About this item
The chilling story of one woman's rise to prominence in the Italian Mafia, and the as-yet untold stories of the women who followed in her footsteps. For as long as it has gripped our imaginations, the Mafia has been tied to an ingrained image of masculinity. We read about "made men," "wiseguys," and "goodfellas" leading criminal organizations whose culture prizes machismo, with women as ancillary and often-powerless characters: trivialized mistresses and long-suffering mob wives. The reality is far more complex. In The Godmother, investigative journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau tells the stories of the women who have risen to prominence, and fallen out of favor, in the Italian mob, beginning with the most infamous of these women: Pupetta Maresca.
About the Author
Barbie Latza Nadeau is an American journalist and author who has lived in Rome, Italy, since 1996. She has worked as the Rome bureau chief for Newsweek Magazine and currently holds that position for The Daily Beast. She is an on-air contributor for CNN and a writer for Scientific American.Barbie's first book "Angel Face" about the murder of Meredith Kercher and the criminal trials of Amanda Knox was adapted for film in 2011. Her current book "Roadmap to Hell: Sex, Drugs and Guns on the Mafia Coast" chronicles the tragic journeys of Nigerian women trafficked for sex in Italy.