goodfella - definition of goodfella in English | Oxford Dictionaries Definition of goodfella in English: goodfella A gangster, especially a member of a Mafia family. Example sentences ‘Saturday nights are reserved by the goodfellas for their wives, and Fridays, for the mistresses.’ ‘Bobby of course is the most sympathetic goodfella in the Soprano family.’ ‘If you notice a few goodfellas gawking every so often, don't reach for your pockets too quickly.’ ‘Compared to this, the goodfellas seem like sedentary sentimentalists, trapped animals rooted in dying communities, doomed territories.’ Pronunciation Which of the following is correct? She took over the business She brought over the business Which of the following is correct? The bad weather took famine The bad weather brought famine Which of the following is correct? The matter is taken before a jury The matter is brought before a jury Which of the following is correct? She took a deep breath She brought a deep breath Which of the following is correct? These pills should take the pain away These pills should bring the pain away Which of the following is correct?

The memory took a smile to my face The memory brought a smile to my face Which of the following is correct? Take the pastry and roll it out Bring the pastry and roll it out Which of the following is correct? He took her coat away from her He brought her coat away from her Which of the following is correct? The crisis could bring down the regime The crisis could take down the regime Which of the following is correct? Will you bring me back some scent from Paris? Will you take me back some scent from Paris? You scored /10 practise again? Retry The American Mafia - Underworld Slang A person who carries money for racketeers Beef (n.) A quarrel between underworld individuals or groups. Also hard feelings felt by one Mafioso against another. Beefs are generally brought to Mafia higher-ups for resolution. Biscuit (n.) Handgun. Black Book (n.) Nickname for the publicly circulated exclusion lists - generally of racketeers and game-cheats - generated by gaming commissions in Nevada and New Jersey. Book (n.) A gambling racket ordinarily focused on sporting events. The racket is run by a "bookmaker." Books (n.) Membership rolls of the Mafia families. Boost (v.) Steal.

Borgata (n.) Family. The basic structural unit of the Mafia society. The Borgata has an established hierarchy, a body of members or soldiers, and many associates. Literal translation of the term refers to a neighborhood, and there may have been a difference between a Mafia borgata and a famiglia at one time, but the two words are now synonyms. Boss (n.) Sometimes referred to as Father, Godfather or Uncle in the old tradition, the boss is the leader of the Mafia Family. Break (v.) To displine a Mafia family leader by demoting him in rank. Bump off (v.) Return Call In (v.) The act of ordering - without explanation - a made man to report to his superiors. Mafiosi might be called in so they can be disciplined (murdered). Once the order is received, the made man must report as ordered. So, mafiosi in trouble with superiors will sometimes drop out of touch to avoid receiving the call. Capo Dei Capi (n.) The leader of all leaders or boss of bosses. The most powerful Mafia boss to whom all others defer. Some know this as the Capo di capi or the Capo di tutti capi.

Capo (n.) Originally referred to a Mafia boss but in more recent usage it has become a shortened form of capodecina or caporegime and refers to a lesser leader within a Mafia family, chief of a crew. Also referred to as a captain, skipper or lieutenant. Capodecina (n.) Designates the leader of at least ten soldiers. Caporegime (n.) Synonymous with capodecina, but often used to refer to more significant group leaders. Case (v.) Size up criminal possibilities. Plan a robbery. As in "case the joint." Chopper (n.) Kill. Also to harm in some way. ("Jimmy clipped me of 5 G's.") Combination (prop.n.) An organized criminal entity including gangs of various backgrounds. May also apply to Mafia crime families that came about through the merger of other smaller units. Syndicate. Commission (n.) A ruling representative body serving as the national legislature and supreme court of the Mafia network. Commission members are the leaders of the more powerful Mafia families. Each is also assigned to represent minor families.

Connected (adj.) A description of a Mafia "associate." Consigliere (n.) A translation of this word as "counselor" has led to a mistaken impression about the position's duties (that the consigliere is the adviser to the boss). The consigliere post actually is intended to serve the family membership, by granting a channel of communication from soldiers to the boss. Contract (n.) An old-time term referring to an order to murder an individual. Cosa Nostra (prop.n.) To many, this is the proper name of the Mafia in the United States. In fact, it was an effort by some mob bosses to refer to their shared secret society WITHOUT naming it. The phrase translates to, "our thing." Cosca (n.) Translated "gang," this term is typically used to refer to a Mafia organization in Sicily. Equivalent to "borgata." Crew (n.) A body of soldiers assigned to a capo. The crew typically meets on a regular basis at the capo's headquarters. Crumb (n.) The basic unit of the Mafia society. See "Borgata." Father (n.) Antiquated term for the leader of a Mafia family.

See "Boss." Featherbedding (n.) The practice of assigning more union workers to a project than necessary. Feds (n.) Federal law enforcement agents. In pre-Prohibition days, Mafia-feared Feds were agents of the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Postal Inspection Service. During Prohibition, they were agents of the Treasury Department. After Prohibition, the FBI gradually - and reluctantly - turned its attention toward the Mafia. Fence (n., v.) One who trades in stolen goods. To sell off swag. Finger (v.) Indicate for a hit man that a certain individual is the target of a murder assignment. Fix (n., v.) A situation in which law enforcement has been paid to allow criminal activity. A gangster might refer to such a situation by saying, "The fix was in." Flip (v.) Return Made (adj.) Formally inducted into the Mafia through a ceremony. Prospective members are called to a meeting without being given a reason. Through an elaborate ritual, they are then invited to join the Mafia. They are typically told the rules of the society, its history and hierarchy, and the general disciplinary measure for disobedience - death.

