In the district of Palermo known as Abbot's Villa, few citizens were more warmly respected than heavy-jawed Antonino Cottone. A onetime butcher who prospered mightily during the U.S. occupation of Sicily, Nino Cottone was respected partly for his wealth and partly for his excellent connections in the Demo-Christian Party. But the foundation of Nino's respectability was the fact that he was boss of the "Mafia of the Gardens"—the section of the world-famous Sicilian criminal syndicate that "protects" Palermo's fruit marketmen and citrus growers.
One night last week prosperous Nino Cottone, 52, returning home...
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