Lion Tang didn't grow up in New Jersey and he isn't related to the Corleone clan, but he loves being part of the "Mafia."

Every weekend, he gathers with a group of friends to have dinner and play Mafia, a card game that has become hugely popular with local white-collar workers.

"The game is so fascinating that it has become a fixed entertainment program in our company," said Tang, a local IT manager.

The game starts with six or more players sitting in a circle. Cards are drawn to secretly select a killer and a lead detective.

The detective asks everyone to close their eyes, and then the killer identifies himself by opening his eyes and silently indicating who he intends to whack.

The name of the victim is announced and those around the table begin debating who the killer is. That's when the game gets exciting, fans of the pastime say, with accusations flying and everyone trying to defend their reputations.

After that, a vote is held to decide who the killer is. If the correct killer is picked, the round ends and a new killer is chosen, if not, the assassin picks someone else to sleep with the fish.

"The game has become popular among local white-collar staff, especially at parties or after dining together," said Tang.

He says the game - which some say originated in the Silicon Valley - was brought back to China by overseas students in 1999.

It first became popular among local IT professionals, and later spread to office workers and university students.

"It is a good way to ease the monotonous atmosphere at business dinners, and also helps to make new friends," said Alex Chen, a sales manager, adding that strangers can quickly learn about each other after several rounds of discussion and debate.

The accusation process, which requires quick reactions and strong logic, is a reflection of one's intelligence and true personality, Chen explained.

Sociologists say the popularity of "Mafia" involves a series of problems in sociology, psychology and people's personalities, rather than the game itself.

"As most white-collar workers face heavy pressures working in a fast-paced society, the game of killing gives them an outlet to release their dissatisfaction with their bosses or colleagues," said Ma Qianfeng, a psycho-sociologist at Fudan University.

With all the false accusations and the need to occasionally lie, "the game can somehow help people to learn the other side of their acquaintances," Ma explained.