Like Nothing Happened by richardura0 at Inkitt

Chapter 1

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<< Like nothing happened. >>

<<You’re gonna die darling, and it will be like nothing happened. >>

She, the most beautiful goil (girl in a thick New York accent) I have ever seen, is all naked and tied up, in front of me.

<<Don’t do it, Max! I beg ya, do what you want, how many times you want, but then lemme go.>>

<>

The dagger is inside her abdomen.

Look at her, she was perfect, even the feet.

Sette volte, penso sia abbastanza ( Ita : Seven times, I think it is enough)

They tried to kill me, guys of the Family that bears my name. They used the goil I liked in order to attack me.

Some ability, some luck, I am still here, they ain’t.

I can die and I do not give a damn. I am a man. I am just a man.

I am a man.

A bit later …

<<Danny, get to the place you know.>>

<<What’s up Max? Are you okay?>>

<>

<<Fuck! How bad is it?>>

<<Leg and shoulder, I am still standing up.>>

<>

<<Soon is too late. You gotta be here toity (thirty) minutes ago.>>

4 years later …

Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

March 23rd, 1990

I knew that by getting to the top of the pyramid, I would run the risk of getting bored, but I still know how to avoid it. Yesterday one of my captains died, Joseph Iacobelli.

He was the youngest, he was only 33 years old, the same age as me, the same as Jesus Christ.

A sudden heart attack struck a healthy boy, difficult to believe it, but life is like that, a single moment changes everything, and single moments give meaning to everything.

Many will think that Joseph’s death was because of me, but that Is not the case.

I have to go to the funeral now, and I’m afraid, as usually happens on these occasions, that’ll burst out laughing, sometimes I just can’t help myself.

Sicily, Palermo,

March 23rd, 1986

In Sicily by myself, memories arise on my mind… “If I have to whack someone, I will fucking do it. I do not care if I gotta shoot him, or If I gotta cut his face. Tell me I have to kill him with my bare hands, I will do it. I don’t mind If he is 300 pounds or something, I will get to his fucking throat, I will have to taste his blood. I will tear his flesh.”

I was toitheen (13) years old when I used to talk like that to my grandpa Francesco. My moment arrived five years later, when I shot this low-level Greek bookie, then I became a killer. I was still, like nothing had happened, shortly later I fucked a broad.

Killers, I mean serious killers of the Family,

They told me it was not easy the first time,

They trembled, some of them vomited. I did not. I did not. I ain’t like that, I fucking ain’t.

I am not a psychopath, I got feelings, I am just better than the others about controlling.

A few guys, I stabbed them, then I learned how to strangle, and the real fun began. The first time I strangled somebody it was hard, the second time harder, then I became the best.

They told to me I would have been in need for help with the rope, I replied that I do not need anything by anyone.

I do not need to eat, to drink, to fuck, I do not need my own life neither.

The first guy I strangled, he was a made guy, but

he had to go. I didn’t know the reason, I didn’t need to know it. If somebody got the power to tell you to do something, it is because he knows.

He used to drive me to Joisey (New Jersey), so getting in the back seat of the car it was usual to me. He was 54, I had known him since I was a child, and I remember him as a good man, till today. On the stereo he put this beautiful pop Italian song “Sarà perché ti amo” (Just because I love you), and as a fucking animal I put the thin cord against his neck. I felt it, that time I felt it. I put all of my strength, I pulled my legs backwards, but I was not able to clinch it.

The song kept playing.

My mind was kinda shaken, I thought to just shoot him, but the order was clear… The Sicilian Way.

After two minutes he was bad enough, but he was not near to leave.

My heart was beating too fast. I jumped off the car and I started punching him, I took the key and I started punching him with it. His face started bleeding, so I went to strangle him again. He was screaming and crying, it was really awful.

Then, another time I jumped off the car, this time I used my pistol to hit him, and I left him unconscious.

Finally, I went to strangle him an nth time, and he fucking died. I felt so bad, so tired, and I fell to the ground.

Few seconds later, I acted as nothing had happened.

Brooklyn, March 23rd, 1990

<<Calogero, I trust you, do It and do it properly.>>

<<Do not worry, I will do it right, I will hurt him, but he will survive.>>

<>

<>

At the funeral everyone looks at me with reverence, but they don’t hide their fear of me well. It is right that I am

feared, but if they are too afraid of me, at the slightest suspicion they could go to the police, to lose

their honor. This job becomes more and more diﬃcult.

All the newspapers are talking about the deadly ambush against the alleged underboss of the Bianchi Crime Family.

We should remain silent now, until something shakes the system.

Dan joins me outside my oﬃce and tells me: « Tony is upset, he got the suspect his brother has given the order from the jail to hit some of his men. He is very

worried about his two sons, and wants to talk to you as soon as

possible.»

«I don’t wanna talk to anyone right now, just tell him everything’s okay, I’m looking after everybody.»

« He is very worried, he can do crazy things in order to protect his sons, you gotta see him, you are the only one who can take him under control.»

« Got it. The unconditional love is the weakness of the human beings. I will talk to him tomorrow. I will make he plan selling the houses Uncle Paulie’s men.»

I don’t like talking to my uncle Tony, he’s an ancient and objectively stupid man, I can’t speak with him in double meanings.

We meet in a landﬁll on Staten Island, I arrive early and sit near a small table,

inside a large room with little light. There’san almost ghostly atmosphere, when he’s here he’ll think I want to kill him. Now I see him appear in front of me, he is still several meters away when he starts to rant something. This makes me nervous, but I keep the calm, as always.

I get up when he is in front of me and he hugs me, then I invite him to sit down.

«But Massimiliano, why do we have to meet in this dark place, I have my nice

place on Arthur Ave, and you haven’t come tovisit me there for years. Your friend Daniele keeps telling me that it is not safe.

<<I’m sorry you don’t like the place, but you know there are FBI agents 24/7 at your place, I can’t be seen there, unfortunately times have changed, and we need to be more and more careful. Now we must talk business, and we will talk about changes you will like.>>

<<This pleases me.

My animal brother Paulie from prison he has given orders to attack my children, his goal is to put his son

Paulie Jr on the throne, and he can count on several caporegimes loyal to him. He couldn’t stomach the killing of Fat Dom, but

that son of a bitch stole money from the Family, and as acting boss I rightly had the power toget rid of him, as you advised me. I didn’t wantto break up with Paolo, but he’s a danger now, what do you want to do?>>

«Four caporegimes have already lined up against you, the others are stalling, waiting to see who will be the

winner, to ﬁnd out whose ring they will have to kiss.

