La Cosa Nostra "Our Thing"
has its roots from Sicily
Italian-American Mafia, is a group of criminals organized into "families," and operating primarily in North America.

'Ndrangheta
Known as "The Honored Society", Fibbia, or Calabrian Mafia. Based in Southern Italy (not in Sicily).

Cosa Nuova, the "New Business"
A reconstructed version of Cosa Nostra that is more mysterious than its parent and every bit as ruthless.Cosa Nuova is based in Sicily

Yakuza
The bakuto contributed to Japan's tradition for gambling, as well as the yakuza's traditional "finger-cutting," and the origin of the word "yakuza."
The yakuza can trace its origins back to as early as 1612.

THE MAJOR TRIADS
Sung Lian Strength: several hundred members, mostly second-and third-generation mainland immigrants. Activities: debt collection, massage parlors, brothels, small businesses.
Tian Dao Man Strength: several hundred members, mostly native Taiwanese. Activities: debt collection, massage parlors, brothels, small businesses.
Four Seas Strength: up to 2,000 members, mostly second-and third-generation mainland immigrants. Activities: construction, security services, debt collection, massage parlors, brothels, small businesses.
United Bamboo Strength: 10,000 members, mostly second-and third-generation mainland immigrants. Activities: construction, security services, debt collection, loan sharking, gambling dens, hostess clubs, restaurants, small businesses.

Russian Mafia Known as the Red Mafia
Soviet criminal networks gradually expanded into other criminal activities such as extortion, theft, prostitution, and actively preyed upon newly arriving groups of Russian emigres by extorting money from them. The Brighton Beach area of New York City became the hub for Russian organized crime in this country during the mid-1970s. There, Russian criminals developed a working relationship with the La Cosa Nostra (LCN) which allowed them to establish fuel tax fraud schemes in certain areas of New York. The LCN forced the Russian criminals involved in these frauds to pay a large portion of their proceeds as a "tax" to operate.