Pavano Crime Family

[vinnygorgeous]

If anyone has come to this for the first time and is put off by the length, please try scrolling down to chapter 11 (3Dead Kings) and starting from there. It is the most recent and also the most crucial in terms of the story arc. In my opinion it is also the best, I hope that it shows my development as a writer (when compared to chapter one) as this is my first attempt at fiction.

 

 

 

A fiery Saint

 

“Running a crew today in our thing aint like it used to be. Ten, fifteen years ago we owned this city, we set the price for everything and Liberty City paid. Now all the other gangs are moving in and taking over our rackets; the feds have got new powers,it's tough out there, but your ready kid, I need you to take over the Leisure Centre crew in Little Italy.”

That’s what the boss said to me two months ago when I took over Nicky Glasses Algonquin crew, Nicky is doing a bid down in Alderney, twenty five to life for racketeering, murder and corrupting public works. The problem was that Nicky didn’t go down by himself he took half his crew with him.

 

This meant opening the books and straightening out some wannabe wise guys. There was no shortage of guys to choose from, in my crew alone there were nearly fifty associates. I picked my five biggest earners Tony Caruso, Paulie Santana, Mickey Sarracassa, Frankie D’Ambrosi and Nicky Scopo to sponsor for membership.

 

They had all been okayed by the boss Mary Valvona and the heads of the other Liberty City families and tonight was the ceremony. Valvona liked to use Jakeys Lager Bar up in North Holland. It was quiet and out of the way tucked under Union Drive West and the Hickey Bridge. Jackey was a connected guy, he was in with our family but also the Lupisella and Gambetti families so he understood the need for discretion and had closed the bar for our private function.

 

First we had to do some cleaning that is get to Jackeys with out any heat as the last thing we wanted to do was lead the feds straight to the entire family leadership. We all piled into our Sentinels and set off, taking different routes so we didn‘t all go in one big convoy. I was driving slowly with abrupt sharp turns to shake any feds tailing on routine surveillance. After circling the block five or six times, I headed down Feldspar Street to Galveston Avenue; I was pretty sure I wasn’t being tailed so I took it all the way up.

 

As I pulled down Vauxite Street I could see from all the parked Sentinels that the Boss and the other Capos had arrived. I parked up next to the stairs leading down to the small harbour ,taking a moment to take in the view of the Hickey Bridge. Mickey Scars was positioned on the harbour with a micro SMG he was one of our look outs. “Hey Vinny, wot you say, wot you hear.” “Hey Mickey, they got you out here all night?” I knew he would be, he was one of Valvona’s bodyguards, probably an ex-lover like most of her crew. Two more of her guys Fat Tony and Jackie No Nose were on the door making sure no uninvited guests walked in.

 

The first of my guys to be inducted was Frankie D’Ambrosi, all the capos formed a circle around the room, Maria Valvona and Arthur Zepulla stood behind a table with sword and a gun on it with D’Ambrosi standing on the other side. “Do you know why you are here?” Valvona asked, “no” was the customary answer even if it wasn’t true. She continued “you are going to be part of this family, do you have any objection to that?” D’Ambrosi probably knew if he said no he would be clipped on the spot, “no”.

 

“You live by the gun and the sword and you die by the gun if you betray anyone in this room.” Zepulla, our families consigliere, took out a knife and pricked D’Ambrosi’s trigger finger dripping the blood over a picture of a saint. He held his hand aloft as Valvona put a match to the bloody image and directed Frankie to repeat. “If I betray my fiends and my family may I burn in hell like this saint.” Frankie D’Ambrosi was now a made man in the Pavano Crime family.

 

After the ceremony had been repeated for the other four candidates; Jackey brought out the refreshments. A non-alcoholic banquet where the older Mafiosi could share their insights with the new members who were now for the first time being treated as equals. “The borgata comes first even if it means neglecting a dying child. And under no circumstances will you cooperate with law enforcement.” I finished Joe Corrola’s point, “you never rat not even on non Italians.”

 

The boss stood up and begain to address the room, “La fata di questa famiglia sono aperti” . On this occasion the family business was a list of who was going to get whacked. My crew was given Salvatore Bresciano, a manager of a Super Deli in the meat quarter who had been paying protection to the wrong people. Taking him out is supposed to send a message to any other merchants thinking of paying protection to Petrovic or the Triads.

 

Also Jimmy the Gent, a popular Irish associate, who had allegedly said having a female boss weakened us in front of the other families. Jimmy was a stand up guy and great earner for the family, I was at his wedding and I considered him one of my closest friends, but if I didn’t clip him it would be me who got whacked. That was the life you could be sent to kill your best friend, not that I am complaining our thing is my life and I wouldn’t change it for anything cosa nostra till I die la fata di questa famiglia sono chiouso.

 

 

2:The Ear, The Hat And Junior

 

If anyone had ever asked me about Jimmy the Gent I would have to say he was a stand up guy, a good fella, one of us. We went way back, we were in the same borgata as kids, the East Holland Brawlers it was real nickel and dime stuff, ripping off hotdog stands, shop lifting, kids stuff. But the EHB acted as a recruitment pool for the mob, most of the guys in EHB ended up in it or working for it.

Jimmy wasn’t Italian so he could never be made that meant he never had the chance to reach the same heights as me but still he was my best friend and I was in no hurry to carry out the order, I was going to play for time and see how it panned out.

 

The Leisure Center was the hub of the crew most of the time the crews core of ten made men spent their days there, directing the wannabes who passed in and out reporting back from the streets. As much as possible nowadays we tried to keep the heat away from the membership. The allure of the mob meant wannabes didn’t complain too much about taking all the risk with out getting a cut from the haul. After all the made men all start out as wannabes, even if only a tiny fraction ever make it.

 

The leisure centre was split into two rooms, the main room had a bar and tables then there was my office at the back. Above the bar was a giant plastic cockroach with the words ‘OUR BUGS HAVE EARS’ in capital letters. This was to remind loose lips that the feds are probably listening. Most business was discussed in Marios Café Backyard Garden which was directly behind the leisure center.

 

My morning conference was with Vittorio ‘Vito’ Vallo an old timer in his late sixties he had long been the Pavanos labour racketeer through his control of a local mason tenders union, he was currently managing a joint venture with the Lupisellas, milking the road works on Frankfort Avenue. A more powerful family than ours the Lupisellas controlled the powerful truckers union local 281, and made a fortune from construction projects all over Liberty City, although a junior partner the Pavanos did control key corrupt officials at the Liberty City Department of Transportation and the municipal council. Vito was also known as ‘The Ear’ because of his diplomatic manner, he had even sat on the commission before Valvona managed to get the rule changed on women sitting in on mafia summits.

 

Vito was a major presence not just in the Pavanos but in all Liberty City mob circles, his reaching out to me was a great honour and could only help my standing in the family.

“Vinny, ill get straight to the point, some ones making noises about the no show jobs, no one to worry about just some blue collar Joe I want your crew to take care of it, my crews under heavy surveillance and I don’t want to risk our relationship with our friends from Bohan.” “Its done.” “ There is a supervisor on site who will finger the guy, his name is Michael Geary.” We embraced and did the usual wise guy pleasantries, “ And say hi to the wife and kids.”

 

My meeting with Vito had filled me with self importance as a mere soldier I had never rubbed shoulders with the upper echelons of the family. I banged on the back door of the Leisure Centre which was the signal for Joey ‘Little Joe’ Derneglia, my right hand man, to come out. “Send Louie and Carlo out.”

 

Louie ‘The Hat’ LeRocca had been my predecessor Nicky Glasses main trigger man, he was called the hat because of his fondness for fedoras and trilbies, he was rarely seen with out one. Carlo ‘Junior’ Cantolopo was my crews most experienced killer, he was in his early sixties and must have clipped a hundred guys.

 

“Alright guys, first order of business the Super Deli in the Meat Quarter on Galveston, do you know it Carlo?” “Yeah”. “Ok the manager Salvatore Bresciano he has to go, but make sure its him and not some poor smuck working a shift, capiche? Leave the body and have a wannabe do the work this is a statement. Now Louie I want you to go to the site on Frankfort Avenue, do you know the one?” “Yeah.” “Right find a Michael Geary, he is a supervisor, he will show you the guy, don’t do it there, follow him home and make it look like a burglary gone wrong.”

