Mafia: Criticism of Mafia board game – inventor apologizes

The award-winning German board game “La Famiglia – The Great Mafia War” is causing strong criticism in Sicily. The game, published by Boardgame Atelier in Starnberg, is based on the events of the second major mafia war in the 1980s, in which feuding mafia families fought bloodily for dominance in the south of the country.

Inventor: Didn’t mean to hurt

The game’s inventor, Maximilian Maria Thiel, expressed concern about the reactions. “I didn’t expect that, it’s a point that I underestimated,” Thiel told the German Press Agency.

“I am very sorry if people feel hurt by the game. That was and has never been my intention.” He himself lived in Italy for a long time and is very connected to the country. That’s why he chose the Italian Cosa Nostra for the game. There are various branches of the Mafia in Italy – including the Cosa Nostra from Sicily.

Originally, an accompanying booklet was planned that would explain the background, said Thiel. They now want to ensure that this is included in all new editions, said Thiel. In the reactions, the war between the families is now mixed with the murder of mafia hunters like Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who do not appear in the game.

There are thousands of other war games. The game is deliberately played with blocks, which underlines the strategic nature of the game.

Outrage in Sicily

According to Corriere della Sera, Alessandro De Leo, regional politician for the Forza Italia party, criticized: “This product not only insults the dignity of Sicilians, but also devalues ​​the daily commitment of millions of citizens who fight for legality and justice in our region. “

According to the report, he turned to the Sicilian regional president Renato Schifani and asked to examine all options to stop the spread of the game. “Even more serious in every respect is the trivialization of the violent elements, such as the use of car bombs, which have been reduced to mere play tools.”

“Insults souvenirs”

Criticism also comes from the family of Falcones, who died in a car bomb in 1992. “I don’t understand how someone could have come up with the idea of ​​developing such a game that plays with the feelings of those who lost their lives in the service of the state,” said his sister Maria Falcone, according to Corriere della Sera.

“The Mafia brought only death in Sicily and in Italy,” Falcone said. “The thought of such a game insults the memory of all those people who did their part to liberate this country.”