History of the Russian Syndicate

The Kashnikov Bratva, known as the Russian Syndicate, was founded in the 1960s by a man named Boris Kashnikov, a high-ranking KGB soldier who'd served a prison term for fraud and was discharged. Based out of the Solntsevo District of Moscow, the gang recruited local unemployed, aggressive young men as foot soldiers and also made use of thief in law Dzhemal Kovalchik to enhance their reputation amongst established criminals. The Solntsevo District was also strategically located near the M-KAT highway leading to Ukraine, as well as the Vnukovo International Airport. Controlling these transport hubs allowed the Kashnikov group to muscle in on the car import business in order to acquire weapons from the KGB through contacts that were still friendly to Boris Kashnikov. But by the early 1970s, the Kashnikov's dominance was challenged by the Chechen mafia. Together with the Orekhovskaya gang and other Slavic mobs, the Kashnikov made an alliance to drive the Chechens out.

It was during this time, however, that Boris became concerned about the well being of his wife, so he sent her, along with his son Ivan Kashnikov, to the Americas. However, there was an ulterior motive for that particular immigration. Ivan, who was in his early twenties, was to establish the Kashnikov Bratva in Las Vegas with their American contact, Stephen Garin who would then create a business relationship with the a group of men who were angry against the American government, willing to defy the State in any way possible.