Double Sicilia

The Duchy Racket of Double Sicilian Island, normally known as Double Sicilian Island, Double Sicilia, in Italian as Doppia Sicilia, or just Sicilia, is an autonomous Ligurian state which is supposed to be run by Frances "Franky" Leopold, the Duke of Sicilia, but is in fact controlled entirely by the Underground PWN Mafia.

In fact, the entire Sicilian "government" is a complete sham. The Mafia, and only the Mafia controls Sicilia, and d- d.... ''' BUGZY! ''' Oh... *gulp* uhh...

What was MEANT to be written here... was... uh... let's just paste it. Ignore what one has read up there, IT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL.

"The Duchy of Double Sicilian Island, normally known as Double Sicilian Island, Double Sicilia or just Sicilia, is an autonomous Ligurian state ruled by Francisco "Franky" Leopold, the Duke of Sicilia. It is the smallest state of Liguria but boasts a rich and diverse culture, low crime, beautiful architecture, and LOW CRIME."

- The REAL Sicilian introduction paragraph!

^  Okay Bugzy, the... truth... was written. Now... please let me put my pants back on and... leave? Please?

Background
Double Sicilia has a diverse history that can be split into two Eras. There's the Pre-Mafia Era and the Post-Mafia Era.

Pre-Mafia
This era was Double Sicilia in the old days prior to the Double Sicilian Mafia taking over the island.

Early times
Double Sicilia was first inhabited in 1000 BC by the Cyclops penguins, descendants of Bacchus who were banished from Snowprus because of their disgracefulness. Later forgotten, Sicilia was inhabited in the safe areas of the island in 687 BC by Snowpriot sailors, who founded the first city of Syra. Snowpriot influence held strong on Sicilia for centuries until the Penguin Empire invaded in 100 BC. After the Penguin Empire collapsed in the 400s, Double Sicilia became their own independent Kingdom. However, it was soon conquered by the Ow-Ondowis Mwa Mwa penguins from Castilla, and became a center of learning. the knights from northern Liguria soon reconquered the island and expelled the Mwa Mwas and re-established the old Kingdom. For years, Sicilia was run by feudalism until the renaissance. Sicilia also borrowed many customs from Liguria, mainly their cuisine and language. During the middle ages period, the knights of Sicilia had the honor of killing off almost all the Cyclops penguins on the island, only a few hid in the forests that live there today, but they are very sparse.

Double Sicilian Renaissance
Double Siclia, like the rest of its neighbors and especially Liguria, flourished during the Renaissance period since Liguria and Sicilia have happened to Trade quite a bit. Double Sicilians back then were known for advancing in music, painting, sculpting, architecture, cuisine, and the beginning of Mafia. The Mafia was created by the two Kings of Sicilia as a way to control the islands politically as well as socially so they could create an early form of Communism. The plan worked, and the first mafia in history was born. The renaissance in Liguria and Sicilia ended in the 1600's, approximately, but its effects are everlasting with inspiring many Ligurians and Antarcticans to start mafias of their own. Nevertheless, Double Sicilia also became a rather poorer island for the common citizen while the mafia leaders and devoted mafia members tended to have more wealth. In 1812, all of Liguria was invaded by Frankterre, including Sicilia. After Frankterre was driven out, Sicilia swore to be part of the new country of Liguria, spreading its mafia culture more to Liguria.

Moosealinie reign
The Double Sicilians enjoyed the reign of the Ligurian Kings, who secretly supported them in any way they could. Nevertheless, the stubborn penguin named Musselinie knew this, and he viewed the Mafia to be a form of Communism. Thus, when he overthrew the ever-popular Ligurian King who was a great friend with many mafias, Musselinie ordered the national army and the foreign army from Alemania and Khanzem to crack down on the mafias and destroy them. Double Sicilia was devastated from the Alemanian and Khanz raids, and many Mafias went out of business or became very, very secret. The persecution of the mafias angered all the citizens of Liguria, which was one reason why Musselinie was murdered in 1917.

