Maffia (Maffie or Mafie in Czech) was a secret organization acting during World War I. It was founded after the emigration of TomÃ¡à ¡ Garrigue Masaryk in 1914 by Czech politician Edvard Beneà ¡, who later became the second president of Czechoslovakia, and other mainly anti-royalists (Karel Kramáà Â, Alois Raà ¡ÃÂn, Josef Scheiner and Pà Âemysl à  Ã¡mal).
Maffia was based on the principles of the Sicilian Mafia (name "Maffia"); it was a central part of the First Czechoslovak Resistance and its main objective was to overthrow the Emperor of Austria and to cause the disintegration of his country. The Maffia plot against Austria-Hungary and the Central Powers was uncovered by the police in 1915; some members of Maffia (Karel Kramáà Â, Alois Raà ¡ÃÂn, Vincent ÃÂervinka and Josef Zamazal) were arrested and sentenced to death (they were later amnestied by emperor Charles I.); Edvard Beneà ¡ escaped from Austria-Hungary to Switzerland on 3 September 1915, but the subversive activities of Maffia continued, under the leadership of Pà Âemysl à  Ã¡mal, until the end of the First World War. Maffia had over 200 members and was supported from abroad (US, Italy etc.).