With movies like the godfather part 1 and the books, isn't there a danger that the view of, how the Mafia really is, may be kind of unfocussed ?

Despite all the crime they do, there is still a picture left, which wants to make us believe, that the Mafia or the family is a group of honorous ppl. We all know the picture of local mobsters, who have an open ear for the poor and weak helping them out against the bad guys.
(Vito in Godfather I, helping out all the guys who ask him for help at Connie's wedding.
Vito in his early days in GF2, who helps the poor widow against the bad landlord. The landlord who is frightened to death by visiting Vito at Genco - leaving some kind of amusement to the viewer).
A created myst about the mafia, the glorious, loyal, loving family ties?

Isn't there a danger, that everyone, having the pics and "cool" mobster-reports in mind, underestimates the cruel and awfulness of their actions ?

My interest in the mafia started with the Godfather movie and I read nearly all Puzo novels about the mafia topic. Yes, there are also the awfull sides shown - but still, isn't all this material kind of creating the wrong picture of the mafia, Cosa Nostra or however it may be called?

Attracted by all this circumstances, I read a book about the Italian Sicilian Mafia, not a novel, but a scientific book (written by a Sicilian professor), which opens all the guts of the Sicilian Mafia, how they really act and what is really left about this "honor".

One sentence is describing this very well. Namely there is a report of old Mobsters in the early 20th century (around 1920), who critizises, that the old mafia had honor, the new one not.

This sentence can be heard by nearly any mobster, the old days were so honorous, but not the new ones. Fact is, that there seemed to be never something like real honor or "good will", but pure wrecklessness and crime.

I am just interested, if this is only me, who detects a kind of misled sympathy myself for something, that shouldn't be sympathised at all, because it is everything, but nothing positive.

Sorry for my poor English, I am no native speaker and hope, you do understand what I am trying to say with all this.

Greetz

(if someone is interested, the book I am speaking about is from Salvatore Lupo - The history of the mafia - I do not know, if it is available in English, but I think so).