Page 117 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

Okay… not trying to build bridges, then.

Just trying to cut me down to make himself look like a tough guy.

This was going to be a long day.

Paolo stayed behind. Lucky him.

As the rest of us left the café, Rocco rattled off a bunch of introductions. “This here’s Tony and Santiago –alsoyour new brothers-in-law. They’re married to my kid sisters. That’s Mooch, and Bracco, and – ”

I stopped listening and just nodded after Rocco quit talking. “Nice to meet you.”

“Okay, Movie Star, listen up and watch the pros do it. Time to make the money.”

By ‘making money,’ he meant extorting it.

Rocco and his buddies strolled from shop to shop, laughing and jabbering as they went, acting like it was Friday night instead of Wednesday morning.

Every time Rocco and his friends entered a restaurant or shop, the owners immediately tensed up, like they were expecting trouble.

Nothing bad happened, though.

Not at first.

Rocco’s spiel was pretty much the same every time.

“Heeeey, Luciano, what’s good? This here’s my new brother-in-law, Movie Star. That’s what we’re callin’ him. You’re gonna be seein’ him a lot in the months to come, so memorize the face. Now where’s my fuckin’ money?”

The shopkeepers handed over envelopes stuffed with cash. Rocco would count it – moving his lips like he was too stupid to do it in his head – and give a nod of approval. “Alright. See you next month, Luciano.”

We hit 15 shops, one after another.

I got more and more nauseated as time went on.

It was like I was trapped in a shitty movie, forced to watch a bunch of douchebags play tough guys and shake down the powerless.

I wished I could rewrite the movie. I wanted to reach over, tear the money out of Rocco’s hands, give it back to the shopkeepers, and deliver a little speech:These assholes won’t be back again – ever. Keep your money. Spend it on your family.

But I knew that was a good way to earn myself a beatdown.

Not from Rocco and his minions. I was pretty sure they were all show, and that I could take them with the training I’d gotten from Lars.

But Don Vicari’s hardened foot soldiers were another matter.

For the first time, I clearly saw what Dario was trying to do when he took over after Papa died.

Dario had put his foot down: no more drugs, no more human trafficking, no more prostitution, no more extortion – all things Papa and Fausto had been involved in.

Dario got some pushback from Niccolo and Roberto, but he held fast, and we’d gotten out of the dirtiest aspects of the business.

Yeah, we were still outlaws –

But we didn’t prey on the weak.

Not like Don Vicari and Rocco.

I knew the everyday people they were shaking downhatedthem for it.

And all of this ill will for what – a few bucks?

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