Administration
of Justice 503
Fall semester 1993
Class meets Wednesday 6.30-9pm in 907 Oswald
The course
Criminal enterprise is a general term for illegal activity known
variously as organized or syndicate criminality. As such, this poses many
serious problems for effective law enforcement. This course will focus on policy issues, but it is first
essential to understand the real nature of organized crime, its distinctive
structures, organization, and internal dynamics. A recurring theme of the
course will be the need to understand and penetrate the many myths that
surround organized crime in the United States and elsewhere.
Grading
The grade for the course will be based on two papers, plus class
participation. Each paper will count 40% of the grade, while participation
account for a further 20%. I will be expecting everyone to make oral
presentations based on their papers, and to incorporate the resulting feedback
into the final written versions.
For the two papers, I am expecting the following:
a. Due October 13
This should be a broad survey paper. It should take the form of an
analysis of the structure and organization of a particular type of criminal
activity in a particular region or city. If you choose New York or Chicago,
there is so much material that you will need to focus in on one type of
criminality, such as hijacking or securities theft. If you go elsewhere, you
could attempt a general overview of organized criminality in a particular
jurisdiction. In either case, this paper should be based primarily on official
documents and government reports, backed up be newspaper materials. I want you
to place special emphasis on providing a critical view of this material.
b. Ready for oral presentation by December 1; final written
version due Dec. 14
The topic here is very much up to you. It might well grow out of
paper one, and examine something there in considerably greater detail; but you
might look at something completely different. I am flexible about topics, and
will accept most reasonable subjects within the general scope of the course. I
can also help you with reading lists and bibliography.
Note on resources:
Among standard official sources available in the Official
Publications room in Pattee library, major documents include the reports of
successive Congressional commissions investigating organized crime. Among the
best known are:
Kefauver - Senate Special Committee to Investigate
Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, pursuant to S.R.202 (1950-1952)
McClellan - Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities
in the Labor or Management Field (1957-1959)
Narcotics - Senate Committee on Government
operations: Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime and
Illicit Traffic in Narcotics (1963-1964)
Securities - The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations also had important hearings into the organized crime role
in the business of stolen
securities (1971, 1973)
Kaufman - The President's Commission on Organized Crime
(1984-1986)
But you will certainly find other relevant material for particular
topics. The Pennsylvania Crime Commission have also published a lot of
useful material since 1967 or so, and their reports offer a substantial body of
literature on the state.
In addition, for newspaper materials, Pattee library has
some excellent computer facilities that allow you to do a rapid and thorough
search of the leading newspapers of several major cities - at present, mainly
for the 1980s. Go to the microfilm room and ask about them.
Both Fox and Abadinsky have excellent bibliographies that I will
not duplicate here - especially where official documents are concerned.
Required texts
1. Howard Abadinsky, Organized Crime (Chicago: Nelson Hall
1985, second edition, paperback) - ISBN 0-8304-1125-7
2. Stephen Fox, Blood and Power: Organized Crime in Twentieth
Century America (New York: Penguin, paperback edition 1990) - ISBN
0-14-01.3438 7
In addition, there are a large number of relevant books on reserve
in Pattee. These books vary enormously in their reliability, but they give a
good picture of the state of research in the field.
1. August 25 Definitions
and concepts. Historical overview. Myths and stereotypes.
I am assuming that you will read the whole of Fox and Abadinsky
over the first few weeks of classes, as well as using Abadinsky as a reference
work. Therefore, I have not spelled out readings for each and every class.
These books are required to set you on the right track and to suggest
directions for your own research.
2. Sept 1 Patterns
of organized crime. Issues of conflict and centralization
3. Sept. 8 The
Mafia Myth. Discussion of Fox book.
4. Sept 15 Organized
crime and political machines.
5. Sept 22 Organized
crime and the metropolitan economy
6. Sept 29 Old
and new ethnic groups
7. Oct. 6 Gambling.
8. Oct. 13 Labor
racketering and political corruption
9. Oct. 20 Drugs.
10. Oct. 27 The
organized crime elite
11. Nov 3 Law-enforcement
dilemmas
12. Nov 10 Legal
and ethical issues
13. Nov 17 A
comparative view
14-15. Dec. 1-8 Student presentations
Reading List
I have asked for the following books to be put on reserve in
Pattee. Please use them as appropriate for your papers.
Author Title Call
number
Albanese Organized
Crime in America HV6791.A57 1985
Albini The
American Mafia HV6446.A35
Anderson The
Business of Organized Crime
HV6791.A76
Arlacchi Mafia
Business HV6453.I8M3 1986
Block East
Side, West Side HV6795.N5B57
1980
Block and Chambliss, Organizing
Crime HV6030.B55
Blumenthal Last
Days of the Sicilians HV6446.B58
1988
Chambliss On
the Take HV6795.S5C45 1978
Cressey Theft
of the Nation HV6791.C7
Davis Mafia
Kingfish
HV6248.M2964D38 1989
Demaris Boardwalk
Jungle HV6721.A8D45
1986
Duggan Fascism
and the Mafia HV6453.I83M327
1989
Gardiner The
Politics of Corruption JS401.G36
Ianni Black
Mafia HV6791.I2
Ianni A
Family Business HV6448.I17
Kaplan and Dubro Yakuza HV6453.J33Y355
1986
McCoy Drug
Traffic HV5840.A8M3
Messick Silent
Syndicate HV6783.M4
Messick Syndicate
in the Sun HV6483.D3M4
Messick Syndicate
Wife HV6248.C662M4
Moldea Dark
Victory PN1999.M33M6
1986
Nelli Business
of Crime HV6791.N37
1981
Posner Warlords
of Crime HV6453.H75P67
1988
Smith Mafia
Mystique HV6446.S54
Wismer Sweethearts HD9715.C23T67