Oct 09 2007
Star Italian author puts mafia boss’s notes under microscope
ROME — The best-selling Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri has based his latest book, published Wednesday, on the hand-written notes with which top Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano communicated during his 43 years on the run.
It is the first time that Camilleri, one of Italy’s most popular authors for his detective creation Montalbano, has delved into the world of the Mafia.
The title of the book is “You Don’t Know: Friends, enemies, the Mafia — the world of the ‘pizzini’ of Bernardo Provenzano”.
It is an allusion to what Provenzano reportedly said to the police who arrested him: “You don’t know what you are doing.” The remark was taken to mean there would be a war among the Mafia clans.
The book is presented in the form of a dictionary of around 60 of the words most frequently used in Provenzano’s messages or “pizzini”, which allowed the Mafia boss who did not trust the telephone to remain in contact with his family and associates. Provenzano was arrested in April 2006.
Profits from the book, published by Mondadori, will go to a charitable organisation for police officers killed or maimed by the Mafia.
Star Italian author puts mafia boss’s notes under microscope - AFP - http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g_yWVB0n9yDeC–luHIz0bnyoP2Q
