by Joe Corso
Relieved he wouldn’t be staying in what he considered a glass bubble, Johnny gave Piss Clam the hotel’s address, the key to his room and the room number. “The suitcase is on the stand by the bureau and it hasn’t been opened yet, so you don’t have to worry about anything else in the room.”
Red told Tarzan to have one of the guys bring in a pot of rich, strong expresso coffee and a bottle of sambuca, then took Johnny into his office so they could talk in private. A few minutes later Petey D walked in carrying a tray with the pot of coffee and the sambuca.
“Would you prefer anisette? Or is the sambuca okay? I know anisette is the drink all the wise guys drink, I guess more for the flavor, but I like sambuca. It’s much stronger, eighty-five volts stronger, and that’s why I like it.”
“Hey, I love sambuca. It’s great, especially with a cigar.”
Red smiled. “Glad you reminded me. I have Cuban cigars, Romeo and Juliets and Cohibas.” He opened the humidor on his desk and took out two cigars. He handed one to Johnny, who took a lighter from his pocket and lit it, then reached over so Red could light his. After sipping his coffee Red got serious. “Who’s after you? Feds?”
“No. Some of the borgota”—as the bosses were called—“are getting rid of anyone who could be used by the committee Bobby has set up to help convict them. I got word that I was about to be iced. It seems that somebody is afraid I’ll rat them out!” His eyes blazed with hate. “I’d do ten before I’d do something like that.” He looked Red in the eye. “I’m no rat. I hate rats. And I don’t like anyone thinking I’m a rat. It’s like calling me a pimp. It pisses me off. Well, that’s why I decided to head north and pay you a visit. I couldn’t think of anyone I could trust, and then you popped into my mind and I said to myself, ‘Big Red, now him I could trust.’”
Red took a drag of his cigar and leaned forward. “Don’t you worry about anything. If anyone finds you here, I’ll call for a sit-down and we’ll get this misunderstanding straightened out. Then I’ll let everyone know that I’m vouching for you and you’re under my protection. Meanwhile you’ll stay here at the Starlight Club as my guest, where I can protect you.”
***
After Red got the call from Moose in Vegas he called the airline, made his reservations and walked upstairs. The door was open and Johnny was lying on the bed. He sat up as Red walked in, knowing he wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t something important.
“What’s up, Red?”
“I sent some men to Vegas hoping to avoid having to go there myself, but something came up and I have to leave. I could leave some of my men here with you or . . . You could come with us. Your call.”
Johnny looked at Red pensively. “Well, there’s safety in numbers, so I’d just as soon tag along with you guys if you don’t mind.”
“There might be a little wet work involved in this trip. Maybe it would be better if you stayed here.”
Johnny gave Red a look of disapproval and dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. “Do you think I’ve never been involved with wet work before? What do you think your uncle called me for? For my good looks? He used me more than once, because he knew that, one, I could be trusted and, two, the job would get done. No matter what it entailed I always got the job done. Book me on that flight. I’m coming with you and I’m gonna earn my keep, because no matter how many guys you have with you, I’ll be there to watch your back.
CHAPTER 14
Moose met Red and Johnny Eight Fingers at 9 a.m. at the luggage carousel in Las Vegas’s new McCarran International Airport. He wasted no time in driving the short distance to the Double Seven Casino.
Red and Johnny Eight Fingers were ushered into Webber’s office and, after being introduced to Webber, Red excused himself to say a few words to Sophia. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person, Sophia.” Red could be charming and very suave when he had to be, but he made it a rule never to talk business in front of a civilian, especially a woman. That was something ingrained in every mobster. He smiled warmly and she was captivated by his magnetism and his outgoing personality. She understood why this man could command the respect and loyalty of so many of the men who worked under him.
“I want to thank you for helping to find us a few properties here in Las Vegas. I understand you found three sites. Very impressive. Later, I would like you to tell me everything about them.” She wanted to acknowledge his words but, for some reason, the very talkative Sophia Feldstein, who was never at a loss for words, could do nothing but nod. Words somehow seemed inadequate. Red then excused himself and turned to Moose.