What we will do is very simple, we will immediately target the four caporegimes in question: Mario and James from

Queens, Joe Nunzio in Yonkers and Diego Calabrone in Rochester. There we will strike simultaneously, so that they do not have time to react, and the others will understand that you are the strongest and will be loyal to you, so you will oﬃcially become boss and then pass the position on to your son Silvio.

I will give you some of my best men, they

will be coordinated directly by Captain Elio Marciano, who will report to Daniel. Eventually we’ll killPaulie and Paulie Jr too, that’s the only solution.>>

«Mizzica and what a shocking plan, I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life , I’ve been trampled on by Paolo

since I was born , just because he’s the eldest, and now I should accept the succession of that crazy son. No, this will never happen. I have to thank you Massimiliano, you are a blessing for all of us , the true boss of bosses, you, God forgive me, are better than Salvatore Lucania.

But when will this plan happen?>>

<<The day after tomorrow. It will be a bloody Sunday like the one in Derry, Elio is waiting for you this evening to discuss the details in a quiet place.»

<<It’s ﬁne, splendid.>>

Finally we say goodbye.

Before returning to Giulia, outside my oﬃce, Dan comes to talk to me :

«What are you looking for?»

« I’ve always trusted you, but I got to ask you, just once, are you sure it’s not just a huge risk?»

«Risk is just part of life, you ever risk everything, there’s just a way to avoid risk, and that way it’s to do not be alive. If you accept the burden of life, you accept the risk, that’s how it works. I will eat them over. Good night my friend, I go to screw my wife.»

I’ve known Giulia for four years, we got married only after two months, she was still a virgin. My story with her reminded meand others of Michael Corleone’s in The Godfather. Fortunately , no one died in my case, I was injured in an attack, and nothing bad ever happened to her.

One time I fucked her eight times in a day. I got such a fucking libido, since I was a child. I got too much of it, but I learned how to take it under control. Then, when I got the chance and the will, I fucking explode. For one girl is too much to handle. When I got a girl, I do not only screw her, I destroy her.

Many guys boast about their performances, but they are feeble, they are average, some slightly above average, but nothing more.

I don’t know if it is because of the killings planned, but I feel so euphoric. I will fuck her, at least , nine times. To her I got nothing to prove, to me, a lot.

She always looks at me with those dreamy eyes she looked at me with when we ﬁrst met. It was October 9 , 1986, and it was hot in Sicily. I remember she was wearing crimson pants and pink shoes, she had scruffy hair, and she looked gorgeous without a lick of makeup. Our meeting was casual, and I have always thanked God for it. She is only twenty-two years old, and she has already given me two sons, she is a devoted woman and a good mother. With her I never used a condom or another method of contraception, unlike how I behaved with American girls . I never liked them.

<<How was your day, amore?” she tells me as she brings me a glass of red wine. <<As usual, nothing much, except for some new things I had to plan.>>

I have always been vague with her, she knows what I do and she has never judged me, she doesn’t know the details and has never shown interest in knowing them. Most of the time I wake up at 5 in the morning, other times, that’s the time I go to sleep. I always wake up with my naked wife on top of me, and she kisses me all over and then carries on as I want, without me telling her anything. This is how my every day begins. Today is day X, I’m a little nervous about the upcoming events , but I don’t let anyone read me. I will not leave the oﬃce until I am told that everything went well. It’s already 8.30pm, I call Giulia telling her that I’ll be back late and that she doesn’t have to wait up for me, but I already know that she will. Our days always begin and end in the same way. In the meantime I go out onto the terrace and light a cigar. I don’t like Manhattan, too much noise and too many people, but now I’m quiet here, alone in the dark.

«Mister Marone, everything’s ﬁne.» I get up and go to meet the boy who gave me the message, and looking into his eyes, I ask him: <<Are you sure?>>

«Yes sir. It’s done.» The next day, the press talks about the 5 murders of reputed high-ranking mobsters, and an attempted assassination of another ﬁgure, now stable in hospital and under federal protection. It is from the newspapers that I learn that Diego Calabrone survived. Several journalists are waiting for me in front of the oﬃce door, I just say: «Good morning guys, there’s no reason for you to bother yourselves being here asking a businessman about things he cannot know, have a nice day.»

In the afternoon I go to St. Joseph Cemetery to bring ﬂowers to my deceased grandparents. There I meet Elio, who makes me understand that everything will proceed as it should. Then he also tells me that Tony is furious, because my men failed to kill Calabrone, and now he fears that his caporegime who survived might sell himself to the feds. Tony attempted to contact Calabrone’s wife and children , to get the message to him that neither he nor anyone close to him will be affected, as long as he abandons the family business. However, he was unable to speak to him, because they are all already under protection. Calogero had made threats arrive to Calabrone’sons. In just a few days, however, there will be a meeting of regime leaders and it is assumed that Tony will be oﬃcially appointed as the new boss of the Family, with the deposition of Paulie. The other bosses, all in the can, they will just accept the things as they are. Paulie has never been liked by anybody. He has always been a violent thug, and he never had the right mindset for the big businesses. Too bad that Uncle Tony will soon be arrested too . I postpone his request to meet me, the truth is that we will never meet again. Tony organizes a dinner at his place. All the caporegimes are invited and also several soldiers. Many journalists are there, and of course, the FBI too. He is worried, but in his heart he is convinced that Diego will never sing. He is an honorable man faithful to the code, but faced with concern for the lives of his children, the paternal aspect prevails and, shortly, the arrest warrants will rain down.

He only celebrates and remains boss for a few weeks. In fact, on January 1, 1991, he gotarrested in his home in the Bronx. In addition to him, thanks to the information provided by Calabrone, seven of the twelve caporegimes are arrested , in addition to the consigliere and thirty-eight, including soldiers and associates. New charges are also ﬁled against Paulie, already in prison. When my grandfather, Francesco Marone, died in 1975 while my father had already died of cancer years earlier, my uncles, bosses of the other Families, treated me with contempt, imagining that I would be out of my Family’s fairs. After his death I was not able to obtain most of the properties and the money I was supposed to receive as the only heir, De Blasi took most of it.As a boy I began to harbor my feelings of revenge. Now Joe Giordano, as well as Martin Mancuso, has been a guest of the government since 1986, but in a few years they should leave, and for the husbands of my bourgeois aunts I already have a certain plan in mind, but for now they are all ﬁne where are they. My cousin Silvio will take control of the Bianchi family, while that boor Paulie Jr who ran away to Fort Laurerdale will be murdered, he’s now out of the picture. At night I meet my cousin, Silvio Bianchi, in a safe place. He comes towards me with a worried face, and he kisses my ring. He is a weak man overwhelmed by events, he will manage the clan in my name.

