98:
She showed remarkable resourcefulness and autonomy. The court attributed to Vitale a decisively different role from the one that Mafia women had performed in the past. She took part in the decisions her brothers made in prison, personally contacted leading Mafia personalities, such as
Corleone bosses
147:
She justified her decision to testify simply "for the good of my children." She said: "I want to be a mother and I want to be near my children. They've got to grow up with me. If I stay in prison, I'll lose them." "While I was in jail, they brought my son, who is now 12, to see me. He was about six
77:
in 1991–92. At the age of six she started to visit prison regularly when her brother
Leonardo was jailed. "Life for me was with my brothers," she told a court after she became a state witness. "It was impossible to have any relationship with people of my own age. I had absolutely no idea of how to
90:
Her brothers became fugitives and, later, were arrested and both given long jail sentences for murder. Leonardo and Vito turned to Giusy to keep the clan moving and exchange messages while they were separate. While not a "man of honour" in both senses – women are not allowed to enter the Mafia as
81:
At the age of 13 she left school. Her brother
Leonardo, who was 17 years her major and acted as her father, was jealous, she explained. "I'd reached the third year of middle school but he wouldn't let me go any further." She knew her brothers were men of honour in Cosa Nostra and they kept her
49:, Sicily. Giusy took over the command over the clan when her brothers were in prison or fugitives, despite the formal Mafia rule that excludes the participation of women in the criminal organisation. As such she was considered one of a new breed of 'bosses in skirts'. Later she became a
151:
She petitioned for divorce, violating yet another of the Cosa Nostra's strict rules, which forbids adultery. Vitale today lives outside Sicily under Italy's witness protection programme, and is making a new life for herself with her children.
119:
Two months after she has assumed the leadership of the mandamento, she was arrested in June 1998. she was sentenced to six years. In
December 2002, she was released, but arrested again in March 2003 for ordering a murder.
91:
made members – Giusy Vitale became the regent of the mandamento after the arrest of her brother Vito in April 1998 and managed the affairs of the Vitale clan, although she could not participate in Mafia meetings.
94:
Her brothers had several reasons to give her the position: their sister was already fully aware of all the secrets of the family because she had been the go-between for the members inside and outside jail.
304:
242:
20:
107:. Such an essential position had never been seen involving a woman. Other Mafia bosses accepted the nomination by her brothers, and she could be considered a veritable
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140:. Her husband, Angelo Caleca, was serving time for a killing that she allegedly ordered. In February 2005, she became a state witness (
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She was raised in a traditional Mafia family in
Partinico, 40 kilometres from
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The
Godmother: Murder, Vengeance, and the Bloody Struggle of Mafia Women
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Mafia, il boss rinnega la sorella: "Sei pentita, che tu possa morire"
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262:"Mamma spiegami cos'è la mafia?" Così il boss divenne una pentita
214:'La prima donna boss' Vitale tells court of her Mafia family life
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Women and the Mafia: Female Roles in
Organized Crime Structures
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693:
459:
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57:," or code of silence, testifying against her own family.
1201:
305:Mafia 'godmother' turns supergrass on own family
249:, by Teresa Principato, Narcomafie, October 2005
69:. The Vitale clan had taken over the Partinico
1136:Sicilian brigandage and rebels (20th century)
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290:La donna boss si pente: lo faccio per i figli
161:Vitale, Giusy & Camilla Costanzo (2009),
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128:While in jail, Giusy, mother of two, met a
33:(born in Partinico, 1972), better known as
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216:, The Independent on Sunday, July 3, 2005
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280:
252:
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18:
871:Grand Hotel et des Palmes Mafia meeting
295:
1202:
855:List of Sicilian Mafia members by city
363:(Paperback). New York: Penguin Books.
358:
219:
132:, Alfio Garozzo, a former head of the
1030:List of victims of the Sicilian Mafia
398:
307:, The Daily Telegraph, April 17, 2005
292:, Corriere della Sera, March 26, 2005
13:
424:
352:
85:
14:
1251:
1131:Italian brigandage (19th century)
1010:Direzione Investigativa Antimafia
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335:Fiandaca, Giovanni (ed.) (2007),
60:
912:Portella della Ginestra massacre
53:, a state witness breaking the "
942:Via Federico Pipitone massacre
850:List of Sicilian Mafia members
322:, La Repubblica, April 8, 2005
264:, La Repubblica, June 18, 2005
1:
359:Nadeau, Barbie Latza (2022).
329:
41:bosses Leonardo, Michele and
1084:Article 41-bis prison regime
1000:Italian Antimafia Commission
995:Sangiorgi report (1898-1900)
155:
16:Member of the Sicilian Mafia
7:
1046:1960s Sicilian Mafia trials
10:
1256:
972:Via dei Georgofili bombing
446:Interprovincial Commission
123:
1174:
1066:
1038:
987:
930:Circonvallazione massacre
902:
879:
863:
842:
816:
783:
735:
707:
674:
611:
602:
549:
506:
432:
240:L’altra metà della Cupola
195:, BBC News, June 26, 1998
114:
78:live a different life."
