PALERMO--When I visited Sicily in February of 2009, the Antica Focacceria San Francesco was closed for remodeling, and guarded round-the-clock by a police detail. (The background is part of this post.) The owner, Vincenzo Conticello, had said "basta" to the Mafia goons who came around for their traditional payoff (known as a pizzo), and this one man's courageous stand quickly made him a hero. Support from honest locals made the Antica Focacceria into this city's best-known restaurant, articles about Conticello began appearing in newspapers around the world, and the next thing you know there's an Antica Focacceria stand at the Fiumicino airport, three stores in Milano and two sit-down spots in the very heart of Rome. (Website: afsf.it)
The New York Times chronicles Conticello's success in a story today. Take a bite out of crime, the story says; mangia with people dedicated to fighting the Mafia, whether it's called Camorra, the 'Ndrangheta, the Cosa Nostra.
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