 

I went inside to catch up with the rest of the crew, I missed the days when I did heavy work myself but the only way to run a crew nowadays is bunker style, as far away from the work as possible. “Hey Vinny, did you read the Liberty Tree it had them Guernsey goombatas in it, looks like Gravelli’s big idea is working.” “Yeah wait until the feds realise what they are dealing with, they will soon be back all over us.”

 

The Guernsey mob, probably unfairly, was considered a joke by most Liberty City Cosa Nostra , Gravelli’s big idea was to have them take the heat off the five families, and to some extent it had worked as I was always reading about them in the Liberty Tree. Their Little Italy hang out was just over the road from us, so it was hard to know if a van parked on the street was full of listening equipment for us or for them. Drusillas had been a mob hang out since the 20s and 30s and even though it was now a Pegorino hang out big time mobsters still frequented it for its famous Italian cuisine. Ray Buccino came into the leisure center to introduce himself some time back, he showed the proper respect and I actually liked the guy he reminded me of a young Joe Corrola.

Edited June 15, 2009 by vinnygorgeous

[vinnygorgeous]

3: Mafia Feminism 101 (Part One)

 

I got into the leisure center about eleven in the morning, Joey ‘Little Joe’ Derneglia was playing cards with a couple of old timers from the neighbourhood. We welcomed Italians in the center especially ones with roots in the community as they were our best shield against law enforcement. They would tip us off about any one who seemed out of place or was asking funny questions and in return we looked after the neighbourhood, there is no street crime in Little Italy. The big problem was that a lot of Italian families were moving to the suburbs and the people moving in, wasp types, lawyers, artists and the sort of people who looked like they worked in television.

 

“Have you seen the f**king paper?” The old timers slinked out, when you get to that age and you know when to make yourself scarce. “I know f**king rat! You know its all over the radio too,” Joey explained as he pointed the remote at the stereo.

 

“Another rat has jumped a sinking ship, Vito ‘Dog Meat’ Menotti a capo in the Pavano crime family has turned states …..”

 

 

“You know this could be big?” Joey looked at me furrowing his brow he asked , “for us?” “Lets take a walk” I said grabbing my hat and coat.

We stepped out onto Columbus Avenue and slowly strolled down to Emerald Street. “I’ve been talking to Jimmy, he knows Valvona wants him out of the way, now I am not saying um,” I suddenly stopped talking because of the sudden realisation that this damn dark mood was going to get me killed. “I’m not saying anything, just that Vito was close to Valvona, and who knows maybe, god forbid, he might take her down with him, and the power vacuum at the top could start a war.”

 

“Vinny, you and me both know that Valvona is wrong about Jimmy. But I mean the guy must have rocks in his head. I mean how many guys do we know, that have been clipped for saying there are no women in this thing of ours. A lot right? We have a woman boss, that’s it, the boss is the boss. I know you like Jimmy but in or out of prison she is still going to have him whacked!”

He was right of cause , everyone knew the boss was sensitive about leading a family entirely composed of men, in a tradition entirely made by men, so she ruled with an iron fist and acted like the coldest man you could envisage.

 

“I know I’m just talking, no not even that, I am thinking out loud. Hey how come no ones at the center Joey?”

“Err; well Tootsie is in the neighbourhood or he was earlier, I think Joey is with him collecting from that Greek guy who bought that thing, err you know business guy borrowed err well err the vig is like five grand no wait it was five grand then it got tact on the principle so that would make it err…”

“Ok Joe, that’s Tootsie and Joey accounted for what about everyone else?”

“Well err, I got in at quarter to Eleven and Joey and Tootsie were there and err…”

“Forget about it, jeez what’s with you today I’ve got spoons sharper than you!”

“Sorry Vinny, my sister is staying with us, that no good piece of sh*t brother in law kicked her out, can you believe that? Kicking a sick baby out onto the street.”

“Her baby’s sick?”

“f**king cholera, kept me up all night, I could sleep on the pavement I’m that tired.”

 

We headed back towards the center, “lets get coffee from Marios, it will help you stay awake.” Marios made the best espresso in Liberty City, which for us was actually a problem as it meant on a nice day we couldn’t talk openly due to all the customers who could potentially over hear us. We were half way through our coffees when Nicky Scopo turned up. “Hey Vinny have you heard?” “Yeah, f**king rat!” “No, not that Tony Caruso and Paulie Santana have been hospitalised, Mickey and Frankie are there with them now. Apparently the load they were jacking wasn’t fixed down properly and it fell on them.”

 

Two of my newly made men had crushed their feet hijacking steel from a construction project in south

Algonquin. The only upside to this was the two guys had needed nicknames, and they kind of wrote themselves now, “Tony two feet and Paulie peg leg” I jokingly blurted out, “yeah or limp Tony and Paulie steel boots” Joey added.

 

But in all seriousness this a major pain in the neck it meant yet another reshuffle of man power plus I had only just sponsored these two for membership so when they look like idiots it also reflected on me and my judgement. The last thing I wanted was to annoy the leadership especially with the Jimmy situation.

 

“Is there actually any good news, cos this has been a miserable f**king day ya know Joey”

“I don’t know ill find Henry” Henry Salerno was a kid from the neighbourhood, he was sort of a junior mafiosi in training, he was only fourteen so he didn’t do heavy work but fetched drinks, took messages, answered phones and any little thing around the leisure center. One time he even dug a hole in the basement that was filled with lime and body parts of an unfortunate Gambetti associate from the Triangle Club incident two years ago.

“Hey Vinny,” “Henry, what do you say what do you hear.” “Your mother called she says she is still waiting for you to sort out the mess with Mr Ruggerio. And Carlo called he said he took care of that thing. Louie said the moment was not right and that you would understand oh and Jimmy called he wants to see you he said he is gong to be in Jakeys Lager Bar all day he said its important.”

 

“Ok, thanks Henry I’ll head up there now, Nicky you stay here and Joey go to the hospital and get the crew, time is money.”

 

 

 

4: Mafia Feminism 101 (Part Two)

 

 

By the time I got to Jakeys Lager Bar it was already early evening, Jimmy was right at the very back of the bar at the table next to the juke box. “Hey Jimmy, you still meeting people here you old b**tard” “Vinny you ball breaking b**tard, I never see you how you been?” Jimmy was sitting with his back to the wall, his eyes only briefly resting on me before looking to the door every few seconds, he waited for the waitress to take our order and then disappear before speaking. “Jimmy Bob Wheaton gets out tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I was thinking me and you should be there to welcome him back.”

 

Wheaton had molested our best friend Frankie when he was a kid from about the age of eight up to when he was about ten, those two years ruined Frankie. By twelve Frankie was sniffing glue and stealing his dead beat dad’s beers he was a mess and finally when he was fifteen, he borrowed his old mans gun and whilst daddy was passed out on the couch he knocked on Wheaton’s door and blasted him on his doorstep and then he put one in his own f**king head. The tragedy was Wheaton did not die that paedophile f**k lived but after the story had hit the papers another boy from the neighbourhood came forward. It turned out that he had molested at least three other boys and he was put away for the next sixteen years.

 

“You want me to pick you up in the morning?” “Nah f**k that we are going there tonight, we will sit in a car outside all night if we have to, I am not missing him. You know what? I am starving, do you want to get some food?” I was still waiting for my drink so I said “in a bit I only just got here.” After enjoying a couple of drinks in the company of two fine dancers we headed over to Burger Shot before heading back to Little Italy.

 

We got back to the Leisure Center about Eleven and it was a full house, most of the guys were breaking balls with Tony and Paulie. “Vito is in your office.” I left Jimmy with the boys and headed back to the office. “Vito if I had of known.” “Ah don’t worry about it I only got here ten minutes ago. How you doing Vinny?” “Yeah good” “Listen I want to use the center for a sit down.” “No problem,” “It’s a big one so make arrangements for about ten guys.” “Vito I am honoured, just tell me when.” “I’ll let you know and Vinny you should come out to the house this weekend, bring the kids they can play in the pool and we can talk.”

