Author’s Note

My gratitude and affection to Professor Mario Materassi and his wife, Millicent Lim, who read this book in manuscript and made many valuable suggestions about Italian matters and language. For whatever errors remain, I am solely responsible.

For guidance, support, and friendship, I thank Katerine Gaja, Riccardo and Angela Martelli, Renata Ceramelli, and Emanuela De Carlo.

The events described in this book took place in the fall of 1996.

Though this memoir is factual, in some cases names have been changed.