Although debates on the notions of trust and social capital did not peak until the 1990s, these developments have their origins in scientific literature. Proof of this is provided in one of the major sources of this line of research, the monograph on a village in southern Italy at the end of the 1950s by the American political scientist E. C. Banfield, which clearly anticipated the terms of current debates. This paper summarizes this work, highlighting its contributions, limits, and weaknesses, and attesting to its legacy.