16. Legend has it that in Easter week 1282, a beautiful Sicilian girl was raped by a French soldier, touching off a rebellion against the French oppressors (see also no. 18). According to Joe Bonanno (1983): "The terrified mother ran through the streets crying ma fia, ma fia. This means 'my daughter' in Sicilian... Ma fia soon became the rallying cry of the resistance movement" against the French (p. 39).

XREF: Connects to the broader history of Sicily's violent resistance and the origins of organized crime described in the source.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 696