Post-Moosealine
Musselinie's death brought the mafias back in business, although there were only a handful left. They slowly grew again, but they boomed again in 1925. The new Republic of Liguria didn't support nor oppose the Mafia, which left the Mafia leaders in peace for many decades, although Sicilia continued to be one of Liguria's most poorest regions for the common citizen.

Post-Mafia
In 2006, Bugzy decided to take a vacation to a scenic island somewhere. Feeling benevolent, he took the whole family. Thus, Bugzy and his Mafia set off for parts unknown. They landed in Double Sicilia after less than a week on Bugzy's luxurious yacht of PWNage.

Bugzy looked around at the island and its small villages and cities. He was taken back by all this natural beauty and culture... -and wanted it. Bugzy is a VERY refined beetle and knows good taste when he sees it. That, and Double Sicilia somehow connected with Bugzy in a deep manner that only he could explain.

Seeing it and wanting, Bugzy took it quite easily. Simply heading to the Duke's estate, he knocked on the door.

The Duke, Carlinfa Leopold (first name pronounced "CARL-INFAH"), answered the door, and Bugzy asked him to hand sovereignty to him. The Duke laughed at the world's most PWNsome being and thought he was some weird tourist. Then, Bugzy took out some weapons and............................ yeah. Let it just be written that Frances Leopold immediately abdicated and surrendered the duchy to Bugzy.

Bugzy decided to keep Francisco because he was in a good mood. So, he "rode" with Bugzy in one of his limousines and, uh, "talked business" with the Duke. He... signed... an, uh, "alliance" with Bugzy and the UPM, promising not to interfere with the "actions" committed by Bugzy in the name of Double Sicilia. Double Sicilia is simply the UPM on a national level. It is nothing more than a branch of the UPM. The Duke "agreed" to all previsions, and also to the punishment. If he dared try and exert ANY political power, he would PAY GREATLY.

De jure government
Supposedly, and as it has been for many years, Double Sicilia is under the control of the Duke of Sicilia. Currently, that's Francisco Leopold, a recluse penguin that trembles consistently and looks as though he has experienced firsthand a brutal war, almost as if he was subject to things no creature needs to see. Like a shell-shocked creature, he reacts strongly to sudden loud noises and has a glimmer of fear in his pale grey eyes.

The Duke, by Double Sicilian law, wields immense and heavy authority over the country, an absolute one in fact, limited and accountable solely by the lack of angry mobs forming. Indeed, this is an absolute monarchy, or, technically, a duchy (ruled by a Duke or Duchess).

UPM usage
There is a reason that Double Sicilia is also called Isola Mafia (Mafia Island, "mafia" is an Italian loanword).

Bugzy has put his conquered "vacation home" to good use, even when he himself is not there. An intelligent, governing "council" of high UPM gangstas oversees the island when Bugzy or another Godfather is not interested in juggling an entire small nation's affairs.

National racketeering
One of the main usages the UPM has for Double Sicilia is obviously racketeering. Hippies and anarchists have long argued that taxation is no more than legal racketeering, adding a highly entertaining twist to the usual UPM racket.

The UPM is racketeering through protection rackets and number rackets, but are also "racketeering" through taxation. The first is illegal, the second legal (unless you're a tax evading nut, then both are seen as illegal racketeering to you).

The UPM has truly taken a weird twist in money laundering and other fraud instances by racketeering with taxation and normal racketeering. The line of legality blurs as Double Sicilians fill out tax forms and hand their money to the UPM, and then get visited by UPM piccitos to further hand more money to the UPM? It is hard to tell when the UPM is stealing from a citizen and when they are legally taxing a citizen! Or, are they both stealing in the first place? (Hippies think so.)

Also, union rackets. Don't forget the union rackets.

Eggs in multiple baskets
The UPM can't keep all their eggs in one basket. Undoubtedly, they WILL get caught on occasion, so they need to disperse themselves and their goods.

The UPM takes advantage of their absolute reign over Double Sicilia by building vaults and lairs for piccitos, villas for Bugzy, and all sorts of things that benefit the Mafia at the expense of the economy.