 

The sit down was in a week which was easily enough time to make the arrangements, the security will be my made men, some of the associates will provide valet parking as a fleet of black sedans parked outside is usually a good clue for the feds that we are having a sit down.

 

About two in the morning I set off with Jimmy, we got to the Alderney State Correctional Facility by three and parked up just down the road from the front gate and waited. Wheaton was finally released at six, we waited for him to catch a cab before pulling out and following a couple of car lengths back, Jimmy was driving whilst I loaded the Uzi and opened the passenger side window.

 

A good opportunity arose when the diver stopped at a quiet set of traffic lights, Jimmy accelerated and pulled up alongside the backseat of the cab, I emptied the whole clip into the rear of the vehicle taking out both the windows and everything in between. Wheaton had been kept upright by his seatbelt, he was slumped in the seat with his head laying on the headrest, his face now unrecognisable was facing me but I could not see his eyes I do not think that they were even there any more, all that remained was a bloody head on an even bloodier torso. Jimmy slammed his foot on the gas and speed away, I could hear sirens they sounded about a block away but by the time they were on the scene we were long gone.

 

By the time the weekend came around I was looking forward to the break at Vittorio ‘Vito’ Vallo’s Westdyke mansion. I looked up to Vito and I think he liked that I did, he was an interesting guy and I enjoyed listening to him. “This family has taken a backward step, the base has always been gambling and loan sharking but that base is supposed to be for greater things, the feds are looking at the terrorists right now and not us and we are missing a big opportunity We should start making big moves again, get politicians in our pockets again and really start to build. The Messinas just took millions from a sophisticated tax fraud, the Lupisellas and the Gambettis just fleeced the stock market for millions and the Pavanos biggest earner right now is jacking loads from Francis International, our family is behind the times. We have too many fast track mobsters in this family.”

 

Fast track mobsters was what we called the bosses toy boys, they rise quick through the ranks without earning it, much to the annoyance of the older Mafiosi who had to earn their stripes. “I promise you though Vinny this family is going to go through some changes, the commission is meeting without Valvona.” “Really! ” “They never wanted her in their club, they were friends with her old man, she broke a rule when she took him out, and she broke another by taking over the family. Do you think John Gravelli wants to sit down with her?” “No I guess not.”

Edited February 1, 2011 by vinnygorgeous

[vinnygorgeous]

5:The Pegorino War

 

Monday morning and the sh*t had hit the fan I was woken from my sleep by a perturbed Vito, apparently Alfonso ‘Fat Al’ DeMeo the boss of all our Alderney operations had tried but failed to whack James ‘Jimmy The Peg’ Pegorino at a sit down. Whacking someone at sit down was frowned upon to say the least it was a no no, even though the Pegorinos were not considered a real family it was still bad for business, and the Pavanos have a lot of business in Alderney. “How can anyone sit down with these guys now, the first chance they get they will clip one of our guys.”

 

DeMeo was given a lot of leeway in running Alderney he virtually had his own family within a family for a start he had an unusually large crew, about twenty five made guys, plus he had three other capos under him that’s another thirty made men and about two hundred associates. The Pegorinos by comparison probably had fifty or sixty made men but how many associates they had was difficult to know it could well be hundreds.

 

“I should have been told, I could have been clipped coming out of my house The Peg is virtually one of my neighbours for f*cks sake, he lives about five minutes away, I bet Al told the boss, she lives near him too.”

“Nothing for nothing but where was she on this, Al wouldn’t take out a boss with out an ok.”

“They’re a glorified crew not a family, he wouldn’t take out a commission boss with out an ok, but the Pegorinos that’s something else.”

“Taking out the boss has never taken out the organisation its not like he would inherit their rackets.”

“You know who their number two is, Phil Bell whose half Irish they can’t make him. Nah without The Peg they wouldn’t do well. I remember when his old man was in charge. Back then they might as well have been a large Gambetti crew they were a satellite family completely under the thumb.”

“How did they manage to f*ck it up? I mean if it was at sit down he should have been a sitting duck.”

“That isn’t even the worse thing we clipped two of their guys, but we lost more than ten of ours!”

“I guess they got some talent working for them now, could make a war costly. You know I could whack their capo in the city, Ray Buccino.”

“This is Al’s mess don’t get involved just take extra precautions for a bit any way I got to go, I got some union bullsh*t to take care of, take care Vinny.”

 

By the time I got into work most of my crew was already hard at it, we had an important sit down coming up and had to check in with our police on the take to make sure our meet was under the radar. I hated dealing with bent coppers in my opinion they are the lowest of the low but this is a scum oriented business. Our resident bent cop Francis McReary was knocked off recently, shot by a high calibre rifle from a rooftop, a classic professional hit. We are having to groom a new detective from the organized crime unit, the best candidate was Geoff Corrigan who was in deep with a Pavano controlled bookie. I’d had Joey check him out, and he seemed perfect for our needs, a degenerate gambler with a badge, so we brought him in.

“Mr Corrigan thank you for your time, I know you’re a busy man so Il get straight to the point, you owe your bookie Eddie Sauchelli twelve thousand dollars, Eddie works for me so really you owe me twelve thousand dollars, can you pay me?”

“Not all at once I’m a bit jammed up right now”

“Well maybe we could come to another arrangement, we could be friends, my friends money is no good here do you understand?”

“And what would I have to do for my friends?”

“Just let them know when they’re in harms way.”

“And you’ll cover all my losses?”

“Yeah but don’t take liberties that wouldn’t be friendly.”

And so we had a new cop on the payroll he wasn’t going to be cheap but neither was McReary and the good news was the sit down wasn’t on the polices radar and as the organized crime unit worked closely with FIB its likely the feds won’t be watching either.

 

The sit down was tomorrow so everyone was a bit on edge anyway but then Henry Salerno ran in with some bad news “The Pegorinos have hit Auto Eroticar, they took out the whole crew.” There was a chorus of, oh f*cks, followed by the rest of Henry’s message, “Fat Tony and Jackie No Nose were collecting for Valvona and they got clipped too, she is gonna be pissed!”

 

I decided to go see Vito at his Alderney home I had Mickey Sarracassa drive me and sat with a loaded pump action shotgun on my lap for the entire journey. “Vito, have you heard?”

“Yeah its bad, the balls on those Guernsey c*cksuckers, taking out a whole crew with out living a single body they must have had fifty guys to do that.”

“I heard they got a couple of Valvona’s crew, Tony and Jackie.”

“Yeah they were her two key guys, this has weakened her position and the timing couldn’t be better. The commission is meeting tonight without Pavano representation, that’s what the sit down is about tomorrow, Roy Zito is coming and he’s sitting on the commission tonight.”

“Maybe you will get one of the top slots.”

“Yeah well we will see anyway I got word from Artie we’re going to the mattresses, she wants you to take out Buccino.”

“No problem Vito, as soon as the sit down is out of the way he’s gone. What about you what sort of precautions you taking?”

“I got a couple of zips patrolling and Eddie is on his way out he will be here soon, don’t worry about me this area is mobbed up, all the five families are represented in this zip code, you get going.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow Vito, c’mon Mickey,” I racked the shot gun and got into the passengers seat of Mickey’s Sentinel.

 

We were only driving five minutes when the car was engulfed in a shower of bullets, Mickey attempted to get us out of there but in order to see he wasn’t able to duck beneath the dash board like myself, we speed down Beaverhead Avenue still taking small arms fire but we were soon out of range. “They must have been standing by the road Mickey, they can’t of known we were coming so how the f*ck did that just happen.”

“I got to stop this f*cking car Vinny I’m passing out.”

“Oh sh*t Mickey we have got to get you to a hospital.”

Mickey was seriously wounded with multiple gun shot wounds I took him to the nearest emergency room which was still in Pegorino turf so I stayed with him and called Joey back at the center and asked him to send a couple of guys to stand guard outside his room, when they eventually arrived to relieve me of guard duty I called a black cab to take me home to bed, I wanted to get an early night partly because of the sit down tomorrow and partly because I was exhausted .

