Tales of contemporary mobs, criminal activity among Russian immigrants, and claims of KGB involvement in American crime have long been reported in the news, but what of the "Russian mafia" is real, and what is a creation of sensational media?

With research conducted in collaboration with the Tri-State Joint Soviet-émigré Organized Crime Project, Russian Mafia in America was the first in-depth study on Russian organized crime following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Authors Finckenauer and Waring focus on criminal networks in the New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania area, as well as a nationwide survey of law enforcement agencies and major criminal cases.

Russian Mafia in America is a compelling look into the phenomenon of crime among Russian émigrés over generations, creating a fascinating contrast to commonly held assumptions.