“Moose, how are Swifty and the boys doing?”
“Great, Boss. They’re looking forward to your visit.”
Red cut him off. “Yeah, well we’ll talk about that later. I want to talk to Mr. Webber now. When I’m finished I’d like Miss Feldstein to bring me up to date on the properties. You know, the pros and cons of each. Then, when Sophia and I have finished having our little chat, and I complete my business with Mr. Webber, I’ll be heading back to Queens.”
“So soon, Boss? You just got here.”
“I know, but I ran into some unexpected problems back home that I have to take care of before I can free up some time. Moose, do me a favor and wait in the receptionist’s room next door until I finish my business with Mr. Webber. Then I want to spend a few minutes with Sophia. When we’re finished talking I want you to get back to Hollywood. I’m worried about Swifty and the boys and I’d feel better knowing you were there watching their backs.” Moose puffed up a bit.
“Don’t worry, Red. Me and Sophia will head back as soon as you’ve finished.”
“Good. Now, how about all of you leaving me and Ernie to discuss business with Mr. Webber.”
Red wasn’t worried about Swifty or the boys. They could take care of themselves. He was concerned about Sophia. He wanted her out of the way and safe.
When Ernie and Red were left alone with Webber, Red took a cigar from his inside jacket pocket and held it up.
“All right if I light up?”
Webber nodded. “Sure. I don’t mind.” While Red lit his cigar, Webber studied him. This man, who his men held in such high regard, was self-assured, as if nothing in the world worried him. When he spoke, it was with a calm assurance that whatever he asked for would be carried out without question. Interesting, he thought. He decided to listen to what he had to offer. Maybe he could help. Webber was shaken out of his reverie by Red’s voice.
“Tell me about your problem, Mr. Webber. And don’t let it worry you any longer, because whatever it is, I’ll make it go away.”
Webber was taken aback by Red’s comment. He was unable to speak for a moment, then sighed. “Last month a lawyer came to see me representing a group interested in buying my casino. Even if I was interested in selling, which I wasn’t, he made me an offer which was much lower than it should have been, and I told him so. A week later he returned. But this time he was accompanied by another man. He introduced himself as Mr. Carlita. He appeared to be about your age, well dressed, and I thought he was fronting for the person who was interested in purchasing my casino. But I was wrong.”
“Why were you wrong?”
“Because, after I refused Mr. Eckstein’s offer a second time—”
“Wait a minute. Who’s Mr. Eckstein?”
“Sorry, he’s the attorney who originally came to see me.”
“I see. Go ahead. What happened next?”
“Well, when I refused Eckstein’s offer, Carlita stood and leaned over my desk and spoke to me in a low but threatening manner. ‘You don’t understand, Mr. Webber. We want this casino and we intend to have it. Look,’ he said, ‘I’ll up the price another one hundred thousand and you’ll take it, or you’ll get nothing. But understand this, when the dust has cleared, we will own this casino and you won’t be here to complain about it. Do - you - understand me?’ It was then I knew he was the one who wanted my casino.
“To tell you the truth, the
man terrified me, and I don’t scare easily. This man got to me in a big way, but I blustered, trying hard not to show my nervousness. ‘I will not sell to you. Now get out of my office before I call security.’”
“What did he do then?”
“He just laughed. He said, ‘Go ahead and call security, but know this. I have men outside your home and if I don’t call them in’—and he looked at his watch—‘five minutes, they’ll enter your home and hurt your wife and kids. Now what is it to be, Mr. Webber, calling security, or your cooperation?’