Mark (n.) A person or place targeted for criminal activity. Marker (n.) A notation of a debt. An IOU. Meet (n.) Meeting. Men of Honor / Men of Respect (n.) An older term referring to Sicilian Mafiosi. The term emphasizes a link between the Mafia and Sicily's displaced old aristocracy. Messaggero (n.) A relatively recent addition to the Mafia family hierarchy. The job of the messenger is to function as liaison between specific families. Effective messengers can reduce the need for sit-downs and limit the exposure of bosses to law enforcement. New York's Genovese Family was credited with inventing the post in order to coordinate activity with counterparts in Chicago. Mickey Mouse Mafia (prop.n.) Derogatory nickname of the Los Angeles, CA, Mafia family. Muscle (v., n.) Intimidate. Also those who function as underworld thugs. Muscle In (v.) Return Off the Record (adj.) Description relating to profits retained by a mobster from an illicit business venture, without kicking up a share to his superiors. Office (prop.n.) Nickname for the New England Mafia.

Omerta (n.) A uniquely Sicilian attitude calling for non-cooperation with government authority and the settlement of disputes through personal means. Omerta typically refers to the Mafia's strict code of silence with regard to underworld affairs. On the Arm Not paid for. Obtained on credit. On the Carpet The situation that occurs when a made guy's performance is harshly criticized by his superior. On the Lam Moving secretly. Indicted mobsters, in an effort to avoid arrest, might go "on the lam," changing their address, moving secretly from place to place. On the Pad Designation for a law enforcement officer who is paid by the underworld to ignore certain criminal activity. On the Spot To profit from a criminal endeavor. Shake Down (v.) Obtain money or other concessions from businesses or individuals by using intimidation or extortion. Shylock (n.) A loan shark. Show-up Time (n.) In union contracts, it is the amount paid to employees for appearing at a work site on days when work is not done. Sit-down (n.) A meeting, perhaps called to settle a "beef." Skim (n., v.) The act of siphoning funds from a legitimate business enterprise to an underworld organization.

Also, the money withdrawn from a venture - such as casino gambling - before income is calculated for tax purposes. Skipper (n.) Traitor to the underworld. See "stool pigeon." Soldati (n.) Soldiers. The lowest rank of formal Mafia membership. Standup Guy (n.) An individual who observes the principles of omerta even when it brings harm to himself. Stool Pigeon (n.) Older term for traitor to the underworld. One who "flips" and cooperates with law enforcement by providing information about his former criminal partners. Also known as "rat" and "snitch." Straight (adj.) Older term for uncriminal behavior. A man who gave up crime and took a regular job "went straight." Straighten Out (v.) Resolve a dispute. Formally induct a Mafia member. Swag (n.) Mafia Slang Mmmm... organized crime. Anyway, this is just a li'l fun guide to Mafia slang that I ripped from a site. Not claiming credit for it, but I did that because they had the glossary over several pages, and it was a pain in the ass to read, and I thought this would be better.

^^; Oh, and obviously, not all of these terms could apply to Nedokius. I'll stick those into two categories. First off, we have the technology restraints. Anything involving machine guns, cars, and anything else that sounds out of place is invalid. Second, we have the location restraints. Obviously, referring to the Sicilian Mafia and whatnot is really out-of-place. I considered taking them out, but it gives one an idea of how things are called. Enjoy! Definition: A bet placed through a bookie. Administration Definition: The ruling body of a crime family, composed of the boss, the underboss and the consigliere. Airing Definition: To take someone out for an airing is to take someone out and kill him or her. Alkali Definition: obs. Whiskey, especially of the bootleg variety. Alky cooker Definition: obs. A device used to distill alcohol. Alky racket Definition: During Prohibition, the distillation and distribution of illegal liquor. American way Definition: Coexistence of rival organized crime factions. Amico Definition: A friend or associate of a crime family.

Amico nostro: Italian for "friend of ours." Used to introduce an individual who has been officially inducted into the Mafia. Apache Indian job Definition: An incredibly thorough firebomb that leaves nothing standing. No longer a favorite, this bombing method had its heyday in New York and New Orleans in the early twentieth century. Area man Definition: The organized crime boss of a section of a city that consists of several neighborhoods. The Arm Definition: The Buffalo, New York faction of La Cosa Nostra. Assassin's special Definition: An automatic .22-caliber handgun equipped with a silencer. Attaché casing Definition: Collecting bribes so large they must be carried in a briefcase. Away Definition: A euphemism for someone who is incarcerated; if an individual is away, he is serving time. Babania Definition: Heroin, especially trafficking therein. Babbo Definition: A straight citizen, especially one who has been duped. Baby sister Definition: A bodyguard, usually for a witness under police or federal protection. Bag man Definition: One who picks up and/or distributes bribe or protection money. Banana race Definition: A fixed horse race. B-and-A rackets Definition: The illegal beer and alcohol business during Prohibition.

