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Yakuza and the Russian Mafia Organized crime syndicates are transnational criminal organizations that gain power through a low profile by working within the existing structure and seeking powers susceptible to corruption. Criminal organizations exist in every part of the world and are often referred to as a “Mafia.” These groups are a part of everyday life in many cultures and though they are not a part of everyday life in others, they are still there. Two of these organizations in particular stand out. One is the oldest organization, the Yakuza of Japan, and the other is the most ruthless, the Russian Mafia. The Yakuza trace their past to at least the 17th century and are even older than the Sicilian Mafia. The Yakuza portray their ancient predecessors as itinerant gamblers, peddlers, renegade warriors, and roving bandits. They served shoguns and municipalities, and their legend includes a strict following of the Bushido code. Yakuza leaders claim that Japan's 80,000 Yakuza are Robin Hoods who adhere to a feudal code of honor. In reality they are much like gangsters anywhere else, social dropouts who prey on the weak and troubled. The roots of the Russian Mafia do not run quite as d