a sort of racist attitude towards Southern Italians (not only Sicilians) still exists , mainly in the North. They have this idea of Southern Italy being "financially maintained" by the North, as if only Northen Italians work and pay taxes . This mentality is quite common up in the North and made the electoral luck of some political parties. Consider that this attitude extends to Rome itself for being the seige of the political central power. One of the most successful slogans of the afore mentioned political parties (e. g. the "Lega Padana", firstly centered in the Milan region and then developed in all Northen Italy) is "Roma ladrona, la Lega non perdona", meaning "Rome, you're a thief, the Lega will not forgive you" and stuff like that . Sicilians are immediately connected to the mafia, as if ALL Sicilians were in the Don Corleone family.....As for Neapolitans, they are still granted a reputation for being "cheaters and thieves", while we Romans are usually said to be lazy and indolent.....Of course this is a mentality that can thrive on ignorance and bias. Consider that Italy was united as a national country only in 1861, quite recently in historical terms. So it is no wonder that this parochial-minded attitude still survives in some way -- we call it "campanilismo", from the word "campanile", meaning "bell tower", hence a fanatic love for one's native town or village and a hostile attitude for others, those you cannot see from your "campanile".