1230:Italian female gangsters
1184:Organized crime in Italy
176:
391:, sur mafieux.fr – 2015
1057:Pizza Connection Trial
676:Caltanissetta Province
193:Mafia showdown averted
27:
1220:People from Partinico
978:Via Palestro massacre
775:San Mauro Castelverde
341:, New York: Springer
144:), from behind bars.
22:
1179:American Cosa Nostra
1094:Banda della Magliana
1089:Banda della Comasina
1074:American Cosa Nostra
966:Via D'Amelio bombing
924:Viale Lazio massacre
689:Vallelunga Pratameno
666:Campobello di Licata
661:Palma di Montechiaro
165:, Milan: Mondadori,
936:Via Carini massacre
275:Women and the Mafia
37:, is the sister of
1189:Mafia bibliography
1151:Sacra Corona Unita
954:Pizzolungo bombing
651:Sambuca di Sicilia
613:Agrigento Province
387:Retrouvez d'autre
245:2011-07-22 at the
28:
1235:Italian gangsters
1197:
1196:
948:Train 904 bombing
838:
837:
770:Belmonte Mezzagno
171:978-88-8045-844-9
101:Leoluca Bagarella
1247:
1225:Sicilian mafiosi
1015:State-Mafia Pact
918:Ciaculli bombing
893:Second Mafia War
803:Mazara del Vallo
785:Trapani Province
737:Palermo Province
626:Santa Elisabetta
609:
608:
589:Cuntrera-Caruana
433:Chain of command
419:
412:
405:
396:
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389:«Femme mafieuse»
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887:First Mafia War
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631:Porto Empedocle
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508:Codes and terms
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353:Further reading
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105:Giovanni Brusca
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86:Capo mandamento
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31:Giuseppa Vitale
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426:Sicilian Mafia
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379:External links
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370:978-0143136118
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61:Mafia heritage
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23:Giusy Vitale,
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451:Capo dei capi
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163:Ero cosa loro
160:
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134:Cursotti clan
131:
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109:donna d'onore
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26:
25:donna d'onore
21:
1119:Unione Corse
905:and bombings
360:
336:
317:(in Italian)
312:
287:(in Italian)
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274:
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259:(in Italian)
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237:(in Italian)
162:
150:
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118:
108:
97:
93:
89:
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64:
34:
30:
29:
24:
1210:1972 births
1166:Vendicatori
1146:'Ndrangheta
1104:Beati Paoli
1059:(1985–1986)
1053:(1986–1992)
895:(1981–1984)
889:(1962–1963)
727:Pagliarelli
717:Porta Nuova
482:Consigliere
478:(Sottocapo)
385:(in French)
75:Nenè Geraci
43:Vito Vitale
1204:Categories
1099:Basilischi
1051:Maxi Trial
1020:Addiopizzo
745:Camporeale
722:Brancaccio
604:Mandamenti
559:Corleonesi
521:Mandamento
491:Caporegime
487:Capodecina
440:Commission
330:References
273:Fiandaca,
82:informed.
71:mandamento
988:Antimafia
903:Massacres
824:Mistretta
699:Mussomeli
641:Cianciana
636:Canicattì
621:Agrigento
584:Inzerillo
499:(Soldier)
476:Underboss
156:Biography
47:Partinico
864:Meetings
830:Siracusa
760:Bagheria
750:Corleone
594:Graviano
564:Galatolo
516:Made man
442:(Cupola)
277:, p. 286
243:Archived
1240:Pentiti
1126:Garduña
1109:Camorra
1067:Related
1025:Pentito
1004:members
843:Members
798:Trapani
709:Palermo
541:Pizzino
497:Soldato
142:pentita
138:Catania
130:pentito
124:Pentita
67:Palermo
51:pentita
1156:Stidda
1039:Trials
980:(1993)
974:(1993)
968:(1992)
962:(1992)
956:(1985)
950:(1984)
944:(1983)
938:(1982)
932:(1982)
926:(1969)
920:(1963)
914:(1947)
808:Alcamo
765:Trabia
755:Cinisi
646:Ribera
579:Motisi
574:Minore
526:OmertĂ
456:Family
367:
345:
169:
148:then.
115:Arrest
55:omertĂ
817:Other
694:Riesi
569:Greco
551:Clans
536:Pizzo
531:Faida
460:Cosca
177:Notes
136:from
73:from
45:from
39:Mafia
35:Giusy
880:Wars
828:Sud
684:Gela
466:Boss
365:ISBN
343:ISBN
167:ISBN
103:and
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418:e
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