Camorra

This is one of the organized crime groups in Italy.

In the United States, we speak of “the mafia” to refer to organized crime, but this is very general term for a branch of organized crime in this country. The “American Mafia” has its roots in a crime organization in historical Sicily.

In modern-day Italy, there are several organized crime syndicates, any of which might be termed “mafia”:

• Cosa Nostra: the name is Italian for “our thing,” and the group is based in Sicily. Members of this group immigrated to America and were the basis for the American Mafia.

• Camorra: this organization operates out of Campania. The name might come from a Spanish word for “dispute”

• 'Ndrangheta: this organization is based in Calabira. Pronounced in English, the leading “N” is silent: “DRANG-geta.” The name comes from a Greek word meaning “manliness.”

The above are much more specific terms, referring to actual organizations and not just organized crime in general. There are many other smaller groups throughout Italy.

The Camorra operates in several smaller “clans” which are fairly independent and often at war with one another. In this century, they’ve become particularly known for an illegal waste disposal racket.