Resource Analysis 4

Men of Dishonor by Pino Arlacchi

This is the story of Antonino Calderone, recorded by Pino Arlacchi in Men of Dishonor. He is the younger brother of the late mafia boss Giuseppe “Pippo” Calderone. Antonino is a defector from the Sicilian Cosa Nostra who offers details about the organization of the mafia and dishes all the dirt. Additionally, Calderone warns that the mafia is dangerous to the public, but then closes with a warning to his “family” that the public will have no mercy on them.

It is rare for mafiosi to open up as Calderone did for this book. It is because of the novelty and rarity of the whole thing that draws an audience of readers. There aren’t designated sections to the tale, it is a chronological account of Calderone’s life in the mafia. Although readers often immediately feel the narrator to be a source of truth, we have to take everything Calderone says with a grain of salt. He obviously protected his nuclear family and his close friends, not mentioning their involvement in crimes or declaring their innocence. On the other hand, he also laid out every criminal activity ever committed by his enemies, probably in hopes of having them arrested. No opposing opinions to Calderone’s are offered, so there are no counterpoints or other sources to confirm much of what he says to be true. In general, the big picture seems to have passed a fact checker, but whether or not the details are true is unclear. Antonino Calderone wanted his story to be known, and it is considered one of the most important dialogues about the mafia from a defector. Additionally, it is an overall encapsulating read, full of action and surprises and backstabbing. This book further asserts the danger posed by the mafia.