In Palermo in 1893, Raffaele Palizzolo, nicknamed "Il Cigno," is a powerful figure. As a parliamentary deputy and member of the board of directors of the Banco di Sicilia, he has achieved his position by speculating with depositors' money. Emanuele Notarbartolo, who has headed this banking institution for over ten years, is removed from his position at the insistence of Il Cigno. However, he exposes the abuses committed and ensures that an investigation into these illegal practices is opened. Unfortunately, he cannot complete his testimony because he is brutally murdered on a train to Palermo. The events revolve around the Banco di Sicilia scandal and the role of Francesco Crispi's last governments as a master manipulator. This story of the first mafia murder in Sicily at the time chillingly reflects the continuing connections between the mafia and politics that continue to influence contemporary life in Italy.