La Vedova

A name spoken only in cautious whispers is that of La Vedova, “The Widow,” the most feared and mysterious figure of the Italian underworld. She controls the most powerful crime families in the country, and throughout much of the Mediterranean and Europe, but her identity is a closely-guarded secret. Those few who have seen her can only describe a slim figure dressed entirely in black, wearing gloves and a dark mourning veil, surrounded by bodyguards.
Stories and rumors about her multiply in the telling, claiming La Vedova is an ambitious “black widow” who married her way into the most powerful crime families, gaining influence before her husbands suffered mysterious “accidents.” Some link her with the fascist spy known as La Vedova during the 1930s and ‘40s, or perhaps her daughter or granddaughter. Others suggest that she is everything from an immortal vampire to a powerful fate-weaving witch—certainly inspiring superstitious fear in others. A few even suggest La Vedova may not be a woman at all, but a man using the guide of “The Widow,” or something far stranger, such as a shapeshifter, alien, or android. For occult conspiracy theorists, thematic similarities between La Vedova and the co-leader of the spider-cult of the Eightfold Web do not go unnoticed.
Whatever her true nature, La Vedova is the most powerful and influential criminal in the Italian underworld, her web of influence and connections stretching world-wide. She has occasionally found it useful to leave trails of “bread crumbs” to lead heroes and authorities like UNISON to the doors of her rivals to cut back on competition. That may now include Duca Nefando's Carbonari, the latest threat to her influence.