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Chapter 1 The Woman In Red
Italy, Rome Train Station, October 3, 2000
The Godfather theme louder. Walking toward him a woman in a red business suit. Heading to the same platform? That woman attracted attention. Narrow hips. Imposing figure. A sense of style. Husband behind? She was walking ahead with head low. Married too long? The man holding a large suitcase. In his other hand a duffel bag. The woman stopped, turned, handed her traveling bag and walked off. To the ladies? The moment she disappeared behind a magazine booth the man took out a handbag from that traveling bag and took something out. A mobile phone? Was it a cell phone in Italy?
As his eyes alternated between looking at that man and following the shapely figure a coffee bar came into view. Why not? Still time.
“Cappuccino please.” Perhaps he should have said ‘per favore’. Or was it ‘pi favuri?’ One was Italian. The other a Sicilian dialect variation. Pronounced the same?
“Caffé”
“Yes.” Mark nodded and pointed to a paper cup. The girl understood. Wasn’t cappuccino a universal word?
“Sorry, scusi.” He barely turned with his take-away coffee when he brushed the girl, maybe ten. She gave him a stern look. With arms opened wide turned to two adults. “Americano.”
Would she react the same if he used the Sicilian ‘Mi scusassi’?
Standing, leaning for support against a wall, Mark sipped his coffee, watching the man waiting for the woman in red. That traveling bag he was holding was pink with purple flowers with a bright yellow center. A pretty woman’s bag. She wasn’t back. Not surprising.
The Most Elusive Scent of All
Back Page
A tale told by a dimension. A living consciousness to which some minds are attune. The tale alternates between modern times and the Sicilian Mafia in the 18th century. The consciousness projects mental images of this period. Images of people, faces rarely distinct, in different situations. The opening words of Chapter 5 is one way to explain such projections: “With night a fierce storm with thunder and lightning and dark visions. Maria slept poorly, tossing and turning.” The tale is developed to fit cohesively into those images. A tale about a Way of Life, and not about organized crime. To aid the poor was as much a trait of the Sicilian Mafia as were profits from prostitution. In fact, the American gangster Al Capone ran a soup kitchen for the unemployed during the Great Depression. The Mafia Way of Life is not easily understood. The word ‘Mafia’ is a modern term about which there is much misunderstanding. The Sicilian Mafia were the ‘protectors’ of Sicilians. The men and women ‘of honor’ held in high esteem. This tale is about the people that became part of the Mafia in that period, about their background and what led them to accept this Way of Life. People like Pedro, an ox of a man and bodyguard; or Paulo, so talented and saving the life of a woman who would become his wife sets him on a path of no return; of Anastasia and Romeo, a high class prostitute and a killer who fall in love. Central to the tale is the seduction of the first Mafia priest which begins with mysterious notes slid under the church door.
…in a room full of women I saw her face…
The alternate tale is romance Mafia style. A descendant of the 18th century Maria, also named Maria, and her chance meeting with Mark whose interest in writing a novel about the Mafia led him to become, unknowingly, part of ‘the family’.
Chapter 3 The First Mafia Priest
Sicily, Salermo, approximate date October 1765
The super growth of the Sicilian Mafia began with the first Mafia Priest. A young Roman Catholic priest assigned to a town in Sicily. It was the middle of the 18th Century and Father Franko set about his duties diligently. Sicily was mostly peasants and farmers. While it had a fertile plain and produced much, good farming land was sought after due to the rocky and hilly nature of parts of Sicily. Larger estate owners looked after their boundaries and hired armed men to patrol their property. Other farmers, or less well to do property owners, that needed pasture land or the fruit from an orchard, on land that belonged to another, found a way to corrupt border guards. Those especially good at this were called Dons and their services sought. The term Don was a form of respect used for the wealthy estate owners. When referring to a Mafia Don a special emphasis was placed on that word.
Early in its beginning the Mafia adopted a structure similar to a military with Generals and Captains and soldiers, as such were known. There was no uniform and ranks weren’t mentioned in ordinary conversation. Mafia is a modern term. The Italian words “cosa nostra” mean “our thing” or “our way”. A number of meanings have been placed on this including “our house” and “our family”. Children of Mafiosi may grow up never imagining they are part of the Mafia extended family. That trait, unique to the Sicilian Mafia, shaped the Sicilian way of life. The word Mafia was also used for local gangs. This was the way it was. Often any criminal activity in Sicily was automatically labeled ‘Mafia’. That became a convenient shield for the real Mafia.
The usual form of corruption wasn’t money. It was the services of a prostitute. A high-class prostitute. The exceptional Mafia prostitutes were known as “Angels” and they were selling love. In those harsh times true love a commodity few older men experienced. The power of love disguised as sex made Mafia women sought after. A Mafia Angel was said to be able to enchant
Chapter 40 The Heist
Sicily, approximate date 1789
At five o’clock on the day of the heist twenty people and one dog gathered on the
upper floor of the new beggar refuge. Still not in use. The day before Paulo emphasized
to his Captains, and one of Don Francesko’s Captains, he wanted the minimum number.
The Captains decided twenty and Louise and Isabella. Not all Mafiosi knew one another.
There were three from another Don’s family who happened to be in Salermo. These were
spotted by Don Francesko’s Captain. For a day they would work for him.
Paulo explained his plan. When the drawings came to the keeper he showed them to Bernado. The dog looked, and sniffed the plans, and turned to where Isabella and Louise were sitting.
“Bernado says you both smell of that – the most elusive scent of all – our women like. He suggests you wash it away.”
Chapter 18 Vatican Makes A Move
Rome, approximate date January 1772
In the 18th century Europe was plagued by poverty. One escape from a life of poverty was to join the Holy Roman Catholic church as Brother, priest, or sister. A young man or woman would receive education, food, a small wage, shelter, and be seen as a respectable member of society. In many countries the Roman Catholic church had much influence. To be a former priest or sister could also mean access to paid official positions.
Not all the young men and women told the truth when they asked to join the church. Not all those who claimed they had been called were. Many could be tempted if the right situation arose. Many might have a lover in ordinary life while seemingly leading a pious and celibate life. Those that were brought up in poverty and misery were different to those of the modern Western world where true poverty has been removed in most countries.
No matter how well the church screened its potential new recruits, there were too many candidates for the church to identify those truly called and those who were inventing. And what did it even mean ‘to be called’? All too often those who never ought to have been priests or Brothers or sisters slipped through the screening process. It was too easy to fool a well meaning priest trying to work out if a young man or woman was the dedicated religious type.
Such facts of life were known. Cardinal Vali knew this. Peter and Mary knew this. None would think too badly of any priest who visited brothels, but each would discourage this. None would think any worse of any young sister who chose to have a lover. As long as they didn’t say they were a priest or sister and were discreet and this didn’t interfere with their work.
The serious question on their mind and in their heart was “What does the Mafia want their priests for?”