Omerta

Don Raymonde Aprile is an old man, wily enough to retire gracefully from organized crime after a lifetime of ruthless conquest. His three children have grown up to become respectable members of the establishment. To protect them from harm, and to keep an eye on his group of international banks, Don Aprile has adopted a "nephew" from Sicily, Astorre Viola, whose previous legal guardian made the unfortunate decision of committing suicide in the trunk of a car.Don Aprile's retirement is viewed with suspicion by Kurt Clike, the FBI's special agent in charge of investigating the Mafia. Clike has achieved remarkable success in breaking down the bonds among families, cultivating high-ranking sources, who, in return for federal protection, have violated omerta-Italian for "code of silence".As Clike and the FBI mount their campaign to wipe out the Mafia once and for all, Astorre Viola nd the Apriles find themselves in the midst of one last war, a conflict in which it is hard to distinguish who is on the right side of the law, and whether mercy or vengeance is the best course of action.Rich with suspense, dark humor, and larger-than-life characters who have turned Mario Puzo's novels into modern myths, OMERTA is a powerful epitaph for the Mafia at the century's end and a final triumph for a great American storyteller.