Whenever people get organized, they are usually able to accomplish far more than they can individually, and organized crime is no exception. Indeed, organized crime remains a multibillion dollar global enterprise today, and it is reasonable to suggest that it is not going away anytime soon. In the meantime, critics argue that mainstream media, including motion pictures such as "The Godfather" trilogy, television series such as "The Sopranos," radio, and the music recording industry – especially hip-hop, have all contributed to a glamorization of the organized criminal lifestyle in way that are harmful to the nation's youth. This paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to determine whether these assertions concerning the glamorization of organized crime by the mainstream media are true, and if so, what can be do to minimize their impact. An analysis of the relevant literature from conflict theory, interactionist theory and structural-functional perspectives is followed by a summary of the research and salient findings in the conclusion.
             History has shown time and again that, lawful considerations aside, whenever there is easy money to be made, there will be people lined up to make it and organized criminals are of this ilk (Paoli, 2001). The nation's long-running war on drugs, for instance, has been focused on the organized criminal element involved and for good reason – they are the ones running the show. By definition, organized crime involved more than one person, and many of the activities in which they are involved are complex and convoluted, besides being illegal. For instance, according to Black's Law Dictionary (1990), the term "organized crime" is used to describe "that form of crime which is the product of groups and organizations as contrasted with the crime planned and committed by individuals without organizational ...