Bangkok Connection Definition: The route used to import drugs from Southeast Asia to the United States and Canada through the port of Bangkok, Thailand. Barracuda Definition: An ugly woman. Also known as: Schifosa. Barrel murder Definition: A somewhat obsolete Mafia murder method in which the victim is stuffed into a barrel and left to rot. Beauty doctor Definition: A club with a steel tip, used to disfigure a beating victim. Beef Definition: 1) To inform; 2) beefer: one who informs on mob activities. Also known as: Rat, pigeon, snitch, stoolie. Big earner Definition: An individual who uses his abilities to earn large amounts of money for a crime family. Also known as: Earner Definition: The Thompson machine gun, c. 1937. Big-time dealer Definition: A drug dealer who buys his product from distributors and sells it to smaller dealers. The Books Definition: Refers to membership in the Mafia. When the books are open, there is a vacancy. The books are closed when no one is being made. Boosters Definition: In mob parlance, a crime family. Boss Definition: The head of a crime family.

Also known as: Don, godfather, old man. Boss of Bosses Definition: Though no one proclaims himself the boss of bosses anymore, the press often reserves this title for whomever they deem is boss of New York's most powerful crime family. Also known as: Capo de tutti capi. Broken Also known as: Knocked down. Buckwheats Definition: A vengeance murder involving torture, mutilation and a slow death. Example: "He died buckwheats": he died slowly and painfully. Burn Definition: To murder; to carry out a contract killing. Also known as: Break an egg, clip, ice, whack. Bust out Definition: A forced bankruptcy of a person or an organization, usually through theft, fraud or extortion. Button man Definition: An "official" member of the Mafia, one who has been inducted into a crime family; one who has "made his button." Cafone Definition: An embarrassment to himself and others, a phony. See also gavone. Cane corn Definition: During Prohibition, an illegal alcohol made from cane sugar and corn. Capo Definition: Ranking member of a crime family who heads a crew of soldiers.

Also known as: Caporegime, skipper, lieutenant. Capodecina Definition: Ranking member of a crime family who heads a crew of ten soldiers. Captains of industry Definition: Crime bosses. Also a 1928 designation of the Commission. Carpet Definition: A meeting of at least two Mafia families for the purposes of settling a dispute. Case Definition: To check out or size up a location with the intent of committing a crime. Cement coffin Definition: A murder method that involves placing a victim in a tub of cement until it hardens, at which time he is dumped into a body of water. Also known as: Cement overcoat, cement shoes. A victim who has been encased in cement and dumped into a body of water is said to be "swimming with the fishes." Cement overcoat Definition: A murder method in which the victim is encased in cement to prevent authorities from discovering the body. Sometimes the body is buried in the cement of a new construction site; at other times the body is placed in a receptacle and covered with cement. When the cement hardens, it is dumped into a body of water.

Cement shoes Definition: A murder method in which a victim's feet are encased in cement until it hardens, at which time he is dumped into a body of water. Chairman Definition: An advisor to the Commission of La Cosa Nostra. Chairman of the board Definition: The highest ranking member of a crime family, used mostly in Detroit. Chased Definition: A fairly merciful punishment in which a gangster is banished from the Mafia and forbidden from doing business with any made guys, rather than being killed. Chief corrupter Definition: The crime family member who is in charge of bribing or attempting to bribe politicians. Clean Definition: adj. Not carrying a gun; v. To take the necessary steps to avoid being followed. Also known as: Not carrying. Clearing house Definition: A system or establishment that insures all bets taken by bookmakers. Alternate spelling: Clearinghouse. Definition: 1) To take money from; 2) to murder. Clock Definition: To survey; to keep track of someone's movements and activities. Comare Definition: The mistress or girlfriend of a mobster. The Combination Definition: A 1930s designation for the Cosa Nostra.

Come heavy Definition: To arrive carrying a loaded gun. The Commission Definition: The ruling body of La Cosa Nostra, consisting of nine to twelve crime family bosses. Compare Definition: An associate or a pal, buddy. Connected Definition: One who associates or does business with the Mafia without being an official member. Consigliere Definition: Italian for counselor; an advisor; a ranking crime family member who mediates disputes, advises the boss, and sometimes acts as legal counsel. Contract Definition: An Mafia-sanctioned assignment to carry out a murder. Usage: To take out a contract on someone is to mark that person for murder. Cosa Nostra Definition: Italian for "this thing of ours." A close-knit criminal society operating in the United States and almost always comprised of members of Italian-American ancestry. Crew Definition: A group of mafiosi, known as soldiers, who work as a team under a capo. Crime family Definition: A unit of the Mafia operating in a specific geographical region, composed of men tied together by loyalty to their boss. Also known as: Borgata, brugad. Cugine Definition: A young criminal looking to be inducted into the Mafia.

CW Definition: FBI terminology for a "cooperating witness." Deadbeat Definition: One who does not honor his debts. Alternate spelling: Dead beat. Definition: A crime family member who supervises a small urban area. Don Definition: A title bestowed on the boss or leader of a crime family, usually reserved for men of Sicilian descent. Double-decker coffin Definition: A coffin with an additional false bottom. The straight citizen whose family paid for the coffin is placed on the top level, while the victim of a mob hit is placed underneath. Also known as: Mafia coffin. Drop man Definition: A gangster who collects receipts from a numbers runner. Likewise, a drop is a location where numbers runners turn in their receipts. Elder statesman Definition: The boss of a crime family. Empty suit Definition: An individual who has nothing to offer, yet tries to associate with mob members. Enforcer Definition: An organized crime worker who uses violence to carry out his boss' wishes. Also known as: Goon, headcrusher, legbreaker, muscle. Envelope Definition: A cash payment, usually in the form of a bribe or protection money. Fence Definition: An individual specializing in moving stolen merchandise.