«Silvio, I’m sorry about your father, I heard that the charges are serious and he could spend a long time in prison, but you don’t have to worry about the legal costs, I’ve already had Jacobson contact him, he’s the best lawyer, the same one who defended our grandfather Calogero, many years ago. »

«Thank you, thank you Maximilian.»

«You don’t have to thank me, it’s my duty. I appreciate your father, but he exposed himself too much with his public dinners and weekly meetings with the captains. You will be the acting boss, there is no doubt, and you will have to be reserved and secret, you will meet few men, you will almost never be seen around, and the captains will not have to know exactly the affairs managed by the other captains.»

«But I don’t know if everyone will accept my leadership. How should I proceed?>>

«You don’t have to worry, you have my blessing. Only six captains remain at large, but they are all under the radar of the feds, their time is up, they will be asked to stand down and they will accept. For the rest, many trusted young Sicilian men will ﬁll the territory, and new captains will soon be appointed. Some of my men are already working on this, and will contact you shortly , we will meet on another occasion. Obviously the men I bring into your Family in crisis will have to bring me a taste of their work. I will help you, but you will always be the Boss, it is not my intention to interfere more than necessary.>>

«Of course Maximilian, thank you, thank you very much. What will we do with Paulie Jr instead?>>

«You don’t have to worry, it’s all in my hands.»

<<Thank you, thank you again Maximilian, thank you very much, thank you.>>

I meet my cousin Francis Mancuso late at night in Manhattan. I haven’t seen him for a few weeks, he looks perplexed.

<<How are you, Franky?>>

<<Good>>, he replies shyly.

«I’m happy about it. For a long time I thought about your future. When I didn’t even have a present, I was already thinking about your future, and for this you will always have to be grateful to me, or the wrath of the Lord will fall on you.»

<>

«Good. Now listen to me carefully, if you do what I tell you, you will be inducted within a few days, before long you will be running your own crew, and before long you will be Boss, succeeding your father. But here no one gives you anything, you only get what you deserve in this life. You are twenty-one years old now, and now, in the space of a few seconds you will have to make one of the most important choices of your existence.

Let’s be clear, no one is forcing you to do what you don’t want, the choice is all yours. A man of mine is here with the car, and, if you want, he will take you to take a small private plane that no one can trace. The plane will take you to Fort Laurerdale, whereour cousin Paulie Jr is hiding, a contact there will let you ﬁnd him and give you a gun, and you and only you, will have to kill him. Now there’s no time, tell me now if you wantto be a winner or a loser. Tell me without delay.>>

« I want to be a winner, whatever it takes.» Francis is a good guy, he’s smart, perceptive, and can reach the top. This is a very dangerous life.

it’s not easy to handle the pressure, and I won’t show favoritism to anyone. Nepotism will never enterCosa Nostra as long as I remain the Master. I have always been an older brother to him and I know he has admiration for me. He will have to kill Paulie Jr, and he will have to do it alone, if he doesn’t succeed, as much as

It may displease me, and it would displease me, it will have been right.

I believe in merit, I, as a young man, I reached the top, and I did it alone, against all the most powerful.

Francis has never killed anyone, it won’t be easy for him, also because Paulie is a killer, he is armed anddangerous, and now more than ever he is capable of anything. He has always been a vulgar person, an ignorant person full of

evil, just like his father, those two have

both inherited power, and have always taken it for granted, but now there is the sword of the Angel of Death on their heads . In Florida I have many men, ready to Intervene, but only after Francis has done his job, whether the outcome

of the work is positive or negative.

Francis has been in Florida for two days, and he still hasn’t accomplished anything, this must be the good day,

or both his job and his career will be

ﬁnished. Today after lunch, I will meet Daniel. In the last few days he has been very busy making my position understood by the other Families, and soon there will be a meeting, in which I will be the only Boss present, while the others are all acting Bosses.

Sicily, Palermo

March 29, 1986

I am by myself in Sicily, with the equivalent in the Italian currency of ten million dollars in a suitcase.

I did not sleep in the last two days, I do not feel at my best. Nobody should recognize me here, and I hope not. My second cousin Giovanni is getting here, to take me to his home, or maybe just to whack me. I do not give a damn, let’s see.

I have left Noo Yawk (New York) to get here. I know I am acting like crazy, but only this craziness allowed me to survive so far.

I know I am gonna win, I am Maximilian, I got no sons so far, but I am the Father. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

I am just a little soul, carrying around a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.

I am Maximilian, and I belong to the Marone Family, and the Marone Family belongs to me.

I am just a man.

I am a man.

Senator De Blasi will leave this world, and my uncles as well.

My cousin didn’t try to whack me, so he is still alive.

I gave him the money, and he only accepted it to keep them in a safe place.

I understood through my “power” I can trust him.

The last time I sawr (saw) him, we were both children.

My grandpa brought me here, and before to get to Sicily we stopped in Rome and in Naples.

I remember Giovanni was good, I love the man, but he is not as good as me.

He is the boss now. He is the Father of a Small Family, made up by 26 made guys. He will have to talk to somebody about me. It is a duty, I am important.

A Family is made up by made guys. The Family got crews, each one led by a captain, above the captains there is the Boss. A Few Families in Sicily constitute a “mandamento”, a few mandamentos constitute a province, a few provinces constitute La Cosa Nostra.

Just a man rules over Sicily. I do not wanna say his name, not even in my mind, by myself. He is from Corleone. He is everything now. Sooner or later he will found out about me, and he will make a choice.

I am just a demoted captain of a Noo Yawk Family, just as he is just a poor farmer. I didn’t say anything, I have just said everything.

We got Five Families in Noo Yawk, mine is the biggest. About 300 made guys, far more than 2000 associates.

Then, there are other Families : Boston and Providence, Buffalo, Joisey (New Jersey), Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Kansas City, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Bufalino in Western Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh.

We got no Boss of all Bosses officially, a Commission of Bosses rules. Since my grandpa’s death in 1975, the Commission is under De Blasi’s control.

My first night in Sicily my cousin offered to me a clean whore. I was kinda tired, so I fucked her only twice. Then we ate together.

