Albanian Mob-v.serious threat-an inside look

I've posted here before - I'm a journalist whose spent the last two years or so on a six part series on Albanian transnational organized crime.

I got pretty deep into this world and the work was well received by the press, law enforcement (FBI), US Department of Justice, investigators, academia, the Albanian community. I subsequently received a grant to go overseas to Albania.

My final piece in the series was just published. It's two parts - - here's part 1, reporting on the ground in Albania and on a NYC federal trial and on a particular criminal crew- the hits, trafficking, kidnapping,talking to the players involved. Part 2 will be published shortly -- it's more of a deep overview, analysis and documentation of this whole world, the scope of the problem. And they are truly far reaching in what they have going on.

Below is the link; I appreciate the chance to post here and let you all have a look:
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/po...-crime?page=all

This is such a great work by the journalist for this work all you need to be a brave.

Your articles are very interesting. It seems that in america they concentrate more on the drug trade and in europe they are heavily involved with sex trafficking and people smuggling.

What is your view on the rudaj gang? Do you think they were overhyped?

I think they were overhyped in the sense that they were being called the sixth family, however i don't doubt any of the things they were accused of and their violent reputation.

Thanks, that's decent of you to say.

Hey Scorsese -- regarding the Rudaj gang being hyped -- I did hear that many many times from a lot of people on the law enforcement side and the criminal side. I think he was making serious money though -- one of the people in my article Erion Shehu was actually working for him and was a bit of a player in the queens scene -- he didn't get picked up in the Rudaj bust. And I did hear a wiretap of him talking to someone and he certainly talked tough -- but yeah the sixth family thing is probably hype

The Purple Gang, the Rizzutos, the DeCavalcantes, and the Rudaj Organization have all, at one time or another, been referred to as "the sixth family." It's meaningless.

Good article. For many years they have been major force in the Bronx. They have had control over area like Arthur Avenue and some other sections. I also have heard that many are around in areas north of Bronx in upstate parts of New York. Does anyone know what areas they have most power in.

The albanians have influence in the bronx but they don't control Arthur Avenue that's been an Italian mafia stronghold for over 50 years more specifically the Genovese family

I do see Albanians all over the Bronx

I thought they took over Arthur Avenue over 30 years ago. First under Locascio, then going on own. Just by shear numbers in that area I would think they have more power than mafia in that area.

all the albanians in mass. all run pizza shops, and the few i know do all have family around the bronx. when i see there delivery trucks all from bronx/westchester. but all the young guys sell the hydro stuff good price but the vietnamise got good prices too.there tuff guys who will fight all. they stick to themshelves

Its seems they got good connection for weed especially from canada. The vietnamese are all over the place with their grow ops.

"I hate these fuckin' Albanians. If you have a beef with them you have to kill them right away. There's no talking to them."

- Genovese soldier Pasquale "Patty" Falcetti

i read a gangland article were a fan forvorite vinny gourg had 100 pound of the hydro coming from montreal every other week to the bx, so that conflicts with the vito rizzuto told massino dont ever let him in canada. i forgot if this was before or after george's death. but it came up at his trials i think it was more to 250 pounds to.

I really don't know anything about Albanians in US.Does italians taking % of their activities,or maybe using them as muscle?

The Mafia use to use them as muscle since they were so ruthless, but they grew into an independent group.

Sonny Franzese got taken down for using a young Albanian to shake down a bar and stab the shop owner through his hand with a screwdriver.

Yeah, there are recent cases that show the LCN is still using Albanians as enforcers, in robberies, etc.

It seems that albanians also have a history of feuding with black and hispanic gangs at a young age,this probably helped strengthen their ethnic loyalties and also develop the sort of gang mentality they have.
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/26/nyregi...=all&src=pm
Are there any albanian street gangs around?

With regards to Albanian street gangs in USA, obviously these are concentrated around the New York area where there are several hundred thousand Albanians. More specifically, there are a lot in the Bronx, living in not dissimilar areas to the Italians or at least where they used to live.
Probably the most well known street gang was/is the young guys who make up ABI - Albanian Boys Inc.
Pretty gay name and mostly its just kids looking for bravado but many join OC later on. Guys like the Krasniqi bros. used to be members for example.

Albania. It's a fascinating country. I have some good friends from there and one of my previous girlfriends also, but they also have some of the craziest individuals. For example, compared to the average Western male I live by macho values, but many of the poorer Albanians and most of Kosovo are like the mountain tribes in Afghanistan. Crazy like Chechens.
With such a mentality you can forget the 'projects' of NYC, these guys are from another planet...

There are several Albanian gangs, so there will always be some cooperation, but the bigger ones are in it for themselves.

I think majority of Albanian gangsters are independent. When starting out some might have looked to American Mafia for help, but they also went up agisnt them. They are becoming bigger than Mafia, just by age and numbers.

First, the Albanians are nowhere close to the Mafia. In numbers or in any other way, except for sheer violence. Second, only the Rudaj organization went up against the mob. And so they got a lot of the publicity. Yet with one indictment, they were wiped out.


