.

In 1992, shortly after his release, the head of the gang, Alexander Maslov, was shot. The murder of the criminal leader occurred during the war between the Volgovskys and the group of Vladimir Vdovin (“Partner”). After Maslov’s death, the organized crime group was headed by his closest associate, Dmitry Ruzlyaev, nicknamed Dima Bolshoi, and therefore the gang began to be called “Ruzlyaevskaya”. Soon the “Ruzlyaevskys” entered into an alliance with local groups - “Kupeyevskaya”, “Mokrovskaya”, “Sirotenkovskaya”, “Chechen”.

As it turned out during the arrest of “Dima Bolshoi” in 1997, he was in close contact with some influential security officials, which to a certain extent confirmed the rumors that the “Volgovskys” were supported by the local police to create a counterbalance to the organized crime group “Partner”.

On April 24, 1998, Dmitry Ruzlyaev, along with his driver and two bodyguards, was shot with four machine guns in his own car. “Dima Bolshoi” was buried on the famous “Alley of Heroes” in Tolyatti along with other local “brothers”.

By the beginning of the 2000s, the group was virtually eliminated - most of the gang's leaders and killers were either killed or sentenced to long terms. The last head of the Volgovskys, Viktor Pchelin, was caught in 2007 after being on the run for 10 years.

Ruzlyaev's grave

In March 2016, it was reported that one of the previously caught active gang members, Vladimir Vorobey, was found dead in the hospital of correctional colony No. 9 with signs of suicide. Sparrow, who had been wanted since 1997, was detained only in January 2016 in St. Petersburg, where he lived under the name of Vadim Gusev.

4. “Malyshevskaya” organized crime group

Gennady Petrov and Alexander Malyshev

The Malyshevskaya organized crime group is one of the most influential gangs in St. Petersburg, operating from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Its organizer is former wrestler Alexander Malyshev. He began his criminal career working as a “thimbler” under the “roof” of the Tambov organized crime group. However, already in the late 80s, Malyshev managed to assemble a gang under his leadership. In 1989, the first clash between the “Tambov” and “Malyshevskys” took place using firearms, after which the groups became enemies.

After a clash with the Tambov gang, Malyshev and another influential member of the gang, Gennady Petrov, were arrested on suspicion of banditry, but were soon released. Immediately after the release, the “brothers” hastened to hide abroad: Malyshev fled to Sweden, and Petrov to Spain.

After the case is closed leaders of organized crime groups returned to St. Petersburg, where they continued their activities. The influence of the Malyshevskys grew until the mid-90s, when they were supplanted by the more powerful Tambovskys. After the murder of most of the gang members by their competitors, Malyshev and Petrov again fled abroad. However, the enterprising “brothers” did not give up and continued to develop their criminal network in Europe. Malyshev received Estonian citizenship, then lived in Germany, and from there he moved to Spain, where Petrov later moved.

As Spanish police later established, “Malyshevskys” began to actively create complex system laundering illegally acquired money invested in real estate. Subsequently, it was Petrov who would become one of the main defendants in the high-profile case of the “Russian mafia in Spain,” in which, in addition to him, a number of prominent businessmen and politicians of the Russian Federation were mentioned. In 2008, there was a mass arrest of Russian mafiosi - more than 20 gang members were detained. At the same time, the investigation proceeded in a very strange way - Petrov was soon released to his native Petersburg under the pretext of restoring his health. For some reason, he did not dare to go back to Spain.

But Malyshev spent time in a Spanish prison until 2015, after which he also returned to St. Petersburg. According to him, he retired and decided to live a quiet life, in no way connected with crime.

5. “Izmailovskaya” organized crime group

Anton Malevsky, Valery Dlugach

Originated in Moscow in the mid-1980s. It grew out of the capital’s youth gangs, historically opposed to the “Lubers”. Its leader was the “authority” Oleg Ivanov, who moved to Moscow from Kazan. Later, the leadership of the group included Viktor Nestruev (“Boy”), Anton Malevsky (“Anton Izmailovsky”), Sergei Trofimov (“Trofim”) and Alexander Afanasyev (“Afonya”), thief in law Sergei Aksenov (“Aksen”) .

