Do you know the history behind the infamous word 'mafia'?

Donald Trump’s way of running things was likened to the mafia by former FBI director James Comey.

A look at the history of the word:

'Godfather' and countless other Western movies and books have given the world a peek into the gun-toting life of the notorious mafia. And just like there are two types of infamous mafia — American and Sicilian, the word also has two distinct etymologies.

The more commonly accepted, dictionary-defined meaning says: The word mafia derives from the Sicilian adjective mafiusu, which, roughly translated, means ‘swagger’, but can also be translated as ‘boldness’ or ‘bravado’.


In 1865, the police in Sicily were using the term ‘mafia’, especially the phrase ‘delitto de Mafia’ to describe a man who plans crimes and pays others to carry them out.

The other meaning is more flamboyant. According to legend, the origin of the word began with the French invasion of Sicily in 1282, and the saying ‘Morte Alla Francia Italia Anela!’ (‘Death to the French is Italy’s Cry! ’) or M.A.F.I.A.