ac qu ino , ▁his ▁recognized ▁power ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁M af ia . ▁▁ ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁never ▁went ▁to ▁any ▁school . ▁When ▁still ▁young , ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁married ▁a ▁teacher ▁from ▁Bis ac qu ino , ▁Brig ida ▁G iac con e , ▁who ▁instruct ed ▁him ▁how ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁write . ▁He ▁was ▁induct ed ▁into ▁the ▁M af ia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁re venue ▁collect or ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁adult , ▁using ▁the ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁cover ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁his ▁protection ▁ra cket . ▁His ▁criminal ▁record ▁began ▁with ▁an ▁assault ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁and ▁progress ed ▁through ▁ext ort ion , ▁ar son , ▁and ▁men acing , ▁and ▁eventually ▁to ▁the ▁kid n apping ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 - year - old ▁Baron ess ▁Cl or inda ▁Per it elli ▁di ▁Val pet ros a ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁three - year ▁sentence . ▁ ▁Revolution ary ▁ma f ioso ▁While ▁in car cer ated ▁for ▁attempted ▁ext ort ion , ▁Cas cio ▁Fer ro ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁into ▁the ▁F as ci ▁Sic il iani ▁( S ic ilian ▁Le agues ), ▁a ▁popular ▁movement ▁of ▁dem ocr atic ▁and ▁social ist ▁insp iration , ▁by ▁Bernard ino ▁Ver ro , ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁League ▁in ▁Cor le one . ▁The ▁Le agues ▁needed ▁mus