In his 1963 public testimony before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Joseph Valachi described the history, membership, and inner workings of the national crime cartel called the Mafia. He called it Cosa Nostra, meaning “Our Thing.” He also admitted that New York had Five Families, named important figures, and explained omertà, the Mafia code of silence. His testimony was followed by investigations, indictments, and convictions.
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