Secret Societies examines the early development of the Sicilian-American criminal network. Illustrated with an abundance of primary sources including more than 175 period photographs, contemporary articles and primary documents, the book provides an innovative and meticulous, graphic-driven illumination of this fascinating period of American history and organised crime.
The popular image of the Mafia in film, literature, music and even urban legend is inspired by and respectful of the facts, but much is presented through a creative lens distorting how organised crime began. References are often made to criminal activity in the infamous Prohibition Era. Secret Societies presents the origins story of the American Mafia through the rise and fall of the first boss of bosses Giuseppe Morello and his powerful brother-in-law Ignazio Lupo. This is a time before the Castellammarese War—a period of bloody power struggles for control of the Italian-American Mafia that took place in New York City between 1930 and 1931. The important period preceding the war is considered murky and lacking historic documentation, until now.
Same Old (2020), paperback, exposed sewn binding, 21cm × 29.7cm
