The acronym RICO stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which is a United States federal law that was passed in 1970. The purpose of this law was to combat organized crime by providing a way for the government to prosecute criminal organizations. It also allows for civil suits to be brought against such organizations. The term 'anticrime acronym' refers to the use of acronyms to refer to laws or organizations that are designed to combat crime. In this case, RICO is an acronym used to refer to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.