Essay Example on The Last Gangster: Exploring the Downfall of Ill Lives Population

Introduction

The chosen reading for analysis based on criminology theories is "The Last Gangster" written by Anastasia George in the year 2004. In this book, the author talks about the story of Ron Previte, a corrupt and brutal cop who engaged with the mob in his activities. As a brutal mobster, Ron Previte was a dangerous man and also a confidential informant to the FBI. The book explains the last days of the mob in Philadelphia and the generational clash that caused the downfall of the ill lives population in the society. Anastasia (2004) states that Ron Previte roamed within the underworld in Philadelphia for thirty-five years. He lived together with others in an underground crime family, participating in all mob scams in Philadelphia and strategizing on drug trafficking, and prostitution to extort money from many people in Atlantic City. The daily criminal activities of Ron Previte led to him becoming the secret weapon of the FBI to address the extreme and highly tailored war of the mob in Philadelphia.

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The Main Problem in the Book

The main problem addressed by Anastasia in the book is corruption. Anastasia (2004) presents a sad situation within Philadelphia society. The state of the nation is under the plight of the Mafia who run the underground economy effectively nationwide. The country has become shambles, with many of the citizens remaining victims of the mobsters and forces who wrecked the nation. Criminals have been left to express and act with greed, sloth and narcissism freely. Ron Previte is a mobster used by the FBI as a secret weapon to establish criminal activities in Philadelphia. The author uses the case of FBI and mob gangs in Philadelphia as an exhibit. Incompetence of mob gangs, obsession of developing their image, making money in a lousy manner and only professionals in homicide are the only activities that can be identified in the city. A significant example in the book that demonstrates extreme corruption of police officers in Philadelphia was the incident when the FBI turned Ron Previte, well known as a mobster as an informant. The FBI shared dinner with Ron Previte and protect him from the law as Ron continues with the criminal activities in the mob gangster. The problem of protecting a criminal is evident in "The Last Gangster" book.

Crime Theories

The occurrence of the crime depends on many factors, including the situation of the events at the moment of committing criminal activities. In criminology, it is essential to understand why people commit a crime to seek ways of preventing the problem in the society. Crime theories have been developed to explain why crime happens, including rational choice theory, labelling theory, situational action theory, and social learning theory (Briggs, 2009). The logical choice theory explains that people act to fulfil their selfish interests. They make decisions to engage in crime after evaluating the risks and rewards of being caught and punished. The social disorganization theory explains that people decide to commit crime depending on the social and physical environments that define their behavioural choices. For instance, high crime rates will be evident in neighbourhoods with fraying social structures.

The social learning theory demonstrates that people engage in crime because of others with whom they associate. The situational action theory explains that crime takes places depending on many factors. People break and follow some rules of conduct as a result of making a choice depending on the situation (Wikstromet al., 2012). People will commit crime because of the environment they participate in society and how the setting defines them as criminals. The labelling theory explains the engagement of corruption by people as a result of being labelled as a criminal. When the state label specific people or groups like criminals, such individuals in those groups tend to engage in more illegal behaviours. The society takes the opportunities of these people after being labelled as criminals.

Application of Crime Theories to the Problem in the Book

Anastasia's book, covers the aspect of crime occur to different situations on Philadelphia society and especially the evil of corruption, and mobster. "The Last Gangster" is a book that demonstrates the problem of homicide, fraud, drug trafficking and other crimes as committed by several characters in the text. The theories of crime are applicable in explaining the causes of evil in Philadelphia society, as defined by Anastasia (2004). The labelling, situational action, social learning, social disorganization, and rational choice theories are applicable in the case of Ron Previte as the last gangster that the author wants to demonstrate in the book. There are also other characters in the book whose criminal activities can be described using crime theories.

Based on the social disorganization theory, the social and physical environment within which Ron Previte and other gang members live in the underground world promoted the committing of crime (Briggs, 2009). The group members of the mob influence one another to engage in crime. For the rational choice theory, it helps understand the choice of the FBI in using Ron Previte as an informant while in the knowledge that he was a criminal engaging in many crimes. The FBI's were rational to use a criminal to assist them in gaining knowledge of the illegal activities and look for a way of ending the problem in society. Ron Previte took advantage of the protection by the FBI to commit more crimes in the community. At the restaurant with the FBI, Ron escaped and risked dying that staying with the people in uniform. The labeling theory places the mobsters in Philadelphia at a glance whereby all mobsters are described as making and betting for a shot life with money, power, women as well as fancy meals (Ignjatovic, 2009). The mobs are also labelled as tending to watch "Godfather films that give them the wrong lessons of life, which increase their engagement in criminal activities.

Conclusion

All in all, the situation action theory sums up the activities of the FBI and Ron Previte to engage in corruption and mobster activities, respectively. Anastacia (2004) wants the reader to understand the cause of crime due to the situations that people find themselves. From the events of the FBI's and Ron Previte, it is evident that these individuals committed the crime after perceiving and choosing the consequences of the crime action. (Canter & Youngs, 2016) Engaging in corruption for the FBI was an action that suited their goal of obtaining information using the wrong means. The occurrence of a crime is seen as an alternative in responding to a particular motivation.

References

Anastasia, G. (2004). Last gangster. New York: Regan.

Briggs, S. (2009). Critical Theories in Criminology: Why People Commit Crime. In criminology for dummies. John Wiley & Sons.

Canter, D., & Youngs, D. (2016). Crime and society. Contemporary Social Science, 11(4), 283-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2016.1259495

Ignjatovic, D. (2009). Theories of criminology. Law School University of Belgrade

Wikstrom, P. (2014). Why crime happens: A situational action theory. Analytical sociology: actions and networks. First Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Wikstrom, P.-O., Oberwittler, D., Treiber, K. and Hardie, B. (2012). Breaking rules: The social and situational dynamics of young people's urban crime. Oxford University Press, Oxford.