<<A Iddu u senatori nun ci piace, ma nun o sacciu se…Tu l’hai offrire qualcosa..>>

(In Sicilian : He doesn’tlike the Senator, but I do not know if… You gotta offer him something.)

<<Piccioli?>>

<<A Idde de’ piccioli nun ie ne fotte na minghia, iddu pensa solo a cumannari.)

(Money?

He does not give a damn about money, he only cares about ruling.)

<<Capisco. Ho solo bisogno di tempo per organizzarmi, parlo di mesi. Ho un po’ di uomini che mi sono fedeli nella Famiglia, ho un po’ di soldi. Da qui faccio ammazzare De Blasi e tutti I miei nemici, e divento boss prima del mio trentesimo compleanno. Riorganizzeremo il traffico di stupefacenti.

Come mio nonno prima, acquisterò la vostra eroina e la distruibiró lungo tutta la East Coast ,da Noo Yawk a Miami. Ho solo bisogno di un po’ di tempo, tutto qui.>>

( In Italian:

I just need a bit of time in order to organize everything, I mean a few months. I got some men faithful to me within the Family and I got some money. From here I will make De Blasi die, and just as him, all of my enemies. I will be boss before to turn toithy (thirty). I will organize the drug traffing again. Just as my grandpa I will buy your heroin and I will distribute it all over the East Cost, from Noo Yawk to Miami. I just need a bit of time, that’s it.)

When my grandpa Francesco Marone died in 1975, I was only 18, and recently made. My father had died by cancer years before.

My uncles, Bosses of three of the Other Families treated me with disparage.

After my grandfather passed away, Vincent De Blasi became, de facto, the ruler of the Commission, so the Boss of all Bosses. He was Neapolitan, son of poor immigrants, born in Little Italy, in 1918. He was one of the few Italians of his generation that went to the college. My grandpa Francesco understood the importance of politics before than others, so he invested in De Blasi and then in many others.

De Blasi had been a congressman in the State House of Noo Yawk for years, before to become a State Senator. In 1964 he asked for my grandpa’s permission to be a candidate for the U.S. Senate. The proposal was refused.

He was deemed to be more useful at the state level, guaranteeing control of public contracts and money.

Mostly thanks to his political and professional’s portfolio, my paternal grandpa became the most powerful and richest Boss. My maternal grandpa, he was a violent thug all of his life, likewise his son, always ruling from the Bronx. The Bianchis, acting as ferocious animals, they kept themselves away from the big businesses.

In Italy we consider the male lineage as the most important.

Francesco Marone heavily invested in drugs.

He used to say he likes the idea of feeble Bourgeoisie Americans getting screwed up by drugs.

“I Figli del Freddo uccideranno i Figli della Borghesia.”

(From Ita : “Sons of Cold will kill Sons of Bourgeoisie.”)

He was born in Sicily in 1900, in a little town in the Palermo’s area. Most of Sicily got hot summers and chill winters, but the place my blood came from it is snowy and cold.

Men had not enough clothes for the winter, they used to left them for women and children. A woman can be weak. A woman can be weak because she is a woman. A man cannot. A man cannot because he is a man.

During a gelid winter, a pal of my grandpa out himself a mantel on, hoping nobody saw him. My grandpa did, he beated him up, and later married his virgin girlfriend, my grandma. He kept the tradition of being half-naked during winter and taking ice baths till he fucking died. I have been doing this since I fucking borned.

Anyway in many occasions later in life he used some jackets, and me as well.

Fucking De Blasi forbade us to be involved in drugs, and everybody obeyed. As I became captain in 1982 at 25, I started dealing with this lucrative business. Nobody found out about this for years. Then in 1986 one of my soldier, Marano, he got arrested with a few kilos of H. Then De Blasi ordered my death. They used a goil, trying me to make me fall in a trap. I am too smart for that.

I walk alone in Ozone Park, my bodyguards follow me discreetly, then I enter the garden of a quiet house where

Dan is waiting for me.

«Maximilian» greets me with reverence.

I see his tired face, he has organized many meetings with many personalities, he has always had to take the

many necessary precautions, and he has had to carry out the many mediations that I have requested, to make

everyone understand that I am now in charge, even if it is not still the time to make all my

strength felt.

«Dan, I can see you’re tired, and I’m thankful to you. Tell me all the hell you’ve done.”

« Yes sir. I’ve met both Philiph and Joe Barrese, and they are happy to take part in the business someonene talked to me. Philiph is pretty stupid and he likes the plan, he is the acting, and his father Francesco trusts him, so I’m sure he is in. The councilor Joe got suspects, but that’s not a worry about the deal. Christopher Damiano of the Giordano family, Damiano George Salamandra of the

Mancuso family, have told me their bosses are upset about the affairs within the Bianchi family, but they agree on Silvio as the acting, and are open to the deal. Themeeting will take place in Long Island, a quiet location in Nassau County, in the beginning of February.»

<<Good. Very good. Now tell me about him, how it’s going?>>

« That’s the last day for the concert, you are going to getan answer very soon.»

It’s morning, I’m in the car, my driver is

taking me to the oﬃce, we’re still in Brooklyn. I’m thinking about what might have happened in Florida. I’m almost surprised that I’m calmer than I would have thought. I get a call from Scott Pettirosso, one of my captains from Fort Laurerdale, and I am told that everything went as planned. I’m relieved, but in any case I would have remained homeostatic, even with the news of Francis’ death. In the oﬃce I hear on the radio the news of the discovery of the body of Paulie Bianchi Jr, a reputed member of the Maﬁa, son of the

boss Paulie Bianchi. He died before reaching the age of thirty. Now I have to call my aunt Hillary to give her condolences,

I’m afraid to laugh, also because everyone will suspect that the order came from me, and it’s right that it be known. For about two decades I’ve dreamed of giving a beautiful speech at Paulie Jr.’s funeral. However, I wouldn’t want Paulie, with a permit from prison, to ruin my celebration. The call to Hillary is short and cold.

The funeral will be in three days, in the old Bianchis’ neighborhood in the Bronx. I’m wearing a black suit with black boots, I look great. My wife is always too exciting, I look at her from behind while she gets dressed and I feel the blood ﬂow, but now that’s not the case, we can’t be late

at the church. I am a passionate man and I don’t like to hold back, I think it’s harmful to my health. While we are in the car, I can’t help but touch her legs, she gives me her hand, and gently rests her

head on my chest. Now I can no longer contain myself, I tell my driver Nick to immediately pull over in an

indiscreet place and leave me and my lady alone for a few minutes. It would be a shame to waste this explosive impulse that burns in my gut.

