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El príncipe de la mafia
De Sicilia a Estados Unidos, la epopeya de la organización criminal más poderosa de la historia. Una novela espléndidamente documentada, rebosante de acción, intriga y pasión. En el corazón de Sicilia se esconde un secreto que no puede ser desvelado. Una trama de amor y muerte que hunde sus raíces en los latifundios de los ricos terratenientes y en la sangre de los campesinos sometidos a intereses contra los que nada ni nadie parece en condiciones de luchar. Un día, un príncipe -Ferdinando Licata, llamado U Patri - comprende que los tiempos cambian y transige con las reivindicaciones de quienes, en esta tierra bellísima y desesperada, nunca han tenido más que los brazos para trabajar. En una situación de creciente atropello, América aparece como el último refugio. Y será precisamente en el nuevo continente donde el príncipe Licata sabrá rentabilizar su prestigio. Así empezará el ascenso de una sociedad secreta tan poderosa que dicta las leyes a los mismos políticos. Mientras tanto, en Sicilia, el lugar en que todo ha comenzado, aún hay una mujer hermosa que espera. Y es siempre allí donde, con un inesperado golpe de efecto, se confundirán el bien y el mal. Opinió
«Ya no tenemos que añorar a Mario Puzo. El libro de Vito Bruschini es un thriller de aliento épico y de fuerte impacto narrativo.»
Francesco Fantasia, Il Messaggero
«Ya no tenemos que añorar a Mario Puzo. El libro de Vito Bruschini es un thriller de aliento épico y de fuerte impacto narrativo.»
Francesco Fantasia, Il Messaggero
576 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
19 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Vito Bruschini
22 books11 followersVito Bruschini is a renowned Italian journalist who heads the news agency Globalpress. He lives in Rome, Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 13, 2016
Bruschini is a talented writer. Behind this Godfather-esque novel is a solid historical argument about the rise of the Mafia. The storyline is fascinating in all of its Byzantine pathways. Readers starting out will be confused by all of the characters and their relationships with each other. The confusion settles itself out as characters die and revelations are brought to light. However, many reviewers talk about history and fact. This book is a work of fiction. The anti-hero and the hero are both pure works of fiction. Only the brief part about the allied invasion of Sicily is based on history, and it is still not clear how much of that is factual.
The book is divided into two parts. Part I is centered in Sicily ca. 1920-1940. Bruschini flips between events in 1919 and 1939 greatly adding to the confusion, probably unnecessarily. However, if readers just read the chapters in 1919 and then the ones in 1939, many of the mysteries seems a little more obvious. The second part of the book is set in New York ca. 1940-1943. The second part is horribly fictionalized. Although Bruschini tries to incorporate some historical points, these are mutilated and come out terrible.
Part I tries to argue how the Mafia originated in Sicily. Bruschini displays considerable knowledge of Sicilian history. His descriptions of the gabelotti, campieri, and land owners are very good. However, the Mafia was well-established by 1920. The events he describes are much better set in the 1860s-1870s. Most scholars on organized crime agree that the hired guards (gabelotti) that the land owners used to control bandits morphed into the Mafia. They were very-well organized by the time Mussolini took over Italy. As the novel shows, Mussolini forces many Mafiosi to flee Sicily for America. Bruschini glosses over the verbage and history as he makes a story for his anti-hero.
The Prince is Ferdinando Licata, a wealthy landowner who uses is charisma and intelligence to cheat other people. If his wits fail him, he sends in the gabelotti. The system allows him to appear as a man of the people. However, he too is forced to flee Sicily. Once in New York his story changes, and all pretense at historical accuracy are discarded. Licata joins his distant relatives scrapping by in New York. He idly enjoys his life until some Irish gangsters trouble his relatives. At that point he decides to set out and create his own Mafia family with considerable violence along the way. It looks like a drastic change of character. Bruschini shrugs it off saying that "it is better to have bloody hands than to dip your fingers in the fountain of Judas." It is a curious metaphor that totally changes the flow of the book.
Another Sicilian refugee in New York is Saro, the hero of the book. He is the good boy whom Prince Licata seems to manipulate at every turn into being a bad guy. Much like Licata, readers will turn away from him because of his highly questionable actions. Both characters become unlikeable. Both have American adventures that needlessly drag out the story. However, Licata appears to thoroughly corrupt Saro by the end of the book.