The gang consisted of about 200 people (according to other sources, from 300 to 500). At the same time, Izmailovskaya united several more groups under its wing - in particular, Golyanovskaya and Perovskaya. Therefore, the organized crime group is often called “Izmailovsko-Golyanovskaya”. It operated in the Eastern, South-Eastern, North-Eastern and Central administrative districts, as well as in the Lyubertsy and Balashikha districts of the Moscow region.

At the same time, the gang was at odds with representatives of Chechen groups. Initially, the Izmailovskys, like many others like them, were engaged in robberies, robbery and “protection protection” for small businesses. Subsequently, not without the help of former security officers who joined the organized crime group, they opened private security companies, under the cover of which the gang could legally acquire firearms and generally legalize their activities. Plus, communication with law enforcement officers made it possible to obtain insider information and avoid punishment for bribes.

One of the active members of the gang, Anton Malevsky, was considered in the Moscow underworld to be the biggest “lawbreaker” who does not recognize “authorities.” According to some operational data, it was he who was guilty of the murder of thief in law Valery Dlugach (Globus) and his associate Vyacheslav Banner (Bobon).

The group laundered the money obtained by criminal means with the help of casinos and high-ranking officials who helped the bandits carry out monetary transactions for a certain percentage. In addition, finances were transferred abroad, where they were invested in real estate. Also, the Izmailovskys created a number of enterprises for the production of jewelry from precious metals and stones. In addition, the “brothers” actively participated in commercial wars for the right to own the largest Russian metallurgical enterprises.

In the mid-90s, competitors on the one hand and law enforcement officers on the other began to smash the group. In 1994, during a police pursuit, Alexander Afanasyev (“Afonya”) was seriously injured. The following year, during an assassination attempt, the gang's treasurer Liu Zhi Kai ("Misha the Chinese") and Fyodor Karashov ("The Greek") were killed. Literally a month later, two more gang members died during a “showdown.” In addition, MUR officers detained Viktor Nestruev (“Boy”) and Sergei Korolev (“Marikelo”). Anton Malevsky (“Anton Izmailovsky”) first emigrated to Israel, and in 2001 he died in South Africa during a parachute jump. Finally, in 2012, another former gang member, Konstantin Maslov (“Maslik”), was convicted of murdering a Chechen businessman.

6. “Tambov” organized crime group

Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin)

This organized group was considered one of the most powerful criminal groups operating in St. Petersburg in the 90s and early 2000s. The “Tambov” organized crime group is named after the homeland of its founding fathers - Vladimir Barsukov (until 1996 - Kumarin) and Valery Ledovskikh are natives of the Tambov region. Having met in St. Petersburg, they decided to organize a gang, where they “recruited” fellow countrymen and former athletes. Like many organized crime groups, the Tambov gangs began as guards for thimbles, then switched to racketeering.

In 1990, Kumarin, Ledovskikh and many members of their gang received sentences for extortion. Upon release, the Tambov gang returned to criminal activity. At this time, the “Tambov” organized crime group began to flourish, which was rapidly growing and establishing connections with politicians and businessmen.

In 1993, “Tambovites” began to take part in bloody showdowns. According to some reports, the gang often involved immigrants from Chechnya in resolving their issues.

Members of the Tambov organized crime group operated in the most different areas– from the export of wood and the import of office equipment to the gambling business and prostitution. Since the mid-1990s, they began to “launder” criminally earned capital, curtailing criminal activity. They created a number of private security companies and monopolized the entire fuel and energy business of St. Petersburg. By that time, Barsukov had acquired the nickname “night governor of St. Petersburg” - he had such a powerful influence.

Galina Starovoitova

However, in the 2000s, the group began to have problems, and a number of high-profile arrests followed. Barsukov was sentenced to 23 years in a maximum security colony for the attempted murder of businessman Sergei Vasiliev. In the future, Vladimir Barsukov has two more trials - in the case of the murder of State Duma deputy Galina Starovoytova, where the organizer of the crime, deputy Mikhail Glushchenko, called him the customer, and about organizing the murder of two associates Grigory Pozdnyakov and Yan Gurevsky in 2000.

