It’s not “strictly business,” it’s personal.
A city in Sicily is attempting to rescind its connections to organized crime by banning the sale of souvenirs relevant to the mafia.
The mayor of Agrigento gave the Sicilian message that street vendors and gift shop tchotchkes — very much like mob-related paraphernalia sold in tourist traps around NYC — “humiliates the local people.”
Specifically, the hit inadvertently applies to anything related to “The Godfather.” The 1972 Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece was famously filmed on the Italian island generally known as the birthplace of La Cosa Nostra centuries ago.
“I order a ban on the sale of any sort of object that praises, or refers in any way and form, to the mafia and arranged crime,” mayor Francesco Miccichè said.
Specifically in town that reportedly still struggles with mafia influence — five were arrested on related charges this summer — Nintendo Mario-looking figurines toting “lupara” sawed-off shotguns are highly popular, in keeping with Euronews.
They were iconically carried by the bodyguards of Al Pacino’s incognito Michael Corleone as he hid out after killing Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo inside a Bronx restaurant.
Police will now be allowed to examine shops for keeping the con-related contraband.
While the ban has caught an excellent deal of attention, Agrigento — known for having temples built in the course of the days of ancient Greece — has an amazing uphill battle to sway public perception and little time to achieve this.
Town looks to go completely legitimate after being named by the Italian government as the nation’s “Capital of Culture” for 2025.
A few of the challenges come from tourism web sites that market “The Godfather” as a travel incentive to Sicily and description its many local filming locations.
Agrigento also struggled with luring in travelers this summer resulting from droughts within the region.