Licata and Saro become entangled in the allied invasion of Sicily. There are some documents suggesting that the Navy sought help from the Mafia in protecting the New York docks from sabotage. The sinking of the Normandie was notorious. Very little else appears to have happened. Naval Intelligence intercepted Nazi collaborators quite successfully. There is speculation that the Mafia sank the Normandie to force the military to come to them. But there really is no evidence. Similarly, the tale of Luciano convincing Vizzini to support the allied invasions is also undocumented. Bruschini obviously read the fictionalized Last Testament of Lucky Luciano and accepted some parts as factual. Once again, there is virtually no documented evidence that the Mafia helped the allies with the invasion. Bruschini acknowledges that the Italian Army in Sicily was in a demoralized and under-equipped state at the time of the invasions, and still managed to fight off the allies for three months before the island was secure. However, it is clear that the military helped the Mafia take over key administrative positions and allow them to cheat and steal from military stockpiles.
Overall, the book is fascinating and engaging. I could hardly put it down until the second part in New York where Bruschini follows so many other authors in exaggerating the underworld. As a story, the novel alone stands out well. I do strongly object to the bizarre mish-mash of fiction and history (i.e. Vito Genovese was the boss of the Genovese Family. When he went to prison, his nephew, Sante took over the family. Vito Genovese became boss of the Luciano Family in the 1950s. In 1943 he was in Italy dodging a murder charge. He did not have a nephew named Sante). Readers can learn about the Mafia development with the gabelotti; but understand the events took place long before 1920. In short, take the story, leave the history. Or is it, take the gun and leave the canoli?
The book is divided into two parts. Part I is centered in Sicily ca. 1920-1940. Bruschini flips between events in 1919 and 1939 greatly adding to the confusion, probably unnecessarily. However, if readers just read the chapters in 1919 and then the ones in 1939, many of the mysteries seems a little more obvious. The second part of the book is set in New York ca. 1940-1943. The second part is horribly fictionalized. Although Bruschini tries to incorporate some historical points, these are mutilated and come out terrible.
Part I tries to argue how the Mafia originated in Sicily. Bruschini displays considerable knowledge of Sicilian history. His descriptions of the gabelotti, campieri, and land owners are very good. However, the Mafia was well-established by 1920. The events he describes are much better set in the 1860s-1870s. Most scholars on organized crime agree that the hired guards (gabelotti) that the land owners used to control bandits morphed into the Mafia. They were very-well organized by the time Mussolini took over Italy. As the novel shows, Mussolini forces many Mafiosi to flee Sicily for America. Bruschini glosses over the verbage and history as he makes a story for his anti-hero.
The Prince is Ferdinando Licata, a wealthy landowner who uses is charisma and intelligence to cheat other people. If his wits fail him, he sends in the gabelotti. The system allows him to appear as a man of the people. However, he too is forced to flee Sicily. Once in New York his story changes, and all pretense at historical accuracy are discarded. Licata joins his distant relatives scrapping by in New York. He idly enjoys his life until some Irish gangsters trouble his relatives. At that point he decides to set out and create his own Mafia family with considerable violence along the way. It looks like a drastic change of character. Bruschini shrugs it off saying that "it is better to have bloody hands than to dip your fingers in the fountain of Judas." It is a curious metaphor that totally changes the flow of the book.
Another Sicilian refugee in New York is Saro, the hero of the book. He is the good boy whom Prince Licata seems to manipulate at every turn into being a bad guy. Much like Licata, readers will turn away from him because of his highly questionable actions. Both characters become unlikeable. Both have American adventures that needlessly drag out the story. However, Licata appears to thoroughly corrupt Saro by the end of the book.
Licata and Saro become entangled in the allied invasion of Sicily. There are some documents suggesting that the Navy sought help from the Mafia in protecting the New York docks from sabotage. The sinking of the Normandie was notorious. Very little else appears to have happened. Naval Intelligence intercepted Nazi collaborators quite successfully. There is speculation that the Mafia sank the Normandie to force the military to come to them. But there really is no evidence. Similarly, the tale of Luciano convincing Vizzini to support the allied invasions is also undocumented. Bruschini obviously read the fictionalized Last Testament of Lucky Luciano and accepted some parts as factual. Once again, there is virtually no documented evidence that the Mafia helped the allies with the invasion. Bruschini acknowledges that the Italian Army in Sicily was in a demoralized and under-equipped state at the time of the invasions, and still managed to fight off the allies for three months before the island was secure. However, it is clear that the military helped the Mafia take over key administrative positions and allow them to cheat and steal from military stockpiles.
