Mafioso ?? Santo domingo

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oceanbound

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May 31, 2007
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I just returned from SD. I was with local friends who spoke several times about the "mafioso" in SD.

Their English was not good so I was not clear what exactly they meant. Does anyone know what is meant by this? I thought it was about street crime, but I am not sure.
 
E

El_Uruguayo

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Dec 7, 2006
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A mafioso is someone who is part of the mafia. Mafiosi would be the plural. I think it would have to do more with organized crime than street crime.
 
M

M.A.R.

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Feb 18, 2006
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Most of the time Dominicans use the word 'mafioso' to describe someone who's caniving,(sp?) who's without scruples (sp?) arghgh can't spell sorry, who finds ways to steal from others, the person could have been talking about politicians also.
 
Tamborista

Tamborista

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Apr 4, 2005
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The term is often used in jest to refer to someone who has street smarts, and not necessarily the literal Tony Soprano Cosa Nostra stereotype. Isn't it almost the same connotation as calling a savvy Gringo "Tigre"?
 
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Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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It varies a lot with the context.
When a tourist town chica calls Tambo "un gran mafioso", it's a bit in jest, like it's not easy to pull the wool over his eyes and that he is street wise, maybe capable out negotiating her.
M.A.R.'s description is also common.
People will often refer to politicians, cops, inspectors, lawyers and being "muy mafioso", meaning that they are less than honest and will extract money from you if given the chance, maybe even outright steal it.
Uruguayo's description related more to Spanish in other countries.
If you wanted someone to understand that you were talking about the mafia, you would have to specify, "un mafioso verdadero, de la mafia Italiano".
 
Tamborista

Tamborista

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Rocky said:
It varies a lot with the context.
When a tourist town chica calls Tambo "un gran mafioso", it's a bit in jest, like it's not easy to pull the wool over his eyes and that he is street wise, maybe capable out negotiating her.
Click to expand...

The only negotiating I might do in a "tourist town" is with a cambista, come on now Rocksta' I gotta reputation I must uphold.
 
R

Rocky

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Tamborista said:
The only negotiating I might do in a "tourist town" is with a cambista, come on now Rocksta' I gotta reputation I must uphold.
Click to expand...
In which case, a street chica might jokingly call you a mafioso, because you ain't buying what she is selling, thus out negotiating her.
It's usually quite friendly and said jokingly, in that context.
 
T

tht

Master of my own fate.
Oct 10, 2002
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Planet Earth
oceanbound said:
I just returned from SD. I was with local friends who spoke several times about the "mafioso" in SD.

Their English was not good so I was not clear what exactly they meant. Does anyone know what is meant by this? I thought it was about street crime, but I am not sure.
Click to expand...

Could it be the real Italian mafia he was talking about?? I came across this in the news a while ago.

ISN Security Watch - From Sicily to New York
 
T

tht

Master of my own fate.
Oct 10, 2002
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Planet Earth
pelaut said:
Small time Italian mafia may retire to the DR, but more and more the active real stuff may be the Russian mafia. And they're Italian exponential.
Click to expand...

..Italian exponential until now.


"According to Piero Grasso, Italy's top anti-Mafia prosecutor, the 14 mafiosi taken into custody in August had information on them indicating that Sicilian bosses expone had been illicitly investing in the Brooklyn real estate market. And ranking Sicilian and Gambino bosses have been spotted together in the US, Canada, Sicily and, most recently, in the Dominican Republic, where it is believed they have set up a joint food import and export business to act as a cover for drug trafficking."

The small time stuff has been here for ages.
 
E

El sabelot?

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Jan 7, 2008
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In the D.R., mafioso is used for almost everything:

The studio musicians who get the good recording gigs: "Tu sabe, el clan de Frank Valdez: si tu no pertenece al clan, tu no graba."

El sindicato de choferes: "Pa' tu met? un guagua en esa ruta, tu va' ten? que pele? con la mafia de fulano y mengano. As? que prepara el bolsillo, que te va' cot? caro."

Even monopolies are considered mafia in the D.R.
 
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