Although organised criminal groups have been an ever-present menace to our cities, in the last decade gangs have snowballed into one of the most terrifying problems facing Britain today. Seducing disillusioned youngsters into their ranks, vicious crews have declared open war in a desperate attempt to gain control of the lucrative drug trade...murder, kidnapping and intimidation have become all too common.In south Manchester, the feud between the Gooch Gang and the Doddingtons became so vicious that peace-keepers from America's Crips and Bloods were flown in from Los Angeles to broker a deal. Across the United States, the Crips now boast some 35,000 members from all ethnic backgrounds - African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic and Asian - while the Bloods have made an alliance with the old-time Lucchese crime family, once one of the 'Five Families' of New York and still a pillar of the Cosa Nostra.

Crime DOES pay. There's no denying it. And in pursuit of riches and power, those outside the law have always tended to band together - spawning today's murky, brutal world of organised crime.The origins of the archetypical gangster can be traced to 1920s America, when Prohibition turned street-corner hoodlums into rich and powerful businessmen. But today highly organised ferociously protective gangs are prevalent throughout the world. Despite their despicable methods, we are still fascinated by their labyrinthe networks. How did these gangs form? How do they wield their power? How do they maintain their secretive societies? And how do they evade the massive forces of law and order arrayed against them? Nigel Blundell, who is author of more than a dozen factual crime books, reveals the answers in The World's Most Evil Gangs.This book delves into the darkest depths of the underworld, from mobsters in America to Hells Angels in Germany to child armies in Africa...not forgetting the monsters on our own doorstep.

It was one of the most brutal killing crusades that Britain has ever seen. Two cruel brothers and their henchmen, synonymous with robbery, torture and bribery, presided over a murderous reign so brutal that Nottingham became forth in the UK's gun crime league. This is just one of the shocking true stories contained in this chilling book.Having delved into the minds of world's most notorious murderers and published his findings in the best-selling Talking with Serial Killers, renowned true-crime author Christopher Berry-Dee now turns his attention to the machinations of the gangster's mind and documents the extent of their cruelty and brutishness. From Tam McGraw, one of Scotland's most infamous gangsters, to 'public enemy number one' Kenny Noye, every type of British gangster is examined. Although they are all very different, they do share a particular trait: a willingness to do anything to get what they want. While the reader may be able to breathe a sigh of relief that the characters in this book have been banished from our streets, gangalnd UK is also a sharp reminder of the dangers still out there. Here are htr startling portaits of thos eciminals who we would rather dorget...but won't be able to.

The Mafia Files presents the rap sheets of key figures in the Italian-American underworld, featuring Lupo the Wolf, the Teflon Don, Joey 'the Clown' Lombardo, Tony 'Joe Batters' Accardo and many more. These case studies chart the mobsters' careers, showing how Mafia tentacles have delved into a host of new ventures over the past 100 years. Including portraits of victims and crime-busters, this full-colour book is perfect bedtime reading from the dark side of life - brutal, grisly, but fascinating.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “The story Unger weaves with those earlier accounts and his original reporting is fresh, illuminating and more alarming than the intelligence channel described in the Steele dossier.”—The Washington Post House of Trump, House of Putin offers the first comprehensive investigation into the decades-long relationship among Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Russian Mafia that ultimately helped win Trump the White House. It is a chilling story that begins in the 1970s, when Trump made his first splash in the booming, money-drenched world of New York real estate, and ends with Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States. That moment was the culmination of Vladimir Putin’s long mission to undermine Western democracy, a mission that he and his hand-selected group of oligarchs and Mafia kingpins had ensnared Trump in, starting more than twenty years ago with the massive bailout of a string of sensational Trump hotel and casino failures in Atlantic City. This book confirms the most incredible American paranoias about Russian malevolence. To most, it will be a hair-raising revelation that the Cold War did not end in 1991—that it merely evolved, with Trump’s apartments offering the perfect vehicle for billions of dollars to leave the collapsing Soviet Union. In House of Trump, House of Putin, Craig Unger methodically traces the deep-rooted alliance between the highest echelons of American political operatives and the biggest players in the frightening underworld of the Russian Mafia. He traces Donald Trump’s sordid ascent from foundering real estate tycoon to leader of the free world. He traces Russia’s phoenix like rise from the ashes of the post–Cold War Soviet Union as well as its ceaseless covert efforts to retaliate against the West and reclaim its status as a global superpower. Without Trump, Russia would have lacked a key component in its attempts to return to imperial greatness. Without Russia, Trump would not be president. This essential book is crucial to understanding the real powers at play in the shadows of today’s world. The appearance of key figures in this book—Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, and Felix Sater to name a few—ring with haunting significance in the wake of Robert Mueller’s report and as others continue to close in on the truth.

