Federico Varese
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 130201 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Federico Varese |
| PRENOMES | Federico |
| SOBRENOME | Varese |
| ASSINATURA | VARESE F |
| AFILIAÇÕES | University of Oxford |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4258-4473 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 35 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 272 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 35 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 1994 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 10 |
Criminal governance in Russian prisons
How is order produced in prisons where formal authority is weak, fragmented or strategically constrained? Drawing on 85 handwritten edicts of the Russian criminal fraternity vory-v-zakone and interviews with former prisoners, this article analyses the production of extra-legal order in Russian penal institutions. We show that the vory-v-zakone constitute a durable, institutionalised and trans-local system of criminal governance that coexists with…
The New Face of Cybercrime
In recent years, the face of cybercrime has changed radically. It is no longer just a matter of isolated hackers breaking into computer systems, but rather a global industry of fraud and extortion
Factions and Brokers in the Russian Mafia
This paper investigates the internal structure of the fraternity of the vory-v-zakone—the high-ranking members of the Russian Mafia—using a co-signing network based on 50 signed edicts (progony) produced by the fraternity. We find that the vory are a multi-ethnic, polycentric association grouped into factions based on vertical patronage relationships; these factions are interconnected by key brokers that bridge between groupings. While this struc…
Criminal governance in a large European city
This study explores criminal governance among urban gangs operating in a large European city. It does so by introducing the Crim-Gov questionnaire, a novel survey tool purposely designed to systematically capture key governance-related dimensions of criminal groups’ activities, and applying it to the case of London. It identifies instances of criminal governance among gangs operating in the city and shows that governance activities are only carri…
Introduction to Special Issue Production, Trade and Governance
This introduction presents a novel framework that distinguishes three activities of organized crime (OC): production (creating goods and services), trade (moving products and people), and governance (regulating markets and controlling communities). These activities require different skills and give rise to three different types of OC groups. To illustrate some of the points, I make references to the papers published in this Special Issue, on erot…
The Structure of Trade-type and Governance-type Organized Crime Groups
The paper provides a theoretical framework for categorizing organized crime groups based on what they do – whether they produce, trade or govern – as well as their aims. This paper then tests whether the internal structure of a heroin distribution organization in New York City, a Sicilian mafia group and the Provisional Irish Republican Army differ. Applying Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) methods to network data, we find the organization…
Cooperation and distrust in extra-legal networks
Cybercriminal markets serve as hubs for offenders and enable the sale of illegal goods and services. Thus far, the primary tactics that have been employed against these sites are arrests of cybercriminals and takedowns of marketplace infrastructure. This research note examines a different genus of disruptive strategy: attacks on user reputation. In this area, there has been some scholarly discussion of slander and Sybil operations as a means of f…
The determinants of group membership in organized crime in the UK
In this paper, we explore the determinants of co-membership in organised crime groups in a British police force. We find that co-membership of OCGs is higher among individuals who share the same ethnicity and nationality; who have committed acts of violence; and who perpetrate the vast majority of their crimes in the same area. We also find a homophily tendency in relation to age and gender, and that task specialisation within groups is driven by…
Studying organized crime networks
The Resilience of the Russian mafia
Criminal organizations constantly face challenges that threaten their existence. This paper discusses the effects that state repression and state transformation have on criminal organizations and how such organizations respond. We focus on the case of the Russian mafia, known as the vory-v-zakone. We identify the key challenges faced by the vory throughout Soviet and Russian history and examine how the Russian mafia adapted to such threats. We co…
How Mafias Migrate
Many policy makers and some academics believe that mafias move easily between countries and with little difficulty quickly become deeply rooted. The reality is more complicated. Mafiosi often move away from their home territories because they are forced to do so rather than because they relocate for strategic reasons; that kind of transplantation abroad tends to be unsuccessful. Whether transplantation succeeds depends on the presence of mafiosi …
Why Should I Trust You With My Money?’
