[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

maffia \maf"fia\, mafia \ma"fia\, n. it. maffia.
   1. a secret society which organized in sicily as a political
      organization, but is now widespread among italians, and is
      used to further or protect private interests, reputedly by
      illegal methods; called also the sicilian mafia.
      wordnet sense 2
      webster 1913 suppl.

   2. a group of loosely associated of criminal organizations in
      the united states, some having ties to the sicilian mafia,
      and organized in "families"; the term is applied to the
      entire group of organizations, or to any one local group.
      also, loosely, organized groups of criminals anywhere, as
      the russian mafia. wordnet sense 1

   syn: syndicate, mob, cosa nostra, la cosa nostra, organized
        crime.
        wordnet 1.6 + pjc

   3. any tightly knit group of trusted associates having strong
      control or influence in some area; as, kennedy and his
      irish mafia. informal wordnet sense 3
      pjc
see also:
sicilian mafia 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

sicilian mafia
     n : a secret terrorist group in sicily; originally opposed
         tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the
         middle of the 19th century syn: mafia, maffia
see also:
mafia maffia 

Sicilian >> S Words
Sicilian, definition of term: Sicilian
sicilian_pag1.html

Mafia >> M Words
Mafia, definition of term: Mafia
mafia_pag1.html