The FBI estimate that there are between 25 and 50 serial killers at large in the USA at any given time. But the truth is few people kill. We occasionally say we could kill someone, but that is usually hyperbole. Most of us can imagine what it might be like to be driven to a senseless act of violence in an unendurable situation. To kill once is one thing; to kill over and over again is quite another. What drives these people who kill and kill again? Are they evil or are they mad? Serial killing is a worldwide phenomenon and no two killers are alike. Each one comes with a grisly though compelling tale that takes the reader to the darkest reaches of the human psyche.

A companion to the study of the gangster film’s international appeal spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia A Companion to the Gangster Film presents a comprehensive overview of the newest scholarship on the contemporary gangster film genre as a global phenomenon. While gangster films are one of America’s most popular genres, gangster movies appear in every film industry across the world. With contributions from an international panel of experts, A Companion to the Gangster Film explores the popularity of gangster films across three major continents, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The authors acknowledge the gangster genre’s popularity and examine the reasons supporting its appeal to twenty-first century audiences across the globe. The book examines common themes across all three continents such as production histories and reception, gender race and sexuality, mafia mythologies, and politics. In addition, the companion clearly shows that no national cinema develops in isolation and that cinema is a truly global popular art form. This important guide to the gangster film genre: Reveals how the gangster film engages in complex and contradictory themes Examines the changing face of the gangster film in America Explores the ideas of gangsterism and migration in the Hispanic USA, Latin America and the Caribbean Discusses the wide variety of gangster types to appear in European cinema Contains a review of a wide-range of gangster films from the Americans, Europe, and Asia Written for academics and students of film, A Companion to the Gangster Film offers a scholarly and authoritative guide exploring the various aspects and international appeal of the gangster film genre.

Now in paperback! The stunning true story of the rise of Nazism in America in the years leading to WWII—and the fearless Jewish gangsters and crime families who joined forces to fight back. With an intense cinematic style, acclaimed nonfiction crime author Michael Benson reveals the thrilling role of Jewish mobsters like Bugsy Siegel in stomping out the terrifying tide of Nazi sympathizers during the 1930s and 1940s. As Adolph Hitler rose to power in 1930s Germany, a growing wave of fascism began to take root on American soil. Nazi activists started to gather in major American cities, and by 1933, there were more than one-hundred anti-Semitic groups operating openly in the United States. Few Americans dared to speak out or fight back—until an organized resistance of notorious Jewish mobsters (Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Red Levine, and others) waged their own personal war against the Nazis in their midst, gangland-style . . . Packed with surprising, little-known facts, graphic details, and unforgettable personalities, Gangsters vs. Nazis chronicles the mob’s most ruthless tactics in taking down fascism—inspiring ordinary Americans to join them in their fight. The book culminates in one of the most infamous events of the pre-war era—the 1939 Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden—in which law-abiding citizens stood alongside hardened criminals to fight against the Nazis for the soul of America. This is the story of the mob that’s rarely told—one of the most fascinating chapters in American history and American organized crime.

'Grand job, that last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear from me, with my funny little game. Next time I shall clip the ears off and send them to the police just for jolly.' -Jack the Ripper So ran a note written by the most notorious serial killer of all time. But no matter how awful his crimes, Jack the Ripper was a mere amateur compared to some, as he killed just seven times- • Bonnie and Clyde shot eight victims • Gary Ridgway butchered more than 50 prostitutes • Dr. Marcel Petiot killed 67 times for cash • Pedro Lopez slaughtered some 300 people for sex • Harold Shipman may have finished off even more victims than that. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of a crime will know that all criminals are bad. But there are some evildoers who are in a whole different league. They are the world's worst criminals. This concise book is packed full of more than a hundred of the most extreme. Read it if you dare.