This article explores theoretical and empirical features of informal value transfer systems, the illegal transfer of money between jurisdictions. It identifies the trust relationships between the actors involved and discusses four mechanisms used to signal trustworthiness. It then applies these theoretical considerations to China, where transferring money abroad cannot exceed a limited amount, and the process is costly. While most authors stress …
Mafia-Leben
Was würden Sie tun, wenn Sie das Gefühl haben, dass Ihr Chef Sie gern loswerden möchte, in Ihrem Unternehmen aber leider die übliche Form der Entlassung nicht die Kündigung, sondern die Ermordung ist? Halten Sie es für besonders klug, einem Mafioso, der für seine Brutalität bekannt ist, ein Paket mit faulen Anleihen anzudrehen? Oder Ihrer Frau auszuplaudern, wer alles bei der Cosa Nostra nach Ihrer Pfeife tanzt, um Eindruck zu schinden? Federico …
Organized Crime in the United Kingdom
This article focuses on governance-type organized crime (OC). First, it explores two cases of illegal governance in Salford (Greater Manchester) and Derbyshire by relying on a wide range of qualitative data. Next, it presents a novel instrument measuring the strength of governance-type OC, the ‘Illegal Governance (i-Gov) Index’. This instrument is then included in a survey we conducted with Derbyshire Constabulary. This is the first systematic at…
State-Building, Informal Governance and Organised Crime
This article argues that gangs, clans, mafias and insurgencies are, like states, forms of governance. This insight is applied to the case of Somali piracy and the article explores whether protectors of piracy were clearly distinct from pirates; and to what extent protectors coordinated their activities across the Somali coastland. It is shown that clan elders and Islamist militias facilitated piracy by protecting hijacked ships in their anchorage…
The Protector’s Choice
What explains the variation in piracy along the coasts of Somalia? We answer this question by drawing upon Protection Theory and a new data set of piracy incidents. First, we make a distinction between pirates and protectors of piracy (authorities and local clans). We show that authorities offer shelter and protection to pirates in areas remote from trade routes and when they face challenges over political control. Theoretically, the paper identi…
Protection and Extortion
This essay explores the extent to which six established Mafia groups (The Sicilian Mafia, the `Ndrangheta, the Italian American Mafia, the Hong Kong Triads, the Russian Mafia, and the Yakuza) are criminal organizations specializing in the supply of protection. It presents evidence relating to the nature of Mafia protection, specialization of protectors, and the origins of these six Mafias. It also discusses whether Mafias are instead engaged in e…
Cooperation in criminal organizations
The paper argues that kinship ties and sharing information on violent acts can be interpreted as forms of 'hostage-taking' likely to increase cooperation among co-offenders. The paper tests this hypothesis among members of two criminal groups, a Camorra clan based just outside Naples, and a Russian Mafia group that moved to Rome in the mid-1990s. The data consist of the transcripts of phone intercepts conducted on both groups by the Italian polic…
Mafias on the Move
Organized crime is spreading like a global virus as mobs take advantage of open borders to establish local franchises at will. That at least is the fear, inspired by stories of Russian mobsters in New York, Chinese triads in London, and Italian mafias throughout the West. As this book explains, the truth is more complicated. The author has spent years researching mafia groups in Italy, Russia, the United States, and China, and argues that mafiosi…
Mafias on the Move
Mafia movements
This article starts by offering comments on the framework proposed by Carlo Morselli, Mathilde Turcotte and Valentina Tenti for understanding the factors underlying the mobility of organised crime groups. It then presents a modified framework, consisting of three elements: ‘supply’, ‘local conditions’ and ‘demand for mafia protection’. The article continues by applying the new framework to several cases and concludes with recommendation for futur…
The Camorra closely observed
The Secret History of Japanese Cinema
This article explores the interplay among economic imperatives within the entertainment business, the mafia's role in the creation of its own media image, and the production of gangster films. Taking Japan as a case study, the paper shows that, when given the chance to influence the content of gangster movies, crime bosses have portrayed themselves as benevolent patriarchs and a positive force in society, rather the anti-heroes of classic America…
The Economics of the Camorra
Vincenzo Marra (2006) L'udienza e aperta, RAI: Italy, 75 minute documentary, Roberto Saviano (2006) Gomorra. Viaggio nell'impero economico e nel sogno di dominio della camorra, Milano: Mondadori, 3
How Mafias Migrate
