Glossary of Mafia-related words

administration: the top-level "management" of an organized crime Family -- the boss, underboss and consigliere.

associate: one who works with mobsters, but hasn't been asked to take the vow of Omertá; an almost confirmed, or made guy.

books, the: a phrase indicating membership in the Family. If there is a possibility for promotion, then the books are open. If not, the books are closed.

boss: the head of the Family who runs the show. He decides who gets made and who gets whacked. The boss also gets points from all Family business; also see: don, chairman.

borgata: an organized crime Family.

capo: the Family member who leads a crew; short for capodecina.

captain: a capo.

clip: to murder; also whack, hit, pop, burn, put a contract out.

code of silence: not ratting on your colleagues once you've been pinched -- no longer a strong virtue in organized crime families. Also see omertá.

confirm: to be made; see made guy.

consigliere: the Family advisor, who is always consulted before decisions are made.

crank: speed; in particular, crystal meth.

crew: the group of soldiers under the capo's command.

cugine: a young soldier striving to be made.

don: the head of the Family; see boss.

eat alone: to keep for one's self; to be greedy.

family: an organized crime clan, like the Genoveses, the Gottis, or the Sopranos.

G: a grand; a thousand dollars; also see large.

garbage business: euphemism for organized crime.

Golden Age: The days before RICO.

goomah (sometimes pronounced "goomar"): a Mafia mistress; also comare.

heavy: packed, carrying a weapon.

hit: to murder; also see whack.

juice: the interest paid to a loanshark for the loan; also see vig.

lam: To lay lown, go into hiding

large: a thousand, a grand, a G.

made guy: an indoctrinated member of the Family.

mock execution: to whip someone into shape by frightening the shit out of them.

mattresses, going to, taking it to, or hitting the: going to war with a rival clan or family.

message job: placing the bullet in someone's body such that a specific message is sent to that person's crew or family; see through the eye, and through the mouth.

mob, the: a single organized crime family; OR all organized crime families together.

mobbed up: connected to the mob.

mobster: one who is in the mob.

Omertá: to take a vow of silence in the Mafia, punishable by death if not upheld.

outfit: a clan, or family within the Mafia.

points: percent of income; cut.

spring cleaning: cleaning up, hiding or getting rid of evidence.

paying tribute: giving the boss a cut of the deal.

pinched: to get caught by the cops.

program, the: The Witness Protection Program.

rat: one who snitches or squeals after having been pinched.

RICO: Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Passed in 1970 to aid the government in clamping down on organized crime activities, its scope has since been broadened to prosecute insider traders and anti-abortion protesters.

shakedown: to blackmail or try to get money from someone; also to give someone a scare.

shy: the interest charged on loans by loansharks.

shylockbusiness: the business of loansharking.

soldier: the bottom-level member of an organized crime Family, as in "foot soldiers."

tax: to take a percentage of someone's earnings.

This Thing of Ours: a mob family, or the entire mob.

through the eye: a message job through the eye to say "We're watching you!"

through the mouth: a message job through the mouth to indicate that someone WAS a rat.

underboss: the second in command to the boss.

vig: the interest paid to a loanshark for the loan. Abbreviation of vigorish; also see juice.

waste management business: euphemism for organized crime.

whack: to murder; also clip, hit, pop, burn, put a contract out.

wiseguy: a made guy.