A gang can broadly be defined as a group of individuals who work together for a common cause.
Often, such groups achieve excellent outcomes in work environments, when an enjoyable rapport exists between staff members, productivity are likely to be high. We applaud positive group motivation in team sports. An individual’s selfless or courageous performance for the team’s benefit, earns respect from the entire group, and greatly enhances the chances of success.
The desire to gain peer group acceptance is just as strong among individuals in criminal gangs, but while their actions may bring financial rewards to some perpetrators, negative effects occur in the community at large. The human toll from the activities of armed robbers, drug traffickers, standover bullies and terrorist fanatics, can never be justified.
Some media outlets and promotional agents appear to conveniently overlook the legacy of human misery that criminal gangs inflict on vulnerable members of the community. Currently, black limousine services are available to show curious onlookers precisely where victims of Melbourne’s gangland war were shot dead. There is always a ready book market for underworld identities to provide sanitised versions about their lives in crime. It is also rumoured that a range of “Carlton Crew” men’s clothing will soon be launched.
Roberta Williams, the wife of Carl who may have murdered as many as ten people, is fast approaching celebrity status after making regular appearances on a TV current affairs program. The program glosses over the fact that Roberta herself recently served 18 months in jail for drug trafficking offences.
This book seeks to detail rather than glamourise the deeds of gangland identities and their associates. The author’s sympathies lie very definitely with the innocent adults and children who suffer from callous underworld crimes, and the book is dedicated to the victims of organised crime.
The themes outlined here are extended regularly throughout the contents by a series of profiles–titled “The Victims”. The overall statistics and real-life profiles contained in these sections, further remind us that unfortunate individuals often lose their self respect, their livelihood, the support of their family and friends and even their lives, while criminals satisfy their greed and lust for power.
Finally, both the first and last Victim profiles relate to the chilling new threat of international terrorist gangs. At the beginning of the 21st century, these profiles remind us of the grim reality that we are all at risk from the threat of terrorist attacks.