Factions and Brokers in the Russian Mafia: Investigating the Structure of the Thieves-in-Law.

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 in...

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Publicado en:British Journal of Criminology Vol. 66; no. 2; pp. 306 - 331
Autores principales: Breuer, Niles, Varese, Federico, Racheva, Elena
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Mar2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2026
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        atl: Factions and Brokers in the Russian Mafia: Investigating the Structure of the Thieves-in-Law.
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        au:
          Breuer, Niles
          Varese, Federico
          Racheva, Elena
        affil:
          Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, 42-43 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD, England
          Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée, Sciences Po, Paris, France
      su:
        Mafia
        Organized crime
        Coalitions
        Thieves
        Brokers
        Organizational structure
        Communication network analysis
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        subj:
          Mafia
          Organized crime
          Coalitions
          Thieves
          Brokers
          Organizational structure
          Communication network analysis
      keyword:
        copyrightHolder:Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (formerly ISTD)
        copyrightYear:2026
        inLanguage:en
        organized crime
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        Russian Mafia
        sameAs:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaf041
        social networks
        Vory-v-zakone
        copyrightHolder:Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (formerly ISTD)
        copyrightYear:2026
        inLanguage:en
        organized crime
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        Russian Mafia
        sameAs:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaf041
        social networks
        Vory-v-zakone
      ab: 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 structure allows for effective collective action, it also points to possible fractures that can be exploited by authorities to weaken the fraternity. This research is the first quantitative network analysis of documents produced by a higher-level coordination body within a mafia and contributes to the literature on the emergence of coalitions and factions within organizations.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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