A law he couldn’t refuse: Sicilian cities ban mafia and ‘Godfather’ merchandise

Local authorities have given shopkeepers a law they could not refuse, which has mafia-related and Godfather-themed merchandise.

Local souvenir shops and airports are no longer allowed to sell memorabilia related to the Mafia or Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather series, which is strongly inspired by the Italian mafia.

Telegraph According to Rome correspondent Nick Squires, the authorities in Sicily want to tackle “negative stereotypes” about Sicily as “the home of the mafia”.

“People might say it’s all a bit light-hearted, but in fact it reflects many years of killings, intimidation and extortion and an illegality that is still very much alive,” he said. Moncrieff.

“This is not new. Last year, the ferry companies were told by the regional government that they could not allow the sale of such items in the souvenir shops on board.”

Mr Squires visited a Sicilian town yesterday where mafia paraphernalia is not banned. They believe the ban is excessive.

“This stuff was on display and they tried to ignore it in a way and said that selling a T-shirt with Marlon Brando on it as Don Vito Corleone from The Godfather has nothing to do with illegality,” he said.

“I have to say, if anyone is interested in mafia-related socks, you can get them – they’re fun, and there are fridge magnets.”

Ban on mafia merchandise

Others argue that the ban is a waste of police time.

“I saw a magistrate in Agrigento, the city where this stuff is banned, who said we have much more serious problems in terms of illegality than mafia-related socks,” he said.

“He pointed out a very specific problem: Sicily is currently experiencing a terrible drought, partly caused by climate change and high temperatures.

Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather. Image: Allstar Picture Library Limited. / Alamy Stock Photo

“But people also say that the mafia is stealing a lot of water and illegally taking water supplies for its various businesses, and that this has greatly aggravated the drought situation.

“The magistrate said we should forget about the fridge magnets – we need to concentrate on the more serious matters.”

Mr Squires noted that the Mafia in Sicily has suffered a “major blow” in the past decade, including several major ‘godfather’ arrests.

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