(the Mafia) (treated as sing. or pl) a secret criminal organization originating in Sicily and prevalent esp in the USA, chiefly concerned with the financial control of illicit activities secret society of Sicilian political terrorists

a secret criminal organization originating in Sicily and prevalent esp in the USA, chiefly concerned with the financial control of illicit activities, e.g. vice and narcotics

(often mafia) an excessively influential coterie of a usu specified kind

the mental health mafia

the presumptions of the mental health mafia — R J Neuhaus