Bravy

Bravi ( Italian bravi - bold ) - the name of the gangs of adventurers who hired to commit all kinds of crimes in Italy of the XVII - XVIII centuries. Braves were often used to get rid of this or that political opponent.

Bravia, in particular, is described in the novel by Alessandro Manzoni the Betrothed .

Braves are waiting for Don Abbondio (illustration for the novel "The Betrothed"

In modern Italian (especially in literature) the word is used as the name of suspicious companies prone to violence, or to refer to the actual hired killers.