Personal Perception of Organized Crime and Comparison with Course Readings When I began this course, my perception of organized crime was associated with drug dealing, human trafficking, illegal gambling, and the black market. I perceived organized crime to be the kind of illegal dealings carried out by mafia gangs and war lords who control certain territories, often involving the use of violence. In addition, my perception of organized crime was influenced by racial stereotyping. Consequently, I mostly associated organized crime with African Americans and Latinos. Perhaps this perception was influenced by the media??™s coverage of criminal activities involving drug trafficking. In almost all cases of drug and black market dealing I watched on TV, they involved people of African-American or Latin origin