Articles by: Andrea Riccio

Addio Pizzo è un movimento dal basso, nato in Sicilia nel 2004 per proporre una “rivoluzione culturale” necessaria ad abbattere il sultanato della mafia. All’interno di una piu’ ampia lotta alla criminalita’ organizzata, il gruppo si prefigge in primo luogo di combattere contro il racket delle estorsioni, il “pizzo”, appunto, che mina lo sviluppo di numerosi commercianti ed imprenditori siciliani. Arma concreta di questa battaglia è il consumo critico, ossia l’acquisto di beni presso esercenti che dichiarano esplicitamente di non pagare il pizzo.

Francesco Bertolino, ex Presidente di Addio Pizzo, e fondatore di una lista di cittadini che si oppongono al racket, ci fornisce uno sguardo dall’interno al fenomeno mafioso e, soprattutto, ai modi per combatterlo

Addio Pizzo” nasce nel 2004, cosa è cambiato da allora?

“Addio Pizzo” ha sicuramente dei meriti importanti: in primo luogo ha reso il racket un tema di attualità, ha scosso la cittadinanza, l’ha spinta a parlare di un tema così delicato, le ha offerto la via dell’associazionismo, la prima arma per sconfiggere la Mafia, che agisce proprio quando il cittadino viene lasciato solo. Il movimento, inoltre, si è fatto portavoce di un messaggio innovativo: non sempre essere dalla parte della legalità corrisponde ad essere un perdente e, pertanto, seguire la via dell’economia pulita puo’ essere anche remunerativo.

L’associazione “Addio Pizzo” può essere definita una “risposta dal basso” alla criminalità organizzata. E’ possibile vincere questa guerra senza la mediazione delle Istituzioni? E, soprattutto, quali sono i rapporti di questi movimenti volontari con le Istituzioni?

E’ assolutamente impossibile pensare di sconfiggere la mafia senza l’aiuto dello Stato: il movimento, infatti, ha agito dapprima in segreto per poi cercare l’appoggio delle Istituzioni, che si sono dimostrate di grande supporto. “Addio Pizzo”, infatti, si prefigge di dimostrare che lo Stato c’è e che intende aiutare i cittadini.

La storia dell’Antimafia è  costellata di personalità carismatiche. C’è qualcuno a cui “Addio Pizzo” e lei in prima persona vi ispirate in particolare?

Sicuramente Libero Grassi, un imprenditotre che ha pagato con la vita la sua ferma opposizione al racket, è uno degli ispiratori del movimento. Anche la vedova Grassi, attualmente Presidente onorario di “Addio Pizzo”, è una persona a cui guardiamo con affetto e stima, una “nonna” per tutti noi. Personalmente sono anche molto legato al giudice Caponnetto, che per la prima volta ha dato visibilità  al pool antimafia e ha voluto nella sua squadra personalità del Calibro di Falcone e Borsellino. Anche al termine del suo mandato il giudice ha continuato la sua lotta alla mafia; lo ha fatto visitando le scuole siciliane, parlando con i giovani e sensibilizzandoli al tema. Anche il nostro incontro è avvenuto in questo modo.

La mafia è un fenomeno a sé  o può essere accostato alle altre forme di criminalità organizzata presenti nel Sud Italia? Se si tratta di un fenomeno “autonomo”, quali caratteristiche la rendono peculiare?

La mafia ha senza dubbio le sue peculiarita’: e’ l’organizzazione criminale più antica e più conosciuta del Sud Italia e, proprio per questo, è profondamente radicata sul territorio. Ma va detto che, oggi come oggi, la globalizzazione ha raggiunto anche la criminalità organizzata e non ha più senso parlare di fenomeni a carattere locale o di stampo esclusivamente mafioso.

Come rivelano gli studi del Centro Impastato il fenomeno mafioso gode in Sicilia di una “signoria territoriale”. Lei non crede che si possa parlare anche di una “signoria ideologica”?