 

 

 

6:All Stand For The Sit Down

 

 

The day of the sit down and Little Italy has become a paramilitary zone, we had guys on Denver, Columbus, Feldspar and Emerald Street. We had guys on rooftops with binoculars, we had taken over a multi-storey car park in Purgatory for our guests cars. We had even hired, at great expense, a counter espionage expert to jam any bugs transmitting from inside the center. The center was closed to the public for the day so all our guests had been instructed to enter through the side door, Frankie and Paulie stood on either side of the door, both were strapped.

 

First to arrive was Vittorio ‘Vito’ Vallo a senior Pavano capo who operated all over Liberty City but whose crew was based in Colony Island, Vito was responsible for managing the Pavanos relationships with other gangs and as a result had become a major power broker within Cosa Nostra. I personally suspected Vito had influenced the commission in moving against Valvona although he had never said as much but if he had of done I would have had offered my full support.

 

Soon after Rosario ‘Roy’ Zito the Gambetti underboss arrived, Zito had sat on the commission sitting last night and would chair the sit down, not because of his rank or standing but because he was privy to the commissions position.

 

Most of the other capos all arrived over the next ten or fifteen minutes; Pasquale Castelli, the capo in charge of the Pavanos Bohan operations. Castelli is closely allied with Joe Corrola his crew is heavily involved in the heroin trade they use a chain of Laundromats to supply Bohan dealers with heroin smuggled in by Corrola. .

 

Joe Corrola the capo in charge of the Pavano heroin distribution network, with close ties to the Humboldt River Dock Workers Local Union, making him valuable not just to the Pavanos but to all of the five families, it is because of his value that Corrola was at the sit down at all. None of Valvona’s other current or ex-lovers were invited, Corrola represented the biggest threat to the commissions plans but it was the commission that pushed for his inclusion at the meet.

 

Joseph ‘Johnny Boy’ Rizzuto, who ran a crew out of East Holland and worked closely with Joe Corrola, again heavily involved in the heroin trade but not exclusively so, his crew is renowned for its love of violence where even small disputes with its members usually end in murder.

 

Alfonso ‘Fat Al’ DeMeo the boss of the Alderney faction currently waging war against the Pegorinos.

Sonny Masselli a Pavano capo from Broker, his crew is similar to mine in its main activities are loan sharking, gambling and hijacking. Sonny along with Jimmy are my closest friends, we all grew up in East Holland in the seventies.

Joseph Graziano, a Pavano capo from Dukes his crew mainly steals from Francis International. And of cause myself representing Little Italy.

 

After everyone had arrived Zito stood to address the room, “You may or may not know that the commission met last night to discuss the Pavano family problem, namely your boss. Two of the most sacred rules of cosa nostra have been broken, you don’t whack a boss with out a commission ok and only men may be inducted into this thing of ours. The commission has decided that she has to go and that it should be done by Pavano soldiers, that much is not up for debate, if anyone has a problem with that they can join Valvona in the ground.”

 

As Zito sat down, Joe Corrola in the sit next to him stood to take the floor, “everyone in this room knows that I was Valvona’s lover, some of you have probably called me a fast tracker behind my back, but I would hope that by now you respected me for my ability. I’m not going to stand in the way of progress, the commission is a higher authority than god so there is no question about my loyalty.”

 

Zito again stood before speaking, “the commission feels that all the capos should be put to the membership on a ballet, we feel it’s the best way to avoid any unnecessary hostilities. However this can not happen right away for obvious reasons, for the time being we feel a ruling council of three capos each with a vote will act as a temporary leadership through the transitional period, their command will be immediate from tonight so any orders by the old leadership are now shelved.”

I knew who I wanted for boss so I nominated Vito. “Thank you Mr Salvato, can I see a show of hands for Mr Vallo?” It was unanimously carried as were the two following nominations, Joe Corrola and Alfonso DeMeo.

 

The talk then turned to who was going to join Valvona on the list of who goes, “the commission feels that there should be a clean sweep of the leadership, both Zepulla and Squillante should go.”

Arthur Zepulla, the Pavano consigliere, and Calogero Squillante our underboss both had been lovers of Maria Valvona. Squillante had a tough crew behind him and his faction probably posed the biggest threat to the coup. Zepulla on the other hand had no crew and served more as a legal advisor than anything else, and would probably be a soft target.

 

“What about Mario Venturella her little rent boy cu*t he has to go too.”

“The Squillante crew is going to be key if anyone’s going to hit back it will be them.” Sonny was right about Squillante’s crew they were tough and would be a lot harder to get than the legion of former prostitutes and pretty boys that Valvona had made. Squillante and his crew were real stone cold gangsters and could easily put together accomplished hit squads in a few hours to hit back at us. By the end of the night there was a list of nearly forty guys to be rubbed out.

 

“I am not sure how we can do this, as soon as bodies start hitting the ground, you have got to presume that they’re not just going to wait around for someone to push their button.”

“I agree we will have to come up with a list of priority targets, first we hit the guys most likely to hit back.”

“Squillante should be first then and his crew.”

“Or we make their most experienced muscle disappear first, it makes them easier to get to.”

“But it would also warn them and then we may not be able to get at them, no we do Squillante and Valvona first.”

“Squillante is paranoid he is hardly ever exposed.”

“I could get him to a meet, this thing with the Pegorinos is the perfect ruse, they are going to want to sit down with me at some point.”

 

It was agreed that the most likely chance of getting Squillante would be at a sit down with DeMeo, the other hits were divided up amongst the eight capos, to be planned by their crews although no action would be taken until we had received word from the ruling council.

We called our plan the purge, we planned to knock off nearly a third of the family. Although this would initially weaken us, the borgata has been granted special dispensation from the commission to rebuild to the borgata’s original 1931 size. This meant that the Pavanos could again become one of the largest Liberty City borgatas.

 

The number of made men in each borgata was set in stone at the birth of the commission in 1931, however two of the borgatas the Lupisellas and the Pavanos had been involved in a long and bloody struggle known as the Castellammarese war. This made the two borgatas numbers swell making them the biggest families, which they continued to be for the next thirty years.

 

Today the Gambetti family is the largest borgata mainly because of Sonny Cangelosi, who became in effect but not in name the boss of bosses. The Pavanos at this time were being punished for their founding don’s, Joe Pavano, unauthorised expansion in San Andreas, Canada and even Tucson in Arizona. He was sticking his flag everywhere without getting permission first, and when the commission called him in, he failed to show up and went on lam. Without Joe Pavano on the commission Sonny Cangelosi solidified his borgata’s position as the number one criminal organization in the country.

 

“When we put this borgata back together its gonna be strong, tight, they won’t be able to break us, not in a hundred years.” Vito’s words brought him a standing ovation, even from Zito, although I still wondered if the Gambettis really were happy to see the Pavanos return to its historical large size. I only pondered because of a glimpse I caught of Zito during Vito’s rousing speech, for a second he looked uncomfortable, but then I thought as they had engineered this coup just as much as any of the Pavano capos, I was probably reading too much into it.

One thing is for sure though they will be pulling bodies out of the Humboldt for a long time to come.

Edited June 10, 2009 by vinnygorgeous

[vinnygorgeous]

7: Behind Her Back

 

If you were a wise guy in the Pavano family it was an uneasy time, the purge was around the corner looming large for those in the know, and for those who weren’t there was the war with the Pegorinos.

Officially collections were supposed to go on as normal but with Buccino’s crew being so close a lot of the guys had let them slip.

 

My collections were handled by Tommy Amato, an associate in his early twenties who was particularly talented at forceful persuasion. I used him for my personal business because I was the capo and as such could pouch the crews most talented wannabes, before answering to me Amato had been under Carlo ‘Junior’ Cantolopo.

“Hey Vinny Mr Bowyer and Danny Aniello missed their payments, Danny is just a bit jammed up but he is going to pay I got no doubts there but Glen Bowyer, I think he is going to be a problem.”

“Thank you Tommy, listen for a while forget about collections , I’ll get someone else to handle them. I want you to stay by my side just until things get back to normal.”

“Sure Vinny what ever you need.”

“We’re going to Broker I’m meeting my brother and Sonny at Swish Pizza, go grab a shot gun then bring my car round.”