What are the conditions conducive to long-term transplantation of mafia groups in new territories? This article systematically reviews a number of factors that facilitate such an outcome and then explores two attempts at transplantation by members of the Calabria-based mafia group `Ndrangheta to the town of Bardonecchia (Piedmont region) and to Verona (Veneto region). While the former case was successful, the latter failed. The article concludes …
The Russian Mafia
This book researches the question of what the Russian Mafia is, and challenges widely held views of its nature. It charts the emergence of the Russian Mafia in the context of the transition to the market, the privatization of protection, and pervasive corruption. The ability of the Russian State to define property rights and protect contracts is compared with the services offered by fragments of the state apparatus, private security firms, ethnic…
State-Building, Informal Governance and Organised Crime
This article argues that gangs, clans, mafias and insurgencies are, like states, forms of governance. This insight is applied to the case of Somali piracy and the article explores whether protectors of piracy were clearly distinct from pirates; and to what extent protectors coordinated their activities across the Somali coastland. It is shown that clan elders and Islamist militias facilitated piracy by protecting hijacked ships in their anchorage…
Cooperation in criminal organizations
The paper argues that kinship ties and sharing information on violent acts can be interpreted as forms of 'hostage-taking' likely to increase cooperation among co-offenders. The paper tests this hypothesis among members of two criminal groups, a Camorra clan based just outside Naples, and a Russian Mafia group that moved to Rome in the mid-1990s. The data consist of the transcripts of phone intercepts conducted on both groups by the Italian polic…
Organized Crime in the United Kingdom
This article focuses on governance-type organized crime (OC). First, it explores two cases of illegal governance in Salford (Greater Manchester) and Derbyshire by relying on a wide range of qualitative data. Next, it presents a novel instrument measuring the strength of governance-type OC, the ‘Illegal Governance (i-Gov) Index’. This instrument is then included in a survey we conducted with Derbyshire Constabulary. This is the first systematic at…
How Mafias Migrate
What are the conditions conducive to long-term transplantation of mafia groups in new territories? This article systematically reviews a number of factors that facilitate such an outcome and then explores two attempts at transplantation by members of the Calabria-based mafia group `Ndrangheta to the town of Bardonecchia (Piedmont region) and to Verona (Veneto region). While the former case was successful, the latter failed. The article concludes …
The Transition to the Market and Corruption in Post-socialist Russia
The end of the State Socialism in Russia was greeted with near universal enthusiasm. The Western public and the people who had endured the economic absurdities of the Soviet system expected economic performance to improve dramatically and the country to turn overnight into a well-functioning and prosperous market economy. Such optimism was loosely based on an `invisible hand explanation': as in Adam Smith's classical example of `the butcher, the …
The Importance of Being Asked
A common phenomenon in social life is that some individuals help others and a few even risk their lives to benefit others, as in the case of those who helped Jews escape persecution in Nazi Europe. A few scholars single out motivations as the prime explanation of these rescue activities, yet concede that material opportunities, information, and other situational factors might have played a role. Their work, however, stops short of offering an acc…
The determinants of group membership in organized crime in the UK
In this paper, we explore the determinants of co-membership in organised crime groups in a British police force. We find that co-membership of OCGs is higher among individuals who share the same ethnicity and nationality; who have committed acts of violence; and who perpetrate the vast majority of their crimes in the same area. We also find a homophily tendency in relation to age and gender, and that task specialisation within groups is driven by…
Mafia movements
This article starts by offering comments on the framework proposed by Carlo Morselli, Mathilde Turcotte and Valentina Tenti for understanding the factors underlying the mobility of organised crime groups. It then presents a modified framework, consisting of three elements: ‘supply’, ‘local conditions’ and ‘demand for mafia protection’. The article continues by applying the new framework to several cases and concludes with recommendation for futur…
The Protector’s Choice
