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Regrets and rememberances
After spending the
night at Enzo’s apartment and being fed homemade biscuits with jam and fresh
fruit as well as strong coffee for breakfast he headed down the block over to
his other friend and soldier Giancarlo Tarrone. He knocked on the door and then
rubbed his hands briefly in the cold morning air. The door was opened by a
beautiful girl of 8 years old with sparkling green eyes, and long blonde hair.
“Furio,
practically leaped into his arms.
Furio smiled warmly
as he carried the girl inside, “Buongiorno,
come stai Lita?”
The young girl, Lita
continued to ramble on in Italian to her friend as a stunningly beautiful woman
came out of the kitchen with two more children in tow. “Furio!” The woman
smiled in surprise, she was of Northern Italian descent so she had blonde hair
and green eyes like her daughter. “I had no idea you were coming, let me set
another plate!” her English was nearly flawless with just a hint of Italian
accent to her.
“No, no. Is Ok, Mara”
he swung Lita down off his hip and gave the attractive mother, Mara, a quick
hug and kiss on the cheek. “Sophia and Maria just fed me. I here to see
Giancarlo, is he here?”
“Of course.” Mara
gathered up her two girls as the eldest son of 13 hung out near the door frame
watching Furio, “Please, have some coffee at least. I will bring some to you…”
and she disappeared into the kitchen where a moment later the whole apartment
rattled as she yelled out in Italian, “Giancarlo, hurry up and get down here!
Furio is waiting for you!”
Furio was surprised just how loud the petite
Mara could be. He glanced at Giancarlo’s eldest son, Rocco. The two seemed to
stare almost darkly at one another for a moment and then suddenly they both
moved like old fashioned cowboys at a showdown, drawing invisible guns and
shooting at one another. The boy cracked a wide smile then and sat down next to
Furio. “So when can I work for you too, eh, Furio?” Rocco looked like his
Sicilian father, dark hair, dark eyes and olive complexion.
Furio just shook his
head and gave the boy a rather stern look. “You no work for me.” He said. “You
stay in school eh? Here is not like Sicily, here you have opportunity.”
“You always say
that.” Rocco now stood up, his shoulders drooping. He just gave Furio a dour
look and headed into the kitchen.
Furio sighed deeply;
he really did not want the boy to follow in the footsteps of him or his father
Giancarlo. The mafia families here in the U.S. were nothing like they were in
Italy. He had hoped he could persuade the boy to get into legitimate interests
but he had a gut instinct that young Rocco would hook up with a gang regardless
and if he lived though that or didn’t get arrested, might actually be scooped
up as a soldier for the Lupertazzi crew.
At that moment a tall thin man in his late
40’s came barreling down the stairs. With dark olive skin, short cropped salt
and pepper hair and dark brooding eyes he seemed to be running a dozen
directions at once. This was Furio’s other most trusted soul in the world,
Giancarlo.
“Hey.” Giancarlo
grabbed Furio and the two men embraced as Men of Honor usually do. Like Furio,
Giancarlo could speak some English but not that well.
“Mara, I go out
now!” He yelled into the kitchen.
“You haven’t even
eaten anything yet, Gian!” She sighed a bit, but yet knew her husband would do
what he would do.
“Yeah papa, eat
breakfast with us.” The young blonde haired Lita tried to pull her father into
the kitchen.
“I no can do my
angel.” Giancarlo said to his youngest daughter. “I have to go to work with
Furio, and you have school to go to.”
The young girl
kissed her father and then gave Furio a hug and disappeared back into the
kitchen with an almost shy look.
As Furio and
Giancarlo left his apartment it made Furio’s heart ache. He hoped someday he
could have a wonderful family and beloved wife of his own. But for now he was
more than happy to be accepted by Giancarlo and his family.
“Rocco’s
confirmation is coming up in a month.” Giancarlo now spoke in Italian as he
pulled out a cigar and lit it, “I still meant what I said about being his
godfather, eh? You are like a brother to me Furio. I would want no one else to
be his sponsor and godfather.”
“Of course I will do
this.” Furio assured him, “I am honored you even ask. But now we must talk some
business.” Both men sat on the stairs of one of the apartment buildings.
Furio then talked in detail about the whole
Rudolfo Pandellino and Reggie Dalmazzio situation. Giancarlo just sat and
listened without a word to his friend as he smoked his cigar. His only reaction
during Furio’s tale was an occasional nod or grunt of agreement.
Finally when Furio finished telling him all the details
Giancarlo just glanced up at the bright clear blue autumn sky. He reached in
the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out what looked like a thin silver
wire with two small handles on each end. “You will be needing a good ‘rope man’
eh?” He smiled as he swung his garrote back and forth. Giancarlo as one of the
most skilled assassins Furio had ever met.
“Yes I will.” Furio
smiled grimly back. “But even more important, we need to keep things discreet
from both the Lupertazzi’s and the Soprano’s.”
“This is no problem,
my friend.” Giancarlo slid the garrote back into his coat pocket. “You said
Enzo was putting a tail on Reggie Dalmazzio?”
Furio nodded yes.
“Then I will have
Pandellino covered, and I will see if I can find out more about what Johnny
Sack and your Tony Soprano are having late night talks about.” Giancarlo
glanced around one more time, giving a homeless man a hard glare that sent him
scurrying away, “And when you are ready to do the thing,” he made the quick
sign of the gun, “You call me, I will be ready. Enzo was right in what he said,
Furio. He and I would follow you anywhere, into the gates of Hell itself if you
asked. You are like a brother to me.”
Furio just put one
hand on the mans shoulder and said nothing a moment, no words were needed
between the two friends. “You know I feel the same, Gian.” Furio just quietly
said and after they embraced goodbye Furio hurried to drive back to New Jersey.
He had a lot of planning and plotting to do within the next 3 days, thankfully
his two most trusted men were keeping an eye on things here and starting the
ball in motion that would take out Dalmazzio, get his assignment for Tony done,
and free Lorena Cavaseno-Pandellino.