The name Cosa Nostra – “our thing” in Italian – refers to the powerful Italian-American criminal network that dominated organized crime in the United States for much of the 20th century. Rooted in Sicilian traditions and transplanted through immigration, La Cosa Nostra (LCN) became synonymous with ‘the Mafia,’ evolving into a nationwide syndicate that blended secrecy, violence, and business acumen to control everything from gambling and loan sharking to unions and construction contracts.
How the Mafia took shape in NYC
The organization’s rise began during Prohibition, when illegal liquor trade created vast profits for crime groups. By 1931, decades of bloody turf wars prompted Brooklyn bootlegger Salvatore Maranzano to reorganize New York’s mob into five distinct “families,” and in doing so declaring himself capo di tutti capi – boss of all bosses. His reign was short-lived though as he was assassinated months later, and his rivals agreed to replace the dictatorship with a ruling council known as the Commission, giving equal representation to the city’s five most powerful families.
Each family followed a rigid hierarchy – boss, underboss, consigliere, caporegimes, and “soldiers” – governed by the code of omertà, or silence. Members swore blood oaths never to betray the organization, with death as the penalty for disloyalty. This video gives you a handy overview.
Who are the Five Families of New York?
The Gambino family became one of the most notorious, led at various times by figures such as Carlo Gambino and John Gotti, who famously flaunted his power until his 1992 conviction.
Carlo GambinoHulton Archive
The Genovese family, founded by Lucky Luciano, earned a reputation as the “Ivy League” of organized crime – disciplined, secretive, and immensely profitable. Its long-serving boss Vincent “The Chin” Gigante even feigned insanity to avoid prosecution.
The Lucchese family maintained deep ties to New York’s labor rackets and inspired parts of Goodfellas through the 1978 Lufthansa Heist.
Vito GenoveseBettmann
The Bonanno family, originally headed by Joe Bonanno, was the subject of the Donnie Brasco infiltration, one of the FBI’s most successful operations.
The Colombo family, youngest of the five, was torn by internal wars and assassination attempts, most notably against boss Joe Colombo in 1971.
What has happened to the Cosa Nostra?
Relentless law enforcement campaigns – including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) – shattered much of the Mafia’s hierarchy by the 1990s. Yet according to the National Institute of Justice, La Cosa Nostra still retains “greater capacity to corrupt, control, and coerce” than any rival criminal network in the U.S. Its operations today are said to be smaller, quieter, and more diversified – shifting toward white-collar frauds and financial scams – but the structure Maranzano created nearly a century ago continues to define organized crime in America.
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