7. "Uralmash"

Konstantin Tsyganov and Alexander Khabarov

An organized criminal community arose in the city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) in 1989. Initially, the group’s “working” territory was considered the Ordzhonikidze district of the city, in which the giant Uralmash plant was located. The founders are considered to be the brothers Grigory and Konstantin Tsyganov, whose inner circle included Sergey Terentyev, Alexander Khabarov, Sergey Kurdyumov (foreman of the Uralmash killers), Sergey Vorobyov, Alexander Kruk, Andrey Panpurin and Igor Mayevsky.

In the “best” years, the organized crime group included about 15 gangs with a total number of about 500 people. In the first half of the 90s, the Uralmash group was reputed to be adherents of harsh force methods (even to the point of “contracted” murders - of which there were subsequently about 30).

Very soon, the “Uralmash gang” entered into a confrontation with representatives of another gang – the “centres”. The result was the murder in 1991 of Grigory Tsyganov (his place is taken by him younger brother Konstantin). In response to this, in 1992, the leader of the “centers” Oleg Vagin was eliminated. He and three bodyguards were shot with machine guns in the city center. In 1993 - early 1994, several more leaders and “authorities” of the rival group were killed (N. Shirokov, M. Kuchin, O. Dolgushin, etc.).

Then Uralmash became the most powerful criminal group in Yekaterinburg. It was led by Alexander Khabarov. In the second half of the 90s, the group gained enormous weight and began to influence political life region. For example, in 1995, Uralmash helped Eduard Rossel in the elections of regional governor. A year later, during the presidential elections, Alexander Khabarov organized the “Workers’ Movement in Support of Boris Yeltsin.” In 1999, he officially registered the OPS "Uralmash" (stands for "socio-political union"). In November 2000, with the direct support of the OPS and Khabarov personally, the head of Krasnoufimsk was elected. In 2001, Alexander Kukovyakin became a deputy of the Yekaterinburg City Duma, and in 2002, Khabarov himself. All this helped the gang gain control over the criminal sectors of the economy and, having created a network of commercial enterprises (from 150 to 600), gradually legalize their activities.

Alexander Khabarov

In December 2004, Alexander Khabarov was arrested on charges of coercion to complete a transaction or refusal to complete it (Article 179 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). A year later, the leader of the Uralmash group was found hanged in a pre-trial detention center. Since then, the Uralmashites have greatly lost their influence; active members of the group for the most part became businessmen or fled abroad. One of the leaders, Alexander Kruk, was found dead in 2000 at the dacha of another gang member, Andrei Panpurin, in the suburbs of Sofia (Bulgaria). And Alexander Kukovyakin was extradited to Russia from the UAE in 2015 and stood trial on charges of unlawful actions in bankruptcy and non-payment of wages.

8. Solntsevskaya organized crime group

Sergey Mikhailov

The Solntsevskaya criminal group emerged in the late 1980s. The name of one of the largest organized crime groups operating in the CIS is associated with the municipal district of the capital Solntsevo. It was here that people with a criminal past united: Sergei Mikhailov (“Mikhas”), Khachidze Dzhemal (“thieves’” gang supervisor), Alexander Fedulov (“Fedul”), Aram Atayan (“Baron”), Victor Averin (“Avera Sr.”) , his younger brother Alexander Averin (“Sasha-Avera”, aka “Avera Jr.”). Gradually, members of the organized crime group occupied the entire South-West of the capital. Other, smaller criminal structures - “Yasenevsky”, “Chertanovsky”, “Cheryomushkinsky” - came under their control.

From primitive racketeering, the Solntsevskaya gang moved into the economic sphere, taking as a basis the model of American mafia clans. Basically, the Solntsevskys were involved in smuggling, drug transit (for this they established connections in America), organizing prostitution, kidnapping and killing people, extortion and selling weapons. Among the economic frauds of the “Solntsevskys” are fake deals that the group entered into with Russian Railways contractors with the help of “friendly” banks “Russian Credit”, “Transportny”, “Zapadny”, “Most-Bank”, “Antalbank”, “Russian Land Bank” , “Taurus”, “European Express”, “Rublevsky”, “Intercapitalbank” (all of their licenses have now been revoked - editor’s note), etc.

The money of the Solntsevskaya organized crime group was invested in real estate, large enterprises, banks, hotels - about 30 establishments in total. The number of organized criminal groups controlled then included the Radisson-Slavyanskaya, Cosmos, Central House of Tourist hotels, shopping arcades and tents, Solntsevo car market and all clothing markets of the South-Western Administrative District, including Luzhniki, Danilovsky, Kievsky, etc. .

