However I do think that the Russian or former so ite groups are exaggerated a little , sure they're major players, but people tend to over caution them I think. I would imagine Balkan organized crime is more powerful or pervasive than some Russian groups, eg the Albanians.
The cells operating outside of Russia maybe are not that powerful, since they are on territories that belong to others, but the ones the bosses of which stay safely in Moscow, St.Petersburg etc unfortunately have tremendous power in the country. It's not that long since the 90s ended, and the 90s were like the Wild West in America, the only difference was that, while in the Wild West the sheriffs could at least shoot the bandits on the spot, in the 90s in Russia the police couldn't to it to the big bosses and was virtually powerless. The police is also mostly corrupt. When in the city of Togliatti (an Italian name, but it's in Russia) a drug lord's right-hand man was arrested and his boss went on the run, he was questioned about who, according to him, will now be in charge of the city's drug trade. He answered: the Federal Drug Control Service of the Russian Federation.
Willie Marfeo to Henry Tameleo:
1) "You people want a loaf of bread and you throw the crumbs back. Well, fuck you. I ain't closing down."
2) "Get out of here, old man. Go tell Raymond to go shit in his hat. We're not giving you anything."
