| With the images from my beautiful excursion | | | | that in southern Italy's agricultural south a feudal |
| around Mount Etna still etched freshly in my mind, | | | | power structure ruled by the aristocracy prevailed |
| I got ready for another day of Italian studies at | | | | for centuries. These feudal landowners put in |
| the Babilonia Language School. After a relaxing | | | | charge so-called "campieri" where managed their |
| breakfast on the scenic terrace of the Hotel Villa | | | | "latifundios" or large estates. The campieri were in |
| Nettuno, admiring the gorgeous view over the | | | | charge of checking and managing the territory, |
| Ionian Sea, I was prepared for another day of | | | | administering justice and they were given absolute |
| school.. | | | | power as well as weapons for enforcement. |
| Punctually at 9:30 am our lesson started and our | | | | Usually "justice" was determined on the spot and |
| language teacher Carlo taught us the intricacies of | | | | arbitrarily, without any kind of due process or |
| Italian pronouns and prepositions. These are | | | | court proceedings. |
| always complex topics in any language, but with all | | | | The vast majority of the population were |
| the exceptions to the rules, Italian has definitely | | | | absolutely poor, had no education, held many |
| introduced a few additional complexities. I really | | | | superstitious beliefs and had a deeply engrained |
| enjoyed Carlo's teaching style because he | | | | fear of "the system". This feudal administrative |
| provides feedback and corrections in a consistent | | | | and enforcement system represented the |
| but humorous way. After some grammar practice | | | | beginnings of the Mafia which over the last 150 |
| we got to apply what we had just learned, so we | | | | years or so has evolved into an international |
| closed our books and Carlo threw sentences at | | | | business organization which includes such things as |
| us that we had to put into the correct | | | | drugs, weapons, prostitution, various illegal rackets, |
| grammatical form. | | | | gambling and often the misappropriation of public |
| Just before noon I sat down with Alessandro | | | | funds. The Mafia today not only exists in Italy, but |
| Adorno, the founder and director of the Babilonia | | | | throughout Europe and North America. Organized |
| Language School. He had invited me to have a | | | | crime from other sources such as Russian or Asia |
| typical Sicilian treat: a "granita" - refreshing ice with | | | | is also often referred to as "mafia" although this |
| a taste of lemon, orange, peach, strawberry, | | | | term did indeed originate in Sicily. |
| melon, coffee or various other flavourings. We | | | | Alessandro enlightened me about the phenomenal |
| sat down on the sunny terrace outside the | | | | economic significance of the Mafia and gave me a |
| "Mambar" and each enjoyed a granita, | | | | simple numeric example related to the drug trade: |
| accompanied by a sweet brioche, a favourite | | | | if of the roughly 60 million Italians 1 million has a |
| breakfast for Sicilians. The brioche is dipped into | | | | drug problem that might require 100 Euros a day, |
| the ice-cold granita and savoured with each bite. | | | | this would result in a daily revenue of 100 million |
| Alessandro explained that granitas are consumed | | | | or 3 billion Euros on a monthly basis. Annualized |
| at all times of day, as breakfast, as a snack and | | | | this works out to 36 billion Euros just for Italy and |
| a dessert. He also explained that Italians usually | | | | numbers of similar magnitudes would have to be |
| only drink cappuccino for breakfast while tourists | | | | added up for the various other nations in the |
| will have cappuccino at all sorts of other times of | | | | European Union. To this would be added the |
| day. | | | | revenue from all the other branches of organized |
| We started to talk about the specialty courses | | | | crime. Given these numbers I was no longer |
| that Babilonia offers: programs that include hiking, | | | | surprised when Alessandro referred to the Mafia |
| biking, diving, golfing, cooking and pottery offer | | | | as a "company". |
| additional challenges and rewards to language | | | | I learned that the Mafia comprises a large |
| students. Alessandro pointed out that hiking often | | | | network of people in a hierarchical structure: from |
| happens in very small groups or even one-on-one | | | | the frontline drug pushers and enforcers to drug |
| which provides a very intense nature experience. | | | | and arms wholesalers to politicians and lawyers |
| The cooking courses take place with local families | | | | who, according to Alessandro, make up the |
| and really give students a great taste of Silician | | | | "educated Mafia", to bankers and financiers who |
| home cooking which always uses high-quality | | | | generate and move money at the highest national |
