My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

were walking down a main avenue, looking at the beautiful stores’
windows, when I was surprised by five young, very well dressed,
girls, about 11 or 12 years old, that attacked me. Some of the girls
started to kiss me and the others pushed my arm and touched my
left pocket, where I usually keep my wallet. I knew right away that
they were stealing my wallet. There was a column on the side of
the avenue and my instinct was to grab the five of them and hold
them between the column and my arms, which I did while, at the
same time, I told my wife to call the police. The girls started to say
in Italian, “Let me go, let me go!” At the same time, a very well
dressed man, approached me and said, while pointing to my wallet
on the ground, “Is this your wallet?” I said, “Yes” and then let the
girls go.
After I picked up my wallet, an Italian lady who had witnessed the
entire scene told my wife and me that the incident was disgrace,
but very common in Genoa and other Italian cities. She
complained that the police were aware of that problem, but do
nothing about it. She went on to tell us that the girls were poor
gypsies that worked for pimps who purchased nice clothes for
them to wear to pick pockets from tourists. After I opened my
wallet, I found that nothing was missing. When I asked my wife
why she didn’t call the police, she replied that she was afraid that
the police would charge me with child abuse and put me in jail.
France
Although Italy is my favorite country, Paris is my favorite city,
sometimes arrogant, but also very romantic with its lights and
secret shadows. Its cultural treasures and cosmopolitan bustle on
its fashionable boulevards are breathtaking! I usually tell my
friends that no one should die without visiting Paris.
169