Organized crime has played a major role in the history of law enforcement of this country since the 1930s. It has been the subject of numerous legislative acts by congress, enforcement programs by presidents of the United States and federal law enforcement agencies. The effort was aided by the occurrence of several significant events as I will describe below. The government’s effort required skilled prosecutors, the educated use of the investigative power of the grand jury, dedicated U.S. senators who passed original legislation, and skilled investigators who knew how to develop informants and cooperating witnesses. For many reasons that combination of talent and energy has severely dwindled and the investigative effort against organized crime is no longer a national program.

Organized crime in the United States is largely the operation of a criminal organization known as La Cosa Nostra (LCN). It is in the business of crime for profit. Although there are many other criminal organizations operating in the United States and other parts of the world, none are as organized and operate with the discipline as the LCN.