This work investigates the historical origins and systemic entrenchment of the Sicilian Mafia, specifically examining how external political interventions facilitated its resurgence. Norman Lewis, a renowned travel writer and journalist, utilizes his investigative background to document the organization's evolution from a local defensive mechanism into a pervasive criminal entity. The text argues that the Mafia's survival and subsequent power were bolstered by the administrative decisions of the United States military during the 1944 occupation of Sicily.

Critics and historians frequently cite this work as a foundational piece of investigative journalism that exposed the deep-seated corruption within Sicilian institutions. Readers often note the stark, journalistic prose that effectively captures the grim reality of the Mafia's influence during the post-war period.