The leader of the Solntsevskaya gang, Mikhas, is now actively involved in business and charity. He was among the first to take advantage of the so-called “forgetting law” in an effort to hide his criminal past.

9. “Podolskaya” organized crime group

One of the most powerful organized crime groups in Russia in the 1990s was a gang called Podolskaya. Its founder and permanent leader is an entrepreneur from Podolsk, an honorary resident of this city, Sergei Lalakin, nicknamed “Luchok”. Lalakin was not convicted, but it was reported that he twice became a participant in hooligan brawls. However, the case did not reach the courts. After graduating from vocational school, Lalakin served, and after the “term” in the late 1980s he embarked on a criminal path. According to open sources, he and his friends were involved in racketeering, playing “thimbles” and currency fraud. But all these were “flowers” ​​that in the future made Lalakin a criminal ace, capable of bribing an entire investigative department.

In the history of the “Podolsk” gang there were many internal “squabbles” due to the struggle for power, but it was Luchok who survived them all. All contenders for the role of head of the organized crime group eventually stepped aside. Under the leadership of Luchka, the group took control, in addition to Podolsk itself, of the Chekhov and Serpukhov districts of the Moscow region and most of those located in this territory commercial organizations, including banks, oil companies and even production companies. By the mid-1990s, the gang had become one of the most organized and wealthy criminal groups in Moscow and the Moscow region. According to some statements, “Luchok” at a certain stage surpassed “Sylvester” himself, and his opinion was taken into account by many major figures, such as thief in law “Yaponchik” and Otar Kvantrishvili.

Until the mid-90s, the “Podolsk” people won their “place in the sun” in bloody battles. During the criminal showdown, several dozen leaders of the organized crime group were killed, including Sergei Fedyaev, nicknamed “Psycho”, “authorities” Alexander Romanov, aka “Roman” and Nikolai Sobolev, nicknamed Sobol, head of the “Shcherbinsk” brigade (division of the “Podolsk” groups) Valentin Rebrov, “authority” Vladimir Gubkin, Gennady Zvezdin (“Cannon”), Volgograd “authority” Mikhail Sologubov (“Sologub”) and many others. It is noteworthy that some of these crimes had witnesses who pointed to Lalakin, but he was not named as a defendant in any of these cases. However, on October 10, 1995, Lalakin was detained by the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of Russia and charged under the article “fraud.” However, after some time, this matter came to naught.

Boxer Alexander Povetkin, Sergey Lalakin and boxer Denis Lebedev

By the mid-1990s, the crime situation in Podolsk and its environs had stabilized. It was a time of transformation, when the “brothers” had to get out of their irrelevant “sweatpants” and put on something more presentable. Then “Luchok” first declared himself as a “successful entrepreneur”: it became known that he joined the board of directors of a number of companies and became a shadow founder of the companies “Soyuzkontrakt” and “Anis”, controlled the Central International Tourist Complex, the company “Orkado” and “ Metropol". Today, judging by the Kartoteka data, Sergey Lalakin, his son Maxim, as well as their companions are the owners of many various companies, covering almost the entire spectrum of the market - from food and cafes to petroleum products, construction and stock exchange operations.

10. “Orekhovskaya” organized crime group

Sergey Timofeev (“Sylvester”) practices martial arts. 1979-1980

One of the most influential (if not the most influential) criminal group of the 90s arose in 1986 in the south of Moscow. It consisted of young people aged 18-25, who were fond of sports and lived in the Orekhovo-Borisovo area. The founder of the gang was the legendary Sergei Timofeev, named “Sylvester” for his love of bodybuilding and external resemblance with a famous actor.

“Sylvester” began his criminal career, like many others at that time, with “protection” for “thimbles” and extortion. Gradually, Timofeev united under his leadership many different groups, including such large ones as the “Medvedkovskaya” and “Kurgan” (a member of which was the famous killer Alexander Solonik), and his commercial interests began to cover the most profitable areas. During their heyday, the Orekhovskys controlled about thirty banks in the Central region, and also managed multimillion-dollar businesses: trading in diamonds, gold, real estate, and oil. The harsh methods of the Orekhovskys were not in vain - on September 13, 1994, Sylvester’s Mercedes-Benz 600SEC was blown up using a remote device.