What explains the variation in piracy along the coasts of Somalia? We answer this question by drawing upon Protection Theory and a new data set of piracy incidents. First, we make a distinction between pirates and protectors of piracy (authorities and local clans). We show that authorities offer shelter and protection to pirates in areas remote from trade routes and when they face challenges over political control. Theoretically, the paper identi…
Payment, Protection and Punishment
A game theoretic model is used to examine the dynamics governing repeated interaction between Mafiosi running extortion rackets and entrepreneurs operating fixed establishments. We characterize the conditions under which violence occurs. Entrepreneurs pay protection money to the Mafia because they fear the Mafia's ability to punish. However, the entrepreneurs' willingness to pay encourages opportunistic criminals (fakers) to use the Mafia's reput…
The society of the vory-v-zakone, 1930s-1950s
Federico Varese, La société des vory-v-zakone, 1930-1950. Cet article étudie une confrérie de criminels qui prospérait dans le Goulag soviétique, la société des vory-v-zakone. Il s'appuie sur trois types de sources : témoignages publiés, mémoires inédits et rapports officiels conservés aux Archives d'État de la Fédération de Russie. La première partie décrit les caractéristiques principales de cette société, ses rituels, son code de conduite, et …
The Structure of Trade-type and Governance-type Organized Crime Groups
The paper provides a theoretical framework for categorizing organized crime groups based on what they do – whether they produce, trade or govern – as well as their aims. This paper then tests whether the internal structure of a heroin distribution organization in New York City, a Sicilian mafia group and the Provisional Irish Republican Army differ. Applying Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) methods to network data, we find the organization…
Why Should I Trust You With My Money?’
This article explores theoretical and empirical features of informal value transfer systems, the illegal transfer of money between jurisdictions. It identifies the trust relationships between the actors involved and discusses four mechanisms used to signal trustworthiness. It then applies these theoretical considerations to China, where transferring money abroad cannot exceed a limited amount, and the process is costly. While most authors stress …
Studying organized crime networks
How Mafias Migrate
Many policy makers and some academics believe that mafias move easily between countries and with little difficulty quickly become deeply rooted. The reality is more complicated. Mafiosi often move away from their home territories because they are forced to do so rather than because they relocate for strategic reasons; that kind of transplantation abroad tends to be unsuccessful. Whether transplantation succeeds depends on the presence of mafiosi …
Resolute Heroes
in 1927, at the age of eighteen, jean kowalyk moved to the ukrainian village of czortowiec, where she worked as a seamstress. when the germans invaded in 1941, they brought to the village forced laborers to build a work camp. jean “watched the cruelty [done to the workers] day after day [...] when i saw people being molested, my religious heart whispered to me, ‘do not kill. love others as you love yourself’”. some time later, she heard a knock o…
The Resilience of the Russian mafia
Criminal organizations constantly face challenges that threaten their existence. This paper discusses the effects that state repression and state transformation have on criminal organizations and how such organizations respond. We focus on the case of the Russian mafia, known as the vory-v-zakone. We identify the key challenges faced by the vory throughout Soviet and Russian history and examine how the Russian mafia adapted to such threats. We co…
The Camorra closely observed
Introduction to Special Issue Production, Trade and Governance
This introduction presents a novel framework that distinguishes three activities of organized crime (OC): production (creating goods and services), trade (moving products and people), and governance (regulating markets and controlling communities). These activities require different skills and give rise to three different types of OC groups. To illustrate some of the points, I make references to the papers published in this Special Issue, on erot…
The Secret History of Japanese Cinema
This article explores the interplay among economic imperatives within the entertainment business, the mafia's role in the creation of its own media image, and the production of gangster films. Taking Japan as a case study, the paper shows that, when given the chance to influence the content of gangster movies, crime bosses have portrayed themselves as benevolent patriarchs and a positive force in society, rather the anti-heroes of classic America…
Is Sicily the future of Russia? Private protection and the rise of the Russian Mafia
