Thursday,
March 13, 2008
"Mafia For
Tourists", Guide Book, by Sicilian Professor Corrects Distortions
The
ANNOTICO Report
"Mafia
For Tourists",is authored
by Philosophy professor Augusto Cavadi, a
lecturer on the Mafia at
He says "In
general foreign and Italian tourists have a stereotyped view of the phenomenon
and I wanted to help people understand something that is
very difficult to simplify." "Even (those who) live in
It's always
important to keep in mind that the Mafia leaders, do not "strut their
stuff" like they do in the
The Mafia is very
"picturesque", but if you think every country including the
The Daily
13th March 13, 2008
It's an offer you
can't refuse if you're visiting
The 55-page
pocketbook hit the streets this week and they have been flying off the shelves.
Author Augusto Cavadi, 58, says his aim is to explain "everything you
ever wanted to know about the Mafia but were afraid to ask."
The guide, called
"Mafia For Tourists", costs #3.50 and has
been published in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
If you want to
know what the chances of finding a horse's head in your bed or whether the
Godfather really looks like Marlon Brando then this is the book for you.
Cavadi explains the origins of Cosa Nostra on their island stronghold of
He explains what
a Mafiosi looks like and whether it's true that the Mafia won't kill women,
children or priests - which they have done in the past.
Philosophy
professor Cavadi is a lecturer on the Mafia at
He said:
"For years I've been accompanying groups of tourists who choose to come
here with the aim of understanding our land and our problems.
"They always
ask me the same questions: the relationship between politics and the Mafia, and
how it's possible that we can't get rid of the Mob when there are 5,000 of them
and five million Sicilians.
"In general
foreign and Italian tourists have a stereotyped view of the phenomenon and I
wanted to help people understand something that is
very difficult to simplify.
"Some
teachers have asked me to distribute it in schools so that children can read
it.
"Even though
they live in
The book has won
praise from critics with one saying: "Whoever decides to visit
"How do they
react? What damage do they do? To these and frequent other questions this book
answers honestly, intellectually without hiding the brutality of the Mafia - a
stain that blackens a beautiful island.
"But at the
same time is shoots down some of the unfounded myths that people may have when
walking the streets."
Within the last
few years the Italian government has launched a concentrated effort on fighting
the Mafia.
Two years ago
While in the last
three months several senior Godfathers have also been captured but Provenzano's replacement and the new Boss of Bosses Matteo
Messina Denaro is still managing to elude the
authorities.
At the back of Cavadi's book is recommended list of films on the Mafia
which includes the Brando classic The Godfather.
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