Definition of "maffia" []

• 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. (noun)
• 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. (noun)
• Any tightly knit group of trusted associates having strong control or influence in some area. (noun)

Gnu Collaboartive International Dictionary of English: licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

• "Which is why it is so important to have agnostic or atheist scholars engaged in the Jesus search who can point out the worst excesses of the belief "maffia" - scholars such as James Crossley or Maurice Casey."
• ""Compared to the Catholic church, the maffia is a charitable organization"."
• "Jah, ma tean, et iga kord kui Milanos kraanat näed, siis tuleb mõelda "maffia" või "korrumpeerunud poliitik (ud)"."