Month: September 2026

The rise of Lawrence Bishnoi and India’s global organized crime syndicate

Posted on by James Riter

Punjabi mobster Lawrence Bishnoi leads a global organized crime network from prison. The Bishnoi Mob is involved in extortion and drug trafficking from New Delhi to Los Angeles. Bishnoi and his lieutenant, Goldy Brar, are both wanted by U.S. authorities and have been implicated in high-profile assassinations, including the 2022 murder of Punjabi rap superstar Sidhu Moose Wala. This is just the latest chapter in India’s long history of organized crime.

Iron cages separated accused Camorristi from the courtroom during the landmark Viterbo Trial in 1911. In the smaller enclosure sits alleged informer Gennaro Abbatemaggio, whose testimony shattered the traditional code of silence—even as later historians questioned portions of his account. Courtesy Cipollini Collection

Omertà: More than a ‘code of silence’

Posted on by James Riter

No English word entirely captures the Mafia concept of “omertà.” The code associated with Italian organized crime is sometimes so…

Jury convicts Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis in Tupac Shakur murder after years of public admissions

Posted on by James Riter

A few pages in a memoir led to a murder conviction for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who was charged with…