The word “mafia” became in fact the “alter ago” of Sicily. The famous criminal organization, which has been the main trouble and misfortune of Sicily for centuries, has a great mythological history. Mafia is known all over the world. “Mafiosi” are famous among drug addicts, psychopaths, pilferers and hooligans.
Despite the suffering conducted by mafia to the people of Sicily there are a lot of people in the world who sincerely believe that mafia is “a Noble Order of Knights of Cloak and Dagger”. They think it is a secret sect struggling for justice but sometimes by the unlawful means. This image became Romanized and is still being Romanized by Hollywood. Everybody knows the famous American film “The Godfather” which was produced in Hollywood.
But on Sicily Mafia is not so popular as it used to be. The Sicilians don’t believe in the heroism of the killers. And nowadays the word “mafia” is considered to be the synonym of silly conceit and arrogance. But in the past in Sicilian dialect it meant “courage”.
The capital of mafia on Sicily is Corleone, the native place of the most famous mafiosi at all times and for all people, whose name was Don Corleone in the famous book and the film named “The Godfather”. The city was founded in the centre of the isle on the crossroads of the main trade ways. That is why it has always been in the sphere of interests of those who in different periods of time have tried to conquer Sicily.
The author of the main saga about mafia Mario Puzo described Corleone as a place where the most ferocious people lived. Now it is hard to believe in it. The streets of Corleone are clean and have a typical Italian fascination. The place looks like a nice calm resort but not as the the centre of the world criminality. The exhibits of the Museum of Mafia remind us about the flourishing of criminality at the end of the eighties of the 20th century.
Fighters against Mafia are honored on Sicily as national heroes. The main airport of Sicily in Palermo is named after the most famous prosecutors Falcone and Borcellino. Falcone was killed by mafia. But his death made the authorities of Italy to start a total war against the organized criminality. As a result Palermo and the other cities became free from Coza Nostra and the property of this organization was confiscated. Nowadays there are police barracks in one of the houses belonging to mafiosi in Palermo. And on some territories belonging to La Cosa Nostra in the past the peasants cultivate wheat out of which the macaroni “Antimafia” can be produced. The money from the selling are partly used to help the victims of mafia.
