Origins of the Mafia

For decades, gritty stories about the Mafia have occupied the pages of popular literature and dominated the big screens of Hollywood. And yet, few people know the real story behind how and when this formidable system of organized crime actually began.

This provocative and compelling 5-part drama from Granada International Television journeys back more than 400 years to 16th-century Sicily, where the small Italian island has fallen victim to corruption, intimidation, extortion, and brutality, all at the hands of the ruthless Gramignano family. The program then follows the development of succeeding Sicilian Mafiosos, illustrating the limitless power wielded by these fearsome and powerful men, and revealing the merciless atrocities which were carried out on any and all who dared to stand in their way.

Through dramatic reenactments filmed entirely on-location in Italy, "Origins of the Mafia" provides careful insight into how organized crime came to be known by the powerful images reflected in such popular films as The Godfather trilogy and in the more recent HBO television series The Sopranos.