Tommy left through the back door whilst I stopped for a quick word with Joey Derneglia, “Some of the envelopes have been light this week.”.

“Its these times Vinny its hard to earn when your looking over your shoulder.”

“Yeah well I still got to kick up, its f*cking killing me to do it but that’s how Vito wants it, all that money going to that bitch, it’s a waste considering, well you know considering everything that’s about to happen. Anyway I’m going out, see you Joey.”

As soon as I stepped out the front door Tommy pulled up in a black Sentinel, I jumped in and we set off. On the drive over to Broker Gil Scott Herons’ Home Is Where The Hatred is was playing on the radio, it took me back to my childhood. As we drove over the Broker Bridge I thought about my brothers, when we were kids we would hang around the East Holland Italian Social Club idolising mobsters, and now we were all in the life. My older brother Carmine was a button man in the Las Venturas faction, my younger brother Sal, also made, was in Sonny Masselli’s crew. I had another brother Giorgio who was whacked just as his career was starting to blossom.

 

Swish Pizza is a Humphrey Bogart themed restaurant in Rotterdam Hill; it has a life size stature of him dressed in a white dinner jacket by the entrance, the walls are covered in posters for the movie Casablanca, and pictures of its cast. Sonny and Sal were already seated when we arrived, Sonny stood and waved us over, “Hey Vinny, over here we already ordered I hope that’s alright?”.

“Well if you don’t know what I like by now, this is Tommy he is a friend of ours.”

“Pleased to meet you Tommy, you keeping this b*stard safe.” Sal was breaking balls that was his way, “hey f*ck you Sal” I said jokingly, “so you going to ma’s tonight?”. “It’s Friday isn’t it, where else am I gonna be.” Sonny patted Sal on the back and joked, “banging a b*tches brains out” then let out a deep belly laugh.

“I can’t believe we still got to kick up to her and you know the feds are going to end up with it.”

“I think she is going to be getting some light envelopes this month, and you know what? I don’t think she is going to be too alarmed, we’re at war.”

“She’ll be alarmed when all her capos turn up with light tributes, but your right what can she expect when the family’s at war; I just wish this thing would hurry up and happen.”

“I know everyday that bitch is above ground this borgata loses more face, but I aint too sure about the commission’s idea on giving everyone a vote, we’re not the United Nations.”

“You can bet when Gravelli goes it will be the Gambetti capos’ decision who takes over; I don’t see how they expect us to even organize an election, I mean who the f*ck is going to count the votes?”

“Roy Zito probably”

“That’s not even funny, why the f*ck is this pizza taken so long.”

 

After enjoying the meal and joking around for a couple of hours it was time for us to head back west. When we got back to the center there was a sombre atmosphere, “Hey who died?” my joke seemed to go down like a lead balloon. Louie LeRocca broke the silence, “Mickey Sarracassa, he died last night, Antoinette called while you were out, sorry Vinny.”

When a friend dies it is always hard, I was not that close to Mickey, he was more of a business associate than a friend, but he got killed driving me out of danger, I owe him a great debt.

“Joey lets get a coffee,” Marios was empty so we felt we could talk openly, “all the guys that got knocked off at Auto Eroticar and at that meet with the Peg, and now Mickey, they are going to have to open the books, induction could be the perfect opportunity. She would never expect it, if we have enough guys we could do half her crew there and then.”

“That could work, when are you next seeing Vito?”

“I am meeting Sal at ma’s tonight so it will have to be tomorrow, and there is something else I wanted to talk to you about, I want a piece of the pump and dump action, we need to find a broker or an accountant or something, look through the shy books and see what we got, anyone from the city put on the maybe list, capiche?”

I spent the last hours of the afternoon taking it easy, playing cards with Tommy, Louie and Joey before leaving for dinner with ma and Sal.

Edited June 13, 2009 by vinnygorgeous

[vinnygorgeous]

8:Just Business

 

 

You don’t get nothing for nothing in this business, sure I was a capo and I got a piece of my crews action, but I still had to earn like every other wise guy. A lot of my personal income comes from knockdown loans, borrowers pay five points weekly for at least twenty weeks, before the principle can start to come down, thus for a ten grand loan the borrower pays five hundred dollars a week, and at the end of the twenty weeks the borrower still owes the complete principle. I had about a hundred grand on the street in knockdown loans and another three hundred in vigorish loans.

 

One such loan was to Glen Bowyer, the owner of Fudz’s in Lower Easton. Glen couldn’t go to the bank because his playboy lifestyle, financed by cheap credit had caught up with him and led him to me, and my brand of very expensive credit. It's not uncommon during the early weeks of repayment for the borrower to contemplate going to the police and defaulting on the loan, and Glen was no different, the standard procedure at this stage is to send a couple of Pavano associates to explain the finer points of mob finance.

 

Usually I would have sent Tommy but he was busy watching my back, so I gave a chance to another promising associate Rico Danitello, Rico was the younger brother of Angelo who was a made member of my crew. When he got back he explained that Mr Bowyer saw the light when he was dangled by his feet out of the window of his pent house suite at The Majestic; Rico had handled himself well and had done his chances of being straightened out no harm at all.

 

The loan shark business was an ok earner but I had grown jealous of crews in other families who had made millions from stock exchange frauds. We had been searching our shy books for any pliable city workers who we could use for pump and dump schemes. The problem that we found was knowing which ones to approach, I was expecting there to be about a dozen or so, but the number was more like fifty, as city workers it seemed had an unquenchable thirst for quick credit. In the end we used a system of picking the most desperate and hoping they would then help cultivate the others.

 

We soon homed in on a Shark employee, who was into us for seventy large, I had him followed for a few days before choosing the right place and time to approach him. Amongst his many vices was an addiction to strippers, he was in the Triangle Club or Bahamas Mamas most nights. One of our associates had a sister who danced at Bahamas Mamas so we paid her to make our proposal, needless to say he was very receptive and agreed to meet us in his lunch break tomorrow at Al Dente’s.

The last thing I had to do today was see Vito, I was meeting him at his crews Pizza restaurant on Colony Island.

 

“Vinny, what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

“How you doing Vito, its good to see you, I got some bad news we have got a funeral in our neck of the woods.”

“That kid that came out to the house, I couldn’t believe that, right on my doorstep when is the funeral?”

“Its tomorrow, his family is back in Italy they are flying in tonight, cost me a bundle flying them all here but the kid died driving me you know, he saved my life.”

“You thought about a replacement?”

“Actually that’s what I wanted to see you about, the induction ceremony, why not whack her at one.”

“No I don’t think it would work, the meet with DeMeo isn’t looking as promising either, they have called him in, but they are picking him up and taking him to an undisclosed location, we can’t set up the hit if we don’t know where the meet is. But there is a window of opportunity with one of your five, Pete Venturella is going to a rehab clinic in Peru, he will have no contact with the outside world for two months so he won’t be missed as long as his family believes he got on the plane.”

“Ok you got an idea when or the name of the clinic?”

“No sorry I wish I could give you more, this is going to be the first hit in the purge so all eyes will be on you so be careful, use your best people, and if you don’t trust them with your life do it yourself.”

“Ok no problem, but think about the induction idea, maybe get her when she leaves, follow her and whack her on her way home, we could have another car waiting outside her house, so even if she does escape we can get her then.”

“I’ll think about it, you staying for dinner?”

“Yeah sure thanks.”

 

They made some of the best pizza in liberty city at Vito’s so I always enjoyed eating here, “this is great Vito,” I remarked, “thanks Vinny, so I hear your nephew is coming up in the world?”

“Yeah Johnny Boy was always a good kid, to tell you the truth I was always disappointed that he is not here with us , but DeMeo is a good guy and he likes it in Alderney.”

“Maybe he will be the next Salvato button man, soon.”

“I hope so, it would mean I wouldn’t worry as much.”

After eating I headed over to Bahamas Mamas with Tommy where I met up with Sonny and Jimmy, for a night out on the town. I eventually wound up at my goumada's place in Suffolk, I figured it was better to turn up there wasted than get an earful from the wife.

Edited June 13, 2009 by vinnygorgeous

[Face McDougal]

This is an on-going BUYG IV story, it was up from the fifth but then I thought I would just put it all here in one place.

