Red Mafia

Abstract

The term “red mafia” has been increasingly used by researchers in the field of organized crime and corruption, but no consensus has been made on what it means. Russian criminologists use red mafia to refer to Russian organized crime groups in general or organized crime groups in the post‐Soviet context. Chinese criminologists, however, define red mafia as groups or networks of corrupt Communist Party members who earn illicit profits, mainly from abusing public office and selling protection. Completely different understandings of what the red mafia is and how it works hinders theoretical and empirical advancement. The entry discusses conceptual ambiguity and confusion in the literature and offers recommendations for future research directions.