mafias

Mafias are organized crime groups that rely on secrecy, codes of conduct, and violence to control illicit and, in some cases, legitimate enterprises. The term is most closely associated with the Sicilian Mafia, or Cosa Nostra, but it is also used to describe similar criminal organizations around the world.

Typically mafias operate with a hierarchical structure—boss or don, underboss, consigliere, and soldiers—and use protection rackets, bribery, and coercion to maintain authority within communities and markets.

Major regional mafias include the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, and the Neapolitan Camorra. Other groups widely described as mafias include the Russian mafia and various East Asian organizations; however, each has distinct origins and practices.

Common activities include extortion and protection rackets, illicit gambling, drug trafficking, loan sharking, money laundering, smuggling, and infiltration of legitimate businesses and politics.

Law enforcement responses include anti-mafia legislation, specialized task forces, witness protection programs, and international cooperation. The phenomenon emerged in Southern Italy in the 19th and early 20th centuries and expanded through migration and globalization, shaping economic and social dynamics in some regions.