In this chapter a brief outline of American efforts to conceptualize organized crime and transnational organised crime (TOC) is presented. It is argued that the United States has successfully exported its analysis of organized crime problems despite evidence of its inadequacy. The United States organized crime control strategy which targets and immobilizes specific criminal or criminal networks has been successfully exported to many parts of the world with short-term success in policing and prosecuting. TOC dates back to piracy and brigandage, along with smuggling, fraud, and trading in stolen or forbidden goods and services. However, in a more limited sense, TOC has a much more recent history. Today’s illicit global economy involves trading in anything from hazardous waste to human body parts, with the Internet multiplying opportunities for fraud. References