Today, in looking back on these rich and amazing events of its history, the Mafia, or Cosa Nostra as it is sometimes called, is woven so intricately into Italian and Sicilian society that one could argue that the Mafia is in every Italian’s DNA, whether they realize it or not. Whether they want to admit it or not. Not that all Italians are criminals or in the Mafia. In fact, very far from it. The overwhelming majority of Italians are upstanding and honest citizens, who contribute greatly to their country and society in general. We are one of the “original” civilizations of the entire world, and our past, present, and future contributions to mankind are legendary.
It all started as a much-needed defensive mechanism to protect against hordes of foreign rulers and army after army that had invaded the island and subjugated the Sicilian people for centuries. After suffering many generations of abuse, torturing and murdering of its people, slavery, the raping of their women and young children, thefts and confiscation of their assets, homes, and property, and the theft of their crops and basic foods for survival, slowly but surely, a small grouping of Sicilian men decided to band together and do something to stop these atrocities against humanity.
Looking back on history, these men, these first Sicilians, can be viewed as the genesis of what was to become the most powerful secret organization the world has ever known. From this small band of men who referred to themselves as “Uomini di Rispetto,” which translated to English means “Men of Respect,” would come phenomena unlike anything that had ever been seen before in the world or after, for that matter.
