The Mafia has its own unique “slanguage.” Some words might be easy to catch on to, like using “whack” to mean killing someone. There's a whole host of terms that the mobsters use to talk about their illegal activities that won't appear in any dictionary. In many cases, however, these words and phrases have become part of the vernacular, especially in parts of the country where gangsters are or have been prevalent. And there is, of course, the influence of pop culture and its image of the all-American mobster, an image that some real gangsters have adopted for themselves!