Tripatini contributor Fyllis Hockman writes:

Because a hallmark of tour operator Overseas Adventure Travel "is its emphasis on controversial topics, a discussion of the Mafia was not unexpected. But actually meeting with Angelo Provenzano (above) - the son of Bernardo "Bernie the Tractor" Provenzano, one of the most notorious mob bosses in Sicilian history (from 1993 to 2006) - most certainly was. Kept in hiding for the first 16 years of his life, Provenzano recounted the difficulty of separating his feelings for his father from his feelings about him – and the impossibility of leading a normal life despite having no connection himself with la Cosa Nostra.

It should come as no surprise that the Mafia is still alive and well in Sicily - though not to the level that another Godfather movie is likely to be produced. In response to a question as to the accuracy of those films, Angelo replied: “Except for certain Hollywood effects, the films are basically realistic.” Angelo’s birthplace? The town of Corleone, of course. A name everyone in the room knew well."

Read more about this and other experiences in her post Sicily, Where What's Not on the Tour Itinerary Is as Important as What Is.

Victor Block