---
category: Private Organization
summary: The Yakuza is a Japanese organized crime syndicate that was implicated in
  the broader network investigated by Danny Casolaro as 'The Octopus.
tags:
- Organization
- OrganizedCrime
- Japan
- TheOctopus
---

The [Yakuza](/organizations/yakuza/) is a Japanese organized crime syndicate that was implicated in the broader network investigated by [Danny Casolaro](/people/danny-casolaro/) as "[The Octopus](/concepts/the-octopus/)." The syndicate's involvement was highlighted in [FBI](/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation/) wiretap summaries, which revealed a government drug trafficking operation that included high-ranking [La Cosa Nostra](/organizations/la-cosa-nostra/) figures, the [Gambino Crime Family](/organizations/gambino-crime-family/), and the Yakuza.[1]

[Robert Booth Nichols](/people/robert-booth-nichols/), a key figure in Casolaro's investigation, was linked to the Yakuza. An [FBI](/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation/) wiretap summary on Nichols, part of [FBI](/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation/) agent [Thomas Gates](/people/thomas-gates/)'s affidavit, connected Nichols to the Yakuza as a money launderer. Furthermore, [Michael Riconosciuto](/people/michael-riconosciuto/) alleged that Nichols was the "godson" of [Harold Okimoto](/people/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]

---

[1] Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.