"Perry Mason" was a one-hour television program which ran on the CBS television network from 1957 to 1966. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who specializes in defending people accused of murder. He is assisted by his secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale), and private investigator Paul Drake (William Hopper). The district attorney who prosecutes the cases is Hamilton Burger (William Talman) who is assisted by police lieutenant Arthur Tragg (Ray Collins). Some stories were adapted from mystery novels written by Erle Stanley Gardner and others were written for the program. The program followed a formula where Perry's clients are always innocent, and the "real killer" confesses at the end.

This episode is titled "The Case of the Sad Sicilian" and was first broadcast on March 11, 1965. Paulo Porro (Fabrizio Mioni), a very charming Italian man, arrives in Los Angeles to visit a family of Italian immigrants named Bacio. Enrico Bacio (Anthony Caruso), the father, claims that Paulo has been sent to kill him due to an old family feud in Sicily. When Enrico is killed Paulo becomes the chief suspect. When Paulo checks into a hotel the bellboy Joe (Tommy Cook) asks him for a "tip". Paulo pulls out a handful of American and Italian coins which are shown.

Paulo Porro checks into a hotel and the bellboy Joe shows him to his room. Joe stays in the room and Paulo wonders why.

The bellboy explains to Paulo about the American custom of "tipping" hotel bellboys and Paulo pulls out a handful of change.

Paulo invites Joe to pick a coin.

American and Italian coins are shown including a Walking Liberty half dollar (minted 1916 to 1947), a Washington quarter, a Roosevelt dime, a Jefferson nickel, and a Lincoln cent. Also appearing is an aluminum Italian 10 lire coin (minted 1951-2001).

Another view of the handful of coins. The bellboy takes a coin.

The coin looks like the largest coin, the half dollar. Paulo visits the small Bacio monument factory and meets Elizabeth Bacio (Linda Marsh), the pretty daughter of the family.

Paulo talks to her partly in English and partly in Italian. She tells him that her father Enrico Bacio dominates the family and is selling his monument business and plans to return to Sicily as a wealthy man.

Enrico has his son Massimo Bacio and Giangiacomo Bacio, a relative, living with him. Giangiacomo claims that his father was Enrico's partner and that some of the monuments belong to him. Also living with the family is Serafina (Margo), a woman Enrico brought from Italy but never married. When Paulo arrives and gives his name as "Porro", Enrico accuses him of coming to America to kill him as there was a feud in Sicily between the Bacio and Porro families a long time ago.

Perry and Paul go out to interview family members and witnesses. The California prelimininary hearing is held with Hamilton Burger as prosecutor.

Paulo admits that when he arrived in America he visited several wealthy Italian-American families claiming to be a relative and they allowed him to stay with them. Paulo had visited a man in San Francisco who also owned a monument factory who sent him to the Bacio's. There are some spectators in the courtroom including the Bacio family.

As usual, after questioning some witnesses, Perry reveals the real killer who turns out to have had an even better reason for killing Enrico.

Perry, Paul, and Della discuss the case with Porro and the priest.

Margo as Serafina
Nico Minardos as Giangiacomo
Anthony Caruso as Enrico Bacio
Fabrizio Mioni as Paulo Porro
Rudy Solari as Massimo Bacio
Linda Marsh as Elizabeth Bacio
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Writers: Erle Stanley Gardner, Milton Krims