caporegime

/ˌkɑːpəʊɹəˈdʒiːmeɪ/

caporegime means A high-ranking member of a crime family in the Mafia who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has significant social status and influence in the organization. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.

caporegime is pronounced /ˌkɑːpəʊɹəˈdʒiːmeɪ/.

Why “caporegime” is a great word

CAPOREGIME — [Noun] A high-ranking member of a Mafia crime family who leads a crew of soldiers and holds significant authority, directly below the underboss and boss. From Italian caporegime, from capo ("head, chief") + regime ("rule, regime"). Unlike a "soldier," who is a low-ranking inducted member carrying out orders, or a "consigliere," whose power flows from counsel rather than command, the caporegime is the operational nerve center, the crucial pivot between strategic decrees and their brutal execution. He is the man in the back booth of a social club, dividing territories; the calm voice on a wiretap dispatching crews; the specific dread his summoned soldiers feel—a figure where authority is measured in absolute obedience and the capacity to organize ruin.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian.

noun

A high-ranking member of a crime family in the Mafia who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has significant social status and influence in the organization.“And so usually a trusted caporegime would be sent out to rent a secret apartment and fill it with mattresses. That apartment would be used as a sally port into the city when an offensive was mounted.”