Can Robert Saviano Be Saved?

(I found this old Blog I wrote in 2008. Reading it I discovered that I never did find the answer I asked. Somehow, I had not followed up that episode which at the time interested me a great deal. Maybe I could still find out the ending to it. Reposting it so that it's at least within reach so to speak, as reminder for me to dig around when time permits.)

** Posted on 12th Nov 2008 **

Just 3 years ago, Robert Saviano was a young reporter in Naples, Italy. With no fixed job and badly paid, he followed avidly the darker side of life in Naples, corruption, black market smuggling, revenge, assassinations. Matters of the Mafia Camorra, in chaotic and permanent civil wars. They generate tremendous violence, but due to their loquacious and exaggerating characteristic they lack the decisive and solemn tone that distinguish the Sicilians. To him the Camorra offers great literary possibilities.

In 2006 Saviano's life, not yet 30 years old, changed when he published his book 'Comorra' with the 'O for the 'a', about the Camorra, which received certain interest by the Camorras themselves, who passed the book from one to another, trying to recognise themselves with the characters. The book immediately became overwhelming success and Saviano began to feel some unease. The clans felt this young man should be liquidated. From then on, Saviano had to live a totally secluded life, incognito and surrounded only by a small escort of police.

He couldn't take that life in permanent solitary hideout and left his country to come to the Basque country, where nearly everybody else seems to be in the same boat. But he couldn't avoid the fate his book brought him. One of the atrocities, a hideous crime was described how, one day, he accidentally opened a container destined for the boat moored at the port of Naples, and dozens of dead bodies fell out. He couldn't forget the image and couldn't keep quiet, but followed the trail of that container, to discover the finest and most exclusive industry of Italian fashion, that kept in slavery thousands of Chinese immigrants, who worked below ground, in infrahuman conditions, under control of the Mafia criminals.

His book 'Comorra' not only denounces his own country Italy, but the whole of Europe, it's putrefaction and corruption, the hidden roots of it's present day prosperity obtained on the pains of new found slaves, not all that different from their ancestors getting rich centuries ago, thanks to the slaves' sweat and blood; which none of them wish to admit in public.

Now we all know that Saviano has been condemned to death reported on all media everywhere, not sure about Italy. This time, it's not the others, not those who are of the different kind, not terrorists, not Muslims, but our own bad lot. The Camorra has warned that he would not see 2009. So far nobody had done anything to voice their support to the author of the book, and the Hollywood actresses are patronizing the ONG wearing exclusive and exquisite fashions without asking who had sewn them.

 

Tags:Mafia,camorra,saviano

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Business Terms Explained

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing ... 2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. Marry him." -That's Advertising ... 3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me" - That's Telemarketing ... 4. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door of the car for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations ... 5. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! Would you marry me?" - That's Brand Recognition ... 6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a loud and hard slap on your face. - "That's Customer Feedback ...

Tag:BusinessTerms

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Sunday Love With Church Bells

I will never hear church bells ringing again without smiling!!

Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95-year-old grandmother to comfort her.

When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied,

'He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning.'

Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble.

'Oh no, my dear,' replied granny. 'Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice, slow and even. 'Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong. 

She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued,
'He'd still be alive if the ice cream van hadn't come along.'

Tags:icecream,churchbells

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How Can I Not Love Him - He Ruined My Life!

No doubt everybody knows about Oscar Wilde, and many of you might know also about Merlin Holland who is also a writer, of historical stories and anecdotes of the 19th century. But, very few of us would have known that Holland is Oscar Wilde's grandson, when their surnames don't match. Holland is Holland because his father, son of Wilde, was brought up with his mother's name, growing up as though his father had never existed. Possibly the mother wanted to protect him from the scandal of Wilde having been in jail for the 'crime' of being a homosexual (A crime in England until 1967). The grandson had recovered the record of the legal process of his grandfather's ordeal, and the written testimonies of his in depth insight of human nature, his brilliant wit and sharp humour, which is often classified as being deliberately wicked by many, but nevertheless adored by everybody. I am certainly an unconditional fan of all his works. I find every word he uttered intelligent and witty, and every gesture he made calculatedly but delightfully funny, in a contained sort of way. I have read quite a lot of plays he wrote and seen many played on stage in different countries, or in films, and always eager to read anything I could find about him. Anyway it was Holland I wish to know a little more about. He has compiled a full record of the trial of Wilde, and decided to let people know better about his grandfather, as well as make known the family connections. He didn't know about the family secret until he was 15, and later decided to investigate the whole legal process, his grandfather's life, the many gossips and accusations, and his early death at the age of only 46. A huge loss in the literary world. He attributes Wilde's later utter loneliness and abject despondency to his being locked up and shun away by society, quite against his free spirited nature, his treasured value of liberty of speech and action, resulting in the rapid deterioration of his body, mind and soul. He was a man who needed to live in society, amongst people, to constantly able to display his wisdom and wit, with humour or irony. Consequences was not the part that concerned him. This more than once caused him great inconvenience, definitely contributing to his earning the guilty sentence of being a homosexual, as he himself had practically collaborated with the accusation when, even in court in his own trial, he couldn't resist the temptation to air his arrogance, by answering the accusing question of whether he had kissed a certain young man, he answered "Oh never! He's not at all good looking." Or, his answer much later, when he had been set free after 2 years in jail, to the question in everybody's mind, whether he truly loved that young man Bosie, he said: " How can I not love him? He ruined my life!" Holland's new book is 'The Marquis and the Sodomite'. Included are many memorable quotes of Oscar Wilde. I will practice at least one of his doctrines today:'Always forgive your enemies; nothing would infuriate them more.' Tags:merlinholland,oscarwilde

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