Many people, especially down in the South, believe that the Mafia is an invention of the movie industry. Films such as The Godfather, or Goodfellas, are not far from the truth here in the United States.
This is even more true in Italy. Although most of the Mafia families are in the south, their hold spreads all over Italy. According to the United Nations, Italy’s major Mafia organizations are tied to 116 billion euros, or about $150 billion, in revenue each year,
In the New York Times Travel Section this week, there's an article about a bakery owner,Vincenzo Conticello, who refused to pay his "protection" money. He went through trials and tribulations but ultimately triumphed.
The owner has now expanded to several locations where tourists can be sure they aren't supporting organized crime in Italy. You can read all about it here.
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