From the AEGIS e-Journal, Volume 6 Number 7, July 2003
The Crooked Ladder: Gangsters, Ethnicity, and the American Dream James M. O’Kane Transaction Publishers ISBN: 0-7658-0994-X 196 pages $24.99 http://www.transactionpub.com/ 1-732-445-1245 This book is a serious look on how crime in America has been, and continues to be, dominated by newly-arrived and/or excluded ethnic minorities. These are people who aspire to the American Dream, but don’t have the skills – or the desire to get the skills – to make it in America. The book documents the rise and fall of many ethnic groups from the Italian, Jewish, and Irish mobs’ rise and fall, to the current black, Puerto Rican, and Russian gangs. The book is primarily an overview of what has occurred, with a bit of applied sociology prognostication as to what the future may hold. The criminal road for these minorities is one of crime, legitimization, success, and replacement by a new group. The author argues – we believe correctly so – that what we have today is what we had yesterday, and what we will have tomorrow. As long as there is a market-dominant majority, the minorities feeling excluded will choose to climb a ladder of success, but to use a crooked ladder to go around the wall instead of over the wall. A good ÆGIS, July 2003 10 read for anyone trying to put a face to the causes and support of modern gangs, and how modern gangs can evolve into modern mobs. Menace to Society: Political-Criminal Collaboration Around the World Roy Godson, et al Transaction Publishers ISBN: 0-7658-0502-2 301 pages $29.95 http://www.transactionpub.com/ 1-732-445-1245 This book is a collection of papers dedicated to the demonstration of the Political Criminal Nexus (PCN). Growing up in Chicago we never needed a book showing us the connection: It was in the street with the Aldermen, and in the local bar where jobs were meted out to the politically faithful. But what is not widely known is that many countries have a substantial criminal element hiding behind the facade of legitimate government institutions. Colombia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Nigeria, Sicily, Taiwan, Turkey, and the Ukraine are the particular subject of this volume’s work. Several countries that were missed include virtually every other former communist nation, Bolivia, Burma, Peru, Venezuela, and half of all sub- Saharan nations. In many of these nations there is no developed infrastructure for commerce, so commerce goes to those businesses that can curry favor with those in power. In many cases those in power use this power against their opposition (for example Mugabe in Zaire inciting riots against his opponents), to stay in power. This is not a new tale for those of us who work in international due diligence and law enforcement. Rather, it is an old and sad tale that often ends in violence, as those in power use every resource to remain in power, leaning for aid on those elements of society that have benefited most from their favors: The criminal elements aligned with the government. It is always a question as to which is the dominant party in the PCN, but the truth is that, over time, they become co-dependant. This is a darn fine piece of work in terms of both documentation and research, as well as in the presentation of the material. We think it is worth well more than the published price. It is a good read for anyone interest in these sorts of problems, and a good explanation of why some governments do the things they do. ÆGIS, July 2003 11 7. Free-Subscription/Unsubscription/Copyright Information •• ÆGIS e-journal is supported and maintained by voluntary efforts. This publication is owned, published, and copyright © 2003 by The LUBRINCO Group Ltd, Inc. and Financial Examinations and Evaluations, Inc. It is edited jointly by Richard Isaacs (RBIsaacs@lubrinco.com) and L. Burke Files (LBFiles@lubrinco.com). 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Article Title, from the July 2003 ÆGIS e-journal (© 2003 LUBRINCO & FEE), to be found at http://www.lubrinco.com/. ÆGIS e-journal is a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, operating styles, theories, and related topics for corporate managers who make decisions about threats typically outside the expertise available in-house, yet which have the potential to affect their company’s domestic and international bottom lines. Nothing appearing in ÆGIS e-journal should be ÆGIS, July 2003 13 construed as legal advice. The information provided is “general information,” not “specific advice.” The solution to any problem is highly dependent upon the precise facts involved. Thus, before making any reliance upon anything said here, you should consult with an appropriately skilled professional. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher, and may be presented to encourage a dialogue among subscribers. The publisher and any re-publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss incurred as a result of the application of any information published in ÆGIS e-journal. Please be safe, and be smart.