maffia
/ˈmɑːfiə/
noun
- A secret criminal organization, especially one originating in Sicily or Italy, involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, and murder.
- Movies often portray the mafia as a powerful and violent group.
- The government launched a major crackdown on the mafia's operations.
- The mafia controlled much of the city's illegal trade for decades.
- A group of people with a shared interest or background who are perceived as exerting secret or undue influence.
- The tech mafia in Silicon Valley often decides which startups succeed.
- The political mafia in the capital makes all the important decisions behind closed doors.
- There is a literary mafia that controls which books get published.