Is The Good Mothers based on a true story?
The new Italian Disney Plus series follows a group of women who defied the mafia – but is it real?
If you're looking for the kind of gutsy thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and rooting for many of the characters involved, look no further than The Good Mothers.
The Disney Plus series lands on the streamer today (Wednesday 5th April) with all six episodes primed and ready for your enjoyment. But the series is not only endearing because it tells the story of the 'Ndrangheta, the notorious organised crime group that has risen to be Italy's most powerful mafia – it's also important because it tells the story from the perspective of the women who dared to challenge them.
But is it real?
From House Productions, the same team behind BBC's Sherwood, The Wonder and Life After Life, the tale at the heart of this series is a multi-layered one and is based on the gripping book by journalist Alex Perry.
Read on for everything you need to know about The Good Mothers and whether it's based on a true story.
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Is The Good Mothers based on a true story?
Yes, it is! This original Italian series is based on a true story and is adapted from the book The Good Mothers: The True Story of the Women Who Took on The World's Most Powerful Mafia, which is written by George Polk Award-winning journalist Alex Perry.
The book seeks to uncover the 'Ndrangheta’s power across southern Italy, their presence in the world of finance and a reach that extends to 50 countries globally. But the code of silence that is enforced with this mafia is one that is underlined by rampant misogyny and outdated ideals about subservient wives.
Perry writes about the true story of abused wife Lea Garofalo who 'disappears' in 2009 after giving evidence against her mafiosi husband.
In the book, prosecutor Alessandra Cerretti realises she could be on to something by using the 'Ndrangheta’s bigotry against them and giving the women behind this criminal organisation a chance to speak up.
In real life, the story of Lea Garofalo was a vital one in charging members of the Calabrian mafia, but is nonetheless tragic. Lea first turned her back on the 'Ndrangheta in 2002 after providing the police with details about the internal feuds within the mafia that had led to 40 deaths.
She left witness protection in 2006 and in 2009, was lured to Milan by her ex-partner and father of her daughter, Carlo Cosco. She was kidnapped, tortured and killed by Cosco's brothers, Vito and Giuseppe Cosco.
Carlo Cosco denied the murder charges, stating that Lea had fled the country to build a new life in Australia but he – along with five other men – were given life sentences in 2012, thanks to Lea and Carlo's daughter Denise's testimony.
Denise now reportedly lives under police protection and at the time of the trial, listened to the verdict in a room adjacent to the main court, where her father and uncles sat in the dock.
The new Disney Plus series is adapted from the book by BAFTA nominee Stephen Butchard (Bagdad Central, The Last Kingdom) and follows Denise, daughter of Lea Garofalo, alongside Maria Concetta Cacciola and Giuseppina Pesce, three women who dared to defy the 'Ndrangheta mafia.
According to the synopsis: "To help them, prosecutor Anna Colace, having just arrived in Calabria, has an intuition: to be able to defeat the 'Ndrangheta clans, you need to focus on the women. It is a strategy that brings with it great risk. The 'Ndrangheta is famous and feared for its iron fist and insidious power.
"The Good Mothers follows Denise, Giuseppina and Maria Concetta in their attempt to free themselves from the criminal power and collaborate with the authorities."
The Good Mothers is available to stream now on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus now for £7.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.
Check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus and best shows on Disney Plus, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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