“There was nothing I could do, Mr. Fortunato, so I listened to what he had to say. Which was nothing more than threats to me and my family if I didn’t sell them my casino. I put them off for a month, but now I’ve run out of time. Last Saturday they caught me as I was leaving to go home. They forced me into their car and drove out into the desert. I was never so scared in my life. We drove into the desert for about half an hour until the car pulled off onto a dirt side road. We drove for another three or four miles before pulling over. Two men took me by the arms and dragged me roughly out of the car, and we walked for about a quarter of a mile. A third man took a flashlight and shone it on the ground—and that’s when I saw it. The light was shining on a freshly dug grave. I thought I was a dead man. I was sure they were going to kill me, throw my body in the grave and shovel dirt in until it was filled. No one would ever know I was buried in a grave somewhere in the desert.”
Red saw sweat running down Webber’s face as memories of that horrible night came flooding back.
“Go on. What happened then?”
“He told me to kneel, then took out a gun and pressed it against my temple. I was groveling, pleading with him not to kill me. He pressed the gun hard against my temple and pulled the trigger. CLICK! Nothing happened except the hollow sound of the hammer hitting an empty chamber. Then the man knelt beside me and whispered in my ear. ‘Sell us your casino, because next time we take you out into the desert the gun will be loaded.’
“I was so frightened that I don’t remember the drive back. The next thing I remember was being dropped off at my casino. I couldn’t go home. Not the way I was feeling. So I walked up to my office and I slept on the couch.” He pointed to the couch in the corner. “That couch, that’s where I slept because I was too frightened to go home. Besides, I didn’t want to burden my wife with this.
“The next day I impulsively placed an ad in the newspaper to sell my casino. After I calmed down I realized the mistake I’d made. Maybe I did it to prove I wasn’t afraid, that they couldn’t get my casino. But after the ad was placed I knew I couldn’t sell it, not with this threat hanging over me. They called me the next day telling me I shouldn’t have done that. They told me I made a grave mistake. The ‘grave’ mistake reference didn’t go unnoticed by me.”
Red had heard enough. He understood the problem and it was something he knew he could handle.
“When did they say they would be in touch with you?” When Webber finished explaining what he knew, Red nodded in understanding. “Look,” he said, “I came to Vegas to invest in a casino. I don’t have to get involved in another man’s problems, but I will if we can come to an understanding.”
Webber kept his composure but his eyes narrowed, showing he was hanging on every word. “Go on. What kind of understanding?”
“Well, suppose I buy in and become your partner. You can still run your casino the way you have been, but if I’m your partner you’ll have the reassurance that something like this will never happen again.” Red looked around the place and said with a wave of his hand, “Your office is elegant but the casino looks run down, and without a money transfusion it could become seedy. I’ll invest the money and together we’ll make this place a first class establishment. I won’t interfere in your decisions. But there’s a quid pro quo here. If we do become partners, I’ll want a financial report the first of every month.”
Webber nodded. He was doing a lot of nodding as Red talked. “How much of a percentage were you thinking of?”
“I was looking for my own place, but if we decide to do this I will own 51 percent of the stock in this company. If you say yes, then give me a fair buy-in price and I’ll stay here until the problem with these men goes away. If we don’t agree, then I’ll be checking out one of the other two places I’m interested in. Does that 51 percent sound fair to you, Mr. Webber? You would have had to sell the place short to these men and when the deal was completed you wouldn’t have had an interest in the place. With me as your partner, you’ll still own half the place and as far as you’re concerned nothing will have changed except the increase in revenue I’ll bring in.”
Webber thought about it for a moment. “I never wanted to lose control of this place. I’ve had it for ten years now and, although it might look seedy and rundown to you, it’s far better now than it was when I bought the place.”
The two men talked while Ernie listened. Webber proved to be an astute business man, asking Red all the right questions. The end result locked Red into a rebuilding commitment which included an agreed upon investment to upgrade the place, separate from the purchase price of $5 million for 51 percent of the business.
After shaking hands on the deal, Red laughed, which confused Webber. Red noticed his expression and explained himself. “Now that we’re almost partners, I’ll call you Allan, okay? I was laughing, Allan, because very few men ever negotiated with me the way you did. I think we’ll get along just fine.”
