The game, which simulates the war of criminal clans in Sicily in the 1980s, offends the relatives of Italians killed by the mafia. The glorification of the mafia hides many dangers, said the Italian ambassador to Germany, Fabrizio Bucci.
The board game La famiglia, which simulates the war of mafia clans in Sicily in the 1980s, has outraged the Italian government. This is&mentioned in a letter from the Italian ambassador to Germany, Fabrizio Bucci, to the editors of the tabloid Bild.
Taking the mafia lightly poses a double danger, authorities say
In the German board game La famiglia (The Family), players lead rival mafia clans on the island of Sicily. In the process, they can undermine their enemies.
Relatives of Italians killed by the mafia have criticized the new game, and the Italian government has also expressed its displeasure. Sicilian politicians are insisting that sales of the Italian version of the game be stopped.
“The mafia should never be seen as a game,” Bucci stressed.
Taking the mafia lightly, the diplomat said, poses a double danger. Firstly, it risks reducing complex issues to superficial and stereotypical notions, and secondly, it offends the feelings of people who try to fight the mafia every day and sometimes give their lives for it.
The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quotes the indignant reaction of the sister of magistrate Giovanni Falcone, who was killed by the mafia in 1992.
“I don't understand how you even thought of creating such a game. You are playing on the feelings of those who gave their lives in service to the state. The mafia caused as much suffering to Sicily as it did to all of Italy. Such a game offends the memory of the people who contributed to the liberation of this land,” — she said.
Ambassador Bucci added that it is necessary to awaken in the younger generations not the glorification of criminals, but the civic courage to fight criminal organizations.
The creator of the game, Maximilian Thiel, expressed regret over the reaction of people to his creation.
“I am very sorry if the game offended anyone. That was never and will never be my goal,” he said.