After the death of such a strong leader, a bloody struggle unfolded for his place. As a result, in 1997, relying on the support of two other influential gang members, the Pylev brothers, one of the “foremen” of the organized crime group, Sergei Butorin (“Osya”), took power. On his orders, the famous killer Alexander Solonik, who was vacationing at his villa in Greece, was killed. The performer was the no less legendary killer Alexander Pustovalov (“Sasha the Soldier”). He, like another famous killer of the 90s, Alexey Sherstobitov (“Lesha the Soldier”), was a member of the Orekhovskaya organized crime group.

Alexey Sherstobitov

Alexander Pustovalov was born into a poor Moscow family. After serving in Marine Corps tried to get a job in the police special forces, but was refused due to lack of higher education. After a fight in a bar, he was accepted into the Orekhovsky fighters. In the trial of “Sasha the Soldier”, his involvement in 18 murders was proven, although, according to the investigation, there were at least 35 of them. The killer’s victims were Alexander Bijamo (father of Georgy Bedzhamov and Larisa Marcus - founders of Vneshprombank), leader of the Greek group Kulbyakov, lawyer of the Kurgan organized crime group Baranov, head of the Koptevskaya organized crime group Naumov and Alexander Solonik. "Sasha the Soldier" was caught in 1999. The investigation into his case lasted 5 years. At the trial, the killer fully admitted his guilt and repented of his crime. The final sentence for him was 23 years in prison. However, over time, more and more details of Pustovalov’s activities are revealed: in the summer of 2016, the involvement of “Sasha the Soldier” in six more murders was discovered.

Alexey Sherstobitov is a hereditary military man; during his studies he detained a dangerous criminal, for which he was awarded an order. He has 12 proven murders and attempted murders. He got into the gang after meeting influential members of the Orekhovskaya organized crime group - Grigory Gusyatinsky (“Griney”) and Sergei Ananyevsky (“Kultik”). At the hands of “Lesha the Soldier”, the well-known businessman Otar Kvantrishvili, Grigory Gusyatinsky (who brought Sherstobitov into the gang), and the owner of the Dolls club Joseph Glotser died. According to the killer himself, he even had oligarch Boris Berezovsky at gunpoint, but at the last moment the order was canceled by telephone.

For a long time, investigators did not believe in the existence of “Lesha the Soldier,” considering him a kind of collective image of an entire gang of murderers. Sherstobitov was very careful: he never communicated with ordinary gang members, he never left fingerprints. When going “on business,” the killer masterfully disguised himself. As a result, the “Soldier” was caught only in 2005, when he came to the Botkin hospital to visit his father. Before that separate group investigators were “developed” by Sherstobitova for several years.

Based on the totality of crimes, the killer, who admitted his guilt and agreed to cooperate with the investigation, received 23 years in prison. In prison, “Lesha the Soldier” is engaged in writing autobiographical books.

Dmitry Belkin and Oleg Pronin

The collapse of the Orekhovskys began with the murder of investigator Yuri Kerez, the first in Russia to open a case under Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Organization of a criminal community”). Kerez was the first security officer who managed to get on the trail of the Orekhovskaya gang. According to some information, the leader of the Orekhovskaya gang, Dmitry Belkin, tried to hush up the case with a bribe of $1 million, but the investigator refused. Thus, he signed his own death warrant. The employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not forgive the murder of their colleague and threw all their strength into the fight against the organized crime group.

Sergey Butorin

Over the next 13 years, law enforcement agencies in Russia and other countries managed to practically decapitate the Orekhovskaya group. Alexander Pustovalov, Sergei Butorin, Andrei and Oleg Pylev and others were arrested. Dmitry Belkin was the last major “Orekhovsk” “authority” who remained at large and was on the international wanted list for more than 10 years. In October 2014, Belkin and Orekhovsky killer Oleg Pronin, nicknamed Al Capone, were found guilty of murder and attempted murder. Belkin was sentenced to life imprisonment to be served in a special regime correctional colony. Oleg Pronin was sentenced to 24 years in a maximum security colony. Previously, for participation in a gang and committing special offenses as part of it serious crimes Oleg Pronin has already been sentenced by the court to imprisonment for a term of 17 years. In addition, the Orekhovskys are behind repeated attempts on the life of deputy of the Odintsovo Municipal Assembly Sergei Zhurba.

