Mafia: Inside the Dark Heart: The Rise and Fall of the Sicilian Mafia

An, expansive, intriguing and meticulous account of the Sicilian Mafia. The pre-dawn arrests of the last remaining mafiosi in December 2008 signaled the end of the Sicilian Mafia as we know it. In Mafia: Inside the Dark Heart, A.G.D. Maran charts the complete history of the world's most infamous criminal organization, from its first incarnation as an alternative form of local government in the Sicilian countryside and arguable force for "good," to the more familiar form that has been immortalized films such as The Godfather, and its final defeat after a long-awaited change of attitude by the Italian government. The son of an Italian immigrant, A.G.D. Maran had always been interested in the Mafia, but it was a recently uncovered family secret that led him on a journey deeper into its dark heart. Along the way, he asks many provocative questions, including: - Was one of the biggest errors the United States made to free and deport Lucky Luciano to Italy, where he organized the international drug trade? - How and why did the Vatican get duped into helping the Mafia? - Why did the Mafia murder Roberto Calvi, known as God's Banker? - What is the relationship between the Mafia and Freemasonry? - Why did successive Italian governments fail to tackle the Mafia? - Why did it take 40 years to find the Last Godfathers? These and many other riveting issues are covered in Maran's refreshing new take on a perennially enthralling subject. After a decade of exhaustive research, including interviews with his many Italian contacts, in this book Maran brings to life the story of the rise and fall of the Sicilian Mafia while also exploring its links to the Cosa Nostra in America.