The resignation of the mayor of a small town in southern Italy has drawn attention to the pressures faced by local councillors who try to stand up to the mafia. Maria Carmella Lanzetta resigned as mayor of Monasterace after having her business set on fire and her car shot at. She has spoken of feeling "helpless and alone" in the face of the threats. Her decision to quit has had resonance beyond the little town of Monasterace. The town, not much more than a village, is down near the toe of Italy. Sitting on a hill overlooking the sea, it is in a remote and beautiful setting. But for Maria Carmella Lanzetta, it has not been a peaceful place. When she took up office, in 2006, she found a large amount of debt. "The town hall was basically devastated," she says. "There were no professionals who could manage the town hall." Several months ago her business, a pharmacy, was set on fire. She and her family only narrowly escaped the blaze. Last week shots were fired into her parked car just outside her home. As soon as she found the bullet holes in her car, she thought "that's it," she says.