![]() ![]() any part of such income, or the proceeds of such income, in acquisition of any interest in, or the establishment or operation of, any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce. ![]() (a) It shall be unlawful for any person who has received any income derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of an unlawful debt in which such person has participated as a principal. Even though RICO required that all illegal gains from racketeering be turned over to authorities once a gangster was convicted, most was never recovered due to the "laundering" process.Įxcerpt from the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act of 1970 Sec.They took years to investigate once RICO became law. Racketeering crimes were hidden under many confusing layers of secrecy.By the time RICO was passed many different types of organized crime activities were well known.Things to remember while reading excerpts from the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act of 1970: Some of these include murder, kidnapping, illegal gambling, arson (intentionally setting a fire), robbery, bribery (promising a person money or a favor in return for certain action), extortion (threatening harm if one does not comply with a crime group's request or plan), dealing in obscene matter (pornography), smuggling aliens (moving illegal immigrants across the nation's borders) counterfeiting, embezzlement (to secretly steal money or property for one's own use), mail fraud (fake offers through the mail between different states), obstructing criminal investigations, prostitution, sexual exploitation of children, theft, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Section 1961 of RICO lists many criminal offenses that fall under the definition of racketeering activity. During the 1980s and 1990s many bosses and members of organized crime were convicted and sent to prison under RICO. RICO is law enforcement's most powerful tool against organized crime. RICO makes it illegal to receive an income from a racketeering activity and sets punishments. RICO defines the term racketeering as the act of participating in a pattern (more than one action) of criminal offenses commonly engaged in by organized crime. The central part of the act is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) section. Congress passed the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. To assist law enforcement in curtailing organized crime, the U.S. ![]() The highly popular movie The Godfather debuted in 1972 and popularized the notion of a secretive, tightly knit mob underworld. Approximately nineteen more prominent crime families were located in other U.S. New York City was divided amongst the Bonnano, Columbo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. organized crime was dominated by the American Mafia or mob families, descendants of the Italian and Sicilian Mafia. ![]() "It shall be unlawful for any person who has received income derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of racketeering activity."įrom the late 1920s through the mid-1980s, U.S. Money laundering is another key activity of organized crime groups. The money received is called "dirty" money and needs to be "laundered." Money laundering means banking and investing the dirty money through a complicated series of financial networks until it can no longer be traced and appears to be legally earned or "clean" money invested in legal businesses. The term "trafficking" means dealing in illegal drugs-smuggling, buying with the intent to sell, and selling. Gambling, prostitution, pornography, and dealing in illegal drugs have long been moneymakers for organized crime.Īt the beginning of the twenty-first century drug trafficking was the largest illegal organized crime activity in the United States and worldwide. Organized crime groups thrive on supplying goods and services that are not legally available but for which a large number of people are willing to pay. Organized crime is defined as any group that has an organized structure of bosses, advisors, and committed working members whose key goal is to obtain money and property through illegal activities. Reprinted from United States Statutes at Large, 1970–1971, Volume 84, Part 1 Excerpt from the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act of 1970 ![]()
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