A realistic understanding of the mafia must avoid depictions both of a monolithic organization and of localized, isolated groups. Here, renowned historian Salvatore Lupo analyzes the mafia as a network of varied relationships and institutions, the result of a complex cultural and social encounter that was shaped by multiple, diverse environments.

Salvatore Lupo is Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Palermo, Italy. The foremost and most frequently cited authority on the history of Sicilian mafia, he has published over 20 books and is a co-founder of the journal Meridiana.