Overall, the book is fascinating and engaging. I could hardly put it down until the second part in New York where Bruschini follows so many other authors in exaggerating the underworld. As a story, the novel alone stands out well. I do strongly object to the bizarre mish-mash of fiction and history (i.e. Vito Genovese was the boss of the Genovese Family. When he went to prison, his nephew, Sante took over the family. Vito Genovese became boss of the Luciano Family in the 1950s. In 1943 he was in Italy dodging a murder charge. He did not have a nephew named Sante). Readers can learn about the Mafia development with the gabelotti; but understand the events took place long before 1920. In short, take the story, leave the history. Or is it, take the gun and leave the canoli?
March 3, 2015
Based on true events, this sprawling historical epic centres around charismatic Prince Ferdinand Licata, wealthy Sicilian landowner and aristocrat, who is forced to flee his native land when he gets entangled with the newly empowered Blackshirts and goes to New York where havoc and mayhem continue to dog him. It’s a novel about Sicily and the Mafia, and New York and its Mafia and how the two are closely entwined. Spanning the years from the 20s to 1943, it also tells of the Mafia involvement with the allied invasion of Sicily. Murders, revenge killings, gang warfare, turf wars with plenty of love and betrayal as well, it’s all here, and the narrative romps along at a good pace, and as it is both well-informed and well-researched, it is worth reading to learn more about Sicily and Cosa Nostra. Comparisons with Mario Puzo are inevitable and unavoidable, unfortunately to the detriment of Bruschino, whose flat, rather dry narrative plus his rather too many extraneous characters and sub-plots detract from the main narrative. However, for most of the time I could allow myself to go along with it all, and could overlook the occasional melodrama and over-reliance on cliché and stereotype and found it a good fun read.
October 19, 2012
Para aquellos que gustan de "El Padrino", es un libro que les va a encantar.
Este libro relaciona las historias de la mafia siciliana con la llegada del fascismo y la WWII así como la migración masiva desde el mundo entero hacia EEUU. Cuenta además cómo fue evolucionando el mundo mafioso internacional instalado en la costa este de EEUU.
Hacia el final, algunas cosas se vuelven un tanto predecibles, pero eso no le quita nada al libro en general.
Este libro relaciona las historias de la mafia siciliana con la llegada del fascismo y la WWII así como la migración masiva desde el mundo entero hacia EEUU. Cuenta además cómo fue evolucionando el mundo mafioso internacional instalado en la costa este de EEUU.
Hacia el final, algunas cosas se vuelven un tanto predecibles, pero eso no le quita nada al libro en general.
August 22, 2013
Un libro scritto molto bene. Forse non travolgente ma sicuramente interessante che mette luce sulle origini della commistione stato/mafia ai sui albori, cosa che ci fa capire sicuramente meglio al situazione attuale, purtroppo.
August 15, 2017
Mauvais. Je me demande encore comment j'ai pu aller au bout de ce livre en espérant à chaque page qu'il s'améliore.
November 10, 2020
Extraordinario libro! 100% recomendable
September 11, 2021
A fantastic mafia novel, amazing from beginning to end. All characters are superb, from licata to saro and jano! Historic parts are also very interesting
February 12, 2024
Excelente libro, me gustó como cerraron todas las historias
February 28, 2017
Basado en hechos reales y bien documentado el autor nos cuenta la historia de uno de los primeros capo mafia desde sus comienzos hasta su ascenso tanto personal como delictivo. El libro es interesante pero sin llegar a ser el padrino. El autor intenta emularlo por momentos pero nunca lo logra.
Entretenido, en algunas instancias se torna algo largo y aburrido pero por lo demás (historia,personajes,ambientación,etc.) se deja leer.
Entretenido, en algunas instancias se torna algo largo y aburrido pero por lo demás (historia,personajes,ambientación,etc.) se deja leer.
February 28, 2018
A readable, entertaining, melodramatic novel. It's all about an Italian aristocrat who becomes a gangster and who transfers his crime syndicate to the U.S. The writing is brisk, and the ups and downs make for genial roller coaster.
