mafia don
Syndicate family head
A mafia don is the boss of a crime family in the Italian-American organized crime network.
The don commands absolute authority over his organization, receiving a cut of all profits and settling disputes among subordinates.
The term combines the Italian honorific *don* (lord, master) with the criminal context: The mafia don held court in the back of the restaurant.
In looser usage, any powerful figure who operates through loyalty and intimidation might be called a don.
- godfatherMale baptismal guardian
- crime familyCriminal organization by kinship
- capoString-shortening clamp device
- bossWorkplace superior
- organized crimeStructured illegal enterprise
wiseguy · mobster · crime · family · omertà · blood oath · hitman · hired gun · racket · underworld · consigliere · enforcer · Corleone · family business · Sicilian · old country · vendetta · loyalty
- organized crimemob, the mob, syndicate, crime syndicate, crime syndicates
- ringleadersringleader, ring leader, mastermind, kingpin, mob boss
- bossesboss, bossman, manager, supervisor, foreman
mafia donfoot soldier
Basic infantry combatant
errand boy · runner · associate · grunt · henchman
mafia donfederal prosecutor
Government lawyer handling crimes
FBI agent · police chief · district attorney · Eliot Ness · attorney general
mafia donsaint
Canonized holy person
philanthropist · civic leader · humanitarian · public servant · innocent bystander