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A caporegime (sometimes shortened to capo) is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking member of a crime family who heads a crew (or group) of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization. Caporegime is an Italian word, which was originally used to signify the head of a family in Sicily, but has now come to mean a ranking member, similar to Captain. In general, the term indicates the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate who commands a crew of soldiers and reports directly to a boss or an underboss.^{[citation needed]}

In the Mafia, when a boss makes a decision, he passes instructions down through the chain of command, rather than issue orders directly to the soldiers who carry it out.^{[original research?]} This ranking system prevents the higher levels of the organization from incrimination if a lower level member should be captured by law enforcement.^{[original research?]} A caporegime acts as an intermediary between the soldiers and the boss.

A Caporegime may also have certain areas he protects with his crew or certain racket such as labor racketeering, numbers running, and other forms of organized crime.^{[citation needed]} The Capo's crewmembers may each have their own criminal activity going on with their legitimate business ventures, while the capo may have his own business or a legitimate job in order to file tax returns.^{[citation needed]}

In The Godfather, the characters Sal Tessio (played by Abe Vigoda) and Pete Clemenza (played by Richard S. Castellano) are capos in the Corleone Family who answer to Vito Corleone (and later Michael Corleone).

In the HBO television series The Sopranos, the term "capo" or "captain" is also used a to describe crew leaders in the crime family. Captains over the series run have included Tony Soprano (before his elevation to acting boss), Junior Soprano (before his own elevation to acting boss before Tony), Paulie Walnuts, Christopher Moltisanti, Richie Aprile, Gigi Cestone, Ralph Cifaretto, Vito Spatafore, Raymond Curto, Carlo Gervasi, Jimmy Altieri, "Larry Boy" Barese and Bobby "Baccala."

In the movie Goodfellas, Paul Cicero (played by Paul Sorvino) was the capo of the crew that Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) was associated with. Paul Vario, on whom Cicero is based, was part of the Lucchese family.

In the movie Mean Streets the main character's uncle is a caporegime of one of the New York's Five Families

In the video games Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories, Toni Cipriani is the capo of the Leone family in Liberty City whose boss is Salvatore Leone. Salvatore Leone is killed in Grand Theft Auto III by Claude (a man whom Salvatore betrayed), and it is believed that Toni became the underboss of the Leone family.

The Gambino family of Cosa Nostra is considered by most experts^{[attribution needed]} to be the largest and most influential organized crime group in the United States, with a known membership of approximately 250 formally initiated, or "made", members and about 600 associates.

Those given new caporegime status, or those capos given expanded responsibilities, include:

• Nicholas Corozzo of Brooklyn, caporegime of Joseph Corrao's operations.
• Gregory DiPalma, given caporegime status of Joseph Zingaro's operations.
• Peter Gotti, elevated to capo to replace his brother Gene.
• Peter Lino, elevated to capo to supervise Florida operations.
• Louis Riccio, acting caporegime on behalf of Anthony Napolitano.
• Michael Mandaglia of Kenilworth, elevated to capo to replace Joseph Paterno.
• Thomas Gambino of New York, caporegime who replaced Pasquale Conti as Gambino/Gotti liaison to the Sicilian Mafia.

• Guards and other assistants recruited from among the prisoners of Nazi Concentration camps were also referred to as a Kapo or Capo.
• Rapper Jim Jones frequently refers himself as "Dipset's resident 'Capo-Staus'"

• Capo di tutti capi