We ﬁnally arrive at the funeral, before going down I check my raven hair in the mirror, I look like a deity.

I walk with my head held high to enter the church, I’m proud of myself. There is a long line of people, who intend to pay

their respects to Hillary and her other relatives, but as soon as they notice me, they leave the line to come towards me. It’s moments like these that are worth living for.

I am just kidding with myself.

Has been told to me that my Uncle Paulie will not be taking part in the ceremony, because in an act of anger he attacked two guards. After receiving respects from many people, I go to Hillary. In her gaze there is only resignation, perhaps acceptance more than resignation. My other two aunts, however, Emily and Nancy, the wives of Martin Mancuso and

Joseph Giordano respectively, look at me with poorly concealed hatred. I kiss them both on the cheeks boldly, almost aggressively.

I then greet my other relatives, Eric

Giordano, Silvio Bianchi, and Francis Mancuso. Francis has something different on his face, I like it. I tell him that soon one of my people will pick him up and bring him to me, so that I can reward him for his service. I sit on the second bench, with my wife, Silvio, Eric and his wife, in front of us my three aunts. The priest is an elderly, bald man who has an unnaturally shrill tone of voice and who coughs and sneezes constantly. I can’t help but laugh, and I don’t try

too hard to hide it. I don’t ﬁnd it to be disrespectful, but if I tried to hide it it would be worse. Hillary doesn’t want to speak, so I decide to intervene, solemnly climbing onto the pulpit.

« Thank you all for being here today. My cousin Paulie was a decent man, and he didn’t deserve to be shot ﬁve times

by an unknown criminal. He made mistakes, like every human being, but he was a man of God. He didn’t have the time to get married and to get kids, too young he’s gone, and we are sad now. Anyway we do not have to be narrow-minded, indeed we got to be sharp-sighted, we gotta think about God and his will. He got a plan for Paulie, and whatever’s happened to him was just part of a greater plan, a plan many cannot see, but I can, I can see a marvelous plan for Paulie and for everybody. God just loves all of us, God is love. If this, like I ﬁrmly believe, has been decided by Him, we gotta be glad thinking our friend little Paulie Jr is in a better place. We also got to consider our lives and our sins, and gotta be ready to die every moment, cause if He decides so, there’s nothing which could stop him. Just be happy about life and death, considering everything part of a plan of

love.»

After ﬁnishing the short, threatening, prophetic and concise speech, I stand for a moment looking at the crowd in front of me, and, rightly, applause breaks out,

complete with a standing ovation. Today they venerate me, a few years ago they wanted me dead, everything passes, in the meantime what counts is what has been experienced, this is what gives us meaning.

I can lose anything at any time, nothing

can upset me, in any case I am satisﬁed because I live in the world according to my rules.

Society changes, we do not, we stay the same, this is our strength.

We love women, but women are just women, and men are men, end of subject.

A fag is a fag, a disgrace to his bloodline. This is not going to change in my world.

If you are a good father, your son will be straight, in all the meanings of the word.

Me, Daniel, Captain Elio, meet in a

safe place in Bay Ridge, with Francis, who will soon become

a man of the Family. The oﬃcial induction is an important ceremony for me, most of the time I have

my captains carry it out, but on this occasion I want to conduct it myself. Martin does not want his son to become a man of honor, but I will induct him into my clan, and in a little while he will take his father’s place at the head of the

Mancuso Family, which will be administered in my name. Calogero and Francis will be accompanied here together.

Before the ceremony I want to speak privately with the initiate for a moment.

Waiting for the future soldier, I sit in a comfortable armchair while smoking a cigar, on my left sits Elio, on my right

Dan.

«It’s a beautiful evening.»

«It’s a beautiful age» I reply to Elio.

«We are making money like never before, and after the deal, we will do even better, we are the strongest force in Noo Yawk. Anyway we gotta be silent, at least for a while.»

«After the last hits, federals want to clinch something, but as long as we are smarter than the others before us, there’s nothing to do for ’em» adds Marciano.

« It’s true, we are the strongest now, but to keep the power we must keep ourselves the smartest. Look at Sicily, Italian government is at war against the organization and our allies are losing power, men and money. I think If Riina does not stop his audacious hits, he himself will be put in a jail, serving a life sentence» says my friend Dan, always the most prudent.

«That’s for sure, but Our Thing will always be on the rise» I conclude.

Calogero and Francis ﬁnally arrive.

I have Francis come over to talk to him one-on-one.

«I want to be clear, this moment is the last one you have to back out. I

advise you to live this life. However, remember that this is the most diﬃcult life to live, but everyone wants to be us, everyone wants our life. Mine is just an

advice, the choice is yours and yours alone. Are you convinced?”

<<Yes I am. I’m in.>>

I see some little fear in his blue eyes, but he seems convinced. We can move on.

«I know it wasn’t easy for you in Florida, but you kept straight, you did a good job. You may not be a hitman, but you may be called upon to do similar jobs again in the future.

You will become a member of the Marone Family, but you will continue to work in Salvatore Molisano’s crew of the Mancuso family, in Howard Beach.

You will work in the recycling and

sports betting sectors. Instead, your legal job will be as a clerk in the Thompson Insurance Company in Ozone Park. Outside of what you will have to give to your made guy on a regular basis, I also demand a slice of the pie. Obviously it’s not a question of money, it’s

a question of respect and gratitude. On the ﬁrst day of every month, Calogero himself will come to you to withdraw no less than 2500 dollars. Is everything

clear?>>

«Yeah, it is.»

Today the ﬁrst meeting of the Commission conducted by myself, is scheduled.

There hasn’t been a meeting of this magnitude for six years.

All appropriate measures have been taken to ensure the safety and secrecy of myself and my distinguished colleagues.

I have lost count of the number of men who are working to make the summit happen. We will meet in a large abandoned house on the outskirts. The exact location was revealed to the others only a short while ago.

Sitting at the head of the table, in an enormous austere room, I stand up.

