What is the mafia?

The mafia has controlled everything from the corner drug dealer to labor-union leadership to high-level politicians. Learn all about how the Mafia is structured, how it operates, how it formed, how it has evolved and which law-enforcement methods have been effective against this type of organized crime. read more

A mafia (Italian pronunciation: [ˈ m a ː f j a]) is a type of organized crime syndicate whose primary activities are protection racketeering, the arbitration of disputes between criminals, and the organizing and oversight of illegal agreements and transactions. read more

The Mafia has controlled everything from the street corner drug trade to the highest levels of government. Glorified by movies and television, hounded by law enforcement officials, marked for death by their enemies, mobsters live violent and often brief lives. read more

The American Mafia, a separate entity from the Mafia in Sicily, came to power in the 1920s Prohibition era after the success of Italian-American neighborhood gangs in the booming bootleg liquor business. read more