Webber relaxed. He felt he could trust this man, but he would be careful around him until he knew him better. First impressions could be misleading.
“Of course, this is all predicated on you solving my problems with these men. I don’t want to wind up in that grave in the desert.”
“Of course,” Red said. “Nothing happens until all of your problems have gone away. Let’s just be patient and wait for them to call you.”
Webber wondered why Red didn’t seem worried about the hoodlums that had been threatening him.
Since they could do nothing but wait for the phone to ring, Red walked out to the receptionist’s area. He smiled warmly at Sophia who was sitting on a couch with Moose, opposite the receptionist’s desk. Moose was about to stand but Red waved his arm, indicating he should remain seated. Red pulled the leather chair closer to the sofa.
“Now that I have a little time, I’d like to hear all about the other two properties. Don’t leave anything out.” He motioned for Ernie and Johnny Eight Fingers to join them. He needed Ernie’s input in order to make an informed judgment. Sophia spent the next half hour describing the properties to Red.
When she had finished he spoke to Ernie. “Is there anything you’d like to add to what Sophia just told me?”
Ernie shook his head. “No. I think she pretty well covered everything.”
Red shook his head. “Not good enough, Ernie. Moose told me you liked the other place too. Why is that?”
“The guy who owns it is a small time hick. He’s sitting on a gold mine and he doesn’t realize it. You can buy that place for hardly anything and once you own it there’s a lot you can do to make it successful. The place is sitting on five acres. If I owned the place I’d separate the restaurant from the casino and use that space to put more tables in its place. Then I’d build a motel back there behind the restaurant. People staying in the motel need a place to eat. Where would they go to eat? Right! They’d go to the nearest restaurant which would be ours. Then where would they spend some of their dough? Right again! In the casino, having a drink and playing the slots or rolling dice, or whatever. I said I liked the place, but not the way it is now. I was looking at its potential.”
Red nodded while rubbing his chin. “Great analysis, Ernie. Okay. Here’s what I want you to do. Tomorrow I want you to go see this guy and work out a price and don’t leave there without us owning it. Then we’ll have two places to hang our hats in Vegas.”
Red hung around until 4 a.m. when the club closed and, just
as they were about to leave, a security guard approached Webber.
“Just a minute, sir. There’s a phone call for you. Said it’s urgent.”
Webber looked at Red. “This could be them.”
“If it is, tell them you’d like to meet here at your casino. If they ask why, tell them you won’t take another ride into the desert with them. They’ll understand that and agree to meet you here. When they get here, I’ll deal with them.”
CHAPTER 15
Webber picked up the phone. He was silent for a few minutes, then cupped the phone and nodded to Red, signaling that it was the men who threatened him and his family. The meeting was set for 11 a.m.
Red looked at his watch: 4 a.m. “Seven hours,” he said. He turned to Webber. “We need weapons. Can you get us some guns?”
Shooter whipped out the single action six-shooter Webber had found for him, and spun the gun with the practiced familiarity of an old gunfighter. “Look at this beauty.” He flashed the nickel-plated, ivory-handled 45 caliber 2nd generation Colt single action.
Webber shook his head at the eccentricity of this New York Yank, apparently unconcerned with the deadly drama that was about to unfold in a few hours, little knowing how deadly Shooter was with this gun.
He placed the gun under his belt then looked at the guys staring at him. “Let the bastards come. I’m ready for them now.”
Even Johnny Eight Fingers was impressed. He leaned over to Red and said in a low voice, so as not to be heard by anyone else, “Is this guy for real?”
Red nodded. “Can he handle that gun as well as he plays with it?” Red turned to him with a tight-lipped smile. “That man’s as deadly as a cobra with that gun, and twice as fast. He’ll hit anything he aims at, and in a one on one gunfight you wouldn’t stand a chance with him. That’s not bullshit. I’ve seen him use a six gun many times. He’s deadly with it, period.”