Italians Furious Over Board Game Mimicking Mafia Violence in Sicily

rome - Italians express outrage over a board game depicting violence of the Sicilian mafia, sparking controversy.

Board Game Sparks Controversy

A board game from German company Boardgame Atelier invites players to take control of districts belonging to Sicilian mafia families, using resources like car bombs, eliminating 'soldiers,' constructing drug labs, and smuggling boats. Up to four players can participate.

Mimicking Mafia Warfare

The objective is to gain control over six different mafia families, each with 'special skills' to compete and dominate Sicily. Players must carry out ruthless tasks and eliminate enemies from other clans, simulating the warfare of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra in the '80s and '90s, notably the violent acts of the Corleonesi clan led by Toto Riina.

In France, the game has received praise, winning the As d'Or award last year in Cannes, a prestigious board game award. The game has also been translated into Italian and is available for online purchase.

However, Sicilians are particularly appalled by the trivialization of the tragic history of murders and massacres on their island. Maria Falcone, sister of investigative magistrate Giovanni Falcone who was assassinated in 1992 by a massive bomb explosion along with his wife and bodyguards on a Sicilian highway, condemns the game.

Outrage and Criticism

'I cannot comprehend how someone can invent a game that plays with the emotions of those who sacrificed their lives in service of the state. The mafia has only brought death and devastation to Sicily and Italy,' Maria Falcone stated.

Sicilian politician Alessandro De Leo of Forza Italia party has written to Sicily's regional president Renato Schifani, urging condemnation of the game's commercialization. De Leo denounced the transformation of a criminal phenomenon, along with its violence and suffering, into a board game. He criticized the trivialization of violence such as car bombings, reduced to a mere game element.

Previously, businesses and associations in Sicily have protested against products that trivialize the mafia. De Leo emphasizes the need for action to prevent the game's dissemination.