Secret Societies

Much is popularized of the Mafia in film, literature, music and urban legend. Some stories are inspired by and respectful of facts, but many are presented via a creative lens distorting how organized crime began. References are often made to criminal activity in the infamous Prohibition Era, but few stories cover the preceding years. This new book however examines the early development of the Sicilian-American criminal network through the rise and fall of the first US Mafia boss of bosses Giuseppe Morello and his powerful brother-in-law Ignazio Lupo.This meticulously illustrated volume of Secret Societies shines a light on this fascinating time of American history and organized crime. It does so through research from primary sources, richly illuminating the period of the 1890s-1920s using photos, documents, contemporary articles and illustrations. Through a combination of period photographs, government records, news clippings, graphic design and fully annotated text, Secret Societies permits the reader to witness the important moments and trends in the development of Sicilian-American organized crime in the United States. A visual, photographic & design feast.