n
1. the Mafia [ sing + sing/pl v ] a secret organization of criminals, originally in Sicily. It is also sometimes called the Mob, the Syndicate or Cosa Nostra (Italian for ‘our thing’). The Italian-American Mafia began in the US in the late 19th century and became organized into powerful ‘families’. They controlled the production of illegal alcohol during Prohibition and only became weaker in the 1980s when several leaders, called ‘godfathers’, were sent to prison. Well-known members of the Mafia in the US have included Al Capone and ‘Lucky’ Luciano . There have been many books and films about the Mafia, including The Godfather and Goodfellas (1990).
2. mafia [ C ] ( disapprov ) or ( humor ) a group of people who have, or are thought to have, secret influence in society:
President Kennedy was supported by the Irish-American mafia.