Does a "Russian Mafia" really exist? This book seeks to answer that question by examining the intricate history of Russian organized crime in both its homeland and the United States. It investigates in detail such topics as the characteristics of the Russian criminal tradition of vory v zakone ("thieves-in-law"), contemporary Russian mobs, criminal activity among Russian immigrants, claims of KGB involvement in American crime, and connections between crime bosses and gangsters in both countries.

Drawing on research conducted in cooperation with the Tri-State Joint Soviet-emigre Organized Crime Project as well as on privileged access to confidential information, James O. Finckenauer and Elin J. Waring focus on criminal networks in the New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania area. They also report on a nationwide survey of law enforcement agencies and examine major criminal cases, notably Russian participation with Cosa Nostra families in bootleg gasoline schemes.