The golden age of organized crime may seem like a thing of the past in this era of surveillance. Law enforcement officers have technology and profiling capabilities now that they never had in the past. But make no mistake: Gangs are alive and thriving. They’ve simply evolved with the times. And we’re not just talking about low-level street gangs, either. Complicated, cunning, and cryptic multinational gangs still control the underworld in our modern age.
While some manage to outmaneuver the law, others receive tacit support from governments. A few have become so deeply entrenched in society that they function as de facto governments. Today, we’ll shine a spotlight on ten of the most influential and formidable gangs. These groups have amassed significant wealth, boast large memberships, and operate on a global scale. Their power and influence are undeniable in the criminal underworld—and beyond.
In my opinion, I think the most powerful criminal organization in the world is the various Italian organized crime groups known as the Italian Mafia. These include Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Camorra, Sacra Corona Unita, La Stidda, Mafia Capitale, Basilischi and more.
First of all, from all of the research I have done, the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Camorra, and Sacra Corona Unita make a combined $170-$180 billion per year. That is more than any other criminal organization that I have heard of. This would make them the 19th highest earning "company" in the world when compared to legitimate corporations. Remember, those are the 4 most powerful of the Italian groups, that figure does not include the other various groups. Money means power, they are able to buy vast amounts of weapons, vehicles, and whatever else they need for their operations. Not to mention, they can also buy many politicians and law enforcers.
Martyn V. Halm (Combat Pragmatist) cited a 2014 article in Fortune which is factually incorrect, their "estimates" are way off when it comes to the annual revenue of these organizations. In the article, it claims the 'Ndrangheta makes $4.5 billion/year, this is not the case, as they make $72 billion/year according to various European and American law enforcement agencies.
They are one of the largest criminal organizations in the world. Combined, they have around 300,000 members and associates spread across various countries. There is strength in numbers is a statement which is often true.
They are very widespread, they operate in many places such as North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Russia, and Australia. This gives them the advantage of having a global reach and being able to call on support/flee to anywhere in the world. This global support gives on-the-run mobsters places to hide, ability to call for help, and better business opportunities, as ethnically-similar crime groups often do business with each other because
a) They trust each other more
b) They often share a similar history
Alliances, Italian organized crime groups (OCGs) have been known to cooperate with each other on many occasions. Sure, many other criminal groups work together as well, but Italians seem to have the best relationship with each other and seem to have the most peace among themselves as opposed to other ethnic criminal groups. Sure, they fight, they are criminals, but they seem to fight the least among each other. This re-enforces the past two points I made, and is a huge advantage for them.
Money-making versatility, this also goes for other criminal organizations such as the Bratva (Russian Mafia) but being involved in a dozens of different criminal operations allows them to fall back on something if one operation goes awry. It also gives them an opportunity to increase and spread their power and influence in a given area. Such as Cosa Nostra controlling labor unions to control entire ports, and sometimes even entire industries.
Legitimate businesses. Again, other OCGs own legitimate businesses too, but Italian OCGs seem to be most heavily involved in legit businesses in comparison to other groups. As I mentioned above, they are involved in unions, they own construction companies, various restaurants, they own real estate ('Ndrangheta owns almost entire neighborhoods in Germany and Brussels as a form of investment.)
To recap:
1.Italian OCGs make the most money.
2. Italian OCGs are larger in numbers.
3. They are one of the most, if not the most widespread.
4. Great internal relationships.
5. Money-making versatility.
6. Involvement in legitimate enterprises.
Time for some counterarguments (I am going to name a powerful global OCG that others may have mentioned but I will explain why I believe they are not as powerful as the Italian OCGs globally)
Russian Mafia (Bratva): You could say that they traffic nuclear weapons, but this is simply a different money-making opportunity. They are not going to actually use them, as this would bring down heat from every law enforcement agency within 2000 miles of them. You could say they have submarines, but Italian groups have submarines bringing drugs from Colombia and Mexico as well. Italian OCGs (Camorra in this case) also find sunken WWII ships and retrieve weapons and bombs from them.
Mexican Drug Cartels:
You could say that they control a large part of the world's drug trade, they do, but they are not nearly as wide spread as other groups such as the Italian or Russian OCGs. They are mainly in Mexico and the US, they also operate in Canada, but not as heavily as in the US. They send over drugs to Europe but it is then controlled by Italian OCGs. ('Ndrangheta controls 80% of Europe's cocaine, and that is 1 of many Italian OCGs.) The Mexican cartels also make less money from their businesses than Italian OCGs do, cartels make around $40-$60 billion/year. Which isn't shabby, but it doesn't match up against $170-$180 billion/year. They are not as widespread, either. They do have people operating in other countries, but they are usually under the control of other criminal groups, and are their mainly to assist in the reception of drugs or they are on the run there. Most likely and most often the former.
While the above groups are powerful, they are not as powerful (on a global scale) as the Italian OCGs. Feel free to contest my opinions in a comment.
The Italian Mafia. is still strong. They just changed their way of doing business. They're not as strong as they once were, but then again, who is? They had more power than the US President. No one in this day and age will ever come remotely close to being that powerful. So the next time you hear someone say the Italians are finished, tell them they're either naive or clueless. They still have a stranglehold on much of the criminal underworld, believe it or not.
Camorra. The Camorra mafia is a centuries-old organization predating the nation of Italy itself. Today, it holds sway over the city of Naples. Known as “the system” to locals, it commands such authority that Neapolitans rarely testify against it in court. In turn, they treat it almost like the government. In addition to providing employment, the gang offers protection and exerts control over the city through debt. In effect, it dominates the lives of countless residents. And since it has for centuries, there is little momentum to change that.
Comprising 100 self-governing clans and approximately 10,000 immediate associates, the Camorra boasts an extensive network of dependent clients and allies. Its work goes far beyond just the city of Naples, though. Its combined operations in black market business, drug dealing, and trafficking span the Americas and Europe. In total, they generated an estimated annual revenue of $4.9 billion in 2014 alone.
Contrary to popular belief, the Camorra remains firmly in control of Naples today. And it shows no signs of slowing down, outpacing the rise of rival gangs even now. Notably, it operates drug bazaars known as “piazzas.” These are heavily fortified apartment complexes equipped with numerous lookouts. Inside, they contain an intricate underground system for drug and money exchanges. In that way, police raids are essentially futile. And thus, Camorra goes on existing like it always has—and like it probably always will.
Wo Shing Wo.
The Wo Shing Wo is a Chinese triad gang operating worldwide. It has experienced steady growth since the 1990s, coinciding with increased police attention. This organization has expanded its influence beyond Hong Kong to many other Asian and even Western cities. Recently, it has established a notable presence in San Francisco. Currently, the Wo Shing Wo boasts a membership exceeding 20,000 people worldwide. And all of them are willing to die for the gang’s access to illegal markets and ill-gotten money.
Primarily recognized for its involvement in illegal gambling, the Wo Shing Wo engages in a wide range of triad activities. These include drug trafficking, protection rackets, and extortion. They have even been known to engage in wildlife smuggling, fraud, counterfeiting, loansharking, cyber scams, and money laundering.
Interestingly, not all of their endeavors are unlawful. Triads also engage in legal ventures such as operating nightclubs, casinos, and bars. In some areas of the Far East, the Wo Shing Wo even works in movie production and distribution. Triads like this aim to address market gaps or provide services that the government fails to offer. But their illegal businesses bring black market sales, corruption, and brutal violence, too. The combination makes them deadly for those who get in their way and difficult for law enforcement to track.
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