Books, in 'The Godmothers' women at the top of criminal power

The book by Barbie Latza Nadeau, an American journalist and writer living in Rome

Stories of women who rose to power in a criminal world still dominated by men. This is the central theme of the book "Le madrine - Omicidi, vendettas e donne della mafia" (VandA Edizioni) by Barbie Latza Nadeau, an American journalist and writer who has lived in Rome since 1996.

"Pupetta Maresca, also known as Lady Camorra, was the first woman in power in the mafia. Wife of a murdered boss, she challenged the system by shooting 29 times the man who had stolen her husband. Starting from her story, the author tells the story of other women who rose to the top of the criminal ladder," the book's introduction states. "Through a combination of in-depth research and direct interviews with leading figures in the criminal world, Barbie Latza Nadeau, an investigative journalist, lifts the veil on a side of the mafia that has remained largely unexplored: its women in power." "Moving beyond stereotypes, 'Le Madrine' redefines the very concept of a mafia organization, dominated in the collective imagination by machismo and absolute masculinity, but here governed by strong, intelligent, and ruthless women," it is emphasized. "Leaders capable of wielding power within the Italian mafia, the protagonists of this book recount their choices with intimate and detailed accounts: from avenging the death of a lover to managing family business while the men are in prison."

The author herself, in her notes, emphasizes: "This book focuses on women who achieved power in a male-dominated system, those who managed to climb to the top of the criminal underworld. I've told the stories of women who achieved 'success' within their families and corrupt social structures, gaining power in a world still deeply male-dominated. Some of them lived to tell the tale, others died trying to escape."