The Godmother

Murder, Vengeance, and the Bloody Struggle of Mafia Women

By: Barbie Latza Nadeau

Narrated by: Barbie Latza Nadeau

“The Godmother [is a] crisply written, dutifully researched book exploring the role of women in the…underbelly of Italian life.”—New York Times Book Review

The chilling story of one woman’s rise to prominence in the Italian Mafia, and the as-yet untold stories of the women who followed in her footsteps.

For as long as it has gripped our imaginations, the Mafia has been tied to an ingrained image of masculinity. We learn about "made men," "wiseguys," and "goodfellas" leading criminal organizations whose culture prizes machismo, with women as ancillary and often-powerless characters: trivialized mistresses and long-suffering mob wives. The reality is far more complex.

In The Godmother, investigative journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau tells the stories of the women who have risen to prominence, and fallen out of favor, in the Italian mob, beginning with the most infamous of these women: Pupetta Maresca. A Mafia woman born and raised, Pupetta avenged her husband’s murder, firing 29 shots at the man who killed him.

Woven throughout Pupetta's story is Nadeau's diligent research, and her personal interviews with the Mafia women themselves. Nadeau takes listeners inside the Mafia families to paint a complete and complex portrait of the real culture that has shaped the Mafia, and the women who are part of it.

Leaving behind the stereotypes we know from Mafia movies, The Godmother shows the Mafia in an entirely new light: full-fledged, ruthless, twenty-first-century criminal enterprises led by whoever is strong enough and smart enough to take control.

©2022 Barbie Latza Nadeau (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of our 51 Favorite Books of the Year: Washington Independent Review of Books

"This biography of Pupetta is a colorful addition to the canon."–Molly Young, Read Like the Wind Newsletter, The New York Times

"Meet 'Lady Camorra,' one of the first female mafia bosses, as she sips coffee and drums her black-lacquered fingernails on her kitchen table. 'The Godmother' takes the reader into the little-known role of the women that underpin Italy’s most ruthless mob families and are forced to reckon with the social and sexual codes governing the violent reality of mafioso rule."–Sara Gay Forden, author of New York Times bestseller House of Gucci

“In this engrossing account, Nadeau (Roadmap to Hell: Sex, Drugs and Guns on the Mafia Coast) combines diligent research, hours of personal interviews, and vivid prose to immerse the reader in the world of Italian Mafia women… This look at the “feminine” side of the Mafia is a must for true crime fans.”–Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Words punching the air

The speaker’s style was distracting to the story. She punched out words for emphasis like a orchestra conductor uses their baton. I felt the individual women’s stories were interesting but were somewhat difficult to track.

Not what I thought but excellent neverthless

I had thought this book was along the lines of “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo— realistic fiction, charming and entertaining. It is not like that at all. This is serious work of investigative journalism, factual, well written and also very interesting. Very sobering. Excellent, I highly recommend.

A waste of research

A very simplistic book. Could have been much better given the author’s research. Instead, the author provides us with a series of simple anecdotes. No systematic work on the subject. Not worth the money spent.