 

What is BUYG? I'd like to read these, but I don't know what that is.

[Rhoda]

BUYG (Build Up Your Gang) is a role-playing game which involves you picking a gang and an area to develop with your own stories. These are then rating and you're awarded money in which you can buy drugs, guns and cars. Very addictive in parts, and there's two different versions.

 

GTA IV BUYG

GTA San Andreas BUYG

[Chunk]

 

This is an on-going  BUYG IV story, it was up from the fifth but then I thought I would just put it all here in one place.

 

What is BUYG? I'd like to read these, but I don't know what that is.

It's Build Up Your Gang. There's 2 versions in the IV section and the San Andreas section where forum members choose a gang and write for them. The chapters they write are then judged by the staff, which includes mostly WD regulars and are given money for how good or bad the story is. The money can then be used to buy drugs, weapons or cars/motorbikes for the gang. Here's a link to the 2 of them -

 

IV Version

 

San Andreas Version

 

EDIT: f*ck you Craig.

[vinnygorgeous]

9: Goodbye Sarracassa, Hello Gorgeous

 

Mickey Sarracassa’s funeral was marred by the feds behaviour, they were not content with spying on us through their telephoto lenses and updating our mug shots for their Pavano wall chart. They had to snatch a couple of our guys, right under the gaze of the administration.

 

The cops probably had the indictments ready a week ago, but the feds and the LCPD love to f*ck with wise guys, they have put these guys in a catch 22 situation. They get out too quick and it looks like they have been flipped, if they get released too slow it looks like they have been talking, either way they’re f*cked.

 

At the wake I was approached by Mickey ‘Scars’ Valvona he told me, “she wants to see you, she's waiting outside.” Mickey was Maria’s nephew, he gained his nickname when his aunt threw him through a plate of glass as a punishment when he was a child.

 

Maria Valvona was waiting for us by the rivers edge, gazing up at the Hickey Bridge, “It is quite a view” she said.

“Yeah I know I never get sick of it every time I come here it’s…”

“You know when I upped you people told me it was a mistake, but I said no give him a chance.”

“I know and I am grateful, I got my crew earning and….”

“This thing of ours is bigger than friendships. Responsibility Vinny. Don’t disappoint me again, otherwise I’ll personally sever your mother f*cking head, and then have your home blown up !”

 

She was pissed because I hadn’t clipped Jimmy it was a challenge to her authority, I was lucky that she had a soft spot for me, otherwise I probably would have been floating in the West River. I headed back inside and was surprised to see my nephew, Joseph ’Johnny Boy’ Salvato, at the wake, “hey uncle Vinny,” I went straight over to him to embrace, “Johnny Boy, I wasn’t expecting you, I figured you’d be sick of these things by now, there has been a lot going on in your neck of the woods recently.”

“Forget about it, we’re down twenty three and they are down two, well by our hands anyway, they have been whacking their own guys, they clipped Antony Corrado last night, right after he turned states, they managed to whack him right under the feds noses, I heard they paid a doctor to do it.”

“Never heard of him?”

“He was the Peg’s protégée, he could of taken down the whole organization.”

“Too bad they got him then, when you going to come by the house Danielle….”

I was interrupted by the theme to Americas Next Top Hooker, it was my nephews ring tone, “its my girl, sorry I’ll just take this. Hey babe where are you ……. The wake is at Jackeys Lager Bar, its under Union Drive West, you either have to follow Vauxite all the way around and then down, or you turn off Ivy Drive North, I think it’s the last left turn as you come up from the South……ok babe see you soon.”

“So tomorrow night how about it dinner at mine?”

“Sure uncle Vinny”

 

After the wake I had Tommy drive my family home while I stopped by my Salon, Cubic Hair, on Vauxite Street, it’s above the auto repair shop which is right next to the, Joe Corrola controlled, Linen Lounge. The salon was my legitimate source of income, it was also the reason why my fellow mafiosi dubbed me Vinny Gorgeous, and not unfortunately for my stunning good looks.

 

The manager was my brother in law, Gianfranco Codati he was a hopeless business man but keeping him on kept Danielle happy. “Vinny I’m glad you came around, I have some good information for you, could be a big score.”

“ I’m listening.”

“This guy is getting his hair cut when he gets a phone call, turns out he is a crack dealer or something, but the guy is arranging to launder his money through a real estate deal, but get this the dumb f*ck arranges it all while he is getting cut. I know the time and the place, where he is handing over a bag full of drug money, now obviously all I want from this is a finders fee.”

 

Needless to say I accepted as it’s not everyday a score lands in your lap, Codati was unreliable but he wouldn’t be stupid enough to fit me up. I headed back to the center to plan the job with the rest of the crew. When I arrived at the Leisure Center, Joey Derneglia was talking to Geoff Corrigan, our cop on the take, “Vinny I was just saying to Joe that Antony Caruso and Paul Santana have been picked up for attempting to rob steel girders from a construction site. The indictments are based on the testimony of a doctor at the ER and the multiple witnesses who saw them at the site, it’s a solid case, they also have added weapon charges as they both had Glocks on them when they were picked up.”

 

After Corrigan left, our attention turned to business, “Vinny get ready to be happy, one Peter Venturella is booked into the Saviola Clinic, Peru’s most exclusive rehab center, on the 21st of this month.”

“Then we hit him on the 20th, we’ll put a couple of wannabes on him now to get a feel for his movements, then on the 20th the hit squad will be myself, Louie, Carlo, Angelo and Tommy. We will sort out the details later but right now I am thinking, two guys at the front door, two guys round the back and one in a car.”

“What about crash cars for the cops?”

“Good thinking, get Rico in one and Frankie Palaggi in the other.”

Crash cars are cars parked at opposite ends of the road where the hit is going down, then if there is a quick police response, they pull out and crash into the police vehicle blocking their path whilst the hitters make their escape.

 

“Also I have got another score, it is going to take ten guys, it could be a nice earner so if you want in let me know, but here is the plan. The deal is going down behind Gozushi, a sushi restaurant in Alderney, it is on Manzano Road. Behind Gozushi there is a loading bay and a pretty large car park, it is the place where those Triads got jumped for a truck load of brown. Anyway there are three entrances to cover, and plenty of buildings surrounding the area, I propose a primary team of four will rush the deal, while the second team covers from rooftop positions, and a third team covers the entrances and if needed provides back up to the primary team.”

 

The Danitello brothers were the first to volunteer, and others soon followed; Nicky Scopo, Frankie D’Ambrosi, Frankie Palaggi, Eddie Sauchelli, Louie LeRocca, Carlo Cantolopo and Tommy Amato. The group had a blend of experience and youth, button men and wannabes, it should be a good score and a fun day.

Edited June 10, 2009 by vinnygorgeous

[vinnygorgeous]

 

 

10: The Rules That Hold Us Together

 

The last couple of days had been very profitable indeed. My crew had taken down a big score in Alderney. A narcotics distributor was making a large cash drop to his accountant. Ten crew members surrounded the two men who naively conducted business without bodyguards. They said that they were under the protection of the Pegorinos and had no need for their own muscle, it must have been a rude awakening.

 

Vittorio ‘Vito’ Vallo had also given me three lucrative no show jobs at the Frankfort Avenue road works. In part as a thank you for handling the whistle blower on site, who had met an untimely end, and also to sure up my loyalty. It was in my interest to be loyal to Vito because he stood a good chance of becoming capofamiglia. Under Valvona’s rule the lucrative rackets have been kept within a small ruling clique; Corrola has narcotics and control of the docks, Squillante has gasoline bootlegging and Valvona has kept the political and industrial kickbacks to herself. Vito had managed to hold onto construction mainly because there wasn’t anyone else with his experience and contacts.

 

One area still open to an ambitious capo like myself was stock fraud. The initial outlay was steep and it all came out of my pocket. I had purchased five hundred thousand shares in a blue chip company called Zenith Tec. The shares only cost a few cents each as they were hardly worth the paper they were printed on. The expensive part was setting up a boiler room operation with a dozen telesales operatives. And a separate brokerage firm which works out of the same office as the boiler room but the employees earned more. I also had to bribe financial journalists to produce flattering reports and enthusiastic recommendations to their readers. All of this is designed to artificially increase the share price of Zenith Tec, enabling us to sell at a massive mark up.