January 25, 2015
I spent the first 60 pages, or so, very frustrated with this book because there were so many characters, all going by first and last names, and I couldn't keep them all straight. If I remember correctly, Puzo did this as well. I think that's why I gave up on him. It's a frustrating storytelling device for people who are not good with remembering names. I finally did get the names down and got pretty invested in the characters, then they changed locations and a whole new set of characters were introduced. Frustrated again, but for a shorter amount of time. I also felt some of the character deaths were a bit abrupt and awkward (it's a mafia book, I don't think it's a spoiler to tell you people die). The whole book seemed a little too neatly packaged and wrapped up at the end. I think it would be fair to say that I enjoyed the middle half of the book, was annoyed with the first quarter, and by the time I got to the last quarter I just wanted it to be done. I think I will be donating my copy of this book to my public library.
This review is based on a free copy obtained through GoodReads First Reads.
This review is based on a free copy obtained through GoodReads First Reads.
March 31, 2015
It's an exhaustive - and exhausting - account of the rise and fall of Fascism in Sicily, the rise of the Mafia in New York, and the participation by the mob in the Allies' defeat of the Fascists.
Some of the historical stuff - particularly the description of the feudal life in Sicilian villages after WWI, and the Mafia involvement in assisting the Allies in WWII is fascinating .
It's a Mafia novel - there is violence, treachery, more violence and betrayal. And more violence.
There are too many characters, dozens too many, and they are mostly sketched, not defined or developed. Most of them are two dimensional stereotypes. The language in many places is stilted, and awkward. There is no way to know whether that is due to the author or the translator, but the effect is off putting.
The jacket claims it is based on a true story, but there is no indication other than the cameo roles played by actual historical figures (Thomas Dewey, Lucky Luciano, Vito Genovese et al)
what is based on fact and what is sheer fiction.
Some of the historical stuff - particularly the description of the feudal life in Sicilian villages after WWI, and the Mafia involvement in assisting the Allies in WWII is fascinating .
It's a Mafia novel - there is violence, treachery, more violence and betrayal. And more violence.
There are too many characters, dozens too many, and they are mostly sketched, not defined or developed. Most of them are two dimensional stereotypes. The language in many places is stilted, and awkward. There is no way to know whether that is due to the author or the translator, but the effect is off putting.
The jacket claims it is based on a true story, but there is no indication other than the cameo roles played by actual historical figures (Thomas Dewey, Lucky Luciano, Vito Genovese et al)
what is based on fact and what is sheer fiction.
February 26, 2015
The Prince is a grand, sprawling tale of The Mafia which covers the time period from just past the turn of the century, through the 1920's, to pre and post World War II, in the style of The Godfather. There's plenty of action and incident, which should satisfy readers looking for that, but my only criticism is that the characters aren't very complex or deeply drawn and the alternating time periods in the first third of the book combined with a large cast of characters makes it a bit of a challenge to keep everything straight. Events and multiple conspiracies unfold, reverse themselves, and come out differently than expected but between the speed and the fact that we don't care all that much about the characters, it all seems a bit mechanical. Still, there are some nice descriptions and a few good lines among the predictable dialogues. Recommended only for action and mafia fans. - BH.
March 19, 2015
The Prince is a novel based upon true events depicting the rise of the Mafia in Sicily and then America. The story opens with a massacre in the Sicilian valley of Salemi. There is a colorful cast of characters, each with their own ambitions, agendas, and problems. Slowly and intricately, they link together, creating enemies and allies. The story switches back and forth betweeen some decades, which at first caused me some confusion at first, but I soon settled into the story, becoming completely and utterly engrossed. No Mafia story is without its share of violence, and this novel is no exception, but it was not in the forefront and was never gratuitous. The story has a lot of characters and plenty of twists and turns. It was engrossing and kept me reading long into the night. Easy reading, compelling characters, and a fascinating topic makes it easy to understand why this novel will end up as the basis for film very soon! Loved it!
August 1, 2014
Que buen libro, que buena historia, que buen escritor, que buena trama. Vito Bruschini nos sumerge con su pluma en la historia del Príncipe Licata, un personaje que logra crear la mayor organización mafiosa del mundo, que es capaz de dictar leyes a los mismos gobiernos.
El libro de divide en dos partes, la primera se desarrolla en Sicilia y la Segunda en Estados Unidos.
Es un libro maravilloso, que pondría al mismo nivel de los de Mario Puzo.