When a UPM Piccito isn't at a UPM hideout or doing his "job", he is in Double Sicilia. The island has the largest UPM population in all of Antarctica. While there are no official census of Mafia workers (DUH), it is estimated that 96% of all Double Sicilian immigrants, and 49% of the entire population are voluntarily working for the UPM. Of this, an estimated 87% of police have alleged UPM ties, union rackets are rampant (an estimated 97% of union bosses have UPM ties), and the Sicilian Lottery is Mafia-owned.

Economy
Double Sicilia is famous for its beautiful land, scenic views, and excellent climate. It is a center of arts and culture, though its many museums and art galleries rapidly degraded in the 1990s. Home to an unforgettable Renaissance, it is said that Leonardo da Waffli used it as inspiration for his inventions, over seventy years after the art revolution came to pass.

However, its economy has long been down in the dumps. Most of the inhabitants of the little island are farmers, and there were no high-rise buildings, except the royal palace, of any kind until 2006. The land was rural with an emphasis on farming. The citizenry was largely poor and uneducated, with a mere 15% literacy rate, again, save the royal family. This all changed in 2005, after Duke Carlinfa disappeared.

Once a backwards and agrarian society, the country has suddenly seen massive industrialization in the recent years, mainly in the tourism industry. Double Sicilia is now loaded with casinos and other entertainment establishments, all which are apparently run by the state/the government. However, knowing Frances' personality and ideologies, this is not likely to be his doing, but rather, some unseen governing force that has usurped him.

The two driving forces of the Double Sicilian economy are farming and entertainment. Casinos and crops is really all they have to offer, but the government thrives off of this by taxation, reporting a great surplus. This surplus always seems to disappear from the public coffers (and end up in Bugzy's loot stash).

Did the UPM do good?
However, and despite the corruption, the UPM may have done some good. Mainly, they created jobs and rapidly industrialized Double Sicilia. Transforming the agricultural economy into something better, they have successfully managed to get every willing and able citizen a job! Yes, the unemployment rate of Double Sicilia is less than two percent, which is low as economically possible. This is a rate that not even Club Penguin, in all its leisurely paradise, have reached.

With no unemployment, the country's economy has boomed, but the corrupt reign of the UPM and back-breaking racketeering has kept the entire population as poor as ever. Double Sicilians that choose more modern occupations would be making six-digit figures in most any industry (after some hard work from entry-level).

Sadly, crippling racketeering and taxation combine to keep everyone in poverty anyway, negating any good the UPM did.

Accusations of penguin rights violations
Many creatures and groups oppose the UPM occupation of Double Sicilia, but WHO in their right minds would DARE stand up to the eternally-PWNsome Bugzy?!


 * Austin was highly dissapointed, as his vacation home was here. However, he didn't attempt to remove Bugzy.
 * (Actually, he did, but it was such a failure it got covered up by Swiss.)

Trivia

 * The island is named "Double Sicilia" not because it is two islands or two kingdoms. No, it is named for its two governments. There's the Duchy, and there's the REAL leaders: a branch of the Underground PWN Mafia.
 * Although, the name IS a pun on the RL Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
 * This is a parody of Sicily, overexaggerating the presence of the Mafia on the island and harkening back to the monarch era where a despotic absolute power ruled without constiution.
 * This island is also the base for the UPM's international lottery scheme, Immondo Lotteria.
 * It is the smallest island in Liguria, making it easy for Bugzy to conquer PWN.
 * No country dares liberate Double Sicilia. There's BUGZY in there!
 * Bugzy renamed the capital after himself. Why? -BECAUSE HE CAN.
 * Without a doubt, it is the world's largest racketeering scheme! Every Double Sicilian pays protection, and so does every business, and yes, even the Duke himself must pay... or else!
 * Double Sicilia is still recognized by Liguria and the AU as a Ligurian territory.
 * Their Denonym is "Double Sicilian".
 * In Italian it is: doppiasiciliano (m. sg.), doppiasiciliana (f. sg.), doppiasiciliani (m. pl.), and doppiasiciliane (f. pl.)
 * The Island's Anthem.