La mafia uccide solo d'estate - La serie

This is me, Giammarresi Salvatore, in 1979

and I'm about to tell you my story. My story and that of my family.

Cheese... Click!

This is my father, Giammarresi Lorenzo.

He works at the General Registry Office in Palermo, he's a quiet guy.

Because nothing's done through intermediaries here.

He believes the recipe for happiness has three ingredients. Honesty.

If they ask you a favour you must do it,

and once you've done it there's no going back!

Caution.

We're betting on Palermo's victory at the "Totonero".

- 5,000 lira! - What good's that going to do?

And to be happy with what one has.

She's my mother, Pia, and she's way less quiet than my father,

partly by nature and partly because she's a teacher,

but she hasn't got a school, she keeps taking competitive exams

but there's always someone who gets there before her.

They've flung me right down at the bottom.

- What do you mean? - Yes,

passed by people who came after me up to last year.

She's Angela, my sister, she's 6 years older than me.

She finds us all disgusting lately.

Apparently it's normal for girls of her age.

Women must be free, how often must I repeat it?

But she seems totally mental, there's no way of reasoning with her.

Mum, Karl Marx says that each...

- Darling! Karl Marx is dead, okay? - Is he?

Then there's my uncle Massimo, mum's brother.

He's a wildlife officer, but none of us has ever seen him work.

Oh, sorry.

I think he needs the map to find his office.

Have you made changes here?

He boasts he's the only one of us who knows how to live

and even if he's the opposite of my father

and they don't get along too well...

We have a hero!

I really love him because nothing's forbidden for him.

Hey! This thing about waiting 3 hours after you've eaten is women's bullshit!

Come on, jump in! Go!

So this is us, and as my father always says, we mustn't complain

because in those days Italy was a real mess.

Those were the Years of Lead, we had terrorism, the crisis,

governments dropping like flies...

While Palermo...

Palermo's beautiful, it's always sunny

even if they say we've got the Mafia.

The Mafia can be invisible, you just don't have to think about it.

But if I'm here telling you our story

it's because at one point the Mafia came into our lives

and our lives changed.

- Who is it? - Where's that idiot of your husband?

- Have you gone mad?! - What?

Do you want to get us killed?

- Massimo! - Let go!

- They'll slaughter us all! - Hey, calm down.

You calm down!

He's turned into a hero!

Heroes don't exist here, only spies exist!

It changed so much, that one fine day

my uncle said we had to escape because of my father,

leave Palermo, Sicily.

And that maybe it wouldn't even be enough to keep us safe.

Because of that useless wretch of your husband, we must all leave!

Out, come on!

Climb in, love.

It was summer, but it all started a long time before,

in the beginning of 1979, a year we'll never forget.

Alice!

- Alice! - What's the matter?

Stop, uncle, it's Alice!

Because that's the year the Mafia declared war on us

and it started when she appeared.

Children, let's all welcome your new classmate, Alice.

- Welcome, Alice! - Welcome.

Alice is from Palermo, but she was liv- ing in Catania, where her father worked.

Now he's been transferred to Palermo, right?

Yes, my father's the new executive director of the Trinacria bank.

- There! - Wow!

And she'll be with us from today. Let's see who you can sit next to.

- Move off, sit next to Fofò. - Why?

- So she sits beside me. - No!

There's an empty place next to Fofò. So it'll be Fofò.

Come on, go and sit down.

- Hi. - Hi.

- You're a cuckold. - So are you.

There! In one go I'd discovered women, love

and sensed how complicated those two things were.

Though I still didn't imagine the tragic consequences of my discovery.

- Shit, you've all the luck. - It's not luck.

What is it then?

I focused my thoughts, "Next to me. Next to me."

And as always, when I want something I get it.

"Next to me. Next to me". It's not your super powers,

it's your father's money and you're spoilt.

- So what? Is it a sin? - Worse than a sin, it's unfair.

Hey, are you fighting over a woman?

First, we don't fight because we're friends.

Second, you don't fight over a woman.

Third, I saw her first.

- What's that supposed to mean? - She's not a picture card on the floor.

