An unemployed Sicilian is taking cash home thanks to The Godfather and foreigners' fascination with the Mafia, and he's hoping police won't mind.
Salvatore Trippodo has set up shop outside Palermo's Massimo Theatre - seen in the closing scenes of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather III - and he's doing brisk business selling Mafia-inspired T-shirts.
One shows Marlon Brando in his role as Don Corleone in the Godfather Trilogy while another features three Mafiosi as symbols of the syndicate's omerta' code (oath of silence) - don't see, don't hear, don't speak.
"Tourists are just crazy about them and I'm finally earning something. I've never hawked before so I am hoping this doesn't land me in trouble," said Trippodo, 42, referring to the fact he has no licence.
"The idea came to me when I was really depressed about my chances of ever finding a job. It's really hard to find work in Sicily and it's so easy to slip into doing something wrong. But with a bit of imagination, you can create your own job".
The hawker's initiative is just the latest in a series of attempts to do a bit of honest business by playing on the island's notorious links with Cosa Nostra.
One of the biggest-selling items in a Palermo chain outlets last year was a T-shirt which boldly stated 'Mafia - Made in Italy'.
The Mafia T-shirt business has reached the internet too, with the www.cosanostra.it website selling tops in a wide variety of colours and designs. There are even different cuts for men and women.
The 2007 spring-summer collection features a "Cosa Nostra" T-shirt in white, black, green or blue.
