There is something inherently more dangerous about crimes committed by two or more people, in terms of the organization involved and potential for harm, so the fact that some crimes are “organized” makes them worthy of careful analysis. This chapter addresses the nature of organized crime, covering the fascination with organized crime, defining organized crime, and noting the similarities and differences between organized crime and white-collar crimes, and terrorism and organized crime. Also covered are the typologies of organized crime and organized criminals and issues such as ethnicity, the organization of crime groups, and the dynamics of gender and organized crime. It addresses the question of how much organized crime there is and prepares the reader for what to expect in the remainder of the book.