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1. Discuss the theories developed by Sutherland, Merton, and others and compare and contrast them regarding which would appropriately describe Gotti's criminal development.

Edwin Sutherland is known for “Differential Association Theory” which, simply put, says that one learns behavior through association with others who exhibit and model that behavior. The theory says that deviant behavior can be chosen if the rewards are sufficient to overcome the penalties of the deviance.

John Gotti learned his “trade” while operating within the Carlo Gambino family, one of the most powerful mafia organizations. He idolized and imitated Albert Anastasia, the chief executioner of Murder, Inc. This reinforces Sutherland’s theory that criminal behavior as well as rationale, motives etc. is learnable and learned through connections with other deviant persons.

Sutherland's theory rejects biological interpretation, economic need or sociopathic predisposition. John Gotti could not have been considered sociopathic, economically in need or biologically dependent on a life of crime. He fits Sutherland’s theory of differential association. He saw more benefits from a life of crime than he saw in a life opposed to crime.

John Gotti fit the 9 basic tenets of Sutherland’s theory

1. Criminal behavior is learned. Gotti was a member of a large crime family. He worked his way up in the Gambino mob until, through the death of Aniello Dellacroce and through the assassination of the competition at the time, Paul Castellano; he became the head of the Gambino family.

2. Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication. Gotti certainly learned his behavior as a racketeer with the Gambino family. Mob families have communication that sounds innocuous but is terribly threatening. This would be part of the communication skills Gotti learned. Gotti was once quoted as saying “I got to make an example of somebody. Don't let it be you.” (CarpeNoctem) This was a clear death threat in Mafia language under the guise of simple chastisement.

3. The principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups. This was certainly true of John Gotti. His associates had favorite restaurants where the favored would meet to discuss business.

4. When criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes (a) techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very simple; (b) the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes. It can only be assumed that Gotti learned at the knee of accomplished mobsters.

5. The specific direction of the motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable. It certainly did not appear that the laws of the land got in Gotti’s way. He operated the family from behind bars as well as he did when free.

6. A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law. It was just a better life and carried more benefits and was worth the risk of breaking the law. Gotti had been in the “business” since he was a young man, and was isolated from anti criminal life.

7. Differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity. This was not the case for John Gotti. He moved within a world of criminal influence at all times.

8. The process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning. Gotti climbed the ranks through doing “favors” for the people over him. This included, but was not limited to going to jail for killing a man accused of accidentally killing Gambini’s 15 year old nephew.

9. It is not possible to describe criminal behavior by general drives and values. Criminal actions, according to Sutherland, are similar to breathing for the rest of us. (Sutherland)

Robert K. Merton developed the Strain Theory which states the “social structures within the society may encourage citizens to commit crimes”. (Using Criminology to Explain the Life of John Gotti) One important part of the Strain Theory has to do with an individual’s tendency toward innovation. It was more important to obtain a goal for John Gotti than to adhere to the rules of the society that set up those goals. Gotti used innovation because he “used his own initiative to devise socially unacceptable means (he rejected the socially acceptable means) in order to achieve his goals of money, status, and luxury”. (Using Criminology to Explain the Life of John Gotti). He saw the Mafia as a means of supporting his family in a comfortable manner.

2. Jerome Skolnick and his colleagues have distinguished between two gang types. Discuss these types of gangs. What type are the Gangster Disciples? Explain.

According to the theories of Jerome Skolnick, there are two main types of gangs. The first is based by neighborhood, and the second is more of an entrepreneurial, money making gang.

The neighborhood gangs dispute territory and protect what they believe to be their “hood”. Socialization is very important for the neighborhood street gang and camaraderie is evident in their gang symbols. For example, one neighborhood gang out of Chicago has a gang sign of a heart with arrows whose feathers represent dead or incarcerated members. On the other hand, entrepreneurial gangs are profit oriented and organized with crimes in mind that will have financial gain. Entrepreneurial gangs are involved in major drug trafficking among other crimes. According to Howard Abadinsky, Professor of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, neighborhood gangs (also known as cultural gangs) “may be actively involved in a number of different criminal activities while entrepreneurial gangs exist for the sole purpose of gaining wealth by employing the use of criminal activities such as the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of illegal narcotics”. (Abadinsky, 2004) Skolnick has also indicated that some neighborhood gangs are moving more toward the entrepreneurial trend.

An example of neighborhood gangs is the Black Gangster Disciples (AKA Gangster Disciples) in Chicago. They are neighborhood based and recent reports have even placed some members into the political venue of Chicago. Founded in the late 1960’s on the South Side of Chicago, they have expanded and united with other groups, but they would still be considered a neighborhood or “cultural” gang. (Street Gangs — Chicago Based)

There are neighborhood gangs outside the United States. For example the IRA (Irish Republican Army) is classified as a gang, but is organized in a military fashion. Their current singular purpose is the overthrow of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the replacement of these two governments with a sovereign all Irish State. While they agreed to the cease fire in 1997, many indications are surfacing that they are turning to entrepreneurial activities and are still very much an organized gang. (World’s Biggest Criminal Gangs and Irish Republican Army)

There are other types of gangs that may be classified as neighborhood gangs even though they are not neighborhood based. For example, motorcycle gangs are not primarily created with monetary rewards from criminal activity in mind. They might be considered more of a club than a gang.

International gangs qualify as entrepreneurial gangs. Gangs such as MS13 or Mara Salvatrucha, composed mostly of Salvadorans, Hondurans and Central Americans have followings in most part of the Western World. Profit making activities include drug smuggling and sales, black market gun sales, human trafficking, assassinations for hire, theft, and assaults on law enforcement officials. They have been declared one of the greatest threats to our national security by the FBI. Even though they have a shared heritage, their purpose is generating income from illegal activities. (World’s Biggest Criminal Gangs)

References

Abadinsky, Howard. (2004). Organized Crime. Belmont, California: Thomson Wadsworth.

CarpeNoctem. Revised: November 2010. Retrieved January 2011 from

Irish Republican Army, (2005) Retrieved January 2011 from

Street Gangs — Chicago Based, (Florida Department of Corrections). Retrieved January 2011 from

Sutherland, Edwin, “Differential Association Theory”,

Using Criminology to Explain the Life of John Gotti (2008). Retrieved January 2011 from gotti/

World’s Biggest Criminal Gangs, retrieved January 2011 from

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