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Ah, but when you read the sicilian masterpieces like the works of Sciascia, you find that concepts like Omerta (the law of silence) are much more what it's about than mad violence! I think that the american evolution of the mafia (they were thrown out of italy by mussolini) is where they turned into such a deadly force of bombers. A lot of sicilian literature and folklore paints the mafia as a protective force, out to prevent the little people being exploited, and then it changes suddenly in the 20th century into a cult of bombing violent nutters who sell drugs and gambling.
Actually Sciascia theorizes that they arrived in Sicily in the 900s, and my own knowledge of history concurs that in that era the Fatimid (Muslim) Empire was sending people as far out from the epicentre (Cairo) as Italy, India, France, Africa... everywhere really. I think that the original mafia may have been created by that Empire and explains why in true romance Dennis Hopper starts all that racial talk which is designed to get Walken to mow him down.
But it's all speculation.
Sciascia suggests that the word mafia comes from the Arabic word "mehfil" - meaning something like a 'gathering' - it contains the notion of "community spirit" - however others theorize, wrongly {sciascia maintains} that it comes from "se mahfler" a french word meaning "to gorge yourself"! (at least i THINK it's a reflexive verb).
Personally I reckon that we are long past the era of closeted batman-type heros. To save the world now you have to be honest and open, otherwise you're just going to make more trouble, one way or other, if only after you die (and someone takes over your "secret" empire).
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