Other forms: mobsters
A mobster is a member of an organised criminal gang. A known mobster, mobsters and their lawyers, the mobster's trial.
It is American and belongs to the era of Prohibition, when organised crime grew rich on illegal alcohol. Journalists still use it, though prosecutors prefer organised crime figure, which sounds far less glamorous.
1nounmobsterA member of an organised criminal gang.
“The film tells the story of a mobster who controlled the city's gambling clubs.”
mobster is a criminal.
Latin
mobile — fickle (crowd)
Middle English
mob
English
mob
English, today
mobster
From mob + -ster. mob comes from Middle English mob, short for mobile, from Latin mobile (“fickle (crowd)”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA