Amish mafia.

The two words together seem like an oxymoron.

But, according to a new Discovery Channel show, they are not the oddest of pairings.

"Amish Mafia" explores the world of Lebanon Levi and his gang of three men, Jolin, John and Alvin. Together, the four act as "protectors" of the Amish community in Lancaster.

A graphic at the beginning of the episode states that the Amish church denies the group exists, but the camera crew appears to tell a different story through interviews and reenactments.

Throughout the first episode, the mafia members drink, drive cars and gamble on cow pies. They blackmail bishops, threaten people and shoot up cars.

“Levi is the cops. He’s the courthouse. He’s the bank and he’s the insurance company,” says Esther, John’s sister, during the series’ first episode, which is slated to premiere at 9 p.m. Dec. 12. A sneak peek of the show will air at 10:30 Dec. 11.

Complete coverage of the show, including episode recaps

The existence of an Amish mafia is news to Amish experts Donald Kraybill and David Weaver-Zercher, professors at Elizabethtown College and Messiah College, respectively.

“When I first saw the trailer [for the show], I thought maybe it was a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit on reality television because it was so far fetched,” Weaver-Zercher said.

“My sense is this Amish mafia is about as real as the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in ‘The Office.’ ”

After researching the Amish for more than 20 years, Kraybill said he had never heard of anything like a group that the show depicts.

“When I’ve spoken about this program with Amish friends they’ve just kind of laughed and said they never heard of this kind of thing,” he said.

“It’s just sort of an example of the foolishness and stupidity and lies — misrepresentations I should say — that are promoted [about the Amish] in television.”

Over the past year, the Amish have been a popular television subject. In April, National Geographic aired the 10-part series “Amish: Out of Order,” which followed people who had left the church.

A similar show, “Breaking Amish” aired on TLC in September. “Breaking Amish” focused on four Amish and one Mennonite who moved to New York City. Needless to say drinking, drugs and promiscuous activity abounded.

These shows all challenged the traditional stereotype of the Amish being solid in their moral grounds. It’s a counter narrative that has grown in popularity, according to Weaver-Zercher.

“I do think that oftentimes when a culture is romanticized as particularly chaste and moral, there will be those who try to undercut it,” he said.

Indeed, the people on “Amish Mafia” behave in a way that is opposite to what the Amish church preaches. They scheme for power, lust for money and manipulate those around them for personal gain.

Kraybill admits it makes for “interesting sensational television,” but believes shows such as “Amish Mafia” need to be up front when they present fiction.

“These production crews should be ashamed of trying to say that represents Amish life,” he said.

“Amish Mafia” is not solely fiction, as it does reveal factual information about Amish life. The Amish Aid Fund, which in the show Levi helps distribute, does exist. The fund is built upon by donated funds from those in the church and is used to help less fortunate Amish members with health costs and sometimes property damage.

But the fund would be kept by an Amish church member, Weaver-Zercher said — not an unbaptized person such as Levi.

The show also goes to lengths to blur out faces and features an interview with a person entirely in silhouette, seemingly keeping with the Amish preference for not being on camera.

Still, Weaver-Zercher and Kraybill believe the Amish would be disappointed in “Amish Mafia.”

“They’re not going to lose a lot of sleep about a show like this,” Weaver-Zercher said. “But at the same time they would be discouraged that some Americans are basing their beliefs of Amish life on this show.”

“They would find it disappointing.”

At the end of the show, there is a graphic that reads: “Recreations are based on eye witness accounts, testimonials and the legend of the Amish mafia.”

According to experts, the Amish mafia is nothing more than that — a legend.