The "RICO Act"

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as the RICO Act) is a United States law designed to give stiff penalties to those whose crimes where committed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO act was part of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. It states that any "person or group who has committed any two of the acts specified 35 crimes within a ten year period has committed those crimes with similar purpose or results can be charged with racketeering." Once convicted of racketeering, the racketeer has to forfeit all earnings and interest in any business gaining through racketeering activity.
After the RICO law was put into affect, the FBI and other federal agencies started using the act to crackdown and prosecute organized criminals. One of the most successful applicacions of the act was the "ability to indict or sanction individuals for their behavior and actions committed against witnesses and victims in alleged retaliation or retribution for cooperating with law enforcement or intelligence agencies." This prevented members of organized crime from intimidating or influencing anyone involved in law enforcement investigations. On November 21, 1980, Frank "Funzi" Tieri was the first La Cosa Nostra boss to be convicted under the RICO Act. And many more high ranking criminal minds would continue to fall under the RICO Act in the coming years.
Even though the RICO Act has improved prosecution of organized crime members, the problem still exsists even in today's society. And the FBI continues to persue, detain, and prosecute domestic criminal organizations.