Also known as: Middler, middleman. Field man Definition: An individual who supervises a group of numbers runners. Fifth estate Definition: The syndicate; the world of organized crime. Finger Definition: 1) To mark for murder; 2) to inform on. Also known as: 1) Put the X on, take out a contract on; 2) Rat, squeal, snitch. The Five Families Definition: The five major Mafia families of New York: Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese. Five times .38 Definition: Shot five times with a .38-caliber gun. Fratellanza Definition: Brotherhood; also refers to the Mafia. Friend of mine Definition: Used in introductions to denote a person who is not a made guy, but who is being vouched for by a made guy. See also friend of ours, amico nostro. Also known as: Amico mio. Friend of ours Definition: Used to introduce one made guy to another. Also known as: Amico nostro. Fugazi Definition: A fake or counterfeit item. Alternate spellings: fugazzi, fugazy.

Definition: A dishonest individual who habitually swindles, cheats and deceives. Gangbuster Definition: A law enforcement official who actively and aggressively seeks to break up organized crime. Gangland Definition: 1) The underworld, organized crime; 2) A nickname for Chicago. Gangster Definition: A person belonging to a gang, a crime family, or another group of criminals. Get a place ready Definition: To look for an inconspicuous burial site. Give a pass Definition: To grant someone a reprieve from a death warrant. Giveup Definition: The portion of earnings a made guy must give his superior. Used predominantly in Chicago. Goner Definition: An individual who has been marked for death. Good people Definition: Indicates people amenable to mob dealings; used predominantly in Chicago. Goombah Definition: Crony, pal. Sicilian for the Italian compare. Also known as: Compare. Alternate spellings: Goomba, gumba, goombata. Go to the mattresses Definition: To go into hiding. Also known as: Hit the mattresses. Graft Definition: Profit gained from dishonest business practices or fraud, or a portion of those monies given to corrupt officials, often politicians.

Hack Definition: A criminal who seeks admission into the Mafia. Ham-and-cheese sandwich Definition: A payoff to a union delegate. Handbook Definition: An employee or financial backer of a bookmaker's operations. Headhunter Also known as: Contract killer, executioner, hit man. Alternate spelling: Head hunter. Definition: Unwanted attention from law enforcement or the press. Hijack Definition: To steal from a transporter of illegal goods. Alternate spelling: highjack. Hit Definition: 1) n. An Mafia-sanctioned assignment to carry out a murder; 2) v. to murder; 3) n. a winning ticket in an illegal lottery. Hit man Definition: A murderer for hire, a hired assassin. Also known as: Contract killer, executioner, headhunter. Alternate spelling: Hitman. Definition: A car reserved for mob assassination purposes, usually a traditional black sedan. The Honored Society Definition: The Sicilian Mafia. Ice pick kill Definition: A murder method in which the victim is subdued by several gangsters while another jams an ice pick through the victim's eardrum and into the brain. Results in death by cerebral hemorrhage.

Independent Definition: A bookmaker or numbers runner who is not a Mafia member, but who pays a royalty for permission to operate. Indict Definition: 1) Indict: v. To bring a formal charge against, as by a grand jury; 2) Indictment: n. A formal written statement charging a person with a criminal offense. The charge must then be proven at trial. In the wind Definition: The status of an individual after he has left the Witness Protection Program. Italian rope trick Definition: A murder method in which a length of rope is looped around the victim's neck and two hit men pull on opposite ends of the rope. Kickback Definition: That part of the profit which is illegally given to law enforcement or other public officials to avoid prosecution, or as a reward for a job or contract. Alternate spelling: kick back. Kiss of death Definition: A kiss delivered by a mobster, which is a public warning that if the recipient does not immediately comply with the mob's wishes, he will be marked for death. La Cosa Nostra Definition: Italian for "this thing of ours." A close-knit criminal society operating in the United States and almost always comprised of members of Italian-American ancestry.

Lammest Definition: An individual who has become a fugitive in order to elude other gangsters or police. Lay-off Definition: A bookmaker's practice of placing bets with the money they have received from bettors. Alternate spellings: Layoff, lay off. Lay-off man Definition: An individual in charge of receiving bets made by a bookmaker. Alternate spelling: Layoff man. Definition: The office in which a bookmaker does business. Alternate spelling: Layoff room. Leader Definition: A lottery ticket containing a three-digit number chosen by a bettor who has also wagered that he can guess the first digit of the three-digit number that is drawn at random. Legbreaker Definition: An organized crime worker who roughs people up for his boss. Also known as: Enforcer, headcrusher, goon, muscle. Little Joe Definition: An execution method reserved for welshers and loan shark debtors. The victim is shot four times in the head, with the shots laid out in two straight rows. Loan shark Definition: An individual who provides loans at an illegal and exorbitant interest rate and uses violence and threats to obtain repayment; a usurer. A loanshark. Alternate spelling: Loan shark.

Definition: An organized crime worker who has been officially inducted into the Mafia. Also known as: Made man, Mafioso, wiseguy, goodfella, soldier. Mafia Definition: A secretive crime organization whose members are generally of Italian and Sicilian descent. Also known as: La Cosa Nostra, syndicate. Mafie Definition: Sicilian gangs organized to extort money from local townsfolk. Similar in operations to the Black Hand which operated in the United States in the early 20th century. Mafioso Definition: An official member of the Mafia; pl. Mafiosi. Also known as: Button man, made guy, soldier. Trivia: In Italy, the word "mafioso" is sometimes used as an insult, and can mean thief, crook, murderer, sleaze, parasite, scum, etc. Make Definition: To induct an individual into the Mafia. Make one's bones Definition: To carry out one's first sanctioned mob hit. This practice was once a requirement for induction into the Mafia, although this ritual is no longer as widespread. Man of respect Definition: A ranking officer of a crime family. Also known as: Mafioso, mobster.

