La Cosa Nostra/Italian
Organized Crime/Labor Racketeering Unit
The mission of this unit
is to reduce the threat to society posed by the American La Cosa Nostra (LCN),
Italian Organized Crime (IOC), and Labor Racketeers. This mission is pursued
by targeting known criminal enterprises utilizing the Racketeer Influenced
and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Statute and sophisticated and innovative
investigative techniques in accordance with the FBI's National Organized
Crime Program Plan.
Our ultimate goal is
the elimination of the LCN as the most dominant organized criminal enterprise
in the United States. To accomplish this we work to significantly reduce
the LCN's national power, influence, and membership. We also work to dismantle
IOC enterprises and prevent them from replacing the LCN as the most significant
organized crime threat, and we aggressively investigate Labor Racketeering
allegations that are both LCN related and not.
The primary responsibilities
of the LCN/IOC/LR Unit are to coordinate and provide program oversight for
priority LCN, IOC, and Labor Racketeering investigations on a national and
international level. These investigations include all the LCN families and
the four major IOC groups. The LCN/IOC/LR Unit also provides support to field
offices seeking Department of Justice and/or FBI Headquarters approval to
conduct sensitive and sophisticated investigative activity. The LCN/IOC/LR
Unit also works to enhance the relationship between the FBI and other federal
agencies as well as agencies of other local, state, and foreign governments,
through national and international working groups and initiatives, regional
and national conferences, training programs, and police exchange programs.
This unit also works to enhance and coordinate the sharing of criminal intelligence
between the FBI and the United States intelligence community.