The Mafia (also known as "Cosa Nostra") is a Sicilian criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily, and the first such society to be referred to as a mafia. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct. Each group, known as a "family", "association", "clan" or "cosca", claims sovereignty over a territory in which it operates its rackets – usually a town or village or a part of a larger city.
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a crime organization, a gang. The terms are most commonly used in reference to members of the criminal organizations associated with American prohibition and the American offshoot of the Italian Mafia. The 1920s gangster and bootlegger "above the law" lifestyle brought money, fame, nice clothes, women, cars, and homes. Now a day’s movies portray gangsters with a lavish, romantic life style and the criminal code of honor.The stereotypical image and myth of the American gangster is most closely associated with the organized crime entities of the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s. During this time many gangsters sold alcohol illegally for a profit. Al Capone was one of the most influential gangsters during this period. He survived wars by killing his rivals. Capone is famous for the Valentine’s Day massacre where his gang in disguise as police officers killed seven gangsters from the “bugs”.
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