EPISODE · Sep 8, 2026 · 10 MIN
From ‘Cosa Nostra’ to ‘La Cosa Nostra’: How the Mafia’s Name Became a Legal Monster
from A History of the American Mafia Podcast: Organized Crime, Mob Families, Bosses, Gangsters, Prohibition, Criminal Trials, and the Rise of La Cosa Nostra · host Podily & Josh Linsk
This episode dives into the linguistic shift that turned an everyday Italian phrase into a codified, prosecutable entity in U.S. courts. We trace how the FBI, Treasury, and Congress co‑opted “La Cosa Nostra” to bundle disparate criminal activities under one umbrella, enabling RICO cases that targeted entire families instead of isolated crimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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From ‘Cosa Nostra’ to ‘La Cosa Nostra’: How the Mafia’s Name Became a Legal Monster
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