The [[Yakuza]] is a Japanese organized crime syndicate that was implicated in the broader network investigated by [[Danny Casolaro]] as "[[The Octopus]]." The syndicate's involvement was highlighted in [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] wiretap summaries, which revealed a government drug trafficking operation that included high-ranking [[La Cosa Nostra]] figures, the [[Gambino Crime Family]], and the Yakuza.[1] [[Robert Booth Nichols]], a key figure in Casolaro's investigation, was linked to the Yakuza. An [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] wiretap summary on Nichols, part of [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agent [[Thomas Gates]]'s affidavit, connected Nichols to the Yakuza as a money launderer. Furthermore, [[Michael Riconosciuto]] alleged that Nichols was the "godson" of [[Harold Okimoto]], a figure believed to be a top Japanese organized crime figure based in Hawaii and described as a top agent in the Yakuza overseas.[1] --- ## Footnotes [1] Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.