«I thank those present for accepting my invitation, Christopher Damiano of the Giordano family, George Salamandra of the Mancuso family, Philiph and his uncle Joe Barrese of the family of the same name, and Silvio Bianchi of the Bianchi family. It’s been too long since this

organism of ours met, and that’s no good. I will speak in English to make sure everyone will be able to understand my ideas about our business. My friend Daniel have already talked to you about the details of division of common affairs in our territories, plus the matter concerning the snow my Family has been buying by our allies for some years, and I want to share this treasure with all of you. »

«Yeah, I’ve heard about it, but, with all due respect, I gotta ask you, Mr Marone, why can’t we all buy the goods together at the same price? What’s the reason why we are supposed to buy these things we know from you, and not directly from the Sicilians and the Calabrians?» Joe intervenes.

«That’s a very simple reason. I’ve just gotten what I deserved, what I’ve worked for. I started this business in 1982, when I was still a captain in Brooklyn. You know, Senator De Blasi, was the unofficial ‘Boss of Bosses’, after my grandparent’s death. He had been helped by my Family, when he started his political career. We used

him as a tool, but after Francesco Marone got departed, De Blasi began using you as tools for his own purposes, and he was in charge here, he used to get the real power, and he imposed you to do not be involved in this lucrative traﬃcking, and you had accepted his decision. This decision has made us weak, and he got rich and richer. I was the only one who had the effrontery to start, by myself, this business, and to ﬁght against De Blasi. I got survived after implacable killers tried to kill me, two times, both

here and in Sicily. Then, when De Blasi’s position was weakened, cause of the indicments against many of his fellow followers of him, I, by myself, have got him gone, so I gave you the business freedom. I am not a resentful man, indeed I am kind-hearted, so I give you the chance to buy the snow by my own hands, making you a very special offer, and you know you cannot get a better

one ’round here. You can do whatever you want, no one is obliged to accept my

offer.»

Everyone accepts, everyone except Christopher Damiano, at the express wish of the boss Giordano.

I will settle the bills with that ignoble big man very soon, he will have to suffer before leaving this valley of tears.

There’s a little place in Bay Ridge that I really like, I have n’t been back in years, but today for lunch, that’s where I’ll meet Eric Giordano. That guy is thoity years old

now, but he’s still a child, his parents spoiled him, and still spoil him. His father made him become a soldier, even though he is a useless being, and recently he was promoted to caporegime. Once upon a time even just to become a soldier you had to work a lot, now with this nepotism any idiot can become a leader. Eric has never committed murder, never organized or directed a major operation, and yet he’s a damn capo. I swear to myself that I will have him torn apart like a pig, just to

rebalance what his parents have created, with their fucking stupidity. I am divine providence. I am the angel of death.

I am just a man.

I am a man.

He is walking to sit with me at the table. I already can’t stand the emptiness in his eyes and the arrogance of his gel-soaked quiff covering his forehead. I feel like shooting him right now. However, I know how to control myself, I know when I have to release my anger, I know how to calculate, simulate and dissimulate, like Machiavelli's prince . He greets me reverently, and he waits for a wave of my hand to sit down.

«So Eric, how are you? Tell me a little about how your activities are progressing.»

«Good, I mean it’s not bad. The balance sheet is stable as you know, there’s no need for me to complain.>>

Kitestramuort (Neapolitan insult which is a maledition upon tour defuncted relatives) son of a gun.

«I’m sure they could go better. Your father, as you know, rejected an irrefutable offer, and this will cost you a lot, but I am a magnanimous man and I want to make the same offer to you and your crew again , at the same advantageous and unrepeatable conditions, without the need for anyone to know . I cannot see your family waste away due to the short-sightedness of an elderly man who has lost clarity.>>

«I know that the offer, all things considered, is good, and I appreciate your interest, but whoever had to decide has decided.»

This son of a bitch can’t seem to think straight, God damn him.

«I don’t like the way you talk. I wanted to talk to you to make you think, I wanted to talk to you in person, without delegating the matter, despite my commitments, and yet, you, without appreciating the honor that I grant you, say no to me, without even having weighed everything.»

<>

I’m losing my appetite now, and I think the discussion will lead nowhere. I take his hand gently, and, suddenly, with a sharp movement, I thrust a fork into his hand, stabbing it into the table and making it bleed. I get up and walk away casually, while he screams in pain. The news will reach everyone, but it is not a problem. In a few years, Mancuso and Giordano will be released from prison, and in that moment I will destroy them, together with the Barreses. It will be the most funny thing in my life.

Today is November 1st, and in the evening, leaving my oﬃce, as usual I meet Calogero, who gives me the sachet he takes monthly from Francis. This time, however, he tells me that 200 dollars are missing, and that he saw the boy in crisis.

«Francis has a nice car, even though I’ve never liked German cars .»

Calogero understands the message, and nods his head at me.

«I want to meet him the day after tomorrow morning, in front of my house. At 7.00 sharp.>>

I light a cigar as I leave the house. I like the fresh air at this time. I see Francis arriving with a troubled face.

«I’m sorry Maximilian, I’m mortiﬁed. I give you my word that it won’t happen again.”

He seems genuinely remorseful. He is right to be, he made an amateur mistake, as well as disrespecting me and the Family. However overall he is a good guy, with the issue of Junior, he did a nice job.

«What happened is disgusting. A shameful act.>>

He hands me an envelope. I open it, and I count 1000 dollars.

«You know it’s not a question of money. It’s a question of respect. Respect yourself ﬁrst and foremost. Now we are talking about laughable ﬁgures, but even if they were millions, or even billions, little would change. Money is important, but it comes second. There are more important things, which come and will always come ﬁrst.>>

One by one, I burn all the banknotes.

«I’m sorry about your car. If you screw up again, it might burn something else.

You knew the risks of the job when you accepted my proposal, and now you will have to

live with it. From now on, you will have to hand over 4000 dollars to Calogero.»

I was given the news over the phone of the death of Giovanni Marone, my second cousin and Boss in Sicily. He was shot six times in the chest by an unknown assailant in the garden of his home. This leaves me unsettled. It is totally unexpected. I call Eugenio Battista, deputy boss of the clan for explanations. He is rather vague, but he makes me understand that the order came from above. I feel sorry for Giovanni, he was my friend and my ally, he still had a lot to live, but he lived a full life. His forty-ﬁve years here have been well spent. I don’t know the details, but I think this killing could have been avoided, anyway it’s not my place to tell others how to handle their jobs. The important thing is that our alliance remains strong. I sit on the sofa, and my wife brings me a glass of wine. «Giulia I have bad news.

Giovanni Marone is dead. »

«When? And what happened?” she asks me surprised.

«About nine hours ago. He was killed. Someone shot him six times with a riﬂe.>>

<<It’s terrible. I don’t want to get into your activities, you know, but I want to ask you, didn’t you know anything about it?>>

«No, I assure you that I was as amazed as you.