Purtroppo si’. La Mafia interviene dove il cittadino e’ debole, privo di scelta; dove le istituzioni latitano o sono colluse. Io credo che nessuno accetterebbe di fare accordi con la mafia se avesse di fronte un’altra possibilità. E’ questo il problema: l’organizzazione mafiosa troppo spesso ispira un modello a persone che non lo hanno, fornisce assistenza, una sorta di assessorato alle politiche sociali, dove lo Stato non arriva. Ho addirittura saputo che in una recente retata sono stati trovati documenti relativi ad una sorta di “ufficio reclami” del pizzo. Più presente di così?

Dopo 5 anni, “Addio Pizzo” e le altre associazioni che combattono il racket possono definirsi il nuovo volto dell’Antimafia?

Il giudizio lo lascio a chi ci guarda dall’esterno, eppure mi sento di affermare che “Addio Pizzo” ha sicuramente degli elementi di grande novità rispetto al passato: proponiamo un messaggio diverso rispetto ai precedenti movimenti antimafia. Basti pensare che noi veicoliamo un’idea di successo, di prosperità economica (e pulita) a chi aderisce all’associazione. Il modello precedente, invece, si basava sul sacrificio, sulla morte per la causa: riscuoteva tanta solidarietà ma pochissimi -non a torto-  scendevano in campo.

Oltre alla lotta al pizzo, quali sono gli altri fronti necessari a recuperare la dignità?

Bisogna estirpare la corruzione, la complicità che a volte si instaura tra mafia e mondo politico. Non parlo, in questo frangente, della Magistratura o delle Forze di Polizia, dalle quali abbiamo sempre ricevuto grande aiuto. Mi riferisco, piuttosto, alla “politica pura”, del governo e degli enti territoriali. E’ difficile, in un tale contest6o, trasmettere un messaggio di legalità e farlo accettare ai cittadini.

Quanto è difficile aiutare un commerciante siciliano a sovvertire lo status quo? Trovate molta resistenza? Quanta paura c’è ancora in Sicilia?

C’è ancora paura ed è comprensibile, ma stiamo avendo un’ottima risposta dai commercianti e dagli imprenditori. Basti pensare che oggi “Addio Pizzo” raccoglie circa 400 attività mentre le precedenti liste anti racket arrivavano ai 10 iscritti. Questo accade perchè l’esercente si sente tutelato anche sotto il profilo economico e sa che le Istituzioni lo supporteranno attraverso rimborsi ed agevolazioni a seguito della sua denuncia.

Il messaggio di “Addio Pizzo”, inizialmente, è stato diffuso in maniera “virale”, quanto conta quindi  il “passaparola”? Che rilievo sta avendo, invece, il problema dell’estorsione criminale sui media? Pensa che sia dipinta in maniera corretta?

Il passaparola è stato fondamentale, soprattutto se si pensa che parliamo di un movimento spontaneo che è passato da sei a trenta aderenti in un mese appena. Ora anche i media -non solo in ambito locale ma anche nazionale ed internazionale-  ci danno grande risalto e, salvo pochi casi di “misunderstanding”, ci hanno sempre presentato in maniera corretta.

C’e’ chi dice che la criminalità organizzata stia cambiando volto, diventando più sottile e più insidiosa. Non esiste più l’etica dell’“onorata società”, non esistono più regole. Il mafioso o il camorrista, inoltre, non portano più i baffoni e la lupara; le nuove generazioni sono ben educate, ben vestite e spesso con master in prestigiose università. Il crimine accede, ben camuffato, alla “buona società”, alle sfere alte. Lei è d’accordo con questa opinione? 

Assolutamente sì, credo sia un fenomeno molto attuale. La mafia forse esiste ancora nelle sue forme stereotipate solo nei piccoli centri ma, ovviamente, il giro degli affari è fuori, in un contesto molto più ampio e molto più “legato” alle sfere alte. Lo stesso procuratore Grasso, proprio a New York, parlerà di questo tema in un intervento dedicato alla “nuova mafia”.

Riccardo nasce a Bologna 33 anni fa e, sin dall’infanzia, mostra interesse per il cinema. La sua strada è già decisa a 14 anni quando, durante la Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, chiede a Steven Spielberg quale sia la miglior scuola degli Stati Uniti per studiare cinema. La risposta del grande regista gli rimane in mente e, appena è sufficientemente “grande” - a circa 20 anni- Riccardo si trasferisce a New York per frequentare la Tisch School of the Arts presso la New York University.