Mechanics Definition: Card and dice manipulators who rig games. The meets Definition: A conference of leading underworld figures. Men of respect Definition: Generally used to refer to the Sicilian Mafia; not widely used when referring to American crime families. Mercy room Definition: The emergency room of a hospital. Middle Definition: A sure bet, one that the gambler cannot lose. Middling Definition: An organized crime worker who runs a numbers game. Numbers racket Definition: An illicit lottery where an arbitrary number is chosen to determine the winner, usually daily horse racing results. Numbers runner Definition: One who receives and places bets from customers for the numbers racket. The Office Definition: The New England faction of La Cosa Nostra. Off the record Definition: Activity not sanctioned by the Mafia; usually refers to an unauthorized murder, i.e. an off the record piece of work. Omertà Definition: The Mafia code of silence, violation of which is punishable by death. On the arm Definition: Goods or services received on credit or as a token of appreciation. On the gamble Definition: Operating an illicit lottery in which the ticket seller finances everything, pays winners from his profits, and pays his boss for being allowed to run the lottery.

On the lam Definition: Having become a fugitive; having eluded other gangsters or police. On the pad Definition: Having to pay regular bribes for one's protection. Open Definition: Used to refer to a region not controlled by one specific Mafia family. Also known as: Open area, open territory. Organized crime Definition: The operation of a group of criminals that is organized on a national and international level and coordinates all manner of illegal activities. The Outfit Definition: The Chicago faction of La Cosa Nostra. The Outs Definition: The losing bets at illegal horse racing operations, which are used to pay off winning bets. Pad Definition: A list of locations where law enforcement and other public officials have been bribed to overlook criminal operations. Parakeet Definition: A portion of profits from a crime family's rackets. Piece of work Definition: A contract to kill someone. Pre-hits Definition: Measures taken prior to carrying out a hit in which the target's major allies are eliminated. Problem Definition: Someone likely to be whacked. Also known as: Goner. Definition: To designate for murder. Also known as: Finger, take out a contract.

Racket Definition: Any criminal act or operation, so called because of the disturbance it creates. Rehash Definition: A bankruptcy fraud in which the operator buys goods on credit, sells them at or below cost, and then declares bankruptcy. Respect Definition: A display of deference based mainly on fear. RICO Definition: The Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal statute enacted in 1970. The statute allows prosecutors to seek tougher sentences for mobsters if they can prove a connection to a criminal organization or syndicate. In theory, the statute also allows the government to prosecute every member of a crime family once a criminal conspiracy has been proven. Ride, take for a Definition: A car trip from whence the victim does not return. Serious headache Definition: A gunshot wound in the head. Serious trouble Definition: The state of a person who has committed an offense against the mob which is punishable by death. Shills Definition: Hirelings who play in rigged games in order to draw victims; they are often mechanics. Shiv Definition: A piece of wire used to garrote a victim. Sit-down Definition: A criminal meeting; a mob peace conference.

Soldier Definition: An individual who has been officially inducted into the Mafia; also, one of a group of organized workers who work under a capo. Also known as: Made guy, button man, goodfella, wiseguy, mobster. Squeal Definition: To inform or turn informant. Also known as: Rat, snitch, beef. Stand-up guy Definition: An organized crime worker who refuses to inform on his family, no matter what the consequences. Stone killer Definition: A particularly efficient and cold-hearted professional killer. Related: enforcer, hit man, executioner. Stoolie Also known as: Pigeon, stool pigeon, canary. Straight Definition: A non-criminal, as in a "straight citizen." Straightened out Definition: To be officially inducted into the Mafia. Also known as: To be/get made, to make one's button. Swag Also known as: Hot items, merchandise that "fell off the back of a truck." Telephone solicitor Definition: A bookmaker who accepts bets over the phone. Trunk music Definition: After a victim is murdered and stuffed into the trunk of a car, the "trunk music" is the sound of the body's flesh rotting.

Turban Definition: To crack open someone's skull. Uncle Sugar Definition: The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Also known as: The feds. Underboss Definition: The second highest position in a Mafia family, accountable only to the boss. Also known as: Right arm, sottocapo. Underworld Definition: The world of organized crime. Also known as: The Fifth Estate. Usury Definition: The loaning of money at an exorbitant interest rate, well in excess of the legally established limits. Also known as: Loansharking. Vigorish Definition: The interest paid to a Mafia loan shark, usually large in proportion to the overall loan. Also known as: Vig, juice. Alternate spellings: Viggerish, vigerage. Definition: A travelling bookmaker who services customers on a fixed route. Whack Definition: To murder. Also known as: To break an egg, to ice, to off, to pop, to put to sleep, to rub out. Wiseguy Definition: An individual who has been officially inducted into the Mafia. Also known as: Button man, soldier, mafioso, made guy, goodfella.

