In An Alternative Universe…

We fell in love the way all lovers do.

​Quickly, and over red wine and pasta. 

In an alternate universe, it’s the 80s, and I am a Sicilian mob boss’ wife. It really is the only thing that makes sense for my undying love of pasta, mob movies, and oversized blazers. My name would be Maria-Isabella (hyphenated), and I would still go by Mia, perfect for the Italian boys to bring up the comparison between Mia meaning “mine” in Italian, but I would roll my eyes because I had heard it all before and was spunky like that. My mob boss husband and I met the way all good Italians would, at Sunday brunch after church he was a friend of a friend that was visiting. It would be love at first sight and at first "Ciao," we’d fall in love (before I found out about his mob ties) but once I did, I would love him too much to leave him. He’d call me Amore Bella, and we’d marry in the same church we met.

We’d eventually set our sights on New York, build a community there. That would be hard to do, leave our families behind and most of our friends except his brother and cousin. I’d wear tons of Versace, Valentino, and Dolce & Gabbana and while there were a few brushes with the law (one in particular that almost gets us arrested, think Bonnie & Clyde but more shoulder pads and pasta). We would mostly escape the breakup of the mobs and the government crackdown on crime in the late 80s untouched, of course, if anyone asked I knew nothing and was a stay at home wife. By the 90s we had both gone to too many funerals and decided to cut back on the life of crime after his brother was assassinated by becoming an agency that outsources Italian leather to fashion houses with the help of Domenico & Stefano this would allow for tons of travel between Italy and New York, and Miami in the summers to visit Gianni, rest his soul.

I mean it kind of works. It needs a bit more character development and backstory, but until I work out the details allow your creativity to wonder while I set the scene with some photos.

I may have also watched Goodfells, very recently and it might have sparked some inspiration, but let's be honest this has always been in me. Also, how I went so long without seeing it I am very surprised and also disappointed in how it never cam up in conversation before.

*Update* per suggestion of Andrea, it is me. I am the mob boss taking over. The end.

All photos are raw, unedited, and by: Emily Bofelli