Many of us believe that organized crime is something that happens somewhere else. But it doesn't. It happens here, in our communities. And it is a phenomenon that has profound social, economic and personal impact upon each one of our lives.
Organized crime is, to a large extent, invisible.
This has always been its great strength. Unlike ordinary crime, it does not immediately manifest itself in broken windows, a rash of break and enters or a sudden rise in the murder rate. But we cannot be complacent, we cannot afford to ignore organized crime simply because its effects are not immediately apparent to us. The purpose of this document is to make organized crime visible, to deprive it of the shield behind which it goes about its daily business. All of this, and more, is the true face of organized crime.