Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What are some reasons, historically, that Italians immigrated to the United States? What is meant generally by the term Mafia? Why might Mafia members have immigrated from Italy?

Teaching Suggestion: Vince, the protagonist in the novel, is the son of a mob boss. It may be beneficial for students to explore reliable resources that discuss the rise of the Mafia, how it made most of its money, and where the Mafia is today.

• This article describes the rise and decline of the Mafia in American history.
• This 16-minute animated video describes the Mafia’s role in the United States today. (Content Warning: As you might expect, this video includes mentions of violence, assault, threats, weapons, and murder; animations and language are somewhat irreverent in tone; may not be appropriate for all classes and may work better as a teacher-facing resource.)

Short Activity

Create a mind map based on the questions below. To create a mind map, take the central question “What is the Mafia?” and place it in a circle in the center of the page.