If indeed you read Turrido someplace it was a spelling error. In Sicilia the name Salvatore, has several nicknames, Toto',Turi, and Turiddu. Sal is an american nickname. Salvatore Giuliano was/is a real person whose nickname is Turi. Puzo did not choose anything, he went with the facts, just like his book "The Sicilian" it is based on fact. Aspanu is the sicilian nickname for Gaspare. Zaza is the nickname for Rosario,etc.. If that indeed WAS Carol Gino in that thread, how could she NOT know that?

Also, Puzo purposely spells Giuliano's name "Guiliano", I presume to get around some legal footwork with his family. The Giuliano family did not approve the book and was angered at the heroic portrayal of the backstabbing Aspanu Pisciotta.

Interesting and yes it WAS Carol Gino.

Puzo purposfully spelt it Guiliano so the novel he wrote didn't have to be a biography of the bandits life. Instead he could add his own writers license to it and create a fantastic novel.

Puzo used Turi instead of Turridu basically because of how he felt it looked on paper. It was his book, he wanted to use something comfortable for the reader to read. "Turi" works fine.

Turi-

Turi is the name that the actual Giuliano went by (as you probably know), that is what he was known as. It was not made up by Puzo or what he "chose" to call him.

Puzo's book is not so fictional where you can not decipher who the story is about. He did not employ allusions as he did in the GF novel where we could guess but not substantiate his allusions.

As for the spelling of the surname, Puzo spells his last name "Guiliano" thus giving a pronunciation of "Gwiliano" as opposed to the proper "Jooliano". I doubt its' purpose was for fictional purposes, he didn't fool anybody.I'd be inclined to agree with Ms. Gino if he would have changed the name to say Calo Sciacca, that would be fictitious.

Anyway, it is obvious that you and I both feel profoundly about Turi. Pick up the book written by his sister Marianna Giuliano, "My Brother Salvatore Giuliano- The True Story". It is filled with photos,poems, and letters, as well as containing a close account of his life. I loved Puzo's book, but I am skeptical about Ms. Gino's explanation that one letter would change anything. That's a conversation that obviously I can't win!

You know, i've always tried getting hold of that book you've mentioned, a few years ago I saw the short online version of it. But with me being in England it's pretty damn hard to get hold of, i'll try more though.

I partly agree with you on the whole Giuliano spelling debate. But from what I understand from Carol Gino was that Puzo changed spellings to suit how he felt something looked better on paper, to the reader. You're correct with the pronunciation with Giuliano too. But I agree with what Ms Gino has told us. The Sicilian is a fictional novel based on fact. This way he didn't have to write it as a biography to Giuliano's life. Especially with bringing the fictional character of Michael Corleone into it. Something we may have to agree to disagree with.

Whilst we're on the subject of the true Giuliano i've read a very fair and balanced perspective of his life in Billy J Chandlers "King of the Mountain. Very detailed and goes into the whole politics situations deeply. I can't recommend it enough to you, especially to another Giuliano fan.