For the average law-abiding citizen, it can be difficult to distinguish between the Hollywood version of the Mafia (as depicted in Goodfellas, The Sopranos, the Godfather trilogy, and countless other movies and TV shows) and the real-life criminal organization on which it is based. Also known as the Mob or La Cosa Nostra, the Mafia is an organized-crime syndicate founded and run by Italian-Americans, most of whom can trace their ancestry back to Sicily. Part of what has made the Mob so successful—and so difficult to eradicate—is its stable organizational structure, with various families directed from the top by powerful bosses and underbosses and staffed by soldiers and capos. Here’s a look at who’s who on the Mafia org charts, ranging from the least influential (the “associates” who can be whacked at will) to the most deadly (the mythical capo di tutti capi, or “boss of all bosses.”) Read The Structure of the American Mafia
