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My Perception Of Organized Crime

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There are few adults in this country who have not heard of the terms “Mafia”, the “Mob”, or “Organized Crime”. Hence, there are probably as many opinions of what these terms mean as there are people who know them. Over the years, my perceptions about organized crime came mainly through Hollywood productions or news accounts of criminal activity. Overall, I have had a disapproving opinion of organized crime. I would say that for the most part my perceptions prior to enrollment in this class have been verified by the realities presented in the text, other readings, and videos. However, there are of course significant disparities between my knowledge and the actual facts of the groups. My definition of organized crime was a group of people who used violence, to commit crime and impose their will on others. In my memory, the mafia was the largest organized crime group, it was the most talked about organization in the media. My perception of organized crime is that they were Italian for the most part, involved in gambling, prostitution, extortion, and drugs. They used their money and influence to bribe politicians, police, and business leaders. In the media the reports of the mob running the longshoreman, construction projects and politicians was common. I remember the first time I saw the movie “The Godfather”. The violence and scenes in the movie demonstrated a dedication to the bosses that was unprecedented. As stated previously, most of my knowledge and opinions came from

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