If Sicily is known for its climate, the richness of its historical heritage and its extraordinary landscapes, it is also a suffering-heavy legacy that it cannot manage – and in fact, will never manage to escape.
Because it is also a historical land, the cradle of the mafia. From Cosa Nostra to be exact. Until the end of the 20th century, this branch of the mafia, nicknamed “Octopus”, was considered the most influential in Europe. Between the 19th century and centuries of history written in blood, extortion, money laundering, murder, human trafficking, drug trafficking, terrorism, counterfeiting and pimping.
One of the most terrible and bloody leaders of the mafia, Toto Riinawas a native of Corleone, a small town located in the province of Palermo. A name that has also largely been passed down to posterity in cinema, as it is the surname of the characters in the family saga orchestrated by Francis Ford Coppola.
Don Corleone’s socks
From now on, the island’s authorities hunt for souvenirs that take advantage of this heritage, in order to get rid of negative stereotypes, as mentioned in the article published in the article. telegraph At the end of last August (and transmitted through slate). T-shirts and mugs featuring Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather from the movie (and even socks!), as well as trinkets mocking the blood feuds produced by the Mafia, tarnish the island’s reputation.
The mayor of the town of Agrigento (population 55,000) has issued an order banning the sale of these mafia-inspired trinkets, T-shirts, mugs and koi. Business that he said “Belittles a society that has been committed for years to spreading a culture of legalism.” cThere are shops that violate this ban and may be fined if inspected.
This ban on the sale of mafia-inspired souvenirs has also been extended to the island’s airports. “Sicily needs to maintain a decent image, free from the usual negative stereotypes, especially in places like airports.” explained Alessandro Arico, the island’s political advisor in charge of transport and infrastructure.
Totally laudable intentions. But they’re still trying to scoop up the ocean with a spoon, because this particularly heavy legacy is part of the island’s DNA.
Source: Allocine
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