Albanian gangsters are the latest ethnic criminals to be presented by authorities as competition for the old and dying Mafiosi. Like Irish, Cuban, Russian, Chinese and Greek hoodlums before them, the Albanians are not serious competition for what the F.B.I. calls traditional organized crime, the Italian mob. There are nowhere near enough of them.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/weekinreview/05capeci.html?pagewanted=all

Ugh I hate the Albanians...

I wish I remember where I read it...Zeke Squitieri had a beef with the Albanians that resulted in a tense showdown at a gas station, with the Rudaj threatening to blow up the gas station and take them all out. Apparently cooler heads prevailed, and the Albanians backed off.

Shows on one hand how tough they were to risk their own lives in order to prove a point; but at the same time they obviously didn't follow through. It was either in a recent book, or Ganglandnews.com (which I no longer sub to)...so not certain of the source/accuracy.

There's always folks like Zef Mustafa (driver for Frank Locasio, I believe?)...that joined (associate of course, but still...) the 'winning' team of LCN with much success.

In Greece, the country as a whole is hated (much crime in general is attributed to illegal Albanian immigrants into Greece and other nearby Western European countries) maybe not statistically true, but definitely the feelings of the Greeks.

This was in Making Jack Falcone the book and Ganglandnews.


"On those tapes and in surveillance photos, there are glimpses of the bravado that prosecutors say typifies the Corporation. In some of the conversations, prosecutors say, Mr. Rudaj describes his plans to take over Astoria from the Luchese crime family. In others, Corporation members describe beatings they participated in. Surveillance photos show Mr. Rudaj and his associates at the wake of John Gotti.

In court, jurors heard evidence of another gangland showdown between Mr. Rudaj and a Gambino leader. It happened at a gas station in New Jersey, a few days before the fight at Soccer Fever. Arnold Squitieri, then the acting boss of the Gambino family, had sought a meeting with Mr. Rudaj, prosecutors said.

At Mr. Squitieri's signal, about 30 of his men appeared, carrying bats, guns and other weapons, but the Albanians were ready. One of Mr. Rudaj's men put a gun to Mr. Squitieri's head and another pointed a shotgun at a gas pump, threatening to blow everyone up unless Mr. Squitieri's men put down their guns, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Squitieri backed down."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/nyregion/03albanian.html?_r=1&scp=15&sq=%22Arnold%20Squitieri%22&st=cse

"One problem that Squitieri had to deal with during the early and mid 2000s (decade) was the challenge of ethnic Albanian gangs to the gambling rackets in Queens. One particular threat was with the Rudaj Organization (or "The Corporation"), run by mobster Alex Rudaj. At first, Gregory DePalma was able to solve minor disputes, but the Corporation became less cooperative over time.

In September 2005, Squitieri arranged a meeting with Rudaj at a gas station in New Jersey. When the Corporation mobsters arrived, 20 armed Gambino men came out to confront them. FBI undercover agent known as Jack Falcone states in his book that Squitieri told the Corporation mobsters, "You took what you took and that's it or there's gonna be a problem." The Gambinos outnumbered the Corporation 20 to 6. Rudaj ordered one of his men to shoot a gas tank if a gunfight ensued. Rudaj eventually listened to reason and stopped interfering with Gambino operations."

- from Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family

The first gambling club in Queens the Rudaj organization took over was a Greek club that was paying tribute to the Lucchese family. The Luccheses had been severely weakened in that area by prosecutions so Rudaj saw an opening. As did the Gambinos, who also opened their own club, which the Rudaj crew forcibly shut down. That's what led to the meeting at the gas station in Jersey.

I'm not sure why the media always made it sound like the Gambinos "backed down." They likely thought the Rudaj guys just may be crazy to shoot a gas pump and blow everybody up, including themselves, but it was a stalemate at best. And, as I've said previously, it didn't take long for Rudaj and his guys to be taken down; due in no small part to their cowboy ways.

Truth. They both made their point. The Gambinos flexed there size/muscle while the Corporation demonstrated there toughness.

I think we're coming to a day and age where the Mafia will stay on top simply because they can handle indictments.

This recent article basically sums that up...

Structure Keeps Mafia Atop Crime Heap
Strict Hierarchy and Ability to Recruit Have Enabled La Cosa Nostra to Survive Challenges From Other Organizations
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704115404576096392318489246.html

I read that article when it first came out. Maybe it creeped into my subconscious.

Even though they are not as structured or as organised as the italians, they still seem to be managing to set up huge international drug networks and make a lot of money aswell.

Thanks Ivy for that article. The accompanying timeline really helps put context and perspective on the things we discuss in this forum. Much obliged as always!

albanians are too flexible, although albanian underworld is formed mostly by little clan related eachother they are not nowhere cohesive and entrenched as the mafia as a whole
in north italy there are albanian gangs but they are extremely flexible, the same gang who operates in milan lets say could disappear and operate in bologna after a couple of months they are not territorialy rooted and permanent like southern mafias

Albanians are big in Belgium ( where I live). In Antwerp the Chechens have tried to muscle in on the activities of the Albanians but they haven't succeeded so far.