Mafia boss Vizzini’s obituary framed him as a reformer, not a criminal.
Evidence
These stories have been amply reported (see Blok 1974: 124-125; Romano 1964; Lupo 1987b: 378-380; Catanzaro 1988: 133ff.). For a story similar to that of Calogero Vizzini, see Sabetti (1984: 116, 131). Vizzini’s obituary reads: “He was a precursor of the agrarian reform, he improved the lot of anonymous miners” (Pantaleone 1985: 71). On other occasions, however, Vizzini protected the interests of landowners (Hess 1973: 142).
— Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 865
Categorization
XREF: Feeds the reader’s mapping of mafia-as-third-party-enforcer: public legitimation narratives (‘precursor of agrarian reform’) are how a private protection firm brands itself as serving clients. Also parallels the reader’s other books on narrative self-justification.