The Sicilian mafia is probably the most famous criminal organization in the world. Yet the origins of the mafia have been regarded as something of a mystery. Recently, an analysis of two historic datasets on agriculture, social structure and crime has revealed that a major catalyst for the rise of the mafia in Sicily was, somewhat surprisingly, the surge in demand for lemons that began in the first half of the 19th century.

The book ‘Fear Guards the Lemon Grove’ by Klaus Pichler is an attempt to reconstruct the rise of the early Cosa Nostra and its connection with the lemon trade. His photographs of sites connected to the early Mafia are contrasted with historic images, documents and quotes, arranged like a passage through the different stages of the rise of organized crime in Sicily.