MAFIA
The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra ) is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering. Each group, known as a "family", "clan", or " cosca ", claims sovereignty over a territory in which it operates its rackets – usually a town or village or a neighbourhood ( borgata ) of a larger city. Its members call themselves "men of honour", although the public often refers to them as " mafiosi ". According to the classic definition, the Mafia is a criminal organization originating in Sicily. However, the term "mafia" has become a generic term for any organized criminal network with similar structure, methods, and interests. Sketch of the 1901 maxi trial of suspected mafiosi in Palermo. From the newspaper L'Ora, May ...