Here I found some old article from 2002 about a low level operating Russian Brigade in New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/19/nyregi...mob.html?src=pm

Good article. More evidence that the predictions 20 years ago about the "Red Mafiya" takeover in the U.S. never came true.

In my opinion, the real threat currently of the takeover is the Mexican Drug Cartels. Drugs are everywhere, Mexico is just next to the USA, so when you think so big, there's a chance that 50 to 80 percent of the drugs on US streets are coming from these cartels.

These guys in the article they were low level fools, we've had such idiots operating here also in Latvia and Russia, they sooner or later get killed by bigger groups or locked up.

I don't think the Russian Mafiya will takeover, the real big guys they're more in white collar fraud, they're in for the millions not to gain a few thousand just from picking up the money from the local grocery stores every week. Of course there are smaller groups who also operate in the small time shit, but they're either new recruits for the mob or just idiots who can't do other shit.

Well, the Mexicans pretty much have taken over as far as the drug trade goes. They're the dominant group in every part of the country except the Northeast.

OC experts have said the reason the Russians haven't taken over is they don't have the same organizational hierarchy the LCN does. They're more about coming together for specific crimes and then disbanding. It makes it harder for law enforcement to go after them but also easier to bring them down once they indict them. The same could be said for the Albanians.

The thing with Albanians is, is that they are prone to violence and that they have the proper muscle, but they're not too brainy. They mostly rule through violence and intimidation. This works in countries were organized crime doesn't have a deeply rooted history like Belgium, Sweden or Denmark. But when you're competing in a region were there are groups active that can be just as violent and are brainy too, then you'll need more than muscle alone. That's part of the reason the Albanians didn't take over the UK, Netherlands, Southern France and certainly not the USA. They are active in each of these countries, sure. But they are not the most powerful over there.

Each Russian crime group has it's own structure, some groups are like the one in the news article low level, with no organizing skills, they're practically a street crew with two leaders. Other higher organized groups have leaders, underbosses, advisors, finance organizers, security groups, hitman squads and only then foot soldiers.

You can look at Brighton Beach, the group that there runs things was the group that in 90's Ivankov gathered together, those were around 100 ex-army/spetsnaz and sportsmen who were in the lines of his crew. Such groups like this you can say have taken over and no-one will touch them, even the crazy Mexicans. That's because everyone in the criminal life knows once you fuck with the Russians, you better kill them or they will kill everyone who you love in front of your eyes and only then they will kill you.

Some of these OC experts that I've seen or read their things, they don't even still differ a Thief in Law from the Russian Mob.

And I've heard from people who I know that live in the states, what they've said about the Russian Mob there. Once someone tries to pick a fight with you at a club, you just need to start speaking Russian and they'll back off.
Another thing I've heard was that in the 90's when the big wave of Russians came to the states, some neighborhoods literally got cleaned out of Mexican and Black gangs.

Excellent insight Ivy. That makes sense, especially when I have wondered why the Russians haven't made a bigger splash. You think they're content with what they have (level, influence, money) or do you think they are trying to figure out a way to carve a bigger piece of the pie?

That's really good insight, but that cannot just be said to be reliable data, I mean the part if somebody speaks Russian in a club then they'll back off, I think that's more of what...a myth lets say.

Could be a myth, totally agree.

The other day I spoke with my father about some criminal stuff, as he lived trough the 90's here when the Russian bandits were killing each other on sight. Some of his childhood friends also were involved with criminal groups.

The story started as my-self, I like to wear tracksuits, so does my best friend. Tracksuits around here kind of creates the stereotype that you're a Russian and you're up to crime. So we were going trough the old city and all tourists were looking at us like we've just killed someone. When my friend asked one of them for a cigarette he just looked at him, tured around for 180 degrees and walked straight away.

So yeah, we had this topic with my father we spoke about crime and I mentioned that thing that happened to me and my friend, I stated that they all think we're some Russian Mafiya trying to rob them.

My fathers response to that was - "When some of these tourists say that you're Russian Mafiya you say them this - E, tourist, the Russian Mafiya will work with you when you have millions, but for now I will be working with you."

I think they're very aware of RICO and want to avoid landing on law enforcement's radar. It's why many of these Eurasian groups aren't interested in forming large, hierarchical organizations which control a big chunk of territory or rackets. They're more concerned with keeping a low profile by staying small, fluid, and moving from one scam to the next.