The Gig Mafia: How Small Networks and High-Speed Digital Funds Transfers Have Changed the Face of Organized Crime

Generally, the publics view of organized crime comes from stories of the so-called Five Families of New York City, resulting in the erroneous conclusion that organized crime has withered away. In fact, it has merely changed. The new version is more like the gig economy, with smaller, more flexible and fluid networks of cells, like the stories we hear about terrorist groups. Legitimate financial institutions are essential in the continued growth of the new organized crime because the amount of illicit financial flows that can be circulated under bulk cash transportation is dwarfed by the dollar capacity of electronic funds transfers. Therefore, the latest reiteration of organized crime presents a threat to business and the public in different and novel waysand business needs new information and tools to combat this danger. In this book, I will discuss how organized crime has changed, how it currently operates, its methods, and how the truth about it differs from what the public believes. I will also explore organized crimes connections with the Tech Giants, the Dark Web, and its effect on a variety of professions. In addition, the book features insights about the future of organized crime, resources for combating the threats of organized crime to business, and useful organized crime safety and prevention checklists.

David M. Shapiro serves as a Distinguished Lecturer, Deputy Director of the Saturday MPA program, and Coordinator of the Fraud Examination and Financial Forensics (undergraduate) programs at the City University of New Yorks John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Formerly, he was Deputy Director of the Advanced Certificate in Forensic Accounting (MPA) program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.