By the way, I've four Chimentis, want one?

- Wow, Chimenti, thanks. - It's okay, bye.

Sebastiano and Fofò, one poor, the other rich.

Two idiots, but my best friends.

Ball to Chimenti who flies towards the goal,

avoids a defender, then another one, strikes and... Goal!

But let's get back to us, to how things in my family

started going wrong, even if we couldn't see it yet.

Hello?

One moment.

Mum, it's for you!

Who is it?

Hello?

Yes, it's me.

Oh, good evening, tell me.

I'm sorry.

Yes... Tomorrow? Yes, I'm free tomorrow.

Sure, tomorrow morning at the school in Partinico. I'll be there.

So, my best to you, headmaster. Alright?

See you tomorrow, goodbye. Have a nice evening.

A colleague in Partinico has twisted her ligaments

and the meniscus seems to be affected too!

So...?

What's wrong, love?

- I'm an ugly person. - You're not an ugly person.

- You're actually quite sweet. - Drop it, I'm serious.

I keep wishing accidents on colleagues

so I can substitute them and when it happens I'm happy.

It's not your fault. If only they gave you a tenure status...

I'd stop! It's what I always think too.

Now, let's think, twisted ligaments is one month, two with rehab.

- Not to talk about the meniscus. - The meniscus!

But Partinico's far off, it's at least an hour away.

So? I'll get up earlier. It's just a matter of organization.

I'll deal with it all. Angela!

- I'm studying, mum. - Good girl. Good girl...

First the phone, then you call and Salvatore's always in the way!

Don't come complaining about my marks.

I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

From tomorrow your mother will be substituting a teacher in Partinico,

so I won't be home in time to cook lunch for Salvatore and your dad, so...

So what?

So I'll leave you something ready that you'll finish preparing.

- But why me? - Because you're a woman, love.

I knew it! But just for once, just once can't he cook?

How can he, dear? He's 10, what's this nonsense?

Women must be free! How often must I repeat it?

We've got a rebel at home and I hadn't noticed. Open!

While everyone was taken by Saturday night's fever and turned the page,

Angela had just bogged down in declining ideologies of the '70s,

but that wasn't certainly enough to stop my mother.

Angela, listen carefully, the sauce is ready,

you throw in the pasta, count up to 11 and drain it. Don't forget the salt.

I've put the cheese and salad in the fridge and the table's set.

- Where are we having breakfast? - At the café.

Salvatore! Are you ready?

Salvuccio, are you still in bed? It's awfully late!

I always thought it looked like a mushroom, but it's a heart.

Come on, it's late!

I'd gone totally mental too now.

Salvù, get something inside you because lunch is very high-risk today.

- Mario, is the toilet open? - Yes.

Hello, an "iris" pastry, please.

Here you are.

- I'll have an "iris" too. - Coming up.

I've made you want one too, haven't I?

Each day I tell myself I'll renounce,

but when I pass by, they seem to look at me, call me and I can't resist.

- If you know, then why do you come? - To see if I resist.

- Sorry, are you eating it here? - I'm taking it away.

- Are you testing your resistance too? - It's not for me, it's for someone.

Then I'd say you really care about this someone.

Yes, quite.

Mark my words, if you walk out of here and eat the "iris" straight away

it means you like this someone.

If you eat it before you get to school, it means you care for the someone.

If the "iris" gets safely to destination, then you're really in love.

Take care, bye.

- How much is it? - 115.

- Who were you talking to? - I don't know.

- Let's hurry up! - Goodbye.

That man was Boris Giuliano, head of the Palermo flying squad

and he was one of the best policemen in the whole world,

but I didn't know it yet

and couldn't imagine his story would intertwine with ours.

- Hi. - Hi.

- I've brought you something. - What?

So?

A parking space!

No! He's forgotten his satchel, what a head!

What a head!

It's green! What are you doing? Come on!

What's the matter?

- Hi. - Hi.

- This is for you. - Thanks.

- That cuckold's brought her an "iris". - You could've thought about it.

Hey, what is he doing?

Is he mad?

They've killed him! Help him! No!

Filù!