Cosa Nostra

American  

[koh-zuh nohs-truh] / ˈkoʊ zə ˈnoʊs trə /

noun

1. a secret association engaged in organized crime in the U.S., modeled after and affiliated with the Mafia.

---

Cosa Nostra British  

/ ˈkəʊsə ˈnɒstrə /

noun

1. the branch of the Mafia that operates in the US

---

Etymology

Origin of Cosa Nostra

1960–65; < Italian: literally, our affair

Example Sentences

He had persuaded the F.B.I. to stop using the terms Mafia and Cosa Nostra in its news releases.

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

Former FBI Director James Comey described his first meeting with Trump, in which he demanded loyalty, as feeling “like Sammy the Bull’s Cosa Nostra induction ceremony.”

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2024

Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2023

Messina Denaro held sway in his home province of Trapani in western Sicily, but Palermo Chief Prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia said he never became the "sole" leader of Cosa Nostra.

From Reuters • Jan. 23, 2023

University of Essex criminology professor Anna Sergi told the BBC it was doubtful Cosa Nostra could survive without its mythological boss, who had become the symbol of the Mafia's resilience.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2023