He’s dead now, and there’s nothing more that can be done.>> I see her really upset now.

«And when will the funeral be? Should we go there?>>

«There will be no funeral. Giovanni was in

prison for murder and other crimes, and was a well-known man of honor. He will be buried without a funeral.>>

<<What a sad thing.>>

«The funeral is just a convention, there is no necessity. For each of us his life matters

as long as he lives it, after that it is no longer our problem. Dying before becoming old can happen to

anyone at any time, it’s not the

death that counts, it’s what happened before that counts. Despite problems of various kinds, Giovanni was happy, he

lived the life he wanted, he was in tune with himself>>

I’m in the oﬃce, a little bored, when Dan arrives. <<Good morning, Max>>

<<Dan.>>

«I’ve heard about what happened with your Giordano cousin. May I ask you what is the purpose?>>

«If you talking ’bout that relative of mine, I gotta say, nothing in particular. Just a feeling towards a dull, feeble man. I didn’t think about the action I’ve done, but it’s nothing serious. I will really take care of the situation another time. Don’t get worried about my uncle, he’s not gonna do anything. He just cannot.»

«Yeah, of course he can’t. Anyway he won’t forget.»

« I don’t forget either. All the hell I’ve seen, it’s stuck in my mind. That’s the reason for my headaches.»

«How about Sicily?»

« Well, I just mind my own business. The leader is out of control, but our activities will get along. That’s all.»

I said that Giovanni’s murder was none of my business, and it is, nevertheless it makes me think. You

never know when someone is behind your

back. The power I have achieved now is tempting for many, it arouses envy. Anyone could organize a conspiracy against me. I am ready to die, but not to be defeated.

<<Okay.>>

«Is everything okay with the fat man we know?» I turn to Peter Cuffari, one of my captains from

Queens. Dan is a little surprised, because he knows that I generally don’t talk in the oﬃce about my men.

«Yes, it is.»

«I don’t think so. I’m worried about is weight, it can be very unhealthy.»

Dan is taken aback, he still hasn’t understood what I want to tell him.

«I remember another cousin of mine, who got a stroke and passed away, and he was not even ﬁfty. I’m worried about the health of this friend of yours. Maybe he should consider a diet.» I add,

looking into his eyes. Now he understands.

«Can we talk about this weight problem another time?»

«No, we cannot. His wife got a healthy problem too, he’s too skinny. I can’t be attracted by a skinny woman.»

Peter didn’t do anything wrong, but I don’t like the way he smiled at me the last time we saw each other. And I can’t stand his hysterical and presumptuous wife. She also dances like a prostitute.

«I got to ask it another time, are you really sure?»

«Everytime I talk I’m really sure. Make it happens.»

«Got it.»

He continues to look at me perplexed, but I am sure he will do my bidding.

Returning home, accompanied by my driver Mario, I notice a car parked near the driveway.

«Mario, what the fuck is this guy doing near my house?» “I don’t know, it doesn’t seem worrying to me.>>

«I don’t trust him, I’m not going to get out

of the car, you take the gun in your hand, and wait for Tom and Louis, tell them to go and check, let whoever is in that car understand he has parked in the wrong place.”

Tom and Louis are expert soldiers, who I gave the task of following me, this week I’m using them. I never use the same ones for more than seven days. Louis knocks on the door while Tom stays vigilantly behind, and Mario and I watch carefully, while the engine of our armored car is still running.

A middle-aged man gets out of the vehicle, he seems like an idiot who didn’t understand the gravity of the

situation. In any case, whoever makes a mistake pays. Louis punches him, and while he’s lying on the ground he kicks him.

I get out of the car, in the meantime a police car passes by, I glance at the oﬃcers, and they

leave, then I give Louis a signal with my head, whereupon he stops the attack.

A week after the order given to Dan, he tells me :

«It’s happening very soon.»

The following morning I’m in the car with Mario, whereupon he tells me: «Ashley got died, an unknown

criminal stabbed her.»

«Bad news. How ’bout her husband?>> Mario seems nervous, and it risks making me nervous.

«Mario, we’ve known each other for many years, tell me what the shit happened, without mincing words.»

“So Max, someone stabbed Peter, and then shot him, hitting him twice, apparently, we don’t know if he’ll make it.>>

God damn you idiots!

«I won’t go to the oﬃce this morning. Stop by your house

and call Dan. We meet at the place you know. Out of Brooklyn, I’ll change cars, go with Louis, while you follow me with Tom.>>

«Got it.»

I get into Louis’ car.

«Good morning, Maximilian.»

«Ah Louis, these days there are people who don’t know how to work. You’re a good guy, you’re doing ﬁne.»

«Thank you, sir.»

When I complimented him, he made a

strange look, as if he was hiding something. He has the eyes of a traitor. The situation risks

getting out of hand.

We’re outside Noo Yawk City, this is an isolated place.

Dan gets out of the car. He looks bad.

It’s just me and him, while Mario and Tom are in the car, and Louis on the other side.

«I’m sorry Max, my bad. It’s my responsibility.»

«Yeah, it is. I wanna hear the details.»

«Leonardo and Luke were requested to make the hit. Luke got sick, a food poisoning problem I’ve heard, and Leo decided to act alone, going to Peter’s home. While Peter was in the bathroom, Leonardo assaulted her. She tried to stab him, but he took the knife and stabbed her to death. After Peter punched Leonardo, but the latter stabbed him and shot him twice before to leave. Someone could have seen him, I don’t know. Peter is still alive.»

«It’s preposterous. A soldier with food problems, another one who acts without thinking and without killing. We are making others laugh at us.

Somebody got to pay. Peter is under FBI radar, isn’t it?>>

«Yes, he is. Nobody knows what he’s going to do. We cannot approach him right now.»

«That’s another problem. Louis, I can’t trust him. He got the heart of a betrayer, I can see it in his eyes.

He got to leave this world, now. Approach his car and kill him.»

He seems almost scared, it’s been years since he committed a murder.

<<Okay.>>

He approaches the car, knocks on the door, and Louis opens the window, there’s a nanosecond of hesitation I

feel. Reaching down, Dan takes the gun from his pocket and ﬁres a shot into his forehead. He puts down the gun and walks back to me. He wants to appear undaunted, but I know

that the event has shaken him. On the other hand, Mario and Tom are amazed, I look at them with my

peripheral vision, and ignore them. They haven’t seen anything yet.