It is difficult to discuss a phenomenon when one does not know precisely what it is. This problem is particularly vexing in the case of the Mafia. It has been argued that ‘the need for a definition [of the Mafia] is crucial; not just for any definition with some degree of contingent empirical plausibility, but for a definition with some analytical clout’. The word ‘Mafia’ itself has travelled far to distant lands, such as the former Soviet Union.…
The Italian general election of 1996
Trust, Ethnicity, and Identity
The Transition to the Market and Corruption in Post-socialist Russia
The end of the State Socialism in Russia was greeted with near universal enthusiasm. The Western public and the people who had endured the economic absurdities of the Soviet system expected economic performance to improve dramatically and the country to turn overnight into a well-functioning and prosperous market economy. Such optimism was loosely based on an `invisible hand explanation': as in Adam Smith's classical example of `the butcher, the …
The society of the vory-v-zakone, 1930s-1950s
Federico Varese, La société des vory-v-zakone, 1930-1950. Cet article étudie une confrérie de criminels qui prospérait dans le Goulag soviétique, la société des vory-v-zakone. Il s'appuie sur trois types de sources : témoignages publiés, mémoires inédits et rapports officiels conservés aux Archives d'État de la Fédération de Russie. La première partie décrit les caractéristiques principales de cette société, ses rituels, son code de conduite, et …
The Importance of Being Asked
A common phenomenon in social life is that some individuals help others and a few even risk their lives to benefit others, as in the case of those who helped Jews escape persecution in Nazi Europe. A few scholars single out motivations as the prime explanation of these rescue activities, yet concede that material opportunities, information, and other situational factors might have played a role. Their work, however, stops short of offering an acc…
The Russian Mafia
This book researches the question of what the Russian Mafia is, and challenges widely held views of its nature. It charts the emergence of the Russian Mafia in the context of the transition to the market, the privatization of protection, and pervasive corruption. The ability of the Russian State to define property rights and protect contracts is compared with the services offered by fragments of the state apparatus, private security firms, ethnic…
Is Sicily the future of Russia? Private protection and the rise of the Russian Mafia
It is difficult to discuss a phenomenon when one does not know precisely what it is. This problem is particularly vexing in the case of the Mafia. It has been argued that ‘the need for a definition [of the Mafia] is crucial; not just for any definition with some degree of contingent empirical plausibility, but for a definition with some analytical clout’ (1). The word ‘Mafia’ itself has travelled far to distant lands, such as the former Soviet Un…
Payment, Protection and Punishment
A game theoretic model is used to examine the dynamics governing repeated interaction between Mafiosi running extortion rackets and entrepreneurs operating fixed establishments. We characterize the conditions under which violence occurs. Entrepreneurs pay protection money to the Mafia because they fear the Mafia's ability to punish. However, the entrepreneurs' willingness to pay encourages opportunistic criminals (fakers) to use the Mafia's reput…
Resolute Heroes
in 1927, at the age of eighteen, jean kowalyk moved to the ukrainian village of czortowiec, where she worked as a seamstress. when the germans invaded in 1941, they brought to the village forced laborers to build a work camp. jean “watched the cruelty [done to the workers] day after day [...] when i saw people being molested, my religious heart whispered to me, ‘do not kill. love others as you love yourself’”. some time later, she heard a knock o…
The Secret History of Japanese Cinema
This article explores the interplay among economic imperatives within the entertainment business, the mafia's role in the creation of its own media image, and the production of gangster films. Taking Japan as a case study, the paper shows that, when given the chance to influence the content of gangster movies, crime bosses have portrayed themselves as benevolent patriarchs and a positive force in society, rather the anti-heroes of classic America…
The Economics of the Camorra
Vincenzo Marra (2006) L'udienza e aperta, RAI: Italy, 75 minute documentary, Roberto Saviano (2006) Gomorra. Viaggio nell'impero economico e nel sogno di dominio della camorra, Milano: Mondadori, 3
How Mafias Migrate
What are the conditions conducive to long-term transplantation of mafia groups in new territories? This article systematically reviews a number of factors that facilitate such an outcome and then explores two attempts at transplantation by members of the Calabria-based mafia group `Ndrangheta to the town of Bardonecchia (Piedmont region) and to Verona (Veneto region). While the former case was successful, the latter failed. The article concludes …
The Camorra closely observed
Mafias on the Move
