Posted by Karly Wood on Friday, June 3, 2016 in Blog posts.

The three most frequent and common themes that I picked up on during my interview with Simone were the importance of family, an immense loyalty to his hometown Cefalú, and a sentiment of distrust towards the government. Simone currently works at Food Sicily, one of the town’s most popular food and convenience stores, but also a local spot of socialization. Often friends and townspeople pass through to say hello or come by for some food as well as conversation. Simone is smiley, friendly, and loves to talk to anybody who comes by, despite being shy as a young child. He was born in Cefalú, but lived his first 10 years in other parts of Sicily, such as Milano. Simone has always felt an obligation to stay home with his mother and brother because his father works so much. He spoke warmly and frequently of his family and its influence on his decisions, reflecting it’s integral role in his life. Both of his parents grew up in Cefalú and close surrounding areas, never venturing too far from the town he considers home. During childhood, his father often worked in various parts of Italy and Europe for his pharmaceutical job, while his mother operated the tobacco shop down the street from Food Sicily. Later, the family opened up the Food Sicily shop that we see today, where both Simone and his father appear daily to keep things running. Regarding family, I found that Simone reflected the Sicilian sentiment of a welcomed obligation to family and staying close to one’s roots. In America, often children are encouraged or strive to leave the nest towards the city hubs, such as New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. Living at home or by family is sometimes perceived as a weakness or unwillingness to cut the cord, while in Sicilian culture it is a source of pride, happiness, and connectedness.

I was then amazed by the level of commitment and love Simone expressed towards his town of Cefalú. He explained that he continually searches for ways to improve the town, organize events, and enrich the lives of those he lives with. Because the town is so small, he says that he knows everyone, even the elderly from when he was a child. Last year he planned an amazing food festival in just one month completely alone. What floored me was that he paid $5,000 euros for the event out of his pocket, expecting absolutely no return other than the satisfaction that he brought happiness to his townspeople. The event was spectacular, bringing in catered food, live music, street performers, and body painting. People of all ages were brought together to enjoy their time together solely because of Simone and his time, effort, and money. To him, it was entirely worth it. Again, his immense loyalty to his town reflects an inherent Sicilian value of appreciating and returning to one’s roots, something that resonates less in our own American mindset.

The final theme that struck me from the interview was a general distrust of the government and being part of it. Assisted by this interview and other outside information, I have begun to understand why this attitude arose and persists today. Simone firstly discussed how town elders often convince him to run for government positions. Cefalú is a relatively small, tourist town and therefore an unlikely target for mafia infiltration today. Born in 1985, Simone was however raised in a decade still threatened and dominated by Mafiosi. The 80’s also encapsulated the antimafia movement, with the Maxi Trial and a new Sicilian commitment to rejecting passivity and speaking out about the mafia. At the time, politics and mob activity were insidiously yet tightly entwined, leaving it difficult for Sicilians to really trust the government.

What I concluded from the various perspectives is that corrupt government and mafia have blended so closely together in the past that the term is used loosely now. Everybody who isn’t working with you is against you or the “mafia.” Simone is more likely using this word to describe the government collecting taxes, but who really can know where the money goes, whether rightfully to the government or to twisted politicians and an evolved, hidden mafia. I can concretely observe, however, that the past has left impression on the Sicilian people and established this suspicious, every-man-for-himself attitude.