Most people envision organized crime as a big Italian man sitting in a chair with two or three men in suits ready to break knees and place people in a car. These images describe but one facet of a complex and up-to-date organization. Organized crime, as described by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is defined as “any group having some manner of a formalized structure and whose primary objective is to obtain money through illegal activities...[and] maintain their position through the use of actual or threatened violence, corrupt public officials, graft, or extortion, and generally have a significant impact on the people of locales, region, or the country as a whole (2012).” As a result, they tend to hold great influence over the daily functions of society. Though law enforcement officials have attempted and have successfully obstructed the business of many criminal organizations, most who have more complex networks tend not to be deterred. Through the evaluation of organized crime through a criminological perspective, one can better understand how they have survived over the years as well as why it is difficult to restrain the organizations. The history of organized crime in general is as long as it is complex, and over the last two decades, organized crime has become even more complex than before (Bjelopera & Finklea, 2012). Crime organizations have found lucrative means of maintaining their organizations despite the constant pressure from law enforcement officials to end their operations. Crime organizations are often able to use mass marketing frauds, narcotics smuggling, identity theft, as well as “shell businesses,” which can be defined as crime organizations operating under the guise of a legitimate company (Bjelopera & Finklea, 2012). They are often able to gain money in a quick amount of time, because they are able to control the facets of society