 

It was a sunny Monday morning and I felt the sun was shining just for me. I got into the center unusually early at about ten in the morning. One of the perks of mob life is the hours, most of our business is conducted in the middle of the night, so early morning starts are rare. I was surprised to see that I was not the only early starter, Vincent Manotti was my predecessor Nicky Glasses younger brother. Nicky had wanted his brother to look after his crew while he was inside but Valvona overrode him and upped me instead. Fortunately I had always been close to Vincent so there was no animosity and we continued to have a good working relationship. Nicky had given his brother the crews biggest bookie ring to manage, stretching from Castle Gardens to Northwood, it brought in about a million per annum. I had let him keep the prized position probably in part to keep him from making moves against me.

 

 

Manotti had come in early to look over the books for a fledgling partnership with another mobster. “That mother f*cker!” Manotti threw the notebook against the wall, I looked at him as if to say, what the f*ck. “You remember that thing I went in to with Marko Cucinotta?” I did as I had anticipated getting a reasonable payday from the venture, “yeah from Rizzuto’s crew.” “Yeah, well that c*cksucker has been cooking the books since the start. He must have cheated me out of a hundred grand by now. I saw the DVD in the porno best sellers list, and he’s trying to tell me that it hasn’t been selling, well f*ck him. I believed him until my thirteen year old nephew showed me it on-line. Its in the XXX chart for f*cks sake. He is taking me for a cun*.”

 

Usually a situation like this would be resolved with violence but the rules of our thing were clear, you can’t touch another made man. Instead you had to sit down with the other party and a senior mafioso who would make a ruling. That ruling was then gospel, failure to abide by it was punishable by death. It was what separated us from the cities other gangs, who piled up bodies over small disputes.

 

 

The second order of business was as unexpected as it was welcome. Joey Derneglia could hardly disguise his pleasure in telling me, “someone whacked Ray Buccino, word on the street is, it was the Peg.” I was stunned. “Marron! What’s with this guy, killing his own people, whose next Phil Bell.” I jokingly said with a hint of wishful thinking. “It’s embarrassing, and it brings heat on all of us. He’s a lose cannon, the sooner we plug him the better.” Joey’s voice was strained as if the words weighed him down. I pointed to a portrait of Joseph Pavano, the first family father. “We’ll get our house in order first. Then he‘ll be taken care of.”

 

Later that day I headed over to Colony Island with Tommy Amato for a meet with Vito, it was at his Pizza restaurant so it was doubling up as my lunch. The purpose of the meet was to iron out the details for the Frankfort Avenue no show jobs. “You’ll get the money monthly, in three separate bank accounts, I’ve got your paperwork here.” Vito handed me a bundle of paperwork, I immediately thumbed through it but I couldn‘t find the magic number. “Thanks Vito, I really appreciate this, how much did you say it would be?” Vito grinned, his smile bordered on looking smug, “About sixty, that’s for each, pretty good huh?” I nodded, I had predicted less and was pleasantly surprised. “Actually I need your help with something else.” Vito paused while the waitress brought out our food. “The commission is getting impatient with us, they think it should have happened already.” I couldn’t help but think that if they wanted it so bad they should do it themselves. “C’mon, they think its easy whacking a boss. Forget about it.” Vito nodded in agreement then asked me, “what was that sh*t at the wake?”

 

I explained about my friendship with Jimmy the Gent and the delicate situation in being given the contract to kill him. I then went on to explain our need for a sit down. “What’s the sit down for?”

“Royalties to a porno flick.” “I’ll talk to Joe Corrola, he still has her ear, get him to talk up its significance to the family.”

 

The last thing I had to take care of today was Pete Venturella, he was leaving for Peru tomorrow and was having a send off tonight. He was at a Bar in Broker with his brother Mario and a young Pavano associate called Luciano Carducci. Luciano would sell out his grandmother if he thought it would earn him his button. So we appealed to his ambition and insinuated that if he set up Pete, I would sponsor him for membership. All he had to do was to separate the two brothers at the end of night and then when Mario has gone his own way, he brings Pete out to the car park, and we whack him.

 

This was an important piece of work so I decided to go along myself, we headed over to Broker in two cars, myself and Tommy Amato in one and Carlo Cantolopo and Louie LeRocca in the other. The bar was in Hove Beach, it was next to a large empty lot which doubled as a car park. We parked up and waited, “I hope this guy isn’t going to be all night.” “Forget about it.”

 

We waited five hours for Mario to leave, “shouldn’t be long now.” A few minutes later Luciano and Pete appeared, looking worse for wear, he was about to make the mostly costly public urination of his life. Pete had stumbled his way into the empty lot and stood behind a dumpster facing the wall. Leaning on a dumpster, pissing up the wall of Comrades, he was in a world of his own, completely oblivious to the approaching Carlo, “hey Pete Maria don’t want you in Mario’s life no more.” Pete began to turn but not before Carlo squeezed off the first round from his Glock19 pistol. Pete fell forward onto the wall, blood was oozing from the wound in the back of his head. Carlo placed the barrel of his gun behind Pete’s ear and fired once more to be absolutely sure.

Edited June 5, 2009 by vinnygorgeous

[vinnygorgeous]

 

11. 3Dead Kings

 

The Commission members had not lost one of the own for nearly twenty years then in a single day the godfathers started dropping like flies. First Jimmy ‘The Peg’ Pegorino, the Guernsey godfather of the small Mafia outfit based in Alderney. He was assassinated by the same freelance hit man that took out Mikhail Faustin, Niko Belic. A Serbian gangster with ties to criminal organisations all over Liberty City. He is rumoured to have been behind hundreds of high profile hits in the few months he has been in the country.

 

A few days later Jon Gravelli (the king of the volcano) died peacefully in his hospital bed; leaving behind him a power vacuum at the top of the largest Liberty City borgata. Salvatore ‘Sammy’ Bottino and Rosario ‘Roy’ Zito are both being touted as his logical successors, but they will face competition from Sonny Cangelosi’s sons: Dominic and Joseph, both influential capos capable of mustering up strong support.

 

We were hoping to make it a hat trick with the slaying of our godmother, Mary Valvona, but so far her cautious nature had kept her safe. She was deeply suspicious of everybody, even her own underlings, with only a few trusted lieutenants having access to her. Amongst those she trusted was Joe Corrola; he had used his influence to talk up the significance of the dispute between Marko Cucinotta and Vincent Manotti. He managed to convince her that the situation warranted her making the ruling herself. Completely taken in by Joe, she even agreed to him hosting the sit down at his club, The Linen Lounge, in North Holland. A regular mob hangout for all the five families it has lavish interior and a secluded VIP area (VIP being a euphemism for wise guy).

 

The sit down was scheduled for two o’clock so I met Vincent Manotti at one. We bunkered down in the VIP section and waited; Vincent nervously tapped on a cigarette packet, leaning forward and smiling I told him, “Don’t worry I kill mob bosses all the time!”.

“Ha ha funny Vinny. I tell you though, situation like this, you better hope the gun goes off; my brother only ever used revolvers cos they never jam.”

“Forget about it; Glocks don’t jam either! You think the cops would use a gun that jams, c’mon think about it.”

“Yeah but fire power; nothing beats .357 magnum, you know what I’m saying.”

“Those things weigh a ton; your strapped all day, forget about it. The Glock19 has half the parts of a regular handgun, there really light; here feel mine.”

“Put it away! I got one, I know what they feel like.”

“You carry a Glock! Marron; what are we talking about here, I thought you carried a revolver.”

“I was just saying, you better hope the gun goes off, that’s all”

“The guns will go off; forget bout it.”

 

About twenty minutes later Valvona arrived. She obviously felt safe as she only had two bodyguards with her, I recognised one of them as her nephew, Mickey Scars, the other I had never seen before. She was wearing a matching plaid jacket and skirt; a completely innocuous look, you’d never suspect that such a meek looking old lady was the head of one of the five families.

