Evidence and Proof
Evidence and Proof Elizabeth Graham Mar 8 Russian organized crime in the U.S. started in the mid-1970s. This development was partly attributable to diplomatic efforts by the Nixon administration, which encouraged the Soviet Union to moderate its position on immigration as a demonstration of goodwill. Consequently, around 200,000 Russian-Jewish refugees immigrated to the United States during this period. Analysts say the KGB released hardened Russian criminals from prison in a manner similar to Fidel Castro in the 1980s. While “Russian organized crime” typically denotes groups originating from Russia, the term also encompasses criminal organizations from the Baltic Republics, Georgia, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, and other regions of Eastern Europe. (NCJRS) Many of them were settled in or near Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach. The “Odessa Mafia,” active in the U.S. from 1975, was known for fraud, extortion, and drug trafficking. These groups often targeted other immigrants and allied with exis...
