Organized crime around the world

PHONSE JESSOME

Montreal Gazette   12-17-2005


Angels, Mobsters & Narco-Terrorists

By Antonio Nicaso and Lee Lamothe
Wiley, 292 pages, $34.99

In Angels, Mobsters & Narco-Terrorists, Antonio Nicaso and Lee Lamothe reveal the origins of the world's most secret and dangerous criminal societies. From the centuries-old rituals and secret meetings that gave birth to the Chinese Triads and Japanese yakuza, the authors take us to the drug- and booze-fuelled orgies that marked the beginnings of outlaw motorcycle gangs,
North America's contribution to the globalization of crime. They then show how these groups have conquered the world through vast networks that service an insatiable demand for illegal sex and drugs.

Nicaso and Lamothe say they do not intend to offend any race or cultural group with this book, but they don't avoid examining the cultural and ethnic components of organized crime. The book is divided into 10 parts. There is one each for Italian, Asian, Russian, Israeli, Albanian, Colombian-Mexican, North American and African crime groups. The ninth section provides a look at how terrorists around the globe have become involved in and profit from associations with those groups. The final section is a damning critique of laws in
Canada - laws the writers say make this country a haven for global criminals.

Each section can stand alone as a detailed look at today's international criminal empires. The Italian Mafia is the crime syndicate that has been given the most attention by the mainstream media. Still, the detailed historic examination of its origins and myths provides new insight. The books shows how marginalized people in remote Italian villages developed the structure of today's mafia groups as a means of survival. Leaders stepped forward and formed family-based groups that found ways to provide the goods and services the villages needed. The book offers no moral judgments as it reveals the early corruption among these leaders and how that evolved into the globalization of crime when members of the "families" moved to the cities and other countries.

This detailed historical approach reveals patterns among the world's major criminal groups. With few exceptions, they began as protectors and were corrupted by power. Even in vastly different cultures, the evolution of criminality is quite similar.

The criminals' first forays into international territory follow an identical path. Nicaso and Lamothe show how members of these secret societies emigrated with law-abiding people from their own countries. Once established in a new place, they preyed first on their own communities, where police did not understand the language or culture. As they gained strength and wealth, they found ways to exploit the new lands, as well.

The book offers two exceptions. First is
North Korea, which it portrays as a government following the lead of organized crime and exporting drugs to fund military expansion. Second, there are the terrorist groups that participate in criminal conspiracies to fund their political agendas and to purchase weapons.

The book shows what has become a franchise approach to selling drugs and sex, with the same criminal groups operating in the same way in
Canada and almost everywhere else on Earth. They learn from what works and alter the approach when something fails.

The book does not ignore the extreme violence associated with global organized crime, nor does it exploit it. It simply states as fact the massive body count that continues to climb as drug profits continue to grow, and reports the gruesome methods used by organized- crime killers.

The writers portray
Canada as a haven for criminals and terrorists and a major supplier of marijuana. The evidence they offer is powerful and convincing, and the wiretap transcriptions of major criminals celebrating the hotel-like comforts of Canadian jails are likely to leave readers here angry.

Angels, Mobsters & Narco-Terrorists makes a clear link between recreational drug use and the enormous profits that make organized crime thrive. That may leave readers questioning the notion that smoking a joint, popping some ecstasy or indulging in a line of cocaine is a victimless crime.

Phonse Jessome has covered organized crime as a reporter in
Halifax