 

Joe Corrola hurried to greet his godmother; he kissed her on both cheeks then gestured towards the bar where a young man was standing. He was tall and well built with blonde slicked back hair, he couldn’t of been a day over 21. She took the bait; we were too far away to hear what they were saying but within a few minutes their body language changed from standoffish to intimate. She repeatedly touched his arm and chest and giggled like a school girl; he lapped it up, like a moth to a flame.

“It’s f*cking disgusting; she’s old enough to be his grandmother.” Vincent grunted before looking at his watch. I reassured him that, “This is the last time she will act like a cradle robbing whore, forget about it.”.

 

After a nervous five minutes of uncomfortably watching the mating rituals of our ageing godmother; the hit squad finally arrived. Louie LeRocca, Carlo Cantolopo and Angelo Danitello calmly walked in, dressed in matching trench coats and fedoras, they were each carrying a pump action shotgun. Realising it was a hit Mickey Scars stepped in front of his aunt, armed with a Mac10 and protected by body armour he laid down covering fire whilst slowly moving to the rear of the club. The young escort fell almost instantly, an innocent casualty caught in the crossfire. Next to fall was the unknown bodyguard caught by a shell from Carlo‘s shotgun, his pistol let off one final round as it hit the floor. Angelo stood over him, “Vaffanculo” he racked the pump action and shot him again, the bodyguard let out a final inaudible groan before drawing his last breath.

 

Carlo and Louie advanced on Mickey and Mary. All of the men had been hit many times and their body armour was starting to give away. Mickey lifted his Mac10 to head height and let off the final burst of ammunition from his clip, Carlo fell. Louie took his time to aim his shot gun whilst Mickey desperately scrambled to reload, click, he was out of shells. Louie dropped his shotgun and reached for his pistol, but it was too late. Mickey had already reloaded; he fired a burst of ammunition into Louie’s tatted body armour, knocking him to the floor; Mary shouted, “Kill ‘em all Mickey, treacherous rats.” still sheltering behind her nephew her voice was taut with emotion.

 

Mickey turned to face Angelo, but before he could squeeze the trigger the force from Angelo’s shotgun blast knocked him off balance. Angelo fired again, knocking the gun from Mickey’s hand, then once more at close range sending Mickey flying back into Mary and knocking them both down. Angelo racked the pump action and advanced on the cornered Mary, “Arrivederci bitch” was muttered as he dispatched the Pavano boss with two more close ranged shotgun blasts.

 

We checked on Carlo and Louie, but they were both dead, “Lets get the f*ck out of here!” I ordered and the three of us rushed to our cars and sped off. Now we had hit the boss, we had to take out as many of her faction as possible before they had a chance to retaliate or go on the lam. We also had to take out the rest of the administration: Arthur Zepulla the consigliere and our underboss Calogero Squillante, as quickly as possible to deter any rebels regrouping under their flag.

[vinnygorgeous]

12.

 

33With a Bullet

 

For the first time since the Ancelotti wars, the Liberty City Mafia was hitting the mattresses with two of the Five Families embroiled in bloody internal conflicts, the Gambettis and the Pavanos.

 

The Gambettis looked as though they would have a peaceful ascension when underboss Sammy Bottino returned from Vice City to assume the title but less than twenty four hours later he was grabbed by the feds from his safe house in Broker. With Bottino out of the way Roy Zito became the acting boss and attempted to solidify his position by eliminating his main rivals. Joseph and Dominic Cangelosi’s bodies were found stuffed in the trunk of a car in East Hook. He also clipped Jerry Benevolenta, a senior capo who had run the Gambetti carting business for fifty years. He was one of the original Moustache Petes and at the age of 86 had built up good relationships with gangsters and civic leaders all over town. Whacking him ruffled a lot of feathers and started a lot of people thinking about Zito as a potential problem.

 

In our own Family the purge of the borgata‘s fast track mobsters was in full swing, not a day went past without another body turning up. On Tuesday two more of Valvona’s crew were clipped, Joey Maloney and Richie Esposito; ambushed outside the Triangle Club in Bohan. On Wednesday Arthur Zapulla’s son was gunned down outside his Dukes home. On Thursday Mario Venturella’s body was washed up on the Alderney shore of the West River and on Friday Antony and Carmine Devanzati were gunned down coming out of an Ancelotti brothel in Easton.

 

There were still another thirty guys marked for death, but by the end of the week most of them had regrouped under Calogero Squillante‘s flag. Two of the out of town factions also sided with Squillante and are rumoured to be sending fresh triggermen to bolster his ranks; among them the Las Venturas faction to which my brother Carmine belongs. But no matter how much internal support he can muster up he will never be recognised as the official boss without the Commission’s permission.

 

I was at my goumada’s place in Suffolk when I got a call from Carmine Spoleto, a capo in the Ancelottis, “Vinny, my friend I have something for you.” Spoleto’s crew was also based in Little Italy, just around the corner from the Leisure Center, we were friendly with his crew but I wouldn’t have said we trusted each other. “What is it Carmine?” I calmly asked, while taking a cigar from the bed side cabinet.

“I hear you guys are looking for Artie?”

“Yeah where is the big guy?”

“He’s with friends of ours.”

“Meet me at Marios in half an hour.”

“I’ll be there fella.”

I lit the cigar, took a drag and the let the smoke gently roll out of my mouth. My goumada, Marissa, was staring at me, “So I suppose your leaving?”.

“It’s business,” I told her, “there’s nothing I can do.”

“You always do this, even though you promised but I suppose your promises don’t mean sh*t. I play second fiddle to your wife and your gangster friends, well I have had enough. If you walk out the door we are finished.”

“You knew the deal when you got with me, I’m married, I’ve got kids, and you knew the deal with my work and you should know better, do you really think this a nine to five job, c’mon babe.”

“you’re a two bit hood and cheap guinea bastard, I’m Vinny Gorgeous, that’s a joke your Vinny the pig.”

I took a roll of hundred dollar bills and threw them in her face, she responded by launching the bed side lamp at my head, “I’m not your whore, I don’t want your money.” if I hadn’t of been in a hurry I probably would have done something I would have regretted; but as things were, I just left. I hopped in my Sentinel and made the short drive to Little Italy, the roads were icy, as winter was really starting to bite.

 

I parked (illegally) on Denver Avenue and made my way to Marios. Spoleto had already arrived, “What happened to your head? Your bleeding.”

“Marissa D’Amato happened to my head.”

“You should get that seen to, you may have concussion. ”

“So where is our consigliere rat f*ck?”

“He is scared, he knows you want him dead, he has no crew to back him up so he came to us.”

“How do you want this done?”

“By you no one else, just you. ”

The situation was starting to make me nervous, I wasn’t particularly worried about getting whacked, there was no reason for the Ancelottis to side with Squillante; but I was worried about Spoleto having dirt on me, the threat of a murder indictment is an effective bargaining chip when your asking for a favour.

“Fine.”

 

We made the short journey to the Spoleto crew headquarters, down the alley off Feldspar Street in Little Italy. We were greeted by a short balding guy smoking a menthol cigarette, “Carmine, this your friend?”.

“Yeah this is Vinny Salvato he’s a friend of ours.”

Carmine gestured towards a door down a narrow corridor, “He’s down there.” I took out my Glock and checked the magazine before nodding to Carmine then heading down the corridor. The door was unlocked and lead to what looked like an empty room, with a television on one wall, and pictures scattered all around, I recognised the man featured in many of them, it was Antony ‘Tony Black’ Spoleto, Carmine’s dead brother. I started to check the room when I was suddenly startled by a voice, “Vinny” I spun round to see Zapulla behind me, Beretta in hand, several things went through my head in that split second: was I set up, did I f*ck up, but the lasting thought was of my son and the first time that I held him in my arms. I squeezed the trigger and fired two shots but at the same time I felt the wind knocked out of me, followed by a burning sensation in my chest and arm, . The pain soon changed to an overwhelming urge to sleep, I collapsed on my knees, time seemed to slow down, everything became blurry even sound, but I could still recognise gun shots, lots of gun shots. I slowly drifted away into unconsciousness, collapsed on the floor, I could just make out the words, “We got him.”

Edited June 23, 2009 by vinnygorgeous