My husband often goes to Fino Mornasco for work, where Stefano grew up and his family still own a house called "Villa delle Cicogne", and I went there a couple of times.
There the Casiraghis are highly esteemed by their fellow villagers for being hardworking people. Stefano's father was a primary school teacher before becoming a businessman. Stefano's Mom lost her parents in an accident when she was very young, so she went to live with her aunt and uncle who owned a factory in Milan, that she inherited when her aunt and uncle died. She also had to cope with the Nazis that wanted the plant to be closed during the past war.
Do you think that such a family would let themselves get involved in the crime?
Remember that here up North work is a religion. I know that you foreigners tend to view our country as a whole, but things are different. The mafia is a typical phenomenon of the Italian South. I don't mean to blame the Italian Southerners by saying this. I know lots of decent people down there, as I lived there for some time. I mean that like in any other country, there are many cultural differences among the various Italian regions. So stop reading books by Mario Puzo, and start to read books by Leonardo Sciascia ( a Sicilian brave journalist and writer who was shot by the mafia ) instead, if you get the chance to find them where you live.
Hugs and kisses!
