3769 Italians...strange people

As promised, here is the first post about Italians and their oddity.

Questions, advices, criticism are welcome, but, please, spare me from knocking me down with Pachino tomatoes in the face.

Let’s start.

Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away……….Ok, throw the tomatoes (very bad joke, I know…)…..

After long time of crisis in Europe, starting from X century, several Italian towns began blooming, especially thanks to the fast development of commerce on the Mediterranean Sea. Among them: Padua, Florence, Pisa, Milan, Rome, Verona, and Mantua. Four of them: Genoa, Amalfi, Venice and Pisa soon took control of commerce on the Mediterranean Sea, becoming the well-know Maritime Republics.
All those towns were collectively known as the City States; each one with its own government, army … and … dialect.

Probably you are all wondering why I’m starting with a so tedious story…..because from here it all started… I mean, in that period appeared the very first divisions among Italians of different regions, towns or villages just a few miles away from each other.

Look at England and Scotland; when two strong rising powers come into touch they usually tend to overwhelm one another to obtain more and more power. The same happened in Italy, but in place of two strong powers, there were a good number of City States that entered into competition.

In Italy we had had many Englands and Scotlands fighting to get the power (and land). This situation of discord exposed Italy to foreign invasions, being the country in a very strategic position on the Mediterranean.
City States were replaced by foreign powers that lead Italy until its formal unification in 1871 (yes, our Magna Charta has arrived 656 years late. That really makes the difference! As my teacher of history liked to say). Until then the north was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a few small dukedoms, the centre by the Pope and the south by the Spanish kingdom.

Italy was split in 3 macro-regions; a division that still exists in several aspects (I’ll talk about it further on).

After this short introduction you should begin to understand why, for example, Livornesi and Pisani (and many others) “hate” each other. For example, this is a very famous Livornese’s saying: “Meglio un morto in casa che un pisano all’uscio” – “Better to have a dead in your home than a Pisano at your house’s door”.
Ok, that doesn’t mean they killed a relative from time to time to avoid having a Pisano at their front door, but sure still exists a certain amount of competition between the two towns.

I can tell many other sayings like that….in my hometown we say (in our dialect - veneto): “dime porco dime can, ma non dirme trevisan” – “call me pork, call me dog, but don’t say to me that I’m like a Trevisano”.

Now ANASTASIA understands why villages just a few miles away from each other don’t always have very good relationships and why there are so many dialects (Please, do no start turning into myth all these stories, because no Italian really wants to split the country again. We like as it is with its many contradictions). Each City State started to develop its own “version” of the Italian language… the dialect.

Thanks especially to Dante Alighieri, the Florentine dialect has being recognized as the very “ancestor” of the modern Italian language, but other dialects evolved mixing Italian with the foreign ruling power language (German, Spanish and even French in the north-west). For example Ladino language, spoken in the north-east, is one of those dialects.

In Italy there are more than 20 dialects divided into 2 main groups: Northern dialects and central-southern dialects. The imaginary border between the two starts from La Spezia and ends on Rimini.

Just an example on how different they can be: the Italian word for “fork” is “forchetta”, in carnico dialect is “piron”, practically two different languages. As I already said in a previous post, carnico dialect is spoken just 45 km (Pordenone – Friuli Venezia-Giulia - in the north-east) far from my hometown, but I cannot speak or understand it, like many other fellow-citizens of mine. One of the most important dialects, officially considered a language, is Ladino with its 3 variants, spoken in Trentino Alto-Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia.

Here are some important moments of interest (for the Italians):

1472: Monte Dei Paschi Di Siena bank is established (still operating). The oldest bank in the world.
1492: Cristoforo Colombo discovers America (the name America comes from Amerigo Vespucci, another Italian explorer of that period).
1526: Bartolomeo Beretta founds Beretta, the oldest fire-arms factory in the world, and the oldest company still owned by the founder’s family. Beretta’s family still have full control on the company for almost 500 years.
1566: A group of ignorant persons, united under the name of “The Inquisition” sentences Galileo Galilei to imprisonment for his revolutionary ideas. But even harsher is the 414 years long delay before the apologies for this huge mistake came from the Catholic Church ! (believe me, I have nothing with the Catholic Church).

That’s all folks for now :) …. I hope it has been interesting.

If your are pleased with this first story, I’ll go on with an explanation of the words “terrone” and “polentone” and the reason for the spite between northern and southern Italians.

Category

General chat about Italy

If your are pleased with this first story, I’ll go on with an explanation of the words “terrone” and “polentone” and the reason for the spite between northern and southern Italians.

I'd be very interested in this thanks Sergio. Could you continue please?

Please continue - lovely to learn about history in easy to read format!!:)

No.. basta cosi! :p

Im joking Sergio.. dai.. sbrigati per piacere. Voglio di piu. :D

Grazie mille

:) :)

keep it coming!

Yes Sergio, more more more! :)

Sergio,

Great stuff, informative, witty and interesting. keep it coming.

Dawn.

I remember this saying from the Veneto from when I lived in Vicenza...

"Veronesi tutti matti
Vicentini magna gatti
Padovani gran dottori
Venessiani gran siori"

[LEFT]Sergio mentions the rivalry between the Livornese and Pisani (a similar version of the quotation exists in the Marche). This rivalry is still ever-present throughout many parts of Tuscany. Take the province of Siena for example, and when Montalcino was at war with Florence during the Middle Ages. The effects of Montalcino loosing its freedom to Florence way back in 1559 are still reflected in the strange behaviour of the Montalcinesi today. [/LEFT]

Now both Pienza and Montepulciano are located within 25Km from Montalcino and as such you would think they all form part of the local territory (not forgetting that they are all in the Provincia di Siena). Not quite. The Montalcinesi don’t mind hopping over to Pienza to buy pecorino cheese, but they apparently will never go to Montepulciano, not even for the famous honey or wild boar salame. They prefer to maintain a respectable distance because Montepulciano still aligns itself with Florence, the dreaded enemy.

As if this alone were not enough. Beneath the Palazzo Comunale in the heart of Montalcino you will find an attractive loggia, but you will never see any self-respecting Montalcinesi using it. That would be beyond their dignity. In fact whenever the locals see people inside the loggia they know that they are tourists and not one of them because tucked away in a dark corner of the loggia is a marble statue of Cosimo I, who commanded the Florentine army when Florence took Montalcino.

[QUOTE=Charles Joseph]I remember this saying from the Veneto from when I lived in Vicenza...

"Veronesi tutti matti
Vicentini magna gatti
Padovani gran dottori
Venessiani gran siori"[/QUOTE]

Perfect quotation ! They say exactly like that. Can you read between the lines of that sayng ?;)

[QUOTE=Charles Joseph][LEFT]Sergio mentions the rivalry between the Livornese and Pisani (a similar version of the quotation exists in the Marche). This rivalry is still ever-present throughout many parts of Tuscany. Take the province of Siena for example, and when Montalcino was at war with Florence during the Middle Ages. The effects of Montalcino loosing its freedom to Florence way back in 1559 are still reflected in the strange behaviour of the Montalcinesi today. [/LEFT]

As Socrates said: “The more you know the more you realize that you don’t know” (or something like that). I dind’t know that. Thanks !
;)

[quote=sergiobuonanno]Perfect quotation ! They say exactly like that. Can you read between the lines of that sayng ?;)[/quote]

I know that there is an important med school at the University of Padova and that the Venetians...well they are Venetians - Gran Signori (probably because of Venice's status in history), but as to why the Veronesi are mad or that the Vicentini eat cats...beats me:D

This is brilliant Serge and Charles - keep it coming.

I don't know a great deal about Italian history/tradition and so what I write is from personal experience or things I've picked up along the way.

This is a story about two hillside villages who are 'in competition' with each other in an area just outside Naples that I know very well. I hope you will enjoy it.

Both these villages are similar in size and have similar amenities, one is slightly higher up the hill than the other, in fact, the only thing that separates them is a buffer zone of about a 100 metres of road.. known locally as 'no mans land'. The only things within 'no mans land' are two signs, both say "Welcome to.." and obviously, face opposite directions and name each village.

The villages are at least six or seven hundred years old and I'm sure some of the inhabitants are founding members - families have lived here for centuries; they all know each other - went to school here, grew up together and they all "hate" everyone from the 'other' village.

The 'higher' village has an excellent Pizzeria, the pizza's are probably amongst the very best in Campania and yet, it's usually only locals who eat there. The 'lower' village has a natural spring with the most exquisitely sweet water I have ever tasted - better than any commercially available bottled mineral water - no matter how many gold medals won or how highly acclaimed it may be. Both locations are very well kept 'secrets'.. that I have no intention of divulging!

And we all know that in order to make great pizza, you need great water.

Every evening, anytime after dusk, the people from the higher village can be seen sneaking down the hill to 'steal' the water from the lower village's spring. They arrive armed with 5 gallon containers and fill them up before scuttling back up the hill laughing and joking about how they have stolen the water.
Of course, the people of the lower village don't let them get away with it so easily - someone will run up and chase them away - hurling "bestemmia", calling names and bringing up past feuds. The higher villagers will retaliate like wise while retreating slowly into no mans land. More and more people from both 'sides' will join in and on some evenings it becomes quite frenzied.. especially when the kids get involved.

Insults range from six and seven year olds saying things like "I remember 200 hundred years ago when you stole our water".. all the way up to the elders saying.."Your grandfather was a thief.. who knows who or what your father is.. but he must be a thief." (Read between the lines to understand how insulting this statement is!).. dead relatives are called up as witnesses.. lowers are insulted by highers. And so it goes on.

Please don't misunderstand - there is no violence - it is like a scene from a comedy! The highers 'steal' all the water they want and the lowers 'allow' them to do it. The trade off is the banter between them and the passing on of the tradition to the younger generation!

I was in the pizzeria one evening and I asked one of the men there, who was from the higher village, why they hated the lower village, he said, with a shrug of his shoulders, "Boh! I dont know.. we just do.. ask my father!"

So I did, and with a twinkle in his eye, the old man looked up and replied, "Because they eat our pizza!"

:D :D

Fantastic Anastasia, what a great story, have you any more?

Millions.. but 95% of them would get me banned.. again! I'll see what comes to mind.

:) :)

Yes, love the stories too, a mine of infomation from different angles. Keep them all coming Sergio, Charles, Anastasia and anyone one else that knows Italy well. :)

The Mafia

The origin of this name is not very clear, some historians believe it comes from the Turkish word Ma-Fi-Ah that means “it doesn’t exist”, but there is no certitude on that.

The origins of the Sicilian Mafia (later called Cosa Nostra) date back to XIX century when bailiff farmers managed land and farm labourers on behalf of Sicilian nobles. They were hard and violent and helped by henchmen who made the “dirtiest jobs”.

Soon these groups of bailiff farmers gained power and set up gangs and clans.

In 1863 play-writer Giuseppe Rizzotto, together with primary school teacher Gaetano Mosca, wrote the dialect drama “I mafiusi de la Vicaria”. The play had huge success and brought the word Mafia to light. By that time Mafia was an illegal organization but bound to the State.

With unification of Italy, the process of dismantling the old Sicilian feudal system (still present in the countryside) sped up, but peasants were still exploited and the government didn’t show true interest in this situation, on the contrary the attempts of the peasants to obtain a more fair land splitting through public protests were repressed by the intervention of the army.

The problem of a more fair land splitting remains one of the historical causes of the Sicilian people hostility against the Italian government.

In 1915 Italy went to war. The number of deserters in Sicily was huge. They left the towns taking to the bush and earning their leaving by robbing. The lack of manpower and need of flesh for the army in war forced an agricultural changeover. Good parts of estates were turn into grazing and this situation helped Mafia to increase its power. Cattle-stealing increased and landowners applied to mafia bosses to get back part of the stolen cattle not trusting the powerless authorities.

After the end of WW I followed a strong economic crisis and the young Sicilians coming back from the war didn’t receive the land promised by the Italian government for their contribute to victory. For this reason many of them joined the gangs increasing even more Mafia’s strength.

In WW II the US contacted Mafia bosses in both Italy and USA to obtain help for the invasion of Sicily and after the end of the war the Italian government asked for the help of clans to contrast the rising communist feeling in the region.

In ‘70s the drug traffic becomes one of the most profitable “business”. Earnings were huge and the young bosses of the American Mafia enter the business with the disapproval of the old bosses contrary to this dirty business. The old Mafia’s code was formally dead.

For years Mafia had complied to a strict non written code that prohibited killing kids and women or men in proximity of churches.

Until ‘90s many politicians (especially in the Christian Democratic party) were corrupted are benefited from their relationships with Sicilian clans, then the Italian Government decided to react; from 1992 to 1998, 20,000 soldiers were sent into Sicily to take control of territory and the first results started to appear; bosses like Riina and Bagarella were captured.
The rection of Mafia was very violent. The two most charismatic anti-mafia prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino were killed with some men of their escort in separate bomb-attacks. The Italian government isn’t intimidated by these events, on the contrary the fight against Mafia is strengthened and many other bosses are imprisoned.

The current situation is totally different in comparison with that of just 4, 5 years ago, but even if Mafia is much weakened, it still exists in a form less “visible” and with much reduced support from the rural people.

According to Pino Arlacchi (former Undersecretary of the UN for Organized Crime), by 2010 the Sicilian Mafia will be fully eradicated (Let’s wait and see….).

The Mafia’s internal organization:

The organization is made up of men who consider themselves “men of honour”. It’s a pyramidal organization; at very base of the pyramid there is the Family, in which all the affiliated members know each other, then there is the family boss (elected by the family members). At the next level there are counsellors and deputy bosses (no more than 3). Families are split in “decine” (tens), each with a separate chief. Three families with neighbouring estate form a “mandamento” (literally: a district). The chief of a “mandamento” is a representative person that at least at the beginning wasn’t a member of a family to avoid conflicts of interest. Chiefs of “mandamenti” meet in a provincial assembly called “Cupola” (the most important in Palermo). When Mafia extended its power on the entire island, it was decided to establish an inter-provincial assembly (Cupola) attended by delegates of all provincial assemblies.

Recently after the government has inflicted a severe blow on the organization, its structure has become simpler also in consequence of the loss of control on territory.

Just a few months ago police has arrested Provenzano, the last big boss in hiding.

Next time I’ll tell about ‘Ndrangheta or Mafia Calabrese.

Ciao

Ha ha, so how come you know so much about the Mafia then?
Only joking! ;) Keep them coming I find it all very interesting. :)

Oh Gawd.. I'm keeping my head down when Sergio gets to the Camorra.

I know nothing, I didnt see a thing.. in fact, I wasn't even there!

:D :D

Do you know the New Yorker family Bonanno, the famous Bonanno family of the American Mafia ? Well, I'm one of them and to camouflage my real identity I added the letter 'u' after 'B', so...be careful how you talk to me, PICCIOTTA ! :D :D :D

I'm not scared! :p

Mia zio si chiama Carlo Gambino e mia zia is married to someone called Alberto and if you look at MY name you will know who I am talking about.. so be careful.. very, very, careful how you talk to anyone, Picciotta!

:D :p :D

:p Just this small emoticon because I haven't one bigger handy !

That's nearly funny! Anyone would think you don't believe me! :D
[ATTACH]696[/ATTACH]

Yes please continue - does that explain why in San Remo no one understood my few basic words of Italian ! I know I'm not much good but they didn't seem to have a clue even when I wrote it down ?
Thanks - look forward to reading more !

[QUOTE=Charles Joseph]I know that there is an important med school at the University of Padova and that the Venetians...well they are Venetians - Gran Signori (probably because of Venice's status in history), but as to why the Veronesi are mad or that the Vicentini eat cats...beats me:D[/QUOTE]

Ideed you got the point.

1) Venecians are 'signori' because of their past and in Venice lived many nobles
2) 'Padovani gran dottori' because the University of Medicine of Padova is the oldest (maybe in the world, but I'm not really sure about that. I know Bologna is the oldest University in the world and Padua is third one after La Sorbonne of Paris) and it's still one of the most important schools of medicine.
3) Veronesi are mad and that's it. At least that is the belief of Verona’s neighbour provinces. I don’t really know why that (about that someone else could know more than me).
4) 'Vicentini magna gati'. Because they ate cats.

[LEFT][FONT=Verdana]Whilst we are on the subject of Mafia and corruption - Trullomartinafranca, I think you will particularly like this one – here’s an interesting story concerning a lottery system used in the 1980’s to select candidates for the much-coveted position of consultant in Italian Hospitals.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
In order to avoid favouritism (candidates were prepared to pay huge bribes to the selection committee in order to get the job) the selection procedure involved the use of small balls. The names of each candidate were enclosed in these balls and all that was needed was an official (who was not a member of the section committee by the way) to pick one at random. Easy peasy. Just like playing the National Lottery right? Except that the favoured candidate faced better odds than your 14 million to 1 because of the so-called “frozen-ball technique.” The ball containing the name of the preferred candidate was placed in a freezer for a few hours before the “prize” draw took place so that the independent official (independently corrupt of course) could, at the crucial moment, pick the right one.
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]In Florence during times of danger, Medicean supporters were rallied with cries of Palle! Palle! Palle!, a reference to balls (palle)…but this is another story:D [/FONT][FONT=Verdana][/FONT][/LEFT]

In Cattolica which is just on the border between Le Marche and Emilia Romagna, they say :
"meglio un morto in casa che un Pesarese alla porta"
Better a death in the house than someone from Pesaro at the door!!!!
Dates to when the people from Le Marche were sent over the border to collect the taxes on behalf of the Papal state.

[quote=Charles Joseph][LEFT][FONT=Verdana]Whilst we are on the subject of Mafia and corruption - Trullomartinafranca, I think you will particularly like this one – here’s an interesting story concerning a lottery system used in the 1980’s to select candidates for the much-coveted position of consultant in Italian Hospitals.[/FONT]

In order to avoid favouritism (candidates were prepared to pay huge bribes to the selection committee in order to get the job) the selection procedure involved the use of small balls. The names of each candidate were enclosed in these balls and all that was needed was an official (who was not a member of the section committee by the way) to pick one at random. Easy peasy. Just like playing the National Lottery right? Except that the favoured candidate faced better odds than your 14 million to 1 because of the so-called “frozen-ball technique.” The ball containing the name of the preferred candidate was placed in a freezer for a few hours before the “prize” draw took place so that the independent official (independently corrupt of course) could, at the crucial moment, pick the right one.

[FONT=Verdana]In Florence during times of danger, Medicean supporters were rallied with cries of Palle! Palle! Palle!, a reference to balls (palle)…but this is another story:D [/FONT]
[/LEFT]
[/quote]

He he, I don't think Consultants need a lottery system to suffer with “frozen-ball technique.” Steeped in tradition and archaic ways they just won't thaw out to new and innovative practice! Maybe I could use this to remove a few. ;)

Genovese joke.

Una Signora (da Genova) - chi a ottant'anni - e andata al agenzia funebre, perche il marito e decesso. Lei conosce bene il direttore dell'agenzia, e lei conosce che lui - per fare il conto - conta le parole nella notizia della morte. Per questo motivo, ha detto al direttore che lei voule solo le parole "Mario e morto".
Il direttore ha detto - ma, Signora, il decesso era il suo mairto per piu di cinquant'anni. Non e giusto che lei dice solo "Mario e morto", devi dare piu rispetto ad un marito da cinquant'anni. Ascoltami, io Le do in regalo - senza costo aggiuntivo - altre tre parole - in modo che lei puo dare rispetto al decesso.
La Signora ha protestato - "e sicuro che non sara un costo per tre parole in piu"? Il direttore insistava che quest'offerta e assolutamente libero - anche lui voleva dare rispetto al vecchio marito. La signora ha pensato un po, poi lei ha detto "ho deciso".
Il direttore, molto contento, ha chiesto alla Signora - quale sono le tre parole che voule aggiungere?
La risposata era okei, mettiamo "Mario e morto, Fiat in vendita"

hahahaha Nice joke! :D

Stupendo Sergio! Solletico per la mente! Please continue....

Here I am. I'm very sorry....I'm late with my promise to write something about the other 3 Italian mafias: 'Ndrangheta, Camorra and Sacra Corona Unita.

I was very busy in the past 2 months and I tought I had no time to wrote all I knew about this subject, but in the end I found a very precious help....[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Ndrangheta"]'Ndrangheta[/URL] at this URL you can find a very accurate introduction to 'Nrangheta, then at [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacra_corona_unita"]Sacra Corona Unita[/URL] there is something about Sacra Corona Unita and you'll find information about Camorra at [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra"]Camorra[/URL].

Hope it is interesting.

Bye

E poi "scusa" di che?!?

Credo che nessuno qui voglia accettare le tue scuse, tanto sono inutili.. dimmi.. where have you been? :D :p :D

Siamo tutti ovviamente felici che tu sia ancora una volta tra noi.. siamo qua ed aspettiamo le vostra presenza e umorismo. :)

[LEFT]sergio you are bringing up one of my favorite subjects... and i read with interest the rather light description of the sacra corona ... i tend to like to get a bit more in depth on these things... not a criticism ...its often good to start off reading the sort of general overview of the whole and then you can somtimes understand what can lead off ...ie the relationship between modern dat terrorism ..and the supply of the bomb making materails that end up blowing people to smithereens in various european countries... its often with surprise that i read that people accept these organsations exist ...and then comment...it doesnt affect me.... well if your scared to get on a tube or bus in london ...or got caught up in the mayhem of the recent scare... who do you think are the most proficient smugglers of any illegal substance in europe... where do you think modern western arms arrive from to the terroists in the counties outside europe...

its all a bit of a laugh for them...supply drugs in exchange for arms and explosives...on the one hand you are destroying the culture of those countries in an insipid slow way...and its youth.. and more directley you get in exchange the more direct lethal implements to blow them up or shoot them...

that these italian syndicates / criminals especially those opearting in conjunction with the albanian gangs...ie ...on the eastern side of italy and are use in the trade as a sort of go between from terroist to organised crime is a fact... that most interenational investigative organisations see this as a major threat to normal civilised life is also a fact...

anway ...it wasnt me that brought it up... and everyone is right before you say it... life here feels much safer... its not really the point... in certain areas there are people allowed to operate almost freely that do affect many peoples lives... not where they operate only...its a world concern... to just ignore and suggest its fine is simply a show of ignorance...[/LEFT]

[QUOTE=adriatica][LEFT]sergio you are bringing up one of my favorite subjects... and i read with interest the rather light description of the sacra corona ... i tend to like to get a bit more in depth on these things... not a criticism ...its often good to start off reading the sort of general overview of the whole and then you can somtimes understand what can lead off ...ie the relationship between modern dat terrorism ..and the supply of the bomb making materails that end up blowing people to smithereens in various european countries... its often with surprise that i read that people accept these organsations exist ...and then comment...it doesnt affect me.... well if your scared to get on a tube or bus in london ...or got caught up in the mayhem of the recent scare... who do you think are the most proficient smugglers of any illegal substance in europe... where do you think modern western arms arrive from to the terroists in the counties outside europe...

Dear Adriatica,

This subject is very interesting and intriguing at the same time, especially for me, because being Italian, I surely don't like to travel abroad feeling that people who I meet think of me I’m a Mafioso, spaghetti eater, and so on....with time, I learnt to live with this "stamp" on my shoulders. In the end, we did it that to ourselves....so, we (Italians) must understand that for the time being we must accept it trying to improve our image worldwide (not an easy task indeed). Who knows, maybe in 20-30 years....never say never...

I introduced this subject because I was asked to...and because I think that it could be nice to understand some subtleties about mafia and other aspects of the Italian culture that a foreigner sometimes doesn’t understand in deep; especially when it is about the cultural and political reasons that caused these criminal organizations to be born and flourish. Maybe this is one of the ways to “unstick” that stamp.

I was born in northern Italy and I have never been in touch with mafia and as many other Italians I hardly understand many things that happened and still happen in the south, from many point of views, starting from the cultural one. This is the other reason why I introduced this very delicate subject (at least for us). Do not misunderstand me, I don’t want to criticize the Italians from the south, even if (no doubt) there are many …many differences. There are good and bad things in both the north and the south, as I already said in other posts.

We can talk about mafia and organized crime also covering the interactions between mafias and the other international criminal organizations, but I think I havn’t sufficient knowledge on this subject to explain the events that happen these days... I like history, but I'm not an analyst (To be honest, I’m also an analyst but my job has nothing to do with this subject)...but if you like...we can talk about all these very topical (unfortunately) and interesting things.

Yes, lets talk about it..

While I agree in general that life in Italy "feels" much safer - especially for Signore e Signora Average.. does it not have it's darker undertones only slightly hidden under the surface.. especially in the main cities?

I love studying people - the psyche - just watching, observing.. you can pick up certain character traits. I'm probably not explaining this very well.. but hey.. I can only speak about my own experiences - mainly in the Naples area - but there are definitely certain 'no go' areas where even I fear to tread. Sometimes I wonder if it is just my imagination.. but it's not. There is a tangible aura.. you just know something is not right.

Some of the people have a certain look - a way about them - the way they size you up - the way they narrow their eyes almost invisibly.. you know not to hang about too long - they know you are onto them and so they let you pass through.. they are suspicious - not just because you are in their area and they dont know you.

I don't quite know how to explain it - but you know that just around the corner in the doorway that you cant quite get a clear view of.. something is going on. Other people in the area have another look about them.. one of defiance.

When I go to explore these places.. it is a calculated risk.. and nothing more than seeing life in a different way.. nothing has happened to me and I'm brave enough to say nothing ever will, because it's not a fear of personal harm I am picking up on.. it's a way of life. Anyway, I get a buzz from it and seem to have a sixth sense that kicks in when its time to leave and find another avenue to explore.

[I][B]However.. this experience was completely different.[/B][/I]

Not so long ago, I took a wrong turning in the centre of Naples.. and ended up underneath one of the flyover sections of the Tangenziale, the motorway that encircles the city. I knew I had messed up, but thought.. "Oh well lets see what's down there" - half of me wishes I wasn't as curious as I am sometimes - and even though I have always known these things exist - this stopped me in my tracks with open mouthed shock to see it in such a brutal way right before my eyes.. right in the centre of Naples.. in broad daylight and yet, because of the road overhead.. almost as if underground. A hidden part of the city.

