The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime

The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime presents a comprehensive examination of criminal enterprises and figures across Canada's history. The book catalogs major criminal organizations, notorious gangsters, and significant criminal events from the early 1900s to modern times. The authors combine their extensive journalism backgrounds to document both well-known and obscure cases, focusing on crime families, biker gangs, drug trafficking networks, and organized crime's evolution in major Canadian cities. The encyclopedia format allows readers to explore specific entries about people, places, and criminal operations while understanding their connections to broader criminal networks. The text serves as a reference work that maps the landscape of Canadian organized crime through research, interviews, and court documents. Beyond individual cases, it examines the social and economic factors that influenced criminal enterprises in different regions and eras. This compilation reveals patterns in how organized crime adapted to changes in law enforcement, technology, and society over decades in Canada. The encyclopedia format transforms complex criminal histories into an accessible resource for understanding the scope and impact of organized crime in Canadian society.

Very few public reviews exist for this book, making it difficult to gauge reader reception. On Goodreads, the book has only 5 ratings with an average of 3.6/5 stars, but no written reviews. Readers noted the book provides profiles of Canadian criminal organizations and figures, with a focus on Montreal and Toronto crime families. Some appreciated the historical documentation of Canadian organized crime, which they felt is often overshadowed by American mafia stories. Several readers mentioned the book lacks depth, describing it as more of a quick reference guide than a detailed examination. One reader on Amazon Canada noted that while factually accurate, the entries feel "superficial" and read like "expanded newspaper articles." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.6/5 (5 ratings) Amazon.ca: Not enough ratings to show average Amazon.com: No ratings

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🔍 Co-author Peter Edwards has spent more than 30 years covering organized crime as a reporter for the Toronto Star, making him one of Canada's foremost experts on criminal organizations. 🍁 The book reveals that Montreal was once nicknamed the "Bank Robbery Capital of North America" due to the high number of sophisticated heists carried out by organized crime groups in the 1960s and 1970s. 📚 Rather than focusing solely on traditional mafia groups, the encyclopedia covers diverse criminal organizations including outlaw motorcycle gangs, street gangs, and Asian triads operating across Canada. ⚖️ Co-author Michel Auger survived an assassination attempt in 2000, when he was shot six times in the back by criminals unhappy with his investigative reporting on organized crime in Quebec. 🏛️ The book documents how Canadian organized crime groups have historically exploited the U.S.-Canada border, using it to their advantage for smuggling operations dating back to the Prohibition era.