Cosa Nostra

He had persuaded the F.B.I. to stop using the terms Mafia and Cosa Nostra in its news releases.

The 'Ndrangheta is considered by prosecutors to be Italy's most powerful mafia group, easily eclipsing the more famous Cosa Nostra gang in Sicily, with its influence extending across Europe and beyond.

The probe revealed "the solidity of the existing relationship" between New York and Sicilian mobsters, and "American interest in the organisational affairs of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra", the statement said.

The nascent Cosa Nostra movement is part of the story, as it begins to develop and spread throughout Italy.

Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets.