mp.godfather-第51节

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t　was　only　natural　then　that　when　these　Italians　were　puzzled　and　confused　on　who　to　vote　for　to　represent　them　in　the　state　legislature；　in　the　city　offices；　in　the　Congress；　they　should　ask　the　advice　of　their　friend　Don　Corleone；　their　Godfather。　And　so　he　became　a　political　power　to　be　consulted　by　practical　party　chiefs。　He　consolidated　this　power　with　a　far…seeing　statesmanlike　intelligence；　by　helping　brilliant　boys　from　poor　Italian　families　through　college；　boys　who　would　later　bee　lawyers；　assistant　district　attorneys；　and　even　judges。　He　planned　for　the　future　of　his　empire　with　all　the　foresight　of　a　great　national　leader。
　
　The　repeal　of　Prohibition　dealt　this　empire　a　crippling　blow　but　again　he　had　taken　his　precautions。　In　1933　he　sent　emissaries　to　the　man　who　controlled　all　the　gambling　activities　of　Manhattan；　the　crap　games　on　the　docks；　the　shylocking　that　went　with　it　as　hot　dogs　go　with　baseball　games；　the　bookmaking　on　sports　and　horses；　the　illicit　gambling　houses　that　ran　poker　games；　the　policy　or　numbers　racket　of　Harlem。　This　man's　name　was　Salvatore　Maranzano　and　he　was　one　of　the　acknowledged　pezzonovante；　。90　calibers；　or　big　shots　of　the　New　York　underworld。　The　Corleone　emissaries　proposed　to　Maranzano　an　equal　partnership　beneficial　to　both　parties。　Vito　Corleone　with　his　organization；　his　police　and　political　contacts；　could　give　the　Maranzano　operations　a　stout　umbrella　and　the　new　strength　to　expand　into　Brooklyn　and　the　Bronx。　But　Maranzano　was　a　short…sighted　man　and　spurned　the　Corleone　offer　with　contempt。　The　great　Al　Capone　was　Maranzano's　friend　and　he　had　his　own　organization；　his　own　men；　plus　a　huge　war　chest。　He　would　not　brook　this　upstart　whose　reputation　was　more　that　of　a　Parliamentary　debater　than　a　true　Mafioso。　Maranzano's　refusal　touched　off　the　great　war　of　1933　which　was　to　change　the　whole　structure　of　the　underworld　in　New　York　City。
　
　At　first　glance　it　seemed　an　uneven　match。　Salvatore　Maranzano　had　a　powerful　organization　with　strong　enforcers。　He　had　a　friendship　with　Capone　in　Chicago　and　could　call　on　help　in　that　quarter。　He　also　had　a　good　relationship　with　the　Tattaglia　Family；　which　controlled　prostitution　in　the　city　and　what　there　was　of　the　thin　drug　traffic　at　that　time。　He　also　had　political　contacts　with　powerful　business　leaders　who　used　his　enforcers　to　terrorize　the　Jewish　unionists　in　the　garment　center　and　the　Italian　anarchist　syndicates　in　the　building　trades。
　
　Against　this；　Don　Corleone　could　throw　two　small　but　superbly　organized　regimes　led　by　Clemenza　and　Tessio。　His　political　and　police　contacts　were　negated　by　the　business　leaders　who　would　support　Maranzano。　But　in　his　favor　was　the　enemy's　lack　of　intelligence　about　his　organization。　The　underworld　did　not　know　the　true　strength　of　his　soldiers　and　even　were　deceived　that　Tessio　in　Brooklyn　was　a　separate　and　independent　operation。
　
　And　yet　despite　all　this；　it　was　an　unequal　battle　until　Vito　Corleone　evened　out　the　odds　with　one　master　stroke。
　
　Maranzano　sent　a　call　to　Capone　for　his　two　best　gunmen　to　e　to　New　York　to　eliminate　the　upstart。　The　Corleone　Family　had　friends　and　intelligence　in　Chicago　who　relayed　the　news　that　the　two　gunmen　were　arriving　by　train。　Vito　Corleone　dispatched　Luca　Brasi　to　take　care　of　them　with　instructions　that　would　liberate　the　strange　man's　most　savage　instincts。
　
　Brasi　and　his　people；　four　of　them；　received　the　Chicago　hoods　at　the　railroad　station。　One　of　Brasi's　men　procured　and　drove　a　taxicab　for　the　purpose　and　the　station　porter　carrying　the　bags　led　the　Capone　men　to　this　cab。　When　they　got　in；　Brasi　and　another　of　his　men　crowded　in　after　them；　guns　ready；　and　made　the　two　Chicago　boys　lie　on　the　floor。　The　cab　drove　to　a　warehouse　near　the　docks　that　Brasi　had　prepared　for　them。
　
　The　two　Capone　men　were　bound　hand　and　foot　and　small　bath　towels　were　stuffed　into　their　mouths　to　keep　them　from　crying　out。
　
　Then　Brasi　took　an　ax　from　its　place　against　the　wall　and　started　hacking　at　one　of　the　Capone　men。　He　chopped　the　man's　feet　off；　then　the　legs　at　the　knees；　then　the　thighs　where　they　joined　the　torso。　Brasi　was　an　extremely　powerfull　man　but　it　took　him　many　swings　to　acplish　his　purpose。　By　that　time　of　course　the　victim　had　given　up　the　ghost　and　the　floor　of　the　warehouse　was　slippery　with　the　hacked　fragments　of　his　flesh　and　the　gouting　of　his　blood。　When　Brasi　turned　to　his　second　victim　he　found　further　effort　unnecessary。　The　second　Capone　gunman　out　of　sheer　terror　had；　impossibly；　swallowed　the　bath　towel　in　his　mouth　and　suffocated。　The　bath　towel　was　found　in　the　man's　stomach　when　the　police　performed　their　autopsy　to　determine　the　cause　of　death。
　
　A　few　days　later　in　Chicago　the　Capones　received　a　message　from　Vito　Corleone。　It　was　to　this　effect：　〃You　know　now　how　I　deal　with　enemies。　Why　does　a　Neapolitan　interfere　in　a　quarrel　between　two　Sicilians？　If　you　wish　me　to　consider　you　as　a　friend　I　owe　you　a　service　which　I　will　pay　on　demand。　A　man　like　yourself　must　know　how　much　more　profitable　it　is　to　have　a　friend　who；　instead　of　calling　on　you　for　help；　takes　care　of　his　own　affairs　and　stands　ever　ready　to　help　you　in　some　future　time　of　trouble。　If　you　do　not　wish　my　friendship；　so　be　it。　But　then　I　must　tell　you　that　the　climate　in　this　city　is　damp；　unhealthy　for　Neapolitans；　and　you　are　advised　never　to　visit　it。〃
　
　The　arrogance　of　this　letter　was　a　calculated　one。　The　Don　held　the　Capones　in　small　esteem　as　stupid；　obvious　cutthroats。　His　intelligence　informed　him　that　Capone　had　forfeited　all　political　influence　because　of　his　public　arrogance　and　the　flaunting　of　his　criminal　wealth。　The　Don　knew；　in　fact　was　positive；　that　without　political　influence；　without　the　camouflage　of　society；　Capone's　world；　and　others　like　it；　could　be　easily　destroyed。　He　knew　Capone　was　on　the　path　to　destruction。　He　also　knew　that　Capone's　influence　did　not　extend　beyond　the　boundaries　of　Chicago；　terrible　and　all…pervading　as　that　influence　there　might　be。
　
　The　tactic　was　successful。　Not　so　much　because　of　its　ferocity　but　because　of　the　chilling　swiftness；　the　quickness　of　the　Don's　reaction。　If　his　intelligence　was　so　good；　any　further　moves　would　be　fraught　with　danger。　It　was　better；　far　wiser；　to　accept　the　offer　of　friendship　with　its　implied　payoff。　The　Capones；　sent　back　word　that　they　would　not　interfere。
　
　The　odds　were　now　equal。　And　Vito　Corleone　had　earned　an　enormous　amount　of　〃respect〃　throughout　the　United　States　underworld　with　his　humiliation　of　the　Capones。　For　six　months　he　out…generaled　Maranzano。　He　raided　the　crap　games　under　that　man's　protection；　located　his　biggest　policy　banker　in　Harlem　and　had　him　relieved　of　a　day's　play　not　only　in　money　but　in　records。　He　engaged　his　enemies　on　all　fronts。　Even　in　the　garment　centers　he　sent　Clemenza　and　his　men　to　fight　on　the　side　of　the　unionists　against　the　enforcers　on　the　payroll　of　Maranzano　and　the　owners　of　the　dress　firms。　And　on　all　fronts　his　superior　intelligence　and　organization　made　him　the　victor。　Clemenza's　jolly　ferocity；　which　Corleone　employed　judiciously；　also　helped　turn　the　tide　of　battle。　And　then　Don　Corleone　sent　the　held…back　reserve　of　the　Tessio　regime　after　Maranzano　himself。
　
　By　this　time　Maranzano　had　dispatched　emissaries　suing　for　a　peace。　Vito　Corleone　refused　to　see　them；　put　them　off　on　one　pretext　or　another。　The　Maranzano　soldiers　were　deserting　their　leader；　not　wishing　to　die　in　a　losing　cause。　Bookmakers　and　shylocks　were　paying　the　Corleone　organization　their　protection　money。　The　war　was　all　but　over。
　
　And　then　finally　on　New　Year's　Eve　of　1933。　Tessio　got　inside　the　defenses　of　Maranzano　himself。　The　Maranzano　lieutenants　were　anxious　for　a　deal　and　agreed　to　lead　their　chief　to　the　slaughter。　They　told　him　that　a　meeting　had　been　arranged　in　a　Brooklyn　restaurant　with　Corleone　and　they　acpanied　Maranzano　as　his　bodyguards。　They　left　hum　sitting　at　a　checkered　table；　morosely　munching　a　piece　of　bread；　and　fled　the　restaurant　as　Tessio　and　four　of　his　men　entered。　The　execution　was　swift　and　sure。　Maranzano；　his　mouth　full　of　half…chewed　bread；　was　riddled　with　bullets。　The　war　was　over。
　
　The　Maranzano　empire　was　incorporated　into　the　Corleone　operation。　Don　Corleone　set　up　a　system　of　tribute；　allowing　all　incumbents　to　remain　in　their　bookmaking　and　policy　number　spots。　As　a　bonus　he　had　a　foothold　in　the　unions　of　the　garment　center　which　in　later　years　was　to　prove　extremely　important。　And　now　that　he　had　settled　his　business　affairs　the　Don　found　trouble　at　home。
　
　Santino　Corleone；　Sonny；　was　sixteen　years　old　and　grown　to　an　astonishing　six　feet　with　broad　shoulders　and　a　heavy　face　that　was　sensual　but　by　no　means　effeminate。　But　where　Fredo　was　a　quiet　boy；　and　Michael；　of　course；　a　toddler；　Santino　was　constantly　in　trouble。　He　got　into　fights；　did　badly　in　school　and；　finally；　Clemenza；　who　was　the　boy's　godfather　and　had　a　duty　to　speak；　came　to　Don　Corleone　one　evening　and　informed　him　that　his　son　had　taken　part　in　an　armed　robbery；　a　stupid　affair　which　could　have　gone　very　badly。　Sonny　was　obvidusly　the　ringleader；　the　two　o