Alternate Spelling: Wise guy Young Turks Definition: Young members of organized crime, who usually do not honor or respect the Mafia's old ways. Zip Definition: The name by which American mobsters referred to Sicilian Mafiosi in the early part of the twentieth century. Also known as: Mustache Petes. Urban Dictionary: mafia mafia Ok, I recommended many definitions for deletion. It seems everybody has thier personal version of mafia's history. I am Sicilian and the study of the Mafias (we prefer plural vs one single mafia) is one of my interests, as a Sicilian and as a student. Also... I'm no member of any "family" you may think of. The word itself has rather obscure origins, and its history and meaning is totally unrelated with modern concept of mafia. Modern Mafias have so many different aspects I couldn't say if one is wronger than others. Nowadays the term "Mafia" can be rightly (and sadly) related to almost every socio-political aspect of our lives. We could say the word itself has gained a more general and complex meaning since its migration from Sicily to USA. As regards the word itself: its origin can be traced back in the centuries.

Sure it had something to do with the many invasions Sicily was exposed to. During the ages, Sicily has been invaded by pretty much ALL of the peoples in the Mediterranean Area: Greeks, Romans, Normands (~French), Arabs, Spanish, Italians nowadays. This gave the island's culture an inmense richness, but as a side effect created among Sicilians some sort of silent "brotherhood" against anyone coming from the outside world. This "brotherhood", meaning protection of the masses from the invasors, lately degenerated into an oppression of the masses. The term mafia, originally indicating (not meaning) a group of people "respected" for being charismatic members of that brotherhood, slightly but inesorably turned into a synonym for organized crime. My personal idea is that the two different meanings still coexist in Sicilian culture, often originating a confusig and ambiguous mix. As regards the "international" meaning... well I guess everybody has a very distorted prespective, maybe the best definition is "Those loud mouth Italian criminals talking with gestures like in the class A movie The Godfather"! Sicilian never say the word "mafia". really, I never heard a Sicilian call it mafia.

We use periphrases, I bet you'll never catch it unless you're Sicilian by prof December 22, 2003 Mafia The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as La Cosa Nostra (variously translated as This Thing Of Ours or Our Thing), is the name for a secret, criminal organisation which evolved in mid 19th century Sicily, and led to an offshoot on the East-Coast of the United States emerging during the late 19th century with the waves of Italian immigration to that country. As opposed to the insular Sicilian Mafia, during the 20th century the American Mafia became more accomodating of Neapolitan criminals, and other Southern Italians among the sworn-in membership of 'made-men', and forged closer associations with gangsters of other nationalities, thus becoming distinct from the original organisation in Sicily. The term "Mafia" describes a specific secret society in Sicily and their descendants in the USA, yet the word itself has no pin-pointed historical birthplace. In the original Palermo dialect the word 'mafioso' once meant 'beautiful', 'bold' or 'self-confident'.

Anyone who was worthy of being described as a mafioso therefore had a certain something, an intangible attribute called 'mafia'. 'Cool' is about the closest modern English equivalent; a mafioso was someone who fancied himself. In fact it was the early Italian government which attached specific criminal connotations to the word and turned it into a subject of national debate. It was following the Prefect of Palermo, Filippo Gualterio's report to Rome in 1865, citing that "the so-called Mafia or criminal associations" had become more daring, that the word rapidly entered general usage as a descriptor of criminal activity. This ties in with the theory that the word 'mafia' in Palermo dialect, came from an Arabic word adopted during the Arab occupation of Sicily, mah&#299;ya or similar meaning 'flashy'. Today, a member of the Mafia is a "mafioso", a "manfias", or, Anglified, a "man of honor". The Mafia spread to the United States through immigration by the 20th century.

Mafia power peaked in the United States in the mid-20th century, until a series of FBI investigations in the 1970s and 1980s somewhat curtailed the Mafia's influence. Despite the decline, the Mafia and its reputation have become entrenched in American popular culture, portrayed in movies, TV shows, and even product commercials. Today the Italian-American Mafia remains the most powerful criminal organization operating in the USA and uses this status to maintain control over the majority of both Chicago's and New York City's criminal enterprises. It also has links to the more established organisation from which it sprung, the original Sicilian Mafia. Mafia power in Sicily is much more well established and complete. Corruption is widespread, and local government is almost an offshoot of the organisation itself. Mafia influence in the national legislature has long been suspected, but never proved outright. The term "mafia" has now been extended to refer to any large group of people engaged in organized crime (such as the Russian Mafia, Japanese Yakuza, and the Chinese Triads). In fact, this is an Anglicisation, as many of these criminal organisations have their own names for the style of organised crime practiced by the Sicilian and American Mafia.

When unqualified, however, 'Mafia' still usually refers to the original Sicilian and offshoot American organizations. The Mafia in Italy Contrary to popular legend, the Sicilian Mafia actually originated during the mid 19th century, at around the same time as the emergence of the new Italian state. Italy did not actually become a sovereign country until this time, and it was the industrialisation and trade that this event brought about that was the main driving force behind the development of the Sicilian Mafia. The Sicilian Mafia has always been at its strongest in the west of the island, and especially around the city of Palermo, its birthplace. Palermo was, and still is, the centre of trade, commerce and politics for the island of Sicily, and thus the Mafia made its base here, as opposed to the rural interior of the island which was backward and underdeveloped in economic terms. The main source of exports, and thus wealth of the island from which the Mafia sprung was the large estates of lemon and orange groves that rise from the walls of Palermo up into the hills surrounding the city.

