Why The Camorra Originated In Naples, Italy

The Camorra originated in Naples, Italy in the 1800s as a prison gang. The word “Camorra” translates to “gang”. Members were comprised of released prisoners that formed clans in cities upon release and continued to grow in power. It is the largest organized Italian crime group with more than 111 clans and approximately 7,000 members in Naples and the surrounding areas. Unlike the pyramidal structure of the Sicilian Mafia with a centralized organization, the Camorra is organized horizontally with each Camorra clan acting independently.

The Camorra made its fortune in the reconstruction of the Campania region following the 1980 earthquake. Presently, the group controls cigarette smuggling and profits from payoffs received from other criminal groups involved in cigarette trafficking through Italy. Other illegal activities conducted by the Camorra involve blackmail, political corruption, money laundering, extortion, human smuggling, theft, kidnapping, and counterfeiting.

e. Sacra Corona Unita

Similar to the Camorra group, the Sacra Corona Unita started as a prison gang that surfaced in the late 1980s. Released prisoners settled in the Puglia region of Italy, growing in power and forming connections with Mafia groups. In total, there are about 50 clans within the Sacra Corona Unita

The Refuseniks criminals assisted the major criminal groups to expand to the West following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Groups based in the former Soviet Union are responsible for defrauding the government of billions of dollars through tax evasion schemes and embezzlement of government funds by corrupt officials. The possible destabilization of the government and economy of the former Soviet Union by criminal activities are threats of paramount importance to political and national security. Of heightened concern is these areas house nuclear