Organized crime is spreading like a global virus as mobs take advantage of open borders to establish local franchises at will. That at least is the fear, inspired by stories of Russian mobsters in New York, Chinese triads in London, and Italian mafias throughout the West. As this book explains, the truth is more complicated. The author has spent years researching mafia groups in Italy, Russia, the United States, and China, and argues that mafiosi…
Mafias on the Move
Mafia movements
This article starts by offering comments on the framework proposed by Carlo Morselli, Mathilde Turcotte and Valentina Tenti for understanding the factors underlying the mobility of organised crime groups. It then presents a modified framework, consisting of three elements: ‘supply’, ‘local conditions’ and ‘demand for mafia protection’. The article continues by applying the new framework to several cases and concludes with recommendation for futur…
Protection and Extortion
This essay explores the extent to which six established Mafia groups (The Sicilian Mafia, the `Ndrangheta, the Italian American Mafia, the Hong Kong Triads, the Russian Mafia, and the Yakuza) are criminal organizations specializing in the supply of protection. It presents evidence relating to the nature of Mafia protection, specialization of protectors, and the origins of these six Mafias. It also discusses whether Mafias are instead engaged in e…
Cooperation in criminal organizations
The paper argues that kinship ties and sharing information on violent acts can be interpreted as forms of 'hostage-taking' likely to increase cooperation among co-offenders. The paper tests this hypothesis among members of two criminal groups, a Camorra clan based just outside Naples, and a Russian Mafia group that moved to Rome in the mid-1990s. The data consist of the transcripts of phone intercepts conducted on both groups by the Italian polic…
The Protector’s Choice
What explains the variation in piracy along the coasts of Somalia? We answer this question by drawing upon Protection Theory and a new data set of piracy incidents. First, we make a distinction between pirates and protectors of piracy (authorities and local clans). We show that authorities offer shelter and protection to pirates in areas remote from trade routes and when they face challenges over political control. Theoretically, the paper identi…
State-Building, Informal Governance and Organised Crime
This article argues that gangs, clans, mafias and insurgencies are, like states, forms of governance. This insight is applied to the case of Somali piracy and the article explores whether protectors of piracy were clearly distinct from pirates; and to what extent protectors coordinated their activities across the Somali coastland. It is shown that clan elders and Islamist militias facilitated piracy by protecting hijacked ships in their anchorage…
Mafia-Leben
Was würden Sie tun, wenn Sie das Gefühl haben, dass Ihr Chef Sie gern loswerden möchte, in Ihrem Unternehmen aber leider die übliche Form der Entlassung nicht die Kündigung, sondern die Ermordung ist? Halten Sie es für besonders klug, einem Mafioso, der für seine Brutalität bekannt ist, ein Paket mit faulen Anleihen anzudrehen? Oder Ihrer Frau auszuplaudern, wer alles bei der Cosa Nostra nach Ihrer Pfeife tanzt, um Eindruck zu schinden? Federico …
Organized Crime in the United Kingdom
This article focuses on governance-type organized crime (OC). First, it explores two cases of illegal governance in Salford (Greater Manchester) and Derbyshire by relying on a wide range of qualitative data. Next, it presents a novel instrument measuring the strength of governance-type OC, the ‘Illegal Governance (i-Gov) Index’. This instrument is then included in a survey we conducted with Derbyshire Constabulary. This is the first systematic at…
Why Should I Trust You With My Money?’
This article explores theoretical and empirical features of informal value transfer systems, the illegal transfer of money between jurisdictions. It identifies the trust relationships between the actors involved and discusses four mechanisms used to signal trustworthiness. It then applies these theoretical considerations to China, where transferring money abroad cannot exceed a limited amount, and the process is costly. While most authors stress …
How Mafias Migrate
Many policy makers and some academics believe that mafias move easily between countries and with little difficulty quickly become deeply rooted. The reality is more complicated. Mafiosi often move away from their home territories because they are forced to do so rather than because they relocate for strategic reasons; that kind of transplantation abroad tends to be unsuccessful. Whether transplantation succeeds depends on the presence of mafiosi …
Political science (26 obras) · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance (24 obras) · Sociology (20 obras) · Law (19 obras) · Business (13 obras) · Crime Patterns and Interventions (13 obras) · Economics (13 obras) · Criminology (11 obras) · Computer Science (10 obras) · Organised crime (8 obras)