From racial assimilation to family vendettas, Are You a Fool, Benucio? is the American dream story of Benucio "Ben" Visconti, a boy who emigrated from Italy to America with his family in the 1920s. Born in Lucania, Italy, six-year-old Ben came to the United States with his family in 1928 in the wake of a vicious rivalry with the Scropino family that would span the seas, involving the Mafia and lasting for decades. He spent his boyhood yearning to be accepted as an American, and he proved his devotion to his new home when the United States joined World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor; Ben was one of 500,000 Italian Americans who answered the call to defend their country. From his service in World War II to becoming a lawyer and finding the love of his life, Visconti's is a story defined by courage, loyalty, and family bonds.
Spanning four generations, Are You a Fool, Benucio? vividly portrays the Visconti family's struggle to overcome racial bias, the Great Depression, and gang mentality as they try to remain true to their Italian roots and pursue the American dream.
