Page 22 of Long Live the King
Dominic
Iremember how my father used to talk about wanting to be a captain before it finally happened. I remember it like it was just yesterday. He used to nickel and dime his way through life, taking ten percent off of mom and pop stores and delis, until I had a little idea about taxing the hotels. Dad knew it’d be a huge challenge and that he’d need a big crew, but he pulled it off. He took over River City with nothing but muscle and an “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. The next thing we knew, my father, Donnie Collazo, was a captain in La Cosa Nostra. It didn’t last long, unfortunately, thanks to the fucking Cestone brothers, but my father still got what he wanted, and I was proud of him.And the Cestone brothers got what they had coming to them.
I know if he were still alive, he’d be beyond proud of me now. Not only did I become something in La Cosa Nostra, I surpassed him and became the boss of our family. My dream has been realized, and I’m proud to do what I do, even if the older guys hate me for it. I don’t give two shits about how they feel. This was passed down to me, and I’m not gonna fold up like some little bitch just because I’m only twenty-seven. I’m the baddest twenty-seven-year-old on the fucking planet, and I’d never let myself be somebody’spiccola cagna. My father would be proud of me. He’d be proud of what I’m about to do, because he never got to do it. He was always beneath this level.
I’m not. This is what I do as the boss.
It’s 2017, and everyone knows the Commission doesn’t meet up like they used to, because the fucking cops were always all over them. If the cops or rats could get all of the bosses of the Five Families together in one room and make an arrest, they’d jizz themselves. So the Commission smartened up and significantly reduced the number of in-person meetings for the Commission back in the eighties. However, the Commission still has a job to do, and they still do it.
These days, they hold conference calls on burner phones. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you know shit just got real. The Commission swaps out the phones and numbers after each call, and they set up the conferences the old fashioned way—a made guy from New York actually drives to your house and delivers the phone and a letter written by one of the bosses, telling you when the burner will ring—and if you don’t answer it, it’ll be the last thing you ever do. The calls are always short and to the point, because those old bastards hate risking it, so the fact that they’re conference calling me about my situation with Victor means it’s a big deal. Yeah, shit is real now.
Just like we knew he would, Victor fucking Fronzo put in a call to his buddies in the Commission and cried about how I haven’t paid him yet.Fucking pussy. Now the Commission wants to talk to me to give me direction on how to proceed. That’s the thing about La Cosa Nostra, there are rules that have to be followed. Let’s be honest, it doesn’t take much for a guy to get clipped in Our Thing, and I got a feeling we might be losing another member real soon.
Alright, get your pen and paper out, because this is about to be a lesson on This Thing of Ours. The Five Families of New York are the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. Each of these families has a boss, obviously, and these bosses—along with the boss of the Chicago Outfit—make up our governing body, the Commission. The Commission decides all kinds of shit in Our Thing, but one of the biggest is who lives and who dies. Once they push the button on your life, there’s no un-pushing it. It’s lights out for you.
On this conference call, every one of the five bosses of New York will weigh in on my situation with Victor fucking Fronzo. I won’t have to wait to see what’s next with Victor, because they’re going to decide it for us. There’s only two ways this plays out, as far as I see it: either we’re gonna have to pay Victor sooner, rather than later, or Jimmy’s going to die, probably by Victor’s hands.
Just like my letter said it would, at exactly midnight, the burner in my hand starts ringing. I sit down on my couch and light up an Oliva Melanio cigar.
“Ciao,” I answer in Italian.
“I understand we have a problem between your family and the Chicago Outfit,” a husky voice says on the other end, and without asking, I already know the voice belongs to Benny Lucchese. He’s an actual living descendent of Gaetano “Tommy Brown” Lucchese, who made the notorious family what it is today. There’s no chairman of the Commission, but if there was one, it’d be Benny Lucchese. “This was brought to us by Victor Fronzo, and now you have our full attention, Dominic. What’s your say on this matter?” Benny asks, followed by silence.
I know all five of them are listening, and maybe even Victor since he usually sits on the Commission. Nonetheless, I don’t hold back.
“With all due respect to the bosses of the Original Five Families,” I begin, giving the Commission its due. “My take on the situation is that it shouldn’t be at this level. As far as I’m concerned, this should’ve been handled easily and kept between Victor and me. Regardless, I already spoke with Victor and told him we have the money he asked for to settle the matter. It just needs to be delivered.”
“We’re aware of that,” another voice says, who I’m pretty certain is Piero Bianchi, the current boss of the Genovese family. His voice sounds airy like he started smoking as a toddler and it ruined his vocal chords. “But Victor has a complaint. You had an opportunity to deliver the money on time, but refused to tell him why you couldn’t when the time came. What kept you from holding up your end?”
Fuck.
The thing about these conference calls and the Commission is that you better not lie. If they ever find out that you lied to them, you’re a fucking dead man—boss or associate, it doesn’t matter.
I let out an exasperated sigh and speak up.
“The truck’s missing,” I admit, feeling hot all over from having to confess something so ridiculous.
“The truck’s missing?” Stephano Alfrezi, I think—boss of the Gambino family.
“Yeah, somebody stole it from behind Jimmy’s place of business.”
There’s a brief silence on the phone that makes me uneasy. I feel like a complete moron for having to say that a member ofmyfamily lost an ice truck full of money. If the Commission doesn’t vote to kill Jimmy, I might just do it myself and hide his useless body so they never find out about it.
“I assume you’re aware of how this sounds, Dominic,” Benny speaks up.
“I know how it sounds, but it’s true.”
More silence, then Michael Botti of the Colombo family chimes in.
“Jimmytookthe truck, Jimmylostthe truck,” Michael says, repeating the facts to himself and his fellow council members. “I think Jimmy might need to get lost, himself.”
Looks like that’s it for Jimmy.
“What’s Jimmy’s explanation?” the last unspoken member speaks up. His name is Alfonse Sivaretti, and he runs the Bonanno family. Of all the members of the Commission, Alfonse is the newest with the least amount of pull, which is why he’s last to speak.
“He claims the truck was stolen,” I reply.
“Do you believe him?” Alfonse asks.
“Not sure. Seemed genuine when I asked him about it, but who knows.”
“Considering all of the information,” Benny jumps in again, sounding irritated at the length of the conversation. “Here’s how you’ll proceed Don Collazo. Jimmy Costello hasfino a domani seratoto find the truck and the money contained in it. If it isn’t found by this timedomani notte, Jimmy goes to Australia. And Dominic, you’ll purchase his ticket. Since he’s your man and you couldn’t control him, your family will pack his bags and send Victor Fronzo a souvenir to settle the beef. Understood?”
“I got it,” is all I say in response, and the line goes dead immediately after my words.
So, that’s it. In all the coded talk, the order from the Commission is clear. If Jimmy doesn’t find the truck by this time tomorrow night, the Commission wants him dead, and they want me to order the hit and send one of Jimmy’s body parts to Victor to show him the deed has been done.
I never liked Jimmy, so I’ve got no qualms about icing the guy, and I don’t think for a second that he’s going to find the truck. It’s going to be over for him.Ha finito.
I blow out a cloud of smoke just as I toss the burner phone into the fire place in front of me. Alannah’s in the bedroom waiting for me, and I’ll sleep easy tonight knowing tomorrow will be Jimmy’s last day on earth.
