The Sicilian Mafia: A True Crime Travel Guide

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For those who grew up with The Godfather trilogy as a seminal moment in their movie going, this book will strike a deep, familiar chord. Just as the Corleone family became part of America’s fabric, the Mafia families of Sicily seem to be the strongest threads woven into and through the fabric of Sicily’s tapestry. This book allows armchair travelers to tour through the island of Sicily, visiting the sites of some of the most infamous murders and assassinations of judges, prosecutors, Mafiosi, and others who happened to be nearby. More than 200 photographs of the various sites often show very ordinary places, such as fairly modern apartment buildings or secure gates that kept the photographer far from the villas of the fallen. There are also gravesites of the famous, ancient fortresses, prisons, restaurants, shops, and hotels. No place seems to be immune to the assassins’ terror. Perhaps the biggest surprise for American readers will be the familiarity of the names of many of the Mafiosi. The relationships between Mafiosi running American organized crime and those in Sicily run deep. Sicily is still the heart of the Mafia, and if one has an interest in this subject, this is the book that tells the real stories of the Sicilian gangs.

Author Carl Russo clearly has done his homework. This well-researched travel book is as much a history book as it is a travel book, but written with the excitement and page-turning fascination of a good true-crime bestseller. It could be enhanced with larger photographs and more and better maps, but those are small complaints. The stories overcome these small problems. This is a fun and exciting read—one that will fascinate any reader interested in the history of organized crime.


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Author
Star Count 4.5/5
Format Trade
Page Count 244 pages
Publisher Strategic Media Books
Publish Date 14-Feb-2014
ISBN 9781939521057
Bookshop.org Buy this Book
Issue June 2014
Category Travel
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