Chapter 3 Massimo #2
Vincenzo clears his throat. “In the interest of transparency, I’ve got my brother Nicolo here with me.
The greedy bastards have their eyes on a few places in Atlantic City, too.
We know every move they’re making though.
We’ve got our eyes on the men they have keeping tabs on the businesses.
One false move and we’re going to stomp the fuckers right into the ground and bury them alive in the sand.
But first, we want Gallini. Doesn’t matter to us how it’s done or by who. Just that it’s done.”
Fucking Barcelo is making enemies everywhere.
It seems having a common enemy is helpful all the way around.
“I can appreciate that, Vincenzo. I’m going to be fully transparent here too.
Barcelo Gallini is engaged to marry Anna Cassone, eldest daughter of the Cassones.
Old man Cassone doesn’t have any sons and after the wedding, what they have will become the Gallinis.
Minus the youngest daughter. Sophia Cassone, she’s mine,” I tell them just to make sure everyone is fully aware.
I don’t explain to these men what that means, its none of their fucking business.
What they do need to know is that she’s mine, meaning protected, and not available to them or any of their men. Fucking mine.
Vincenzo comes over the line, heated but calm.
He is not known for his patience, probably still impatient to know why he’s been invited to the call.
I’m not about to mention the deal between the two of us.
His family is the one who got duped, he’s given the explanation he wants, and we’ll keep our end of the deal.
No need to say anything with this group about it.
My voice is calm but the more I think about the fucking Gallinis the madder I get. “Gallini is a greedy fucking bastard. Carlos, Salvatore, in case you weren’t aware Gallini
put out a hit on the Roselli’s trucks using the Cassone soldiers who he’d managed to get aligned with him and his crew. He made it look like it was the Cassones.”
Vincenzo’s voice raises. “The fucker knew the Rosellis would go after the Cassones. He probably thought the Roselli soldiers would kill the Cassone soldiers still loyal to the Cassones, which is exactly what Massimo did. But the fucker involved my family. Swindled my little brother, conned him into buying Roselli product not knowing it was theirs. I’m pretty sure that’s why we’re here, Massimo? ”
I’m surprised that he put it out there for everyone to know but I’d heard that Vincenzo was a no bullshit kinda guy.
“Not far off, Vincenzo. My men on the ground say Barcelo Gallini was already running a lot of things through the Cassone territory and some of the Cassone soldiers were already starting to refer to him as boss, sucking up, knowing that he would be the next one in charge. But some of them, they didn’t like or trust him.
Word is, they weren’t looking to be loyal to him once the deal was done and he got rid of them, while making a play to get our product, keep us from making our deliveries and making us look bad to our suppliers.
Bad, bad for business, and never a good thing to fucking piss us off. ”
“And the Amortes?” Salvatore asks.
Salvatore Larussio, nephew to Carlos and don of the Larussio family now that Carlos has stepped down from the day to day is as fierce as they come.
He and his cousins don’t mess around and have built a huge casino on a prime piece of the strip, while Vincenzo DeLuca and his brothers have Atlantic City gambling playing in their pockets.
They’ve got the whole damn city under their watchful eye and thumb.
I’d like to see what happens to the family who tries to take over their territory.
My mind runs through the calculations, adding up revenue between our products and the various businesses between us because together we have a whole hell of a lot of stuff to sell. This could be a win-win for everyone in the game, making every family stronger as a result.
We can supply both of them for a whole hell of a lot less than they’re paying and make a few deals and swaps that benefit all the families in the process.
“The Amortes have been aligned with us since the old country. The family was never large and always protected by us, assuming one day I would marry their daughter and they’d be absorbed into the family.
Things have changed in that respect. I don’t think old man Amorte is going to be helping anyone but himself from here on out.
He has all the money he could ever want now, and his daughter is being taken care of. ”
Salvatore’s voice cuts in. “We heard there was a wedding and that congratulations are in order.” My eyes meet Leandro’s.
We both know it’s his way of letting us know that while we keep tabs on others, they’re fucking watching us too.
It doesn’t bother me any. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the new don of the Larussio crime family.
“Thank you.” I’ve already decided that since everyone seems to think I’ve taken Sophia as an act of revenge, we’ll let that rumor stay out there for just a little while longer because if she’s my enemy, she doesn’t have a target on her back.
Amorte has been taken care of and the only problem we have to deal with now is getting my mother back from the Gallinis.
Carlos cuts back in on the line. Massimo, you’ll have what you need from the Larussios.
Vincenzo clears his throat. “From us too. You did us a solid and getting rid of this bastard helps us too. Working together in many respects sounds like it may be more profitable than apart.” Salvatore’s deep voice growls over the line.
“Just received word that your cousin’s helicopters are in the air, they’re fanning out over the city.
The minute we start getting any leads we can narrow in and flush the fuckers out.
Keep us posted. I need to jump off and attend a few matters here. ”