If you’ve binged every Mafia game from the original 2002 classic to Mafia 3’s gritty New Bordeaux setting, you’ve probably found yourself asking what time period is Mafia: The Old Country set in as soon as the first trailer dropped. Unlike previous entries that leaned heavily into 20th century American organized crime, this new installment pulls back the curtain on the Sicilian roots of the Salieri crime family, and the time period it’s set in directly impacts every part of the story, character motivations, and even gameplay mechanics. I’ve spent 20+ hours digging through early access gameplay, developer interviews, and official lore drops to break down exactly when the game takes place, and why that era matters for long-time fans of the franchise.
What Time Period Is Mafia: The Old Country Set In, Exactly?
The game is split into two distinct narrative acts that span from 1900 to 1919, making it a direct prequel to the first Mafia title, which was set in 1930s Lost Heaven. The first act takes place entirely in rural and small-town Sicily between 1900 and 1908, following a young Don Salieri as he climbs the ranks of local Sicilian crime networks amid widespread poverty and post-feudal political unrest. The second act jumps to 1915, following Salieri as he immigrates to the U.S. east coast and builds the early foundations of the crime family we see in the original game, wrapping up right before Prohibition is signed into law in 1920.
The entire timeline of Mafia: The Old Country is set 15 to 30 years before the events of the first Mafia game, so you’ll see younger versions of several iconic characters you already know from the franchise. Don’t expect to run into Tommy Angelo just yet, but you will meet younger iterations of characters like Paulie Lombardo and Sam Trapani, plus several new figures who shaped the Salieri family’s core values long before they set up shop in Lost Heaven. Developers confirmed they intentionally picked this under-explored era to avoid retreading ground covered in previous Mafia games and other popular mafia media like The Godfather or Goodfellas.
Key Historical Events That Shape The Game’s Story
This isn’t just a made-up setting with a vague early 1900s aesthetic. Developers worked closely with Italian and American historical consultants to weave real, well-documented events into the core plot, so almost every major narrative beat ties back to something that actually happened in that era. The most notable event referenced is the 1908 Messina earthquake, a catastrophic 7.1 magnitude quake that killed over 100,000 people in Sicily and Calabria, and acts as the inciting incident that pushes Salieri to leave Sicily for the U.S.
Developers have stated they worked with Italian historical consultants to make sure every part of the era’s culture, politics, and social dynamics are as accurate as possible, no over-the-top Hollywood stereotypes. You’ll see references to a wide range of real historical events and conditions throughout the game, including:
- Feudal landowner conflicts in rural Sicily that gave rise to local protection rackets, the original foundation of the Sicilian Mafia
- Anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S. northeast that pushed Italian immigrant communities to rely on crime families for protection
- The 1919 Volstead Act passing, which laid the groundwork for the multi-million dollar bootlegging operations central to the original Mafia’s plot
- Wartime rationing during WWI that created shortages of basic goods, creating more opportunities for organized crime networks on both sides of the Atlantic
You won’t just see these events mentioned in passing, either. They directly impact quest lines, character choices, and even what resources are available to you at different points in the game. For example, after the 1908 Messina earthquake, you’ll have to choose between helping displaced families for small community trust rewards or stealing supplies to sell for quick cash to fund your fledgling operation. That choice will follow you for the rest of the playthrough, affecting how other characters treat you for years of in-game time.
How The Time Period Impacts Gameplay Mechanics
The early 1900s setting isn’t just set dressing, it changes almost every gameplay mechanic you’re used to from previous Mafia games. For the first act set in Sicily, there are no cars at all. You’ll travel on horseback, by mule cart, or on foot, and fast travel is limited to train routes that you have to pay for and plan around to avoid police checkpoints. Weapons are also extremely limited, with no automatic rifles or modern handguns available. You’ll mostly use revolvers, double-barrel shotguns, knives, and even farming tools like pitchforks for early combat encounters.
Once you move to the U.S. in the second act, you’ll get access to early Model T-style cars, but they’re slow, hard to handle, and don’t have any modern features like GPS or radios. There’s no mobile phone or police scanner to warn you of incoming law enforcement, so you have to rely on lookouts you place around neighborhoods and word of mouth from local contacts to avoid raids. Social mechanics are also way more important than in previous entries, since the era’s strict social hierarchies dictate who will talk to you, who will sell you goods, and who will turn you into the police without a second thought.
Many side quests are directly tied to real common struggles of the era, from fighting off land thieves in rural Sicily to smuggling food to immigrant families in the U.S. who can’t get access to basic goods due to discrimination. These side quests aren’t just filler content, either. Completing them builds trust with different communities, which unlocks better smuggling routes, cheaper weapons, and even allies who will help you out during police chases or rival gang attacks. It’s a big shift from previous Mafia games, where you mostly just took orders from the family without worrying about broader community relationships.
Common Misconceptions About The Game’s Setting
There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about the game’s timeline, so I wanted to clear up the most common myths I’ve seen online. First, a lot of players assume it’s set in the 1940s or 1950s like other popular mafia media, but that’s not the case at all. The game wraps up right before Prohibition starts, so you won’t see any post-WWII organized crime activity or mid-century aesthetics. Another common myth is that the entire game is set in Sicily, but roughly half of the main story takes place in the U.S. northeast port city that acts as the main supply hub for Lost Heaven’s crime families in later games.
Some players also worry that the focus on historical accuracy means the game will be boring or too educational, but that’s not the case either. The developers balanced real historical context with the same cinematic, dramatic storytelling that the Mafia franchise is known for, with plenty of high-stakes heists, tense standoffs, and unexpected plot twists that keep the story moving. You don’t need to be a history buff to enjoy the game, but knowing the context of the time period will make a lot of the character choices and plot twists hit a lot harder.
I played the early access build last month, and I went in not knowing much about early 1900s Sicilian history, and I still had a blast. When I went back and looked up some of the events referenced in the main story later, I realized how much thought went into tying the Salieri family’s origin story to real world events that shaped how organized crime operated on both sides of the Atlantic. The devs did make a few small tweaks to the timeline for pacing reasons, like shortening the gap between the 1908 earthquake and the start of WWI, but all the core historical details are still accurate.
At the end of the day, asking what time period is Mafia: The Old Country set in is more than just a trivial question for lore nerds. The 1900 to 1919 setting is the backbone of the entire game, shaping everything from the weapons you use to the quests you take on to the core motivations of every character you meet. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the Mafia franchise or just a player who loves story-driven historical games, the attention to detail in the game’s setting makes it worth diving into even if you don’t usually play crime-focused titles. If you’re planning to pick up the game when it launches, spend a few minutes reading up on early 20th century Sicilian and U.S. immigration history first – it’ll make your first playthrough feel a lot more immersive.
