The widespread view of the Mafia is that which is portrayed in Hollywood films, and in particular The Godfather trilogy and Goodfellas. Undoubtedly, the characters in these films are mostly vicious thugs bent on making money by all means possible, but nevertheless they are presented as stylish, cocky and seemingly untouchable.
This portrayal is also aided by common terms for the Mafia in their Sicilian homeland – ‘men of honour’ and ‘men of respect’ being the most commonly used two.
John Dickie effectively smashes this romantic picture of the Cosa Nostra by chronicling a continuous level of depraved wretchedness and ruthlessness that is surely unparalleled by any other crime syndicate anywhere else in Europe or America.
Forming in the 1860s off the backs of the profitable Sicilian citrus export business, they reached their apex during the Cold War years when there was an effective alliance of convenience between business, the Church, Christian Democrats, fascists and the Mafia.
This alliance led to one of the most ruthless and effective challenges to the organised left seen in Western Europe.
This antagonism to trade unions and socialists began in the late nineteenth century when local peasants began to organise for rights and land – the Cosa Nostra (translation: ‘our thing’) saw this as a threat to their hold over local society and responded with violence and intimidation. This was repeated again and again during the twentieth century.
John Dickie highlights the utter contempt they show for anything but profit, and those considered legitimate targets range from not just those on the left but also even on the right, magistrates and priests, and, in particular, their own syndicate members. Whoever attempts to stand in their way will be vulnerable to assassination.
Not only have they been principle players in the international heroin trade, but, as the author writes, ‘Cosa Nostra treats all public wealth, no matter how essential – water sources, roads, hospitals, schools – as potential plunder’.
Although Dickie’s book occasionally lapses into a plodding pedestrian style, on the whole he does tell the story of this secret society with enough detail and passion.
By the end of this book I confidently state that you will be longing for the day when the Cosa Nostra scab is finally picked from the face of humanity.
Technorati claim: CGCASWRBVWJ4
Divisivecotton's View 