Organized Crime in Our Times provides readers with a clear understanding of organized crime, including its definition and causes, how it is categorized under the law, models to explain its persistence, and the criminal justice response to organized crime, including investigation, prosecution, defense, and sentencing. This book organizes information in a meaningful way, offering a comprehensive history of the Mafia in the United States; a legal analysis of the offenses that underlie organized crimes; specific attention to modern manifestations of organized crime activity, such as human smuggling, Internet crimes, and other transnational criminal operations; and the application of ethics to the study of organized crime. This edition includes new tables and figures, and special features on popular biographies and movies that tie to relevant content in the text. Appendices include a glossary and timeline on organized crime in the United States. * Chapters are enhanced by updated photos, tables, charts, and critical thinking exercises that help students apply and evaluate concepts to actual case examples. * Every chapter includes two student-friendly special features: Organized Crime Biography and Organized Crime at the Movies. * A glossary gives students a quick reference for looking up important definitions of organized crime-related terms, and a Timeline of Organized Crime in the United States highlights important events in the history of organized crime.