Eppure, come nel migliore dei finali a sorpresa, un altro motivo sta per regalargli un’immediata fama: la sua cucina. Riky, infatti, è uno dei tre finalisti di “The Ultimate Recipe Showdown”, programma televisivo prodotto dalla Food Network.

Mentre sediamo comodamente sull’erba di Central Park, godendo finalmente il sole dopo troppi giorni piovosi, Riccardo mi racconta come è arrivato in tv. “La mia partecipazione allo show è casuale, alcuni studenti del mio corso di cucina (ebbene sì, insegno anche cucina!) me ne hanno parlato e mi hanno convinto a partecipare. La selezione per far parte del programma è piuttosto complessa e si divide in numerose fasi: prima ho mandato tre ricette, poi un video e infine, dopo un’intervista telefonica, mi hanno finalmente detto che ero in finale nella categoria “comfort food”. Considera che ho avuto la notizia mentre ero in vacanza in Sicilia ed è stato piuttosto complicato, tra fax preistorici e connessioni latenti alla rete, riuscire a fare tutto per tempo. Ma ormai è fatta, a breve c’è la finale. Mi sto esercitando tutti i giorni. Sono davvero emozionato!”.
 

Per paura di passare per l’ignorante di turno - insomma  l’italiana solo pizza e spaghetti - non ho chiesto chiarimenti in merito al comfort food. Ma il dilemma è stato subito sciolto quando Riccardo mi ha spiegato la ricetta che preparerà durante la finale del 28 settembre: “farò gli Uccelletti Scappati, un piatto tipico della tradizione emiliana, che le mogli erano solite preparare quando i mariti tornavano dalla caccia a mani vuote… senza uccelletti, insomma! Si tratta di piccoli spiedini di mortadella, carne di maiale e formaggio a pasta dura (un emmenthal o una fontina stagionata) immersi nella besciamella e poi fritti…una cosuccia leggera!”. Più comfort di così!
 

Con il suo sorriso fresco, quasi infantile, ed una buona dose di orgoglio, Riky mi racconta che l’amore per i fornelli è nato in anni di attenta osservazione della nonna, bolognese d.o.c., amante della buona cucina e della convivialità. Il merito in realtà va a tutta la famiglia, un gruppo di specialisti della cucina. “A casa mia siamo davvero attenti al mangiar bene. Pensa che da 40 anni, ogni Natale, compiliamo il 'libro del tortellino', un quadernetto dove appuntiamo i commenti post-pranzo al fine di ottenere il tortellino perfetto!”
 

Viste le ottime premesse era quasi naturale che Riccardo diventasse un cuoco provetto e un amante della cucina. Bisogna però essere precisi: Riky prepara piatti rigorosamente italiani, ancor meglio se di Bologna e dintorni. “Nonostante siano 13 anni che vivo all’estero, la mia cucina non si è lasciata contaminare. Faccio solo ricette italiane e compro, quando possibile, ingredienti italiani. Da buon bolognese ci sono due cose che non mancano mai nel mio frigo: il maiale, in almeno uno dei suoi derivati, e il parmigiano reggiano. Nella dispensa, invece, c’è sempre del cioccolato!”.

Dopo questo racconto una cosa è sicura: la prossima intervista  con me non la si farà al parco… pretendo una cucina attrezzata! Sono infatti certa che Riky, sebbene maiale-dipendente, riuscirà a trovare tra le sue tante ricette un piatto leggero e ipocalorico da preparare alle donne perennemente-a-dieta (anche gli uomini promettono di farla, ma al primo attimo di distrazione femminile divorano tutto quello che hanno a portata di mano!) dello staff di I-Italy.

There’s only one way to fully understand the value of a product: ask to final consumer. This is what exactly the Italian Trade Commission and A.N.C.I. (the National Association of the Italian footwear manufacturer) did in partnership with Footwear News, on the occasion of the innovative competition “Stepping Out in Italian Shoes. Popular Choice Award.” The public selected through voting on the internet which Italian designers received  prizes for their products. This initiative has been a great success, both in terms of voting and the  presence  of attendees at the award ceremony held at the Italian restaurant, Montenapo, a suggestive location.

Many officials and many “stars’ naturally attended the party, but the most surprising aspect of the evening was the massive presence of standard people that attended the cocktail party (after a complicated process of obtaining invites on the Internet) just for love of Italian shoes. “I love Italian shoes,” in fact, was the most frequent and first comment that these people expressed when interviewed. Another widespread opinion among the “consumers” attending the event is that Italian shoes are not only extremely stylish, but also very comfortable and crafted with high quality materials.

The comments of the public are echoed by those of the experts:

Aniello Musella, Director of the ITC of North America, has expressed his positive feelings towards the event: “it has been a very successful initiative of image and communication  in one of the most important areas of made in Italy: footwear. Tonight many buyers, arriving in New York for fashion week, as well as many fashion journalists, are  attending this event. There are numerous consumers also; their presence here is extremely relevant because they are the final group of all the activities organized by the Italian Trade Commission that we hope to reach. It was the awareness of this big power of the public on the market that has inspired the Stepping Out in Italian Shoes’ idea: we wanted consumers to vote for their favorite stylists so that they can understand their precious role on the fashion agenda.

Moreover, the ITC is preparing another interesting initiative in partnership with the Herst publishing group about Italian fashion which will be presented at the end of September. We are organizing a huge promotion through specialized print publications, the web and 150 retailers all over the US. This promotion about made in Italy will last three weeks between March and April.

In addition, the ICT will soon bring  five delegations to the main Italian fairs in order to create five special inserts to be published on Herst’s fashion magazines. We must remember that made in Italy is a "brand", or marker, of high quality  that invites consumers to buy those products even in periods of economic crisis. The ITC is doing all its best to help the development of this great brand.”

Also Fabio Aromatici, Chief Executive Officer of A.N.C.I., has shown his enthusiasm for the awards: “The organization of this competition has taken a year of work. Everything began at the acme of the crisis because we wanted to help the companies we represent, which are more than 800, to overcome this difficult period. We really wanted to do something, not only for the enterprise already presentt on the U.S. market, but also for all of those that wanted to “conquer” this market.
 

 The A.N.C.I. has involved 80 companies with Stepping Out in Italian Shoes and  has given American fashion journalists the hard work of making the first selection among these companies. Obviously, the final choice was in the hand of consumers that have joined the voting massively. We can state that business and the public have both responded greatly to the initiative. We firmly believe that all the comments left by voters on the Stepping Out website could be used as useful marketing cues for the companies.

However made in Italy is displaying great strength against the wind of the recession. This is probably happening because of some peculiarities of Italian companies: first of all, the presence of all the phases of the production in the same country; we are an exception in this. On the occasion of this competition, we have presented some new Italian footwear manufacturers to the U.S. market and the public is giving positive feedback. Everything make us hopeful for next winter season.”

The five winners of the Stepping Out in Italian Shoes awards have declared their commitment for the prize, but also the effort to cooperate in order to promote made in Italy, a market always growing in the US.

 "This a very innovative and valuable initiative!" told us Arturo Venanzi, Sales Director of Franceschetti, winner in Men’s Designer category . Instead, Claudia Carnevali, of Calzaturificio Giorgio Fabiani (winner for Women’s Contemporary) has expressed her surprise for the enormous number of comments left on the site of the awards by consumers : “I didn’t expect such a great response! It’s wonderful!”

 On the other hand, Claudia Ciuti, designer and winner of the award in the Women's Designer category, has stressed the peculiarities of made in Italy shoes: “Italian shoes are not just beautiful, they are also extremely comfortable. Our designers are able to mix the emotional with the practical in a perfect way.” Emiliano Baccarini, Sales Manager in the U.S. for Roberto Guerrini (awarded for Men’s Contemporary Category), has the same opinion: “The Italian shoe stands out in the choice of materials and in the manufacture. That is why we produce unique products which are desrible in a period of crisis.” Simona Zerchi from Casadei's staff, winner for the Innovative Design, showed her enthusiasm for the prize : “This is the right recognition for our policy of innovation and quality.” 

At the party was also present the Consul General, Francesco Talo’, always supportive of the events organized by the Italian Community: “Stepping Out in Italian Shoes is a success and the site chosen for this celebration  is wonderful, very Italian. I have really appreciated the idea of a popular awards, because it can create a solid link between final consumers and brands. In fact, I have suggested that the winners pay attention to the comments of the public. What makes Italian shoes so famous? Well, a perfect mixture of design, innovation, beauty and attention to ecology. We are unique!”

This event has been a concrete signal of the popular appreciation of made in Italy in the U.S. and of its ability to cope with a difficult moment. As we have heard at Montenapo, Italian shoes have lots of fans, thanks to their ability to go straight to the heart without hurting the feet!

photos by Mark Von Holden/Wirelmage.com

There should be a reason that Italian fashion is so famous all over the world.

The tenth edition of the Arts & Tannery, the biennial exhibition of Italian leather and textile manufacturers, gave us the opportunity to discover the reason behind Italian fashion’s popularity. This event, which is organized by the Italian Leather System Consortium in partnership with the Italian Trade Commission, is an extraordinary chance for cool-hunters, fashion designers and stylists to enjoy the leather novelties of the Fall/Winter 2010/2011 season, and admire high quality materials, all researched specifically for the American market.  
 

Speaking with the Director of the Italian Trade Commission of New York, the Consul Generalwho personally attended the event, and with the ten exhibitors showing their product at Arts & Tannery, gave me the opportunity to fully understand Italian fashion’s points of strength. Some peculiarities of Italian production, like the prevalence of small and medium clothing industries (usually characterized by family owned businesses) as well as the use of top quality and handmade products, allow this market to still thrive during the global recession. 
 

Aniello Musella, Director of the ITC of New York explains this phenomenon: 
“The small and medium enterprise is the strength of the Italian industrial system, because in periods of recession it reacts better than big corporations thanks to its flexibility and its ability to let the demand and the supply meeting. Even if we are talking of high range products, this industrial structure is able to check the costs of each moment of the production’s process, arriving on the market with a competitive final price. This is fundamental nowadays. 
 

“Versatility is another core value of these small and medium companies. This is true especially in tannery fields, where many producers are able to create goods based on the needs of their clients, the American buyers. I have to admit that Italian fashion is showing good performance despite the difficult economic situation. In this period, in fact, big department stores, like Sacks, 5th Avenue and Bloomingdales, have restarted to purchase orders. It’s true, these orders are not equal to those of the pre-recession period, but something is in movement. Generally, I can speak of a bigger selectivity among products; the department stores are investing on the key elements of American demand because they don’t want unsold items. I can however give evidence to a return to Italian fashion productions, which are the top among the high quality products. 
 

“The Italian Trade Commission helps direct promotion of Italian industries towards the big department stores and eventually to final consumers. For instance, we are organizing an interesting initiative for the Italian shops on Madison Avenue during Christmas Time; we want people to pay attention to Italian artisan products. In addition, we usually bring American traders directly to Italy to show them well-known fashion and design fairs. We do for Pitti, a company/exhibition in Florence, for VicenzaOro, the biggest Italian jewelry exhibition, and for the Furniture and Design fair in Milan. Very soon several American buyers will go to Milan to attend Micam, a shoe fair, and Mipel, a tannery fair, that  occur at the same time.
 

“Obviously the main purpose is to reach the American consumer, but this always happens in partnership with US Department Stores, that are the direct contact with customers. As a result these stores, thanks to their closer relationships with consumers, convey the message of the ICT in a deeper way.” 
 

The Consul General, Francesco Zaló, has also showed his enthusiasm towards the initiative:  

“These manufacturers represent the Italian excellence, especially in a field where many European countries have given up. This happens because of Italian creativity and research. The courage that all these industries are showing by coming here for the Arts & Tannery exhibition in spite of the crisis must also be underlined. By the way, we all hope that this year will not be as difficult as the previous one. 
 

“I have found extraordinary products in this exhibition and we have to be proud of them. What has really surprised me is that in a relatively small space there are ten different exhibitors that sell similar kinds of items without competing with one another because their products are so unique.” 
 

Yet, to really appreciate Arts & Tannery, let’s have a look at each of the ten exhibitors, which have been so kind to also give us trend suggestions for next season: 
 

Ausonia was founded in 1946 at Santa Croce sull’Arno;born as a familiar enterprise it is now part of a group of six tanneries located in Tuscany’s industrial area. “Our goals are quality and ecology. We care about the enviromental impact of our industrial processes and we try to

work as greenly as possible.” Also, in fashion they suggest a very natural style but with shiny colors like blue and green.

BCN Concerie was founded in 1938 at Santa Croce sull’Arno by Lupi’s Family. It is still a family run industry that tries to maintain the hand-crafted tradition. BCN’s masterpiece is the biological tannery, a process that makes leather not only ecological, but also very soft and water resistant. For the next season BCM suggests natural leather and warm colors.
 

Certaldese is a Tuscan company with a 60-year-old history. Unlike most of the other exhibitors, it is not a tannery, but a factory that creates semi-finished leather products, belts and bags in particular. As a result, they work with stylists and fashion designers like Michael Kors, Bottega Veneta and Armani. Certaldese is not interested in mass production and it focuses on high quality materials and flexibility.  
 

Conceria M2 was founded 37 years ago in Santa Croce sull’Arno (PI). It is a family run, enterprise specializing in hand-crafted suede, plain or stamped. This is the 5th year that M2 participates in this fair and for this edition they have proposed a special suede treated with wax and then brushed. Regarding fashion, they advised us: “After two or three seasons of patent leather now it is time (luckily for us) for opaque leather, such as suede. Next season promises to be very casual.”

Mb3 conceria is a 15 years old enterprise, owned by Nuti’s family. This tannery, located in Santa Croce sull’Arno (PI), is the development of a former project. “In my opinion, New York is the most important fashion market in the world. That’s why I’m here for the 5th year consecutively,” Marco Nuti, Mb3’s owner has told us. His fashion advice is to go for a casual style, wearing dark colors such as black, brown and grey. 
 

Pellegrini International is a new entry at Arts & Tannery. This familiar factory of Fucecchio (FI) works python leather and realizes many different treatments on it such as coloring, painting and embroidery. They suggest to us a very natural style, with some camouflage and dark colors.  
 

Primorpelli is a hand-crafted tannery of Fucecchio (FI) with 20 years experience in mutton and goat leather. They mainly design winter coats, and the most common manufacturing they do consists of washing and then blowing drying the leather. In their opinion, brown will be the dominant color next year.   
 

SanLorenzo is a family run factory from Santa Croce sull’Arno (PI) and it specializes inshearling, a pelt with leather on one side and wool on the other one. Shearling is a winter material, used mainly for coats but also for bags and boots. San Lorenzo’s tannery completely manufactures handmade goods, and offers to its customers a wide range of models and colors. This is the fifth year that they attend Arts & tannery, and they have told us that next year’s trend will be very natural. 
 

Tuscania industria conciaria is a 15 years old tannery from Fucicchio of Florence (FI).

This factory does a very particular thing: it reproduces reptile textures on veal’s leather through very complicated handmade processes. “Our products seem to be made in authentic reptile leather, only an expert could recognize that it is veal instead. In this way, our leather is far cheaper than that of snakes or crocodiles.” For 2010 season Tuscania suggests a sporty look based on warm colors as grey, bordeaux and dump green.

Val Vibrata Ornaments is a family run company started 25 years ago in Alba Adriatica (TE). They produce metal accessories to finish bags and other leather products and they are pretty famous in Italy, as they work with Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli and Tod’s. This is their first year in New York: “We are here because we want to explore the US market and we hope to have success,” the young director of Val Vibrata Ornaments said to us. His fashion advice for the coming season is to buy bags with big buckles colored in silver or palladium.  

Since the previous year’s edition of Arts & Tannery, held in February 2008 during the peak of the economical recession, something has changed. We have perceived this change through the voices of the leather producers as well as from the comments of Aniello Musella (Director of the Italian Trade Commission of New York), who has put much effort into helping the Italian fashion industry keep its historical place in the US market even in a period of crisis. By the way, things seem to be going better now, and the American economy is starting to rise again.
 

 The Italian market in the US has followed this positive trend thanks to its specific peculiarities. These are the secrets of Italian fashion industry: small sized and family run businesses, eco-consciousness, great creativity and a lot of passion are all characteristics that make Italian products impossible to resist!