The mafia is an organized criminal organization that originated in Sicily, and it started out as a syndicate which helped those who were less fortunate. Mafia quotes show that today this syndicate operates on a global basis, and the mafia may be involved in many areas of illegal enterprise. Drug trafficking, extortion, illegal gun sales, and even violent crimes like assault and murder are commonly committed by members of the mafia. The organization is headed by an individual who is called the Don, and he is the leader of the organized group. Someone who is a made man belongs to the mafia, and this organization is reported to still have ties to the rubbish industry in New York and New Jersey. Today the main goal of the mafia is to make money.