30 comes from the sovereign political arc... But mafia likes small, closed worlds, rather than an open one. And in this sense, in a very broad sense, it resembles sovereign ideologies. Since you suggested to highlight the weaknesses of the mafias in order to fight them, can it be said that, for instance, one of the greatest successes in fighting mafia has been achieved overseas thanks to an infiltrator, the very famous Donnie Brasco? Yes, Joseph Pistone, who besides wrote a fantastic book (Donnie Brasco, Ed.’s Note), in which he tells his entire period of apprenticeship. It was a glaring error on the part of the mafia. A blunder... And as a matter of fact, after Pistone, the rules have changed. That book is extraordinary because it tells how he sold drugs instead of just buying them, which undercover cops usually don't. Or, he went to bars and said nothing. He never asked questions. He was just there. From your books, it is clear that you too love going to the places you write about. Once there, do you also use Donnie Brasco's strategy to gather information (that is to keep your mouth shut and not to ask any questions)? Yes. A very important aspect of my way of working is going to the places I write about. I have tried never to write about unvisited places. In my opinion it is fundamental, because living them gives you a sense of space, a sense of geography, and even if you don't discover any particular secrets, during the journey you can learn how people live their daily life. You can interact and talk, because obviously I'm not undercover, so I always declare who am I. It would be much more dangerous to go undercover, or to pretend to be a different person. If I’d get caught, I would risk a lot more. So, to get a clue on your next book’s subject, allow me to ask you what your last trip was. I haven't traveled in a while due to the Covid emergency, and I'm sorry about that. But, not so long ago, I went back to Russia...
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