Vory v Zakone

The term Vory refers to a form of organized crime which originated in the former Soviet Union. Which is the 4th oldest criminal society in the world at over 150 years (with the Mafia at 200 years, the Yakuza at 400 years, and the Triads at 800 years). In fact, the Russian mob calls itself "Vory v Zakone," which translates to "thieves following a code" or "thieves inside of law." Within the Vory, there are not only Russian syndicates but also Georgian, Armenian, Chechen, Belorussian, Ukrainian, Azeri, and Jewish mafias. Despite this, a lot of Europeans and Americans still call the Vory the "Russian Mafia". The Vory is comprised of: The Red Vory
Krasnyy Vory (Krahs-niy Vor-ay) Strong connections to the government of Russian Republic. The White Vory
Belyy Vory (Byeh-liy Vor-ay) The exiled White Vory in western Europe and otherwise outside the Rodina. Both factions hate each other's but frequently have to work together, because a lot of the products (weapons, BTLs, chemical drugs, prostitutes, stolen artifacts and resources) sold by the White Vory come originally from the Red Vory in Eastern Europe.

History

The Vory were born in the gulags of the Soviet Union. They are the most violent and efficient criminal syndicate due to their willingness to "do what works". Since they are unable to match the other major syndicates in money and manpower, their main public relations tool is intimidation. Blunt brutality is their go-to negotiation technique and hit every confrontation at full charge, loud and raging. The social and political upheavals brought about by the collapse of the USSR, likewise brought upheaval to the Vory V Zakone. Gang wars erupted between the Russian and Georgian branches of the Vory V Zakone, which operated as separate entities until they were reconciled in the 2030s. The EuroWars that followed resulted in streams of former citizens of the Soviet Union and Russia, which fled to other parts of the world, especially North America. Right along with them came the Vory. For over 20 years (since the 2030s), the Vory have been steadily expanding in the West, making inroads into Mafia territory in Europe and to a lesser degree North America. On the other hand in the last five years, the Triads, Yakuza, and the Seoulpa Rings have been making inroads into Vory territory in Russia.

Organizatsi Hierarchy

The Tsar (vor or avtorite) is the leader of an organizatsi. Powerful organizatsi will receive the respect of those smaller groups which are nearby. (the groups work alone but will forge alliances when needed).
The Sovetnik who are below the Tsar are trained in a legitimate business activity sets up the organizatsi's money laundering and is in charge of making sure that the lideri do their jobs. They also are in charge of maintaining the syndicate's connections to the prison system. He also plays the role of an adviser to the Tsar.
The Lideri are the project managers in charge of managing the syndicate's day to day business. Each one runs a specialty-protection funds to bank fraud which they are in charge of organizing and coordinating. As a group they are in charge of overseeing the "gruppa obespechenie".
The Gruppa Obespechenie are the syndicate's accountants. Who are in charge of the obschak, the communal fund used for the running of the enterprises. All pay into the obschak, so if you are making money you pay into the obschak. If not, the consequences are horrible. It's used to take care of the members who have been incarcerated and their families. Death benefits are paid from it to the widows and their children or to bribe the guards to permit family visits.
The Shestiorkas are the lowest Vory who serve as the gophers or bagmen. Most of them are recruited as teenagers,and those who are successful move up the ladder and the failures end up dead.[2]
The Bojeviks are the soldiers and enforcers of the Vory. Who are used when it is unsuitable to use street gangs or contract labor (shadowrunners). They are the Vory who spend the most time incarcerated, where they recruit for the Vory and if needed kill those prisoners who have become informants. They also serve as the middlemen between the gangs and the Vory, supplying them with money, weapons, and armor.