by Joe Corso
Johnny sat back, assessing what Red told him. What he’d seen so far of Red and his men was impressive. He thought maybe this time, with this Queens family, he might have found a permanent home for himself.
At 11 a.m. sharp Webber’s secretary opened the door and escorted two men into his office. Webber’s desk was situated directly in front of the door, so the two men saw him sitting behind his desk but they failed to immediately notice the men sitting on either side of the room. When they spotted Red and Johnny Downs on one side and Moose and Shooter on the other they stiffened.
“What’s going on here? What are these men doing here?” Carlita was surprised and angry at this new development.
Red stood and approached the two men. “Which of you is Carlita?”
“I am, and who are you?”
Red gave a disarming smile. “Big Red Fortunato, but you can call me Red.”
Carlita recognized the name of the mobster who ran Queens in New York. “Why are you interfering in my business?”
“But this is not your business. I’m Webber’s partner and it is my business. But before we get into a pissing contest, I’d like to know who vouches for you? Who you’re connected with.”
“Why do you want to know?”
Red was surprised by the question. The man should have known why a meet was necessary. A meet between made men could eliminate bloodshed if an understanding could be reached and, in most cases, an understanding was reached. Negotiations were always better than resorting to bloodshed.
“We need a sit-down with whoever it is you’re connected with, because if no one vouches for you, then that grave you dug in the desert for Webber here could be reserved for you.”
Carlita began to sweat. Sure, he was part of a mob, but he was an associate, a soldier and not a made man, so he had no one to vouch for him. He went into this venture on his own, with his own money, because if he went to his boss and brought him in and used the mob’s money, then they’d own what he worked so hard to get. Normally that would have been a good thing, because he’d still have the power of the family behind him without them being directly involved, but in this case it backfired because Red was the boss of a huge New York crime family, and Carlita would be lucky to get out of this situation alive.
Carlita shook his head. “Look, I didn’t know this was yours. You won’t have any more trouble with us.”
Red simply nodded. Then he slapped his hands on his thighs and stood. “Good. Wise decision. Now if you don’t have anything else to say, I have some business to take care of.” He looked at Webber, tilting his head and motioning towards the door. “Mr. Webber will see you out.”
Red watched Carlita and his partner leave with both hatred and relief on their faces and he stifled a laugh.
Webber walked over to Red and shook his hand. “I can’t believe you took care of Carlita that easy. He just walked out without saying anything.”
Red nodded. “He had no choice. Other than the men in his crew, he had no serious backup. If he had challenged me he would have been the target of some dangerous men and not you. But let’s not dwell on something so depressing. Let’s talk about how we’re gonna make this casino of ours the hottest place off The Strip.”
He looked at Ernie and put his hand out. “Let’s have the contract Ernie.”
Ernie, who had picked up a completed contract from their Corona lawyer, handed it to Red. Red placed it on the desk in front of Webber and handed him his gold fountain pen. “Sign on the lines with the Xs.”
“Can I read it first?” Webber asked.
“Sure you can. But it just states the facts we agreed upon.”
“Red, tell me you’re not going to do to me what Carlita did. I couldn’t go through that again. Tell me that sometime in the future you’re not going to surprise me one day and tell me that this casino is now yours and you want me out.”
Red smiled, showing a set of perfectly white teeth. “I’m a business man, Allan, and I don’t know anything about the casino business; but you do, and that’s why I want us to remain partners. You will continue to run things the way you always did. But like I told you yesterday, from now on you’ll send me a monthly report, which my accountant will review. I intend that some of my men will remain here, both to keep an eye on my investment, and to protect you if you should need it.
“Before leaving I’d like to discuss some changes we could make to this place, to modernize the casino internally and improve it aesthetically on the outside. When we’re agreed, then as soon as I get back to New York I’ll contact my contractor and tell him what we want him to do. Then I’ll send him out here to do the renovations.”
“Is he good?” Webber asked.
“Did you ever see any of James Roman’s movies?”
“Why, yes, as a matter of fact I did. Why?”
“Did you notice the Starlight Club in the pictures?”
“Yes I did. It’s a beautiful club.”
“Well that’s my place, and the contractor I’m going to send out here is the guy that made the Starlight Club what it is today. He’ll do the same for this place too. It’ll look like a palace when he’s finished working on it.”
Red and Webber talked together for a while and agreed upon how to modernize the casino.
“Now that we’re partners, I have a proposition that might interest you.”
“What kind of proposition?”
“Do you know a Mr. Shepshank, who owns Nell’s Silver Spur?”
Webber nodded and shrugged. “Vegas is a small town and after a while you get to know everybody. He came in here a few times, I guess to see how the other joints were doing. When Nell decided to retire, he bought the place. From what I understand the guy made his money in real estate and decided he wanted to own a casino, so he bought Nell’s place, which is just a small town diner with slots and a couple of tables. Why do you ask?”
“I’m buying that place too. That’s the proposition I want to talk to you about. I want you to run that place for me too, and I’ll give you a percentage.”
Webber shook his head. “You’re making a mistake. That place is a rundown shack that you stumble upon on your way into Vegas.”
Red agreed. “That’s exactly why I want it. It’s the first place the suckers will see when they enter Vegas. Did you know that the Silver Spur sits on five acres of land?”
“No, I didn’t know that. But what difference does that make? It’s still is a lousy investment.” Red smiled and Webber knew right away that Red knew something he didn’t. They were getting used to each other and Webber smiled too. “Okay, so what is it?”
