 The Albanian mafia in the United States has been thought to greatly increase their dominant power and is one of the most violent criminal organisations in operation, particularly with their strong connections in the European Union.In the United States, Albanian gangs started to be active in the mid-80s, mostly participating in low-level crimes, such as burglaries and robberies.Later, they would become affiliated with Cosa Nostra crime families before eventually growing strong enough to operate their own organisations under the Iliazi family name.