Definition of "padrone" [pa•dro•ne]

• An owner or manager, especially of an inn; a proprietor. (noun)
• A man who exploitatively employs or finds work for Italian immigrants in America. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He must be down there on that beach searching, calling his padrone's name, perhaps."
• "He said he did not believe the padrone was a bad fellow, but he liked to take advantage of a stranger when he could; we all did."
• "The padrone is his uncle, and treats him better than the rest of us."