As the Russian economy makes the painful transition from state socialism to free enterprise, thousands of combat-trained soldiers, guards, and athletes have found themselves out of work, with no prospects for the future. These people quickly coalesced into organized crime groups. This Russian Mafia completely permeates Russian society; it is more of a factor in the daily lives of Russians than their government. Virtually every business either pays protection to a Mafia group, or is part of a Mafia group.
In the decade since the rise of these groups, the situation has come to a hostile stability. Powerful figures, such as Vitaly Nemov and Lukyan Barsukov, act as "Godfathers", with a handful of chiefs reporting to them, and dozens of smaller lieutenants reporting to the chiefs. These groups are not in a state of constant hostility, but on occasion, a violent 'correction' will occur, and a subgroup may suddenly rise in power or be wiped out.
