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Paul Castellano
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Frank Costello testifying before the U.S. Senate investigating committee headed by Estes Kefauver, 1951.
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Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano Paul Castellano, boss (1976–85) of the Gambino crime family, in 1959.

Mafia

organized crime
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Mafia, hierarchically structured society of criminals of primarily Italian or Sicilian birth or extraction. The term applies to the traditional criminal organization in Sicily and also to a criminal organization in the United States. Origin of the Word The exact origin of the word “mafia” remains unclear but a few theories shed light on its possible roots. The most common one suggests that “mafia” is derived from the Sicilian word mafiusu, meaning “swagger,” or “bravado.”...

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