Izmaylovskaya gang

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For other uses, see Izmaylovsky.

Izmaylovskaya gang (Russian: Изма́йловская группиро́вка) is one of the oldest criminal organizations in Moscow, Russia, believed to have been started in the mid-1980s by a criminal named Oleg Ivanov, who became the overall boss of the syndicate. Various sources indicate its membership to be around 200-500 mobsters.

The organization is split into two main groups, the Izmaylovskaya and the Golyanovskaya, of which the former takes the dominant role. The gang uses hierarchy of ranks, similar to the Italian Cosa Nostra. Both groups of the organization are split into subgroups, each under the commander of an authority figure known as an avtoritet (авторитет). The gang also has an obshchak, a fund used by members to bribe law enforcement and authority figures, and also to provide funding for defence should they be arrested.

In 1994–1995, the organization took losses with the deaths of several prominent members. High ranking mobster Alexander Afanasyev was killed on January 24, 1994 while being pursued by police, while on August 10 of the next year the gang's accountant Lo Chi Kai (aka Chinese Misha) was murdered. On September 13, two more prominent gangsters were killed.

The gang owns several legitimate fronts to cover its illegal activities, and reportedly also has a presence in cities such as Tel Aviv, Paris, Toronto, Miami, and New York City.^[1]