Cosa Nostra

Cosa Nostra is the name of the Sicilian mafia: a strictly hierarchical, secrecy-based criminal organisation that emerged in Sicily and later spread to the United States and other parts of the world. The name, which in Sicilian and Italian means 'our thing', reflects the organisation's closed and self-governing character, in which loyalty and silence \u2013 omert\u00e0 \u2013 are fundamental norms.

The structure is built around local cells known as families or mandamenti, each led by a capo. Above these sits a coordinating body, the Commissione, which decides major questions and resolves conflicts between families. This vertical structure has enabled Cosa Nostra to maintain internal discipline and withstand prosecution for decades.

Cosa Nostra's activities have traditionally included extortion, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, smuggling and control over legitimate businesses and public contracts. Historically, the organisation has exercised considerable influence over local politics and the justice system, particularly in Sicily, where it has at times been able to corrupt officials, judges and police officers.

In a true crime context, Cosa Nostra is relevant as the organisation forming the backdrop to major cases of corruption and abuse of power. In the Saguto corruption case, the direct context is precisely the Sicilian mafia: the case concerns a judge who administered seized mafia assets and who was herself convicted of having favoured persons connected to Cosa Nostra. The organisation is likewise the focal point of documentary series such as 'Truth and Lies: The Last Gangster' and 'American Godfathers: The Five Families', which examine the mafia's structure and influence in the United States.

Cosa Nostra is not a Danish legal concept and has no institutional role in the Danish justice system. In a Danish true crime context, the term is used solely as the name of the Sicilian mafia or its American branch, functioning as a crime-related concept that identifies a specific criminal actor in international organised crime cases.