American Mafia

Omertà () is a Southern Italian code of silence and code of honor and conduct that places importance on silence in the face of questioning by authorities or outsiders; non-cooperation with authorities, the government, or outsiders, especially during criminal investigations; and willfully ignoring and generally avoiding interference with the illegal activities of others (i.e., not contacting law enforcement or the authorities when one is aware of, witness to, or even the victim of certain crimes).

Italian-American criminal organization

Consigliere ( , ; is a position within the administrative structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word consigliere was popularized in English by the 1969 novel The Godfather and by its 1972 film adaptation. In the novel, a consigliere is an advisor or counselor to the boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the boss in important meetings both within the boss's crime family and with other crime families.

thumb|Structure of a Mafia crime family A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain", "skipper" or "lieutenant", is a leadership position in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia). A capo is a "made member" of an Italian crime family who heads a regime or "crew" of soldiers and has major status and influence in the organization. Caporegime is an Italian word, used to signify the head of a family in Sicily. In general, the term indicates the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate who commands a crew of soldiers an

organization

phrase used to indicate extremely powerful Mafia boss

person in charge of a criminal organization

governing body of the American Mafia

Jewish Mob or the Jewish Mafia

Cabal of American criminals in mid 20th century

extortion racket and the gangs that used it

right|350px|thumb|Structure of a Mafia crime family A soldato or soldier is the first official level of both the Sicilian Mafia and the Italian-American Mafia in the formal Mafia hierarchy. It is also commonly used as a rank in other Italian criminal organizations, such as the 'Ndrangheta and Camorra. The promotion to the rank of soldier is an elevation in the chain of command from the associate level. The associate, who is not an initiated member of the Mafia, must prove himself to the family and take the oath of Omertà in order to become an initiated made man and therefore rise to the rank o

right|350px|thumb|Structure of Mafia crime family

fully initiated member of the Mafia

member of the Mafia who came to the United States as adults in the early 20th century

ceremony to become a full member of the Mafia