The Mafia was initially involved in the protection of these estates, the landowners needing the Mafia for protection, and the Mafia needing the landowners' political connections to operate freely. Indeed, according to some sources, members of the ruling aristocracy were also members of the 'Sect' (as the Mafia was known in the 19th century) Baron Turrisi Colonna among them, who wrote the first ever account of the organised criminality that was going on in Sicily during this time in 1864. Colonna put the age of the 'Sect' at about 20 years old, or thereabouts. Colonna was well known as a political protector of members of the Sect and it is this kind of relationship with Government which has characterised the Mafia in Sicily. In the early days of the Italian state there were two main power groups: the landowners and the politicians, who were often synonymous. However, on the sidelines lay the Mafia, quietly infiltrating and corrupting. It is hard to say for sure, but it is highly likely that the Mafia initiated members of both other groups into its number.

During the Fascist period in Italy, Cesare Mori, the prefect of Palermo, utilised special powers to fight Mafia activities, and his work resulted in many mafiosi being jailed or forced to flee abroad. It has been said that in reality, the most important leaders of the Sicilian Mafia were enrolled in the MVSN, the fascist Militia, and only low-level suspects were charged in Mori's campaign, mainly for propaganda purposes. However, others claim that this version is nothing but US propaganda trying to relativize the cooperation of the United States government and the Mafia during World War II. Certainly many Mafia Historians such as John Dickie believe this view to be false. In actuality, Mussolini conducted the most successful anti-Mafia operation ever, albeit with severe losses of civil liberties. Many of the mafiosi who escaped fled to the United States. Among them was Joseph Bonanno, nicknamed Joe Bananas, who eventually dominated the US branch of the Mafia for a time. The Americans cynically took advantage of the circumstances and they utilised the Italian connection of the American Mafiosi during the invasion of Italy and Sicily in 1943.

Lucky Luciano and other members of Mafia, who had been imprisoned during this time in USA, suddenly become valuable patriots and US military intelligence used Luciano's influence to ease the way for advancing American troops. An alleged additional benefit (from the American perspective) was that many of the Sicilian-Italian Mafiosi were hardline anti-communists, as the Mafia could not bear any other form of social organisation in its heartland of Sicily, being the monopolist of power and violence on the island. They were therefore seen as valuable allies by the anti-Communist Americans, who allegedly used them to root out socialist and communist elements in the American shipping industry, the wartime resistance movements, and in many postwar local and regional governments in areas where the Mafia held sway. According to drug trade expert Dr Alfred W. McCoy, Luciano was permitted to run his crime network from his jail cell in exchange for his assistance. After the war Luciano was rewarded by being deported to Italy, where he was able to continue his criminal career unhindered.

He went to Sicily in 1946 to continue his activities and according to McCoy's landmark 1972 book The Politics of Heroin in South-East Asia, Luciano went on to forge a crucial alliance with the Corsican Mafia, leading to the development of a vast international heroin trafficking network, initially supplied from Turkey and based in Marseille — the so-called "French Connection". Later, when Turkey began to eliminate its opium production, he used his connections with the Corsicans to open a dialogue with expatriate Corsican mafiosi in South Vietnam. In collaboration with leading American mob bosses including Santo Trafficante Jr., Luciano and his successors, took advantage of the chaotic conditions of the Vietnam War to establish an unassailable supply and distribution base in the "Golden Triangle", which was soon funnelling huge amounts of Asian heroin into the United States, Australia and other countries via the U.S. military. The Mafia did not become powerful in Italy again until after the country's surrender in the Second World War.

In the 1980s and 1990s, however, a series of internecine "gang wars" led to many prominent Mafia members being murdered, and a new generation of mafiosi has placed more emphasis on "white-collar" criminal activity as opposed to more traditional racketeering enterprises. In reaction to these developments, the Italian press has come up with the phrase La Cosa Nuova ("the new thing", a play on La Cosa Nostra) to refer to the revamped organization. The main split in the Sicilian Mafia at present is between those bosses who have been convicted and are now in jail, chiefly Salvatore 'Toto' Riina and Leoluca Bagarella the capo di tutti capi from 1993 to 1995, and those such as Bernardo Provenzano, who are on the run, or who have not been indicted. The incarcerated bosses are currently subjected to harsh controls on their contact with the outside world, limiting their ability to run their operations from behind bars under the Italian law 41 bis.

Antonio Giuffrè, a close confidant of Provenzano, turned Pentiti shortly after his capture in 2002. He now alledges that in 1993, Cosa Nostra had direct contact with representatives of Silvio Berlusconi while he was planning the birth of Forza Italia. The deal that was alledged to have been made was a repeal of 41 bis, among other anti-Mafia laws in return for electoral deliverances in Sicily. Whilst Forza Italia currently holds all 61 Sicilian seats in Parliament, no one openly suggests a link between Berlusconi and Cosa Nostra directly. Even if the allegations are proved to be baseless, Cosa Nostra feels let down by a Government it imagines, rightly or wrongly, to contain elements sympathetic towards it. A banner was recently unfurled at a Palermo Football match which read "We are united against 41 bis. Berlusconi has forgotten Sicily". These are worrying days for the Mafia's enemies, but whether Provenzano's restructuring efforts will succeed in appeasing or isolating the interned bosses, and thus uniting Cosa Nostra once again, remains to be seen.

