"Ralph Salerno, described by the New York Times as the man who "knows more about the Mafia than any person who is not a member of it," here puts together a very comprehensive portrait of "America's most successful industry." He amplifies and interprets much that came out in The Valachi Papers but also gives a very clear picture of the evolution of The Syndicate, why it is successful to the tune of $40,000,000,000 a year (a conservative estimate) and why the most powerful government in the world is incapable of protecting informers barring exile or a concentration camp existence. There is a lot of detailed information--recruiting methods, power tactics, means of corruption (work from the top down) and some sad projections for the future--Crime will pay better than ever. He discusses some possibilities of counter-attack; the rise of other ethnic groups and their influence; the gains of international crime confederations and the attitude of the American public--which should be disabused, hopefully, through an exposure like this. It's a thinking taxpayer's book."--Kirkus

"Ralph Salerno, described by the New York Times as the man who "knows more about the Mafia than any person who is not a member of it," here puts together a very comprehensive portrait of "America's most successful industry." He amplifies and interprets much that came out in The Valachi Papers but also gives a very clear picture of the evolution of The Syndicate, why it is successful to the tune of $40,000,000,000 a year (a conservative estimate) and why the most powerful government in the world is incapable of protecting informers barring exile or a concentration camp existence. There is a lot of detailed information--recruiting methods, power tactics, means of corruption (work from the top down) and some sad projections for the future--Crime will pay better than ever. He discusses some possibilities of counter-attack; the rise of other ethnic groups and their influence; the gains of international crime confederations and the attitude of the American public--which should be disabused, hopefully, through an exposure like this. It's a thinking taxpayer's book."--Kirkus

Organized crime in America today is not the tough hoodlums familiar to moviegoers and TV watchers. It is more sophisticated, with many college graduates, gifted with organizational genius, all belonging to twenty-four tightly knit "families," who have corrupted legitimate business and infiltrated some of the highest levels of local, state, and federal government. Their power reaches into Congress, into the executive and judicial branches, police agencies, and labor unions, and into such business enterprises as real estate, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, linen-supply houses, and garbage-collection routes.How does organized crime operate? How dangerous is it? What are the implications for American society? How may we cope with it? In answering these questions, Cressey asserts that because organized crime provides illicit goods and services demanded by legitimate society, it has become part of legitimate society. This fascinating account reveals the parallels: the growth of specialization, "big-business practices" (pooling of capital and reinvestment of profits; fringe benefits like bail money), and government practices (negotiated settlements and peace treaties, defined territories, fair-trade agreements).For too long we have, as a society, concerned ourselves only with superficial questions about organized crime. "Theft of the Nation" focuses on to a more profound and searching level. Of course, organized crime exists. Cressey not only establishes this fact, but proceeds to explore it rigorously and with penetration. One need not agree with everything Cressey writes to conclude that no one, after the publication of "Theft of the Nation", can be knowledgeable about organized crime without having read this book.

Why do Americans alternately celebrate and condemn gangsters, outlaws and corrupt politicians? Why do they immortalize Al Capone while forgetting his more successful contemporaries George Remus or Roy Olmstead? Why are some public figures repudiated for their connections to the mob while others gain celebrity status? Drawing on historical accounts, the author analyzes the public's understanding of organized crime and questions some of our most deeply held assumptions about crime and its role in society.

"With the appearance of Homer's study, it is no longerpossible to base any serious work about organized crime on the superficialdebate over whether or not this set of activities is dominated by one or moreparticular ethnic groups," writes political scientist Michael A.Weinstein in his introduction. Homer removes the study of organizedcrime from the realm of sensationalism and ethnic chauvinism, and places it inthe context of contemporary American social structure. He reviews prevalentmyths and hypotheses about organized crime and critically analyzes them in theframework of contemporary organization theory. In this context, organized crimeis analyzed in its economic, political, ethnic, and social class dimensions. Thisbook will pose a dilemma for American citizens, Weinstein concludes: "Will wechoose to ease our consciences by pretending that organized crime is an anomalyin American society to be eliminated by punitive action against particulargroups, or will we recognize that criminal matrices functionally interlock withmany other aspects of everyday life? Only the latter recognition will permit usto make a free decision about how we will act with respect to organized crime." Listed among the outstanding books of 1974 by both AmericanScholar and Society, Guns and Garlic is a recommended selection of the NationalCriminal Justice Reference Center, a division of the Law Enforcement AssistanceAssociation of the United States Department of Justice.

A concise and comprehensive introduction to the law of evidence, Criminal Evidence takes an active learning approach to help readers apply evidence law to real-life cases. Bestselling author Matthew Lippman, a professor of criminal law and criminal procedure for over 25 years, creates an engaging and accessible experience for students from a public policy perspective through a multitude of contemporary examples and factual case scenarios that illustrate the application of the law of evidence. Highlighting the theme of a balancing of interests in the law of evidence, readers are asked to apply a more critical examination of the use of evidence in the judicial system. The structure of the criminal justice system and coverage of the criminal investigative process is also introduced to readers.