Synopsis

Frank and Sal Palermo are the two eldest sons of a Sicilian immigrant family in early 1900s New York. Frank, the eldest, has inherited his father's upright character. He wants to work and study hard to become a great lawman and be respected as a true American. Sal is the exact opposite. He believes he will never be accepted by Americans and is driven by an unwavering ambition and energy, which will lead him to become the most powerful mafioso in the United States. Only blood ties remain between them, while life and the choices they make will lead them to relentlessly fight each other: Frank sides with the law, Sal leads organized crime. First Family is a gripping novel full of twists and turns, recounting the relentless struggle of two brothers to conquer a place in the sun in the land where all dreams can come true. Alongside them, we'll experience the moving experiences of the other members of the Palermo family, in a country rife with prejudice against Italian immigrants, where they face the poverty and humiliation they thought they'd escaped. We'll follow unforgettable characters like their father Luigi, willing to make any sacrifice to provide a future for his loved ones, but refusing to compromise with the Black Hand, the criminal organization that controls the lives of Italians in New York, or their mother Carmela, who desperately tries to preserve the family's unity. And then there are their two younger children: Nina, captivated by Sal's charisma but too fragile to withstand the violence of a ruthless world, and Tony, destined to become a great Hollywood director. His first film will be the story of the Palermos: through his eyes, we'll discover the family's most unspeakable secrets.