Caporegime
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain", is a rank used in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia) for a made member of an Italian crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization. Caporegime is an Italian word, which is used to signify the head of a family in Sicily, but has now come to mean a ranking member, similar to captain or senior sergeant in a military unit. In general, the term indicates the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate who commands a crew of soldiers and reports directly to the Don (Boss) or an Underboss or Streetboss. The shortened version "capo" has been used to refer to certain high-ranking members of Latin American drug cartels as well.
