Reason for Warning: This page documents an aesthetic that glamorizes organized crime and violence (e.g., murder, extortion). The content also features stylized smoking imagery and perpetuates harmful ethnic stereotypes against Italian and Italian-American people, including references to historical violence against immigrants. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
The Mafia aesthetic, also called Mafiacore, is a style based entirely on the romanticized and fictionalized portrayals of the Italian-American Mafia in popular culture, particularly in 20th-century cinema and television. This aesthetic is not a reflection of real-world organized crime but is instead a constructed image of power, loyalty, and luxury, heavily codified by iconic films like The Godfather (1972) and Goodfellas (1990), and later explored in the television series The Sopranos.
The visual style is characterized by sharp, dark suits, pinstripes, fedoras, and overcoats, often set against a backdrop of dimly lit Italian restaurants, classic luxury cars, and smoke-filled back rooms. Thematically, the aesthetic revolves around fictional tropes of unwavering family loyalty, strict codes of honor, the tension between business and personal life, and inevitable betrayal.
Generally, aestheticizing the mafia tends to be a contentious topic, and it's important to distinguish this media-driven fantasy from the violent reality of the criminal organizations it portrays, as these depictions often glamorize a world of crime and reinforce harmful stereotypes about Italians and Italian-Americans.[1]
Visuals[]
The Mafia aesthetic is a dark, glamorous, and nostalgic style heavily influenced by the style of classic gangster films and film noir. The settings are typically dimly lit and atmospheric, ranging from the smoke-filled back rooms of upscale Italian restaurants to shadowy alleyways, opulent mansions, and underground casinos with red velvet curtains. The look is defined by its characters: the male mobster is almost always seen in a sharp, tailored suit (often pinstriped), a fedora, and a long overcoat. The female counterpart is the glamorous Mob Wife or Femme Fatale, dressed in form-fitting, elegant dresses and expensive jewelry. Key props that complete the scene include classic luxury cars like Cadillacs and Lincolns, cigars, fine Italian food and wine, and iconic weaponry such as the Tommy gun. The entire aesthetic is often captured with high-contrast, black-and-white photography or a muted color palette that emphasizes shadows and a sense of power and danger.
Fashion[]
The fashion of the Mafia aesthetic is based on distinct, gendered archetypes drawn from film and television. The male "mobster" look is defined by a uniform of power and formality, centered on impeccably tailored suits, often pinstriped or in dark colors, paired with crisp button-up shirts, overcoats, and the iconic fedora. This look is accessorized with items that signify wealth and status, such as gold signet rings, chains, and luxury watches. The female aesthetic, often referred to as the "Mob Wife" on TikTok, projects glamour and opulence. It is characterized by form-fitting cocktail dresses, luxurious fur coats, high heels, and extravagant jewelry, particularly diamonds. This style often overlaps with the Femme Fatale trope.
Music[]
The aesthetic is often associated with the music of the mid-20th century, particularly genres like Big Band, Jazz, Opera, and traditional pop. Artists frequently used in this aesthetic include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima, and Tony Bennett.
Criticism[]
The Mafia aesthetic is highly contentious because it glamorizes and romanticizes real-world criminal organizations responsible for immense societal harm. The primary criticism is that media portrayals often create a fictional narrative focused on tropes of honor and style, which trivialize the brutal reality of organized crime, including murder, extortion, and systemic corruption.
This glamorization is particularly problematic as it perpetuates harmful ethnic stereotypes with deep historical roots. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants in the United States faced intense hostility and were often characterized by the media and public figures as being culturally or genetically disposed to criminality. This prejudice led to violent persecution, including one of the worst mass lynchings in U.S. history in 1891, where eleven Italian men in New Orleans were killed by a mob after being associated with the "Mafia."[1]
By conflating various distinct criminal organizations (such as the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, and the Neapolitan Camorra) into a single, generic "Mafia" archetype, the modern aesthetic inadvertently draws from and reinforces these century-old, anti-immigrant stereotypes.
Media[]
Film[]
- Al Capone (1959)
- A Bronx Tale (1993)
- Bugsy (1991)
- Casino (1995)
- Gomorrah (2008)
- Goodfellas (1990)
- Hoodlum (1997)
- The Irishman (2019)
- Lansky (1999)
- Little Caesar (1931)
- Mean Streets (1973)
- Mobsters (1991)
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
- Prizzi's Honor (1985)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Scarface (1932)
- The Godfather (1972)
- The Godfather Part II (1974)
- The Godfather Part III (1990)
Television[]
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (2018–2019)
- The Sopranos (1999–2007)
- Star Trek: The Original Series - "A Piece of the Action" (1968)
Video Games[]
- Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005)
- L.A. Noire (2011)
- Made Man (2006)
- Mafia series (2002–present)
- Max Payne series (2001–2012)
- Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006)
- The Godfather (2006)
Gallery[]