I could have driven on.. but I had to look.. and although I knew I had stumbled on a place that most Neapolitans know about, I knew very few would ever visit.. let alone stop and stare. My sixth sense was on red alert.

I cannot describe the sheer intensity of the scene.. the heaviness.. of how this section of life has been swept away underneath the motorway that carried the "normal" members of society above them. Plastic bottles - crack pipes - syringes - littered the area.. dirty mattresses - rubbish - prostitutes too numerous to count, disappearing behind the motorway columns and returning a few minutes later to hand the money to pimps.. or have it ripped out of their hands as they were sent to make some more. The "lowlife" of society crawling on it's knees for a drag on a pipe full of smoke.

Cardboard boxes - with beady, scared eyes peering out - women of African origin 'adjusting their dress' as kerb crawlers eyed them up.. shouting obscenities that I could never dream of.. degrading these women even further and then using them for a few minutes of.. of what? Further down, more women.. none Neapolitan as far as I could see.. possibly not even Italian.. more likely eastern european.. but just as drained, soulless and degraded as everyone else there.. working their pitch.. pimps barely out of sight. The crack dealers milling around in between the pimps and the other people in cars who had come just to buy drugs. Packages exchanged for notes with drivers barely stopping and driving away to who knows where, as long as it was away from this place.. until next time.

I lived in London for years.. New York, L A and Chicago.. travelled a lot.. seen it all. I've been to Italy many times since childhood - I've seen the Neapolitan puttana's burning the braziers by the roadside - in full view of everyday life - streetfights.. muggings - pickpockets - all part of the daily routine - but this place really was something else.

I was angry.. angry it exists, because I can do nothing. I wanted to scream out at these manipulators and their Neopolitan customers.. "Vieni qua.. dai.. ti spezzo le gambe", but I knew better.. even if it was the truth!

What I came to realise is that this place is only the tip of the iceberg.. these people are wasted.. walking dead, despondent, hardened and defeated by the drugs used to control them. The women are "run" by pimps.. who are, in turn, run by the drug dealers.. who are run by the suppliers, who are controlled by the next one up the line - the one who distributes and buys from the one who imports.. not only the drugs.. but the women from wherever.. on who knows what type of false promise or fear.. all the way up to the head of this 'family' that spews over every city in the world and murders humanity.. as we all drive on.. in a rush to watch another repeat of The Godfather and sigh about how wonderful life is.

I'm not defending anyone - but these were not Neapolitans running the show.. the customers were Neapolitan, fairly young men from what I saw.. driven by an addiction and perhaps a need for danger.. but they were almost as scared as I was. I could smell the fear.. perhaps it was the crack.. who knows?

Naples is heaven on earth for me.. but this.. this was her Hell.. and I thanked the God I do not believe in, that I could escape.. by simply driving on. Not so for those trapped in this sewer of control and exploitation that is their daily life.

Perhaps I am naive, perhaps it was always like this.. perhaps I haven't noticed the changes over the years and I didn't want to see a place I love degraded this way.. see people mangled into early death.. but to me.. it just seems so much more cold hearted and brutal than my imagery of zio buying something on the black market and the 'piccolo Camorristi' of yesteryear.

And so, my questions are.. where are the Neapolitan Camorra involved along this chain of suffering? Have the Neapolitan prostitutes moved up a step? Are they having their drugs delivered to a nice apartment in Vomero by their pimp in a Ferrari? Is the Camorra still run by Neapolitans at this level, or have the eastern europeans taken over.. with even more visible brutality?

What has happened to the old families like the Mazzerella's - who used to throw sweets and coins to all the kids and gave money to the widows of the men they had murdered for disloyalty or breaking the code?

Chi e' la Nuova Famiglia.. che vuole risiedere in mia casa? :( :(

3769 Italians...strange people

Strange indeed!

Interesting ..

Si.. parliamo