Ex-Nun Attorney General Writes 'The Family,' a Mob Musical

Don Marco, died in 1984 of natural causes --
Christ,  whatta  mug on the guy!
Barely two minutes into an interview, Arlene Violet tosses off a sentence that quite possibly has never been uttered before by a librettist in the entire history of the American musical theater, writes The Boston Globe.

“When I was attorney general, I prosecuted a lot of mob guys.’’

Not your typical showbiz resume, to say the least.

But then there has been nothing typical about Violet’s life: from her 23 years as a nun, to her election in 1984 as the first female attorney general in the United States, to her stint as a fiery talk-show host, to her current project: “The Family,’’ which is summed up in its subtitle: “A Musical About the Mob.’’ She has also written a book about her law-enforcement career, "The Mob and Me."

According to Arlene Violet, numerous characters in “The Family’’ were inspired by real-life figures, such as Don Marco (see above right).
Following the old adage to write what you know, Violet drew on her knowledge of the inner workings and social dynamics of organized crime enterprises to concoct the story and dialogue for “The Family,’’ which is at the Lederer Theater Center in Providence through July 1.

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