Organised criminals in Eastern Europe have enjoyed access to corruption for two decades now for reasons very different from the type organised crime related corruption seen in Italy or other countries in Western Europe or in the USA. The social background and careers paths of criminal entrepreneurs, and their relation to
economic and political elites best explain their access to corruption. This paper examines in depth the criminal careers of two categories of criminals: the violent entrepreneurs and the oligarchs in Bulgaria, and their use of corruption.
