Philadelphia's Black Mafia

Philadelphia's 'Black Mafia' could be used as primary reading in deviance and organized crime courses. Academicians in the fields of criminology, sociology, history, political science and African-American Studies will find the book compelling and important. This book provides the first sociological analysis to date of Philadelphia's infamous "Black Mafia" which has organized crime (with varying degrees of success) in predominantly African-American sections of the city dating back to the late 1960's. Philadelphia's 'Black Mafia': -is a first step in developing both data and sophisticated theoretical propositions germane to the ongoing study of organized crime; -uses primary source documents, including confidential law enforcement files, court transcripts and interviews; -explores the group's activities in detail, depicting some of the most notorious crimes in Philadelphia's history; -thoroughly examines the organization of the Black Mafia and the group's alliances, conspiracies and conflicts; -challenges many of the current historical and theoretical assumptions regarding organized crime.

Contenu

Social History 1968-1974.- 1968-1972: The Origins of the Black Mafia.- 1973-1974: Murder and Infamy.- 1968-1974: Social Movements, Social Systems and the Black Mafia.- The Politics of Ignorance and the ART of Exploitation.- Research Methodology.- Social History, 1975-2002.- 1975-1984: Philadelphia's Black Mafia on the Wane.- 1985-2002: Old Heads, Old Habits.- Criminology and the History of African-American Organized Crime.- Discussion: Contemporary Academic Perspectives on the Black Mafia and African-American Organized Crime.- Conclusions.