Catania was gritty and dingy in the most alluring way that some Italian cities can attain. After a few days wandering through the graffiti-covered streets and a wild goose chase for street horse meat that sent us to the far reaches of the city, we began to understand Catania’s mafia-riddled past. The dilapidated buildings and lack of green spaces and parks speaks to the mafia-controlled urban planning efforts undertaken by criminals.