Llevar este libro al cine seria un acierto de la misma magnitud del que fue la llevada al cine del padrino de Mario Puzo.
El libro de divide en dos partes, la primera se desarrolla en Sicilia y la Segunda en Estados Unidos.
Es un libro maravilloso, que pondría al mismo nivel de los de Mario Puzo.
Llevar este libro al cine seria un acierto de la misma magnitud del que fue la llevada al cine del padrino de Mario Puzo.
November 9, 2012
Simplesmente fantástico... Poucos livros me deram sentimento de perda, depois que terminei de ler. Esse foi um deles. O autor narra uma historia fictícia em meio a um cenário, fatos e personagens reais - como o chefão da Cosa Nostra, Lucky Luciano - numa Italia facista de Mussolini. O livro narrra a saga de Ferdinando Licata, um poderoso latifundiário da Sicilia, e como ele se tornou um dos principais chefes da máfia Italiana no EUA. Vale cada página!
November 26, 2014
I received this book from Goodreads.
I'm finding The Prince to be a book difficult to review. There are so many things going on at once its nearly impossible to encase it all in a simple review. Add to the fact that there are many twists and turns its like walking on ice; I could very easily unknowingly give up a plot twist or a surprise or two.
So, I'll leave it up to you fellow reader, to decide if you'll take the plunge and read The Prince.
I'm finding The Prince to be a book difficult to review. There are so many things going on at once its nearly impossible to encase it all in a simple review. Add to the fact that there are many twists and turns its like walking on ice; I could very easily unknowingly give up a plot twist or a surprise or two.
So, I'll leave it up to you fellow reader, to decide if you'll take the plunge and read The Prince.
December 9, 2014
If you want a good read about the beginnings of the Sicilian mafia, the rise of a benevolent yet implacable mob boss, and the gory circumstances surrounding his journey to the top, this story will take you there. Complete with all the roar and bang-bang of a 1930s New York to the secret warehouse meetings gone horribly wrong, this read is a good peek into ultra confidential Cosa Nostra affairs.
January 13, 2016
A good crime novel, in a grim sort of way, but might have been better at half the length, with the emphasis firmly in the Sicilian sections of the narrative, which do double-duty as a kind of social history of life under fascism. The New York sections often left me wondering, "Wait, didn't I already see this in one of the Godfather movies?"
September 5, 2012
Livro excelente. A sensação é de que se está vendo uma estória ao estilo de "O poderoso chefão", mas com ares de "Cinema Paradiso". Só a parte final do livro poderia ser melhor, pois parece que ficou meio corrida, apressada... Mas o livro é ótimo. Perfeito pra quem gosta de estórias de mafiosos.
March 10, 2015
Vito Bruschini delivers a compassionate yet candid picture of the transformation of Prince Fernando Licata to Mafia kingpin. Insightful and elegantly written. A must for lovers of crime fiction, yet will appeal well to literary fiction enthusiasts and historical fiction fans, too.
August 21, 2015
Good read. Interesting to start reading this book and discover it's set in Salemi Sicily, the birthplace of my both my parents. I can see this book turning into a film, it has the setting for it.
The book says it's based on a true story, but I haven't found anything to confirm this.
The book says it's based on a true story, but I haven't found anything to confirm this.
January 11, 2011
Fantástico best seller que te cautiva desde que lo abres. Recuerda a <> y te hace pasar unos bellos ratos en su lectura. Recomendable.
March 21, 2012
Amazing stories...seem true.
A really great book about Italian mafia in the fascism period.
One of the best.
Highly recommended if you like this genre..
A really great book about Italian mafia in the fascism period.
One of the best.
Highly recommended if you like this genre..
July 17, 2012
Fairly well written, quite entertaining once you get into the characters. The whole thing isn't top-notch literature, but it's ideal for when on holiday (in Sicily).
October 1, 2014
Mi libro favorito! historia interesante sobre distintos integrantes de las mafias de la época
September 16, 2015
El libro es perfecto en todo.
November 21, 2015
Lang over gedaan, maar toch steeds weer erbij gepakt. Het verhaal had sterker gekund als er niet zo veel zijwegen waren bewandeld. Toch intrigeren boeken over de maffia me toch altijd wel.
January 7, 2016
a bit too rushed and soap opera-ish towards the ending but overall a nice powerful "italian epic"
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews