The Italian café where I ate my sandwiches today was a joy.
The place was small but filled with animated Italians, even a possible Mafioso
dude. The café was in a big city everyone seemed to be friends, the 2
young guys behind the counter and the people sharing their morning food, espresso.
It was entertaining to just be there and eat quietly and observe from my stool.
Not sure the mafia guy (a second man showed up after) was a mob dude but it sure seemed that way. Maybe I have been watching too many Soprano episodes but the guy I thought was a mob person even looked like Tony Soprano. It was sort of weird, this guy walks in hands the person behind the counter a white envelope, the worker then makes a gesture with his eye (pulling down his eyelid with his finger). The man then hangs around, sticking his nose into everything and gets free food and a drink without paying . The Tony Soprano look a like also goes in and out of the back room a few times (not sure why customers would do that). What was the deal? Some kind of protection racket pay off? The staff at the Café seemed slightly pissed that he was there, especially when he kept asking for free stuff. Am I reading to much into this? Maybe so but it sure seemed like a mafia type thingy to me.
Not sure the mafia guy (a second man showed up after) was a mob dude but it sure seemed that way. Maybe I have been watching too many Soprano episodes but the guy I thought was a mob person even looked like Tony Soprano. It was sort of weird, this guy walks in hands the person behind the counter a white envelope, the worker then makes a gesture with his eye (pulling down his eyelid with his finger). The man then hangs around, sticking his nose into everything and gets free food and a drink without paying . The Tony Soprano look a like also goes in and out of the back room a few times (not sure why customers would do that). What was the deal? Some kind of protection racket pay off? The staff at the Café seemed slightly pissed that he was there, especially when he kept asking for free stuff. Am I reading to much into this? Maybe so but it sure seemed like a mafia type thingy to me.
Note* When I was in Venice I saw anti Mafia graffiti 2 times spray painted on walls. The mob came from Sicily and Italy so it makes sense that they are still ingrained in Florence society.