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Is the mafia a gang, a group, or just a bunch of bandits? Let's try to figure out what exactly this word means.

The concept of “mafia” today refers to any ethnic criminal group, in structure and organization, reminiscent of the ancestor of such communities - the Sicilian criminal “family”, highly organized and having its own code of rules.

Where did this concept come from?

But the origin of the term is hotly debated. There are very original versions, for example the following: “Mafia” is an abbreviation for the words Morte Alla Francia, Italia Anela (“Death to all French; Italy, breathe freely!”) - a cry that was born during the uprising against the French in Sicily at the end 13th century.

According to Gabor Gellert, a journalist from Hungary who closely studied the topic (13 years of work on a book about the mafia), this word should be understood in a more global sense than an alliance of criminals. This is a socio-political-economic phenomenon, the emergence of which is natural in the world of capital. The meaning of the word “mafia” in the dictionaries in which it first appears (1868) is an action meaning insolence, boasting. Mafioso in the same dictionaries is a person who uses brutal violence, or poverty, scum.

There are also Arabic versions of the origin of the word "mafia". There are many consonant words with meanings: protection, refuge, security, chatterbox, gathering place. Alas, researchers have not yet gotten to the truth.

What does the mafia do?

Organized illegal activities are very diverse. Mafia crimes:

• Maintenance of dens.
• Arms trade.
• Drug trafficking.
• Making counterfeit money.
• Gambling, casino maintenance, gambling business.
• Pimping, content of porn sites.
• Buying stolen goods.
• Usury.
• Extortion, racketeering.
• Debt collection.
• Human trafficking, kidnapping.
• Contract killings.
• Smuggling, money laundering.

The sphere of interests of the largest and most influential groups is not limited to criminal activities. Their representatives are engaged in ordinary business (hotels, restaurants, etc.), lobbying, and politics.

Code of Practice

Any mafia, except perhaps the most low-grade ones, is a code of moral rules. For example, the code of honor of the Cosa Nostra organization included rules such as:

• Always be on time for your appointments.
• Don't look at your friends' wives (and a member with family ties with a traitor or traitor was punishable by expulsion from the gang).
• Don't go to bars and clubs.

Below we will look at examples of the most famous criminal communities. Let us immediately clarify that most of the information about such groups is hypotheses based on fragmentary and random information. It is clear that the leaders of such groups do not strive for widespread popularity.

Cosa Nostra

Many people who are familiar with the topic firsthand have a strong association: the mafia is Cosa Nostra. Let's try to figure out what these two words represent. The phrase “Cosa Nostra” in Sicilian means “our business”. This term became widespread and became associated with any Italian mafia or the mafia in general after the publication of the novel “The Godfather”.

Initially, Cosa Nostra was active in Sicily from the beginning of the 19th century. In one century, that is, by the beginning of the twentieth, it turned into international organization. A little later it strengthened its position in America. It consists of 11 clans (families). It should be clearly distinguished: Cosa Nostra is a mafia of Sicilian origin, regardless of its modern geographical location.

Italian and Italian-American mafia

It makes sense to connect them, because the American mafia is mainly from Italy, or more precisely from Naples, Calabria, and Sicily. Today, the Italian mafia operates in at least 26 US cities.

Five families

An influential group within the American mafia. Its core consists of representatives of five families:

• Bonanno;
• Colombo;
• Gambino;
• Genovese;
• Lucchese.

Of these, the most numerous (although according to some sources it is inferior and influential is the Genovese family. Using its example, you can see what the Italian mafia is. The history of the family as a representative of the mafia began at the beginning of the 20th century.

Initially, it was an alliance of several small Sicilian street gangs that traded in extortion and bootlegging. Gradually, the family expanded its activities, subordinating large parts of the gambling, racketeering and usury markets. A fascinating multi-part film could be made about the changes in family leadership over the course of a millennium.

