Under the rubric of both criminology and sociology, the behavior of women in organized crime has been explained quite differently. A review of the theoretical literature shows two basic schools of thought that directly related to the pattern and development of women in crime. The first view, earlier and more traditional, holds that there are psychological and physiological factors inherent in the nature of women who are themselves criminal or have attached themselves to the criminal element (Pollak & Friedman, 1969. Recently, however, a second school of thought has developed that attempts to combine a more holistic approach and sees that both social and cultural factors explain the female criminal or her involvement with crime (Adler, 1978, p. 29; Adler, 1975).
For the purposes of this paper, however, we will limit ourselves to a discussion of two major groups and the role that women play within the organized crime activities in the Mafia and the South American Criminal Cartel (Latin Crime Families). Initially, the paper will present an overview of the subject of women in crime. The second section of the paper will deal with a brief history of the Mafia, and will focus on women within the Mafia family and Mafia business. The third section of the paper will present an overview of South American criminality, focusing on the narcotics business in the late 20th century. The pattern of women in the South American system will be examined. Finally, the paper will conclude with a comparison between the experiences of women in both situations.
Theoretically, women's involvement in crime, as well as serious works on the female offender, has been underemphasized. Women have been viewed in a more traditional manner, as simply being part of the larger scheme, but not really involved (Adler, 1981, pp. 4-8). In the literature, there seems to be a certain chauvinism evident, one that clearly shows certain expected roles. For instanc...