A gangster is a general term, though frequently misused, for a career criminal who is, or at some point almost invariably becomes, a member of a violent crime organization, such as a gang or mafia. It is sometimes spelled gangsta to represent the non-rhotic vowels of African American Vernacular English.

Gangsters as a collective therefore are typically organised criminals who are actively engaged in crime as a group activity or enterprise for pleasure and profit. The visibility of activities of gangsters can range from the low-level such as drug-trafficking or protectionism, which are prone to be 'under the radar', to the in your face spectacular, such as the UK's multi-million Brinksmat robbery. Gangsters often run their operations as businesses insofar as they offer a "product" or "service", albeit an illegal one, or, as is sometimes the case, a legitimate business operating as a front for criminal activity.

The ranges and spheres of activities of gangsters are diverse, and frequently are to be found filling the gaps in the margin between legislature and physical reality. During the Prohibition era in the United States, gangsters effectively and lucratively exploited the demand for alcohol by filling the gap in supply. In the 1950s, they did the same with gambling. They also actively engage in other demand-driven markets such as trade in narcotics, pimping, people-trafficking, the supply of false documents, and so on and so forth.

Some engage in extortion and the use of intimidation and bribery to wield influence over labor unions. Gangsters are also known for attempting to manipulate the outcome of civil institutions, such as court cases and political elections by various means, including such time-honoured favourites as bribery, corruption and intimidation.

USA

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One of America's top gang leaders in Orlando, Landro Martinez, still lives in Orlando, Florida. American gangs are often organized along lines of ethnicity. The Mafia came to America in pre-WWII 20th century America and thrived during the Prohibition era, growing fat on the illegal alcohol trade. It was during this time that the Italian Mafia struggled with the already established Irish-American criminal organizations for control of gangland.

UK

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Britain has a long and lurid tradition of gangsters, and an ambivalent relationship with them. One of the earliest British gangsters was Robin Hood, who, like many of his latterday counterparts, has gone on to become a national folk-hero. In Britain a career in crime can also be a useful entrypoint to the media; examples of gangsters who have gone mainstream include "Dodgy" Dave Courtney, "Mad" Frankie Fraser and John McVicar. The epitome and true viciousness of much British gangsterism can however be better characterised by the turf wars between the Kray twins (and their associates) and the Richardson gang.

Cultural impact

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Gangsters in film and other media

Gangsters have long been a staple of both film and other media. Notable cinematic depictions of gangsters include The whole Grand theft Auto series, Harry Lime by Orson Welles, Graham Greene's novel The Third Man, Marlon Brando's Don Corleone, The Godfather, Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Goodfellas, The Krays, ''Scarface, Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and Ving Rhames in Pulp Fiction.

Organized crime terminology | Gangster | Gangster