Vito raised his
hand to emphasize a moratorium on that kind of talk.
“Boys, boys, let’s dispense with all the
negativity,” he said. “We’re here for a friendly business meeting,
and I don’t want to come off as disrespectful to my goombadi here.”
“I’m not your goombadi , Vito,” Gino
clarified sternly. “I’m not here to enjoy your company, let alone
the company of what passes for your ‘help.’ I’m here to iron out
the matter of your horning in on my territory lately. It’s going to stop; the only further question to answer here is how .”
“Tell ’em, Papa,” Gia quietly cheered, while
again winking at the leader of Vito’s guards.
Vito continued to smile as his guards tensed
up.
“No need to be that way, Gino,” the Gambino
Don said. “We all know that the Queen City is a big apple, and its
surrounding area makes it a whole big apple pie. More than big
enough for both our families to get their fair share of the slices.
There’s no need for us to see the other as ‘horning’ in on anyone
else’s property. It’s about sharing , my esteemed Italian
brother. Don’t you agree?”
“I agree that you have as much interest in
‘sharing’ the pie with my family as you would that skinny little
dish of yours,” Gino spat.
“Say what?” his date, Florence, reacted with
a start. “Vito, are you going to let him—?”
“Quiet!” he shouted at the young woman, and
she immediately complied. Vito then regained his composure and
toothy smile with impressive haste.
“Now, Gino,” Don Gambino continued, “there’s
no call for any accusations, or insults. We can work this out, I’m
sure. With that mess going on in Chicago, and my family members in
New Orleans dropping like flies between an uncooperative rival
family, coppers, and vigilantes going all ‘Chicago’ on them… well,
I’m sure you understand our need to seek out other horizons. We can
work together to make the Queen City a more profitable place than
Chicago and Manhattan combined.
“Together, we can be bigger than the likes
of Maggadino, Bonnano, Corleone, Comante, and Morello… combined . I’m sure you know, as we do, that there’s lots of
talk about the repeal of the Prohibition legislation going through
in just a few months. If that happens, it will be bad for business
on a level that affects us both. My family needs to find as many
alternatives to the speakeasies as possible, as soon as we can, and
that means… we need to expand our interests. You know, like
lending, gambling, the unions; all opportunities for the future.
And if we work together, what one of our families gains, so does
the other.”
Gino threw his left hand up to silence his
rival’s tirade. “How stupid do you think I am, Vito?”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Gino,” he
replied.
“Like hell you don’t!” the Provenzo Don
exclaimed while pounding a fist on the table; this caused two cups
of water to overturn and spill their contents. “I know that what
you’re doing here is trying to sweet talk your way into convincing
me to let your sorry ass into my family’s territory. To let you get
your grimy hands into the same alternatives to the speakeasies that
my family has spent the last two years working to build. Well,
guess what? It’s. Not. Gonna. Happen . Is that clear?”
Vito displayed an obviously forced smile as
everyone else present visibly tensed up in unison.
“Well, now,” Vito said with a frown. “Those
are some mighty uncharitable accusations, Gino. I thought you knew
me better than that. My family has worked this city almost as long
as yours has, and—”
“And prior to you being put in charge, your
family respected its boundaries,” Gino interrupted to remind
him. “They didn’t show all these silly and dangerous ambitions. If
Lenny was still around to run things, he would be milking as much
as he could out of your family’s speakeasies before the legislation
goes through, invest the proceeds into
hand to emphasize a moratorium on that kind of talk.
“Boys, boys, let’s dispense with all the
negativity,” he said. “We’re here for a friendly business meeting,
and I don’t want to come off as disrespectful to my goombadi here.”
“I’m not your goombadi , Vito,” Gino
clarified sternly. “I’m not here to enjoy your company, let alone
the company of what passes for your ‘help.’ I’m here to iron out
the matter of your horning in on my territory lately. It’s going to stop; the only further question to answer here is how .”
“Tell ’em, Papa,” Gia quietly cheered, while
again winking at the leader of Vito’s guards.
Vito continued to smile as his guards tensed
up.
“No need to be that way, Gino,” the Gambino
Don said. “We all know that the Queen City is a big apple, and its
surrounding area makes it a whole big apple pie. More than big
enough for both our families to get their fair share of the slices.
There’s no need for us to see the other as ‘horning’ in on anyone
else’s property. It’s about sharing , my esteemed Italian
brother. Don’t you agree?”
“I agree that you have as much interest in
‘sharing’ the pie with my family as you would that skinny little
dish of yours,” Gino spat.
“Say what?” his date, Florence, reacted with
a start. “Vito, are you going to let him—?”
“Quiet!” he shouted at the young woman, and
she immediately complied. Vito then regained his composure and
toothy smile with impressive haste.
“Now, Gino,” Don Gambino continued, “there’s
no call for any accusations, or insults. We can work this out, I’m
sure. With that mess going on in Chicago, and my family members in
New Orleans dropping like flies between an uncooperative rival
family, coppers, and vigilantes going all ‘Chicago’ on them… well,
I’m sure you understand our need to seek out other horizons. We can
work together to make the Queen City a more profitable place than
Chicago and Manhattan combined.
“Together, we can be bigger than the likes
of Maggadino, Bonnano, Corleone, Comante, and Morello… combined . I’m sure you know, as we do, that there’s lots of
talk about the repeal of the Prohibition legislation going through
in just a few months. If that happens, it will be bad for business
on a level that affects us both. My family needs to find as many
alternatives to the speakeasies as possible, as soon as we can, and
that means… we need to expand our interests. You know, like
lending, gambling, the unions; all opportunities for the future.
And if we work together, what one of our families gains, so does
the other.”
Gino threw his left hand up to silence his
rival’s tirade. “How stupid do you think I am, Vito?”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Gino,” he
replied.
“Like hell you don’t!” the Provenzo Don
exclaimed while pounding a fist on the table; this caused two cups
of water to overturn and spill their contents. “I know that what
you’re doing here is trying to sweet talk your way into convincing
me to let your sorry ass into my family’s territory. To let you get
your grimy hands into the same alternatives to the speakeasies that
my family has spent the last two years working to build. Well,
guess what? It’s. Not. Gonna. Happen . Is that clear?”
Vito displayed an obviously forced smile as
everyone else present visibly tensed up in unison.
“Well, now,” Vito said with a frown. “Those
are some mighty uncharitable accusations, Gino. I thought you knew
me better than that. My family has worked this city almost as long
as yours has, and—”
“And prior to you being put in charge, your
family respected its boundaries,” Gino interrupted to remind
him. “They didn’t show all these silly and dangerous ambitions. If
Lenny was still around to run things, he would be milking as much
as he could out of your family’s speakeasies before the legislation
goes through, invest the proceeds into
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