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The word "Mafia" is a derivative of the Arabic maafir, the name of a tribe of Arabs who settled in Palermo, Sicily before the Middle Ages. The Sicilian peasants adopted the customs of the nomadic tribe, integrating the name into everyday language.
This is a glossary of words related to the Mafia, primarily the Italian American Mafia and Sicilian Mafia . administration: the top-level "management" of an organized crime family -- the boss, underboss and consigliere. [1] associate: one who works with mobsters, but has not been asked to take the vow of Omertà; an almost confirmed, or made guy.
Sicilian Mafia. The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra ( Italian: [ˈkɔːza ˈnɔstra, ˈkɔːsa -], Sicilian: [ˈkɔːsa ˈnɔʂː (ɽ)a]; "our thing" [3] ), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. It is an association of gangs which sell their protection ...
Consigliere ( / ˌkɒnsɪliˈɛəri / KON-sil-ee-AIR-ee, [1] Italian: [konsiʎˈʎɛːre]; plural consiglieri) is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel The Godfather (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a consigliere is an ...
The Camorra ( Italian: [kaˈmɔrra]; Neapolitan: [kaˈmorrə]) is an Italian Mafia -type [ 4] criminal organization and criminal society originating in the region of Campania. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 17th century. The Camorra's organizational structure is divided into individual groups ...
The English equivalent for the term yakuza is gangster, meaning an individual involved in a Mafia-like criminal organization. [3] The yakuza are known for their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature, and several unconventional ritual practices such as yubitsume, or amputation of the left little finger. [4]
The 'Ndrangheta ( / əndræŋˈɡɛtə /, [5] Italian: [nˈdraŋɡeta], Calabrian: [ (ɳ)ˈɖɽaɲɟɪta]) [a] is an Italian Mafia -type association [6] based in the peninsular region of Calabria and dating back to the 19th century. Although loosely structured, it is considered one of the most powerful organized crime groups in the world. [7]
Omertà (/ oʊ ˈ m ɛər t ə /, Italian pronunciation:) [a] is a Southern Italian code of silence and code of honor and conduct that places importance on silence in the face of questioning by authorities or outsiders; non-cooperation with authorities, the government, or outsiders, especially during criminal investigations; and willfully ignoring and generally avoiding interference with the ...