"Federico Varese is two writers rolled into one: a fearless fact-hunter who goes after his quarry with the zeal of a thoroughbred journalist, and a dedicated academic who examines and analyzes his catch with relentless detachment. Throw in a robust understanding of the impact of contemporary history on the behavior of a globalized criminal underworld and you have both a compelling read and an impeccable work of reference."--John le Carré
"This is a really terrific book--creative, nuanced, well researched, and accessible. Its great value is its focus on failed attempts at mafia transplantation. This is important because it allows Varese to counter some of the more hysterical claims about mafia penetration of foreign markets put forward by attention-seeking academics, journalists, and think tanks."--Timothy Frye, Columbia University
"This fascinating and excellent book is a worthy successor to Diego Gambetta's work on the Sicilian mafia and Varese's own book on the Russian mafia. Varese is a leader of the younger generation of scholars taking on the important issues in the difficult study of organized crime."--Susan Rose-Ackerman, Yale University