Cosa Nostra

[koh-zuh nohs-truh] / ˈkoʊ zə ˈnoʊs trə /

NOUN

the mafia

Synonyms

WEAK

Black Hand Mafia gangdom gangland mob organized crime organized crime family rackets syndicate the Syndicate the mob the underworld underworld

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Here Federico Varese, Professor of Criminology at Oxford University, describes how the Mafia - or Cosa Nostra - continues to influence Sicilian life, despite the state's successes against it in recent years.

From BBC

“Because it allows me to put an end to this. I call Cosa Nostra a chain of death, a factory of death. Nothing more, nothing less,” he said.

From Seattle Times

Brusca, now 64, was a key figure within the Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia group.

From BBC

After turning state turncoat he helped prosecutors in their crackdown against the Cosa Nostra clans.

From Reuters

Ndrangheta has overtaken Sicily’s Cosa Nostra as the most feared and lucrative Italian crime group, making most of its money from drug trafficking.

From Reuters