Russian Mafia Expert Rates 10 Russian Mob Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? | Insider

This podcast reviews several movie and TV scenes depicting the Russian mafia, assessing their accuracy based on the expert's experience working with Soviet and Russian law enforcement and the CIA. The expert provides insights into the mafia's hierarchical structure, operations, tactics, and influence, highlighting the realistic and unrealistic portrayals in these scenes, concluding that while some aspects are accurate, the depictions often oversimplify the complex realities of the Russian mafia.

Mafia Hierarchy & Tattoos

• 00:01:30 The Russian mafia utilizes a complex hierarchical structure with 'thieves-in-law' (VOR zakoni) as the top bosses. Extensive tattooing serves as a visual indicator of rank and criminal history within the mafia, allowing members to quickly assess a person's status within the organization. This is a very accurate depiction of mafia culture, as those with the most prison time often rose to positions of power.

Mafia Tactics & Violence

• 00:06:37 Contrary to popular media depictions, the Russian mafia prioritizes negotiation and business over immediate violence. While shootouts and assassinations are part of their repertoire, they are typically a last resort when negotiations fail. The expert points to the use of hitmen, shootouts in public places like nightclubs, and the common use of readily available weapons like axes as realistic aspects of mafia operations.

Outsourcing & Collaboration

• 00:08:08 The Russian mafia often outsources tasks to individuals outside their ethnic groups, such as using non-Chechen individuals as hitmen. This is a strategy to reduce the risk of detection and attribution, as it creates a degree of separation between the mafia and those directly involved in illegal activities. Collaborations also occur across various ethnicities and organized crime groups, such as with the Italian-American mafia, especially in the context of drug trafficking and money laundering.

Corruption & Political Influence

• 00:20:10 The Russian mafia's influence extends beyond criminal activities, with evidence of significant corruption among Western politicians and law enforcement officials. This includes money laundering schemes through banks like the Bank of New York and the influence of individuals like Simon Mich, a friend of Vladimir Putin, who is involved in multiple illegal activities. The expert considers this level of corruption as the most dangerous and scary aspect of the Russian mafia, highlighting its capacity to destabilize Western societies and undermine democracy.

Early Russian Mafia in the US

• 00:15:37 The Russian mafia established a significant presence in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, starting in the 1970s, and rapidly expanded across the United States. Their activities included extortion, murder, and various criminal ventures. The expert explains that the Russian mafia's early establishment in Brighton Beach was largely due to the community of Russian immigrants that were already present in that area. They quickly expanded their influence into other parts of the US due to their organizational structure and criminal connections.