The first book, Omertà, meaning code of silence, breaks down the hierarchy within a crime family. I wanted this piece to highlight the secrecy surrounding the Mafia by exhibiting a more restrictive and constrained style. I hand-bound the books to relate to the overall theme of tradition within the Mafia. I chose a stitch that loosely resembles a noose knot.
The second piece, entitled ‘The Boys’, is a profile book that examines individuals who were key players within the five families throughout its heyday. To contrast Omertà, the design is more expressive in nature to reflect individual personalities of the men featured. The hierarchy of order within the crime families is how both books are systemically laid out. The final piece acts as the sleeve cover to the profile book. It is a family tree of the five New York families and is meant to double as a book cover and as a stand-alone poster, which can be used as a reference to find those featured within the book.