Groups

As mentioned above, the mafia is a highly organized union. Let's look at examples of groups that, in terms of the scope of their activities, are comparable to

• Camorra and 'Ndrangheta- these are the two largest groups of purely Italian mafia, without any admixture of “Americanism,” although both groups have an extensive network throughout the world. The core of the Camorra is located in Naples and its environs, the “head office” of the 'Ndrangheta is in Calabria. Both are extremely rich, influential, are among the ten richest mafia communities in the world, and consist of clans with powerful family and marriage ties.
• Bamboo Union. Area of ​​influence - Asia, Europe, America. This largest group in Asia, the main backbone is Taiwan. In addition to the fact that it is one of the richest criminal organizations in the world (the main income is from gambling, murder and debt collection), it stands out because it is closely linked to one of the main and influential parties in China (the Kuomintang), although these ties are actively denied.

• Tai Huen Chai, or the Triad. There is the least information about this group on the Russian Internet. The largest and most influential in China. The modern Triad is a huge underground criminal network about which little is known. Presumably the founder of this organization appeared before 200 BC under the name “Shadow of the Lotus” and traded in the slave trade and piracy.
• Tijuana cartel- one of the two oldest and most influential in Mexico. Considering that Mexico is a well-known transit point for the US drug market, it can be said that the Tijuana Cartel is one of the largest drug cartels in the world.
• Yamaguchi-gumi (yamaguchi-gumi)- Japanese mafia. This is not just one of the richest groups in the world. She is a leader in terms of income and number of active members(from 55 to 220 thousand).
• Sinaloa- a cartel operating in Mexico and Central America. The network covers some US cities. “Specialization” is drug sales. The organization is considered a leader in this segment of criminal activity. It has become famous for the particularly brutal nature of internal disputes; shocking footage of severed heads and enemies being dissolved in acid sometimes ends up on the Internet.

in Russia

It is believed that it appeared in the 60s of the last century, although in principle there cannot be a specific starting point. It is noteworthy that the words “Russian mafia” in the West can mean criminal groups not only from Russia, but from any country in the post-Soviet space.

The mafia of union significance began its activities with small criminal groups of Jews who left the USSR in the 70-90s of the 20th century. Today it makes sense to distinguish between the Russian mafia (its representatives have Russian citizenship and operate on the territory of Russia) and the mafia with Soviet roots.

The most famous group is the Solntsevskaya Bratva. It is considered one of the most dangerous and cruel in the world. The leader, according to rumors, is Sergei Mikhailov, nicknamed Mikhas.

Famous mafiosi

A well-organized structure, be it a mafia, a group or an alliance, is impossible without the accumulating power of the leader. Of course, most current leaders are shadow leaders. Below we will look at the names that are well-known and have become legends.

• Al Capone is a well-known name, but it is worth noting that it has long and firmly entered history, because this man died back in 1947 at the age of 48. The boss of the Chicago mafia, famous for his ability to build a real criminal empire.
• Pablo Escobar- the most famous Colombian drug lord, one of the most prominent, if such a word can be applied to a criminal, figures in the criminal world of the 20th century. He not only made money through crimes, but also administered his own justice, which earned him the favor of the poor and young people.
• The Kray Brothers- Twins from London, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, have been uncontrollable since childhood. With their fists, aggression and high business skills, they managed to build an entire empire, and managed to successfully combine both shadow business, and legal.

• Mayer Lansky(Belarus) - one of the few figures in the criminal world who lived to the respectable age of 80 (died in 1983). Jew, originally from Tsarist Russia, for many years was one of the most authoritative people in the United States. Managed the largest shadow gambling syndicate. He became the prototype for the elderly Jewish mafioso Hyman Roth.
• Frank Costello- another outstanding one from the USA, but originally from Italy. For a very long time he was the head of the Genovese family and extremely successful in business. He gravitated towards bloodless types of criminal business, like illegal trade alcohol and gambling. As a matter of principle, he was not involved in drug trafficking, believing that there were plenty of opportunities to make money without it. He also distinguished himself by actively establishing connections between the mafia and politics and was more successful in this than any of the crime bosses.

Of course, these are not all known criminal communities. Suffice it to say that many of them have entered not only criminal history, but also the history of cinema, so remarkable is the activity of famous mafiosi from the point of view of analyzing human nature and the reasons for success, albeit in activities disapproved by the majority.