Mafia

Mafia is a term uised tae descriev certain faimily- or culturally-based organisit crime enterprises. The best kent o thaim, an the oreeginator o the term, is the Sicilian Mafia, a criminal syndicate that cam aboot in the mid 19t yeirhunner in Sicily, Italy. Accordin tae the classic definition, the Mafia is a criminal organisation oreeginatin in Sicily.^[1] The American Mafia arose frae Sicilians Mafia members immigratin tae the Unitit States durin the late nineteent yeirhunner, follaein waves o Italian emigration. Thay carriet on the criminal tradeetion an structur o thair Sicilian coonterpairts, but evolved intae a pan-Italian group.

Thare wur seemlir affshuits in Canadae amang Italian Canadians. The same haes been claimt o organisit crime amang Italians in Australie.^[2] Housomeivver, the term "mafia" haes become a generic term for ony structured organisit crime group.