The word
cosca (pl.
cosche in
Italian and
coschi in
Sicilian) is a Sicilian word which refers to any plant – such as the
artichoke or the
thistle – whose spiny closely folded leaves symbolize the tightness of relationships between members of the
Mafia. In the English language this is best described as a
clan. It is often used as a
synonym for a Mafia
crime family. The equivalent in the
'Ndrangheta in
Calabria is the
'ndrina.