Dan is a loyal man, but he has weakened. A man like that can’t be my underboss.

<<It’s just the life, how it is. Don’t think to put the blame on me. I’m just the black prince I was supposed to be.>>

I think he understood. He is still, there is nothing in his eyes. He is an honest servant to the end.

I will always be grateful to him.

With a feline leap I take my gun and shoot him. I hit him straight in the heart. He died.

Years later I found out they had just started cooperating with the FBI, a few days before.

I approach Mario and Tom, very tired.

«Tom, call Calogero and clean up this shit. I gotta go with Mario.»

Dan was a good person, I had known him for over twenty years. He was honest and eﬃcient, but he wasn’t ﬁt to ﬁght, not ﬁt for war, not

anymore. I only decided this morning, although perhaps

the idea had already been ﬂoating in my mind for a while. Being who I am continually requires timely and courageous decisions. This is what I’ve always wanted. Dan was sixty-one years old. No wife or children. He had always been alone. Now he won’t have a funeral. His body will be dismembered and

buried in different places. The same will happen to Louis.

I don’t know for sure if he was a traitor, but if he wasn’t, he would have become one, so my decision was right. I will need to notify the other Families of the change in leadership.

Elio will be my new underboss. Elderly and eﬃcient, he was appointed caporegime by my grandfather in ’71. Now he deserves a promotion.

This evening I will meet Elio, outside my oﬃce. He is surprised at what happened, but he is not shaken. I make him understand that Leonardo must die immediately, and that Peter will have to be told that Leo acted independently and for this reason he will be killed. Calogero will kill him, he is the best.

On the same night Leonardo is killed, his body is found with the hands severed. Finally my men manage to talk to Peter, who believes the story he is told, and is happy to learn of the death of his wife’s killer.

There was never a need to kill Peter, and

I have no intention of eliminating him just yet. He will continue to be captain. I will even visit him at home as soon as he is released from the hospital.

The Family’s proﬁts are steadily increasing, as is its membership. I’m almost satisﬁed.

Today I will meet Silvio Bianchi, in his neighborhood in the

Bronx. We will talk peacefully in a small park.

He is always nervous when we have to meet, and this time too he can’t hide it. He is a

weak man.

«Tell me Silvio, business is good, isn’t it?»

«Yes Maximilian, our proﬁts are increasing with the new activities.»

«And yet you don’t seem very happy. Is there anything that bothers you by any chance? Anything I could help you with?”

«No problems really, just a few small misunderstandings between some of my men.»

“Now that you’re in the position you’re in, you have to be careful if you want to stay there. There is nothing you can underestimate. Is it true or not that your consigliere Joe Gagliano publicly criticized

your leadership, as well as railing against me and the men I brought you from Sicily?>>

<<From what I know he had been drinking a lot, he shouldn’t be taken seriously.>>

I look him straight in the eyes, and he starts to get scared.

«Being in the position you are in is not easy. If you want to stay there you have to be sharp and have courage. If someone dares to criticize you publicly and

goes unpunished, even those who listened to them will start to do so, and it won’t take long before words

turn to deeds, that is, to your death. Is this what you want?>>

<<Obviously not. Of course Uncle Joe is seventy-one years old.>>

<<Even more so, he has lived long enough. Even if he were eighteen, your decision should e the same.>>

<>

<>

He is conﬂicted, but the look I give him leaves him no choice.

<<All right.>>

Joe’s murder had already been planned. Calogero will take care of it tomorrow morning.

This 1992 started in the best way, Elio managed to convince one of the

Giordano’s capo to enter the narcotics business, Enzo Crotone, and now a second crew has also joined the operations. All in the dark of the Family leadership. Joe Giordano is expected

to be released from prison in two years, but he won’t spend too much time admiring the sunlight. He will die a

violent death. That man has always been static

in the dynamism of the universe. There is no more room for him. My splenetic hand will put an end to his misery.

Today, alone in my living room, I am making a

list of Family members. I don’t do it rarely.

I never write down the names in full, and as soon as I ﬁnish one, I burn it. We are currently

four hundred and eighteen. When I became boss in 1987, there were just under three hundred of us. Our associates currently number over three thousand. The Bianchis have no more than two hundred members, and the same goes for the Mancusos. The Giordanos have around

two hundred and ﬁfty, while the Barreses have three hundred.

Today I’m going to dinner with Frank Di Maggio, my old consigliere. It’s his 75th birthday,

and he wants to celebrate. It was my grandfather who recruited him as a soldier in the 1940s, later he promoted him to

captain. He helped me when I was young, when my future was still foggy, which is why when I won

I appointed him as my consigliere.

To the party, which will be held in the immense garden of his house in Glen Gove, he has invited all the captains of the Family, as well as many soldiers and some other men

from the other Families. Among them there will also be Enzo Crotone, a contemporary and historic friend of his. Surely the FBI will be there to spy on us, but we won’t talk about business, not a fucking whit.

I don’t particularly like these occasions, but I have a duty to go.

Me and Giulia get into the armored car, accompanied

by Mario. Dario and Ralph are the two soldiers tasked with following us.

Everyone greets me with respect, even Peter Cuffari, whom I see for the second time since the

assassination attempt which he survived. I then meet Joe Barrese, Enzo Crotone and his son Enzo Jr, and ﬁnally the birthday boy.

A seat at the central table is reserved for my wife and me together with Frank and his wife. Everyone

looks at me, trying not to be noticed, I eat pretending not to notice them.

Frank knows that I hate ﬁsh and all marine animals,

so he has planned a menu based on cured meats, pasta and meat. We eat well, the evening passes monotonously and everyone seems to be having fun. While the couples dance, I glimpse Joe Barrese talking to Peter Cuffari. They exchange only a few words, but they talk to themselves at close range.

Giulia remains sitting next to me, without moving. There has always been serenity on her face. When she

looks at me she has the same dreamy look that she had when I ﬁrst met her. There is nothing that could

turn me on more.

At a certain point they invite me to give a speech. There’s a long round of applause before I start speaking.

«I thank Frank for wanting me here to celebrate this special day. I am pleased to see this

hard worker still active and healthy, and I am

sure that he will be here for many years to come. My grandfather knew Frank well and knew what a worthy man he was, and I know it just as well. This is

a great time for all of us, and Frank has contributed to it, but it doesn’t end there. I and this

workaholic will continue to work for the

prosperity of all. May God bless you all. Happy birthday again Frank.»