| fresh local ingredients to create an aromatic dish. | | | | and international levels. The Mafia is an intricate |
| During the lesson the students help with the food | | | | organization with tentacles in many cities, regions |
| preparation, and afterwards the meal is enjoyed | | | | and countries across the world. |
| with the local family, providing many more | | | | Historically the Mafia spread from Sicily, starting in |
| opportunities for cultural and linguistic immersion | | | | the late 1800s when a lot of Sicilians emigrated to |
| and a reason to actively communicate. | | | | the United States. They were looking for new |
| I also commented that the local merchants and | | | | opportunities and ways to escape the ancient |
| restaurateurs that I had met were surprisingly | | | | feudal system, but brought many of the old ways |
| friendly and willing to chat with foreigners. | | | | of doing things with them. In many ways the |
| Alessandro indicated that this is generally their | | | | Italian Mafia in the United States became better |
| nature, and the fact that it is not high season yet | | | | organized and looked for new business |
| makes it easier to communicate with the locals. | | | | opportunities. The Prohibition Era of the 1920s and |
| He mentioned that in the summer time when | | | | 1930s became a fertile ground for profitable, yet |
| Taormina gets really busy, many of the | | | | illicit business activities that involved bootlegging of |
| merchants are taxed to the limits with work and | | | | prohibited alcohol, prostitution and a variety of |
| there is less time or opportunity to communicate. | | | | other illegal activities. |
| Alessandro explained that Taormina is a favourite | | | | The Sicilian Mafia also played a key role at the end |
| tourist destination, and the Greek Theatre is a | | | | of World War II: the Allies wanted to organize a |
| definite tourist draw. He explained that Taormina | | | | landing, one in the north near Dunkirk, and one in |
| Arte is a local arts organization that brings art, | | | | the south in Sicily. Alessandro explained that |
| theatre, music and dance programs into town | | | | accordingly to recently discovered documents, |
| during the summer months. World-renowned | | | | former members of the CIA contacted US |
| musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, | | | | Mafiosi to get the Sicilian Mafia to help with the |
| James Taylor or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | | | | Allied Landing. With the help of the Mafia, the |
| are all artists that have played in Taormina's | | | | incursion of Allied forces in southern Italy near |
| famous ancient theatre. Many other events are | | | | Syracuse indeed went very smoothly and there |
| held for free in different venues throughout town. | | | | were no major battles until Montecassino south of |
| I learned that Taormina first became famous in | | | | Rome on the Italian mainland. |
| the 1800s when writers such as Johann Wolfgang | | | | The Allies freed Sicily and removed the Italian |
| Goethe, Guy de Maupassant or D.H. Lawrence | | | | fascist mayors and instead installed mayors and |
| visited this picturesque place. Alexander von | | | | administrators with Mafia connections. In this |
| Humboldt, the famous German natural scientist | | | | manner Mafiosi were given access to powerful |
| and explorer discovered Taormina already in the | | | | political and public positions after World War II, a |
| late 1700s. I mentioned to Alessandro that in my | | | | situation that still occurs to some degree today. |
| recent travels in the last few years I had | | | | After the War, the US often supported Mafiosi |
| stumbled across Alexander von Humboldt several | | | | candidates in local elections against the prevailing |
| times: first in Havana, then in Taxco - Mexico and | | | | Communist candidates, and this created a situation |
| most recently on the Canary island of Tenerife. | | | | were Mafia-linked candidates were often |
| Somehow unknowingly I had been following some | | | | thoroughly entrenched in local and regional politics. |
| of the footsteps of this famous historic world | | | | As a result, public money is sometimes |
| traveler. | | | | misappropriated for illicit purposes. |
| There was one particular topic that I wanted to | | | | Alessandro has a thorough understanding of Italian |
| learn more about: not unpredictably I wanted to | | | | history and the connections were fascinating. He |
| get a more in-depth understanding of this | | | | also suggested that I drop by tonight at a cooking |
| renowned Sicilian organization: the Mafia. | | | | class organized by Babilonia, an offer I was |
| Alessandro has extensive knowledge of history, | | | | definitely planning to take him up on. |
| politics and social science and started explaining | | | | |