Prominent Sicilian Mafiosi * Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, former 'Superboss' of the Corleonesi and thus the entire Sicilian Mafia, now in jail. Succeeded by Bernardo Provenzano (see below). * Tommaso Buscetta, the first Sicilian Mafiosi to become an informant during the 1970s. Generally known as the 'Supergrass' whose evidence was used to great effect during the Maxi-Trials. * Bernardo Provenzano, Current 'capo di tutti capi' or Boss of Bosses of the Sicilian Mafia, a fugitive from justice for over 40 years. He is said to have been recently spotted in a medical clinic in the south of France. The authorities have reportedly been 'close' to capturing him for the past 10 years, since he took over from Salvatore Riina. * Giovanni 'lo scanncristianni' Brusca, who personally murdered Giovanni Falcone, the investigating judge who started the first and only real fightback against the Sicilian Mafia.

Other Criminal Organisations in Italy The Sicilian Mafia is organized into cosche (clans) in Sicily; in other regions there exist other similar organisations: Ndrangheta in Calabria, Sacra corona unita in Apulia, Camorra in Naples and the Mala del Brenta in Venice. Although the different crime empires do business with each other, these are seperate and distinct organisations from the Sicilian Mafia, which is by far the most powerful. Mafia in the United States Mafia groups in the United States first became influential in the New York City area, gradually progressing from small neighborhood operations to citywide and eventually international organizations. Five families dominated, named for prominent early members - the Bonanno family, the Colombo Family, the Gambino family, the Genovese family, and the Lucchese family. Each family was ultimately controlled by a Don, who was insulated from actual operations by several layers of authority. According to popular belief, the Don's closest and most trusted advisor was referred to as the consigliere ("counselor" in Italian). In reality, the consigliere was meant to be something of a "hearing officer" who was charged with mediating intra-family disputes.

An underboss was possible as well. There were then a number of regimes with a varying number of soldiers who conducted actual operations. Each regime was headed by a caporegime, who reported to the boss. When the boss made a decision, he never issued orders directly to the soldiers who would carry it out, but instead passed instructions down through the chain of command. In this way, the higher levels of the organization were effectively insulated from incrimination if a lower level member should be captured by law enforcement. This structure is immortalised in Mario Puzo's famous novel The Godfather. The Initiation ritual emerged in Sicily in the mid-19th century and has hardly changed to this day. The Chief of Police of Palermo in 1875 reported that the man of honour to be initiated would be led into the presence of a group of bosses and underbosses. One of these men would prick the intiate's arm or hand and tell him to smear the blood onto a sacred image, usually a saint. The oath of loyalty would be taken as the image was burned and scattered, thus symbolising the annihilation of traitors.

A hit, or assassination, of a made man had to be preapproved by the leadership of his family, or retaliatory hits would be made, possibly inciting a war. In a state of war, families would go to the mattresses - rent vacant apartments and have a number of soldiers sleeping on mattresses on the floor in shifts, with the others ready at the windows to fire at members of rival families. Law enforcement and the Mafia In Italy in particular, there has been a long history of police prosecutors and judges being murdered by the Mafia in an attempt to discourage vigorous policing. In the United States, murders of state authorities have been rare, largely out of fear of the backlash that would result. The mobster Dutch Schultz was reportedly killed by his peers out of fear that he would carry out a plan to kill New York City prosecutor Thomas Dewey. In the United States, the Mafia began a steep decline in the late-1970s and early 1980s due in part to laws such as the RICO Act, which made it a crime to belong to an organization that performed illegal acts, and to programs such as the witness protection program.

These factors combined with the gradual dissolution of the distinct Italian-American community through death, intermarriage, the lack of continued Italian migration, and cultural assimilation. In the mid-20th century, the Mafia was reputed to have infiltrated many labor unions in the United States, including the Teamsters whose president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared and is believed to have been killed by the Mafia. In the 1980s the United States federal government made a determined and, it believed, successful attempt to remove Mafia influence from labor unions. There is some evidence that in Italy law enforcement seems to be finally gaining the upper hand over the Mafia organisations, through stronger laws and the breaking down of the "code of silence". A huge help in fighting the military side of Mafia has been provided by many so-called pentiti (Mafia members who dissociated for a milder judicial treatment), like Tommaso Buscetta. The Mafia allegedly retains strong financial influence. Thus, recent investigations usually research the economic movements of suspected members. In recent decades, one of the most famous figures in Italy in the context of Mafia has been Toto Riina, who supposedly ordered the murder of the judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

Recently, former Italian Prime Minister, Giulio Andreotti (Democrazia Cristiana) stood judicially accused of relationships with Mafia, but was finally cleared because the trial was out of the prescription period. Suspicions, however, still remain. Mafia structure Known as the Honored Society among Mafiosi the chain of command is organized in a pyramid similar to a modern corporate structure. 1. Capo di Tutti Capi (The "Boss of Bosses", currently Bernardo Provenzano for Sicilian Mafia; N/A for the American Mafia) 2. Capo di Capi Re (a title of respect given to a senior or retired member, equivalent to being a chairman emeritus.) 3. Capo Crimini (A "Super Boss" known as a Don or "Godfather" of a crime family) 4. Capo Bastone (Known as the "Underboss" is second in command to the Capo Crimini) 5. Consigliere (Advisor) 6. Contabile (Financial advisor) 7.

Caporegime or Capodecina (A Lieutenant who commands a "crew" of around ten or more Sgarrista or "soldiers") 8. Sgarrista or Soldati ("Made" members of the Mafia who serve primarily as foot soldiers) 9. Picciotto (A low ranking member of the Mafia who serve as "Enforcers" or "button men") 10. Giovane D'Onore (An associate member of the Mafia, usually a non-Italian or Sicilian) people who defind mafia here they idolize here

Question: The informal term for a gangster, especially belonging to the Mafia is?
Answer: Goodfella