“I’m gonna build a motel behind the place. Then I’m gonna build a modern restaurant alongside it. With the restaurant situated outside I’ll use the extra space to build a small but classy casino. It can’t miss, and the Silver Spur name fits perfectly. What do you say? Are you in?”
Webber’s eyes narrowed. “Listen, Red. You’re not asking me just because I can qualify for a license are you? Maybe you have a record and can’t get a license on your own. Is that it?”
“I have no record. I’ve been arrested and brought in for questioning a couple of times but no charges were brought against me that ever stuck. I can get my own license and I intend to sometime in the future; but for right now I need your experience. Look, I figured that since we’re partners in the Double Seven Casino, why not be partners in this one too?”
Webber thought for a minute. “How much of a percentage would I get?”
Red knew this was the tricky part. He didn’t want to give him too much. “I’ll give you 3 percent of the profits with another 2 percent option after the first year. I’m offering you 5 percent of a casino without any cash outlay from you.”
Webber hadn’t expected this. He walked to his corner window and looked out over downtown Vegas. Then, apparently having made a decision, he turned and faced Red. Red could see Webber’s mind at work, calculating what this could mean in financial terms. Webber was an
old horse trader who knew not to bid too low, so he hit Red with what was known in the trade as a shock price, one he knew Red would refuse. “Make it 10 percent and we have a deal.”
Red shook his head. “Can’t do that, Allan. I have partners too that have to be taken care of. Tell you what. I’ll include the motel and restaurant in the deal and we’ll work out a salary for you on top of everything. But there’s a stipulation that I’ll insist on. Don’t think you’re gonna agree to my deal, work it for a few months and then quit and think you’re still gonna be a partner.”
Webber put up his hand and stopped Red in mid sentence. “Man, you are full of surprises. How about we make it interesting. Forget about the 10 percent. Give me 5 percent up front instead of 3 percent, with a 2 percent option on the back end and we’ll do the deal.”
Red was annoyed at first, but after he simmered down he realized he had just learned something about Webber. He was a sharp negotiator and he was intelligent. Red smiled and put out his hand. “Did you say that I was full of surprises? Okay. We have a deal. The agreement will be drawn up specifically stating that my proposal is contingent on you remaining my partner. Since you’ll own 7 percent of the casino, if you quit we’ll work out a cash buyout based on what the place is worth at the time. If you ever decide to sell, you have to give me the right of first refusal; and if I agree to buy your shares, you can only sell to me. Is that agreeable to you?”
Webber nodded. He understood that Red was offering him a deal he couldn’t refuse. He didn’t have to put up any money to become a minority partner in what could be a very profitable venture. “Okay, I’m in. Have your attorney draw up the contract and I’ll sign it after I have my attorney read it.”
They shook hands, then Red patted him on his arm. “I’ll be back in a little while. I’m gonna go and buy us a casino.”
Red, Johnny Eight Fingers and Shooter sat in an office facing a sweating fat man with a W. C. Fields nose. Red could read Shepshank like a book. He was desperate to sell the place. God knows, he thought, how much money he must owe on this joint. Shepshank looked nervously at the men sitting in front of him. He started to say something but Red cut him off.
“I’ll give you half a million for this joint. Say yes and I’ll write you a check.”
All Shepshank could say was, “But . . . But . . . I can’t sell it for that amount. I need more. Much more.”
Red knew that Shepshank was looking for 2½ or 3 million, so he threw him what Webber had thrown at him, a shock price, a price that was much lower than he was prepared to offer him. Red understood the psychology of negotiating with a man whose asking price was far above what Red was willing to pay, so he offered him a low ball figure to get him off his game. Now he’d have to drop the price considerably if he wanted to sell the place.
“But . . . I’d have to get at least two million for my place.”
Red looked at his men. “Come on, I can see we’re wasting our time here.”
Shepshank almost panicked. “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Sit back down and let’s discuss this for a minute.”
Red sat back down. “Go ahead. I’m listening. And to show you that my heart is in the right place and I’m not a hard ass prick, I’ll give you another $100,000 to make it $600,000.”
Shepshank took a hanky from his jacket pocket and wiped his brow again. His shirt appeared to be a size too small, and with his tie pulled tight against his collar his face became beet red. Maybe it wasn’t the shirt, maybe it was the pressure of the deal, but it looked as though he was about to have a stroke, or maybe a heart attack. Finally he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button on his shirt and some color returned to his face. He began to breathe a little easier.
“Look, Mr. Fortunato, I don’t mean to be unreasonable but you can see that I must have more money if you want to buy my place. Tell you what, give me $1,750,000 and we have a deal.”
Red ground his teeth, more for effect than anything else. He gave the impression that he was annoyed. “Can’t do that, but I’ll revise my offer and go $750,000.”
“Okay, I’ll drop the price to $1,500,000 and I think that’s a very fair price.”
Red had negotiated the price down from $3,000,000 to a price that now was in his ballpark, but he wasn’t finished with Shepshank yet. He looked him directly in the eye and held eye contact until Shepshank was forced to turn away.
“Look at me.” Shepshank turned and looked into his eyes again. “This is my final offer. Refuse it and I walk out of here. Do you understand?” Shepshank nodded. “$1,000,000. Take it or leave it, but don’t waste my time. I want you to tell me right now whether we have a deal or not. Otherwise I’m leaving.”
Shepshank did some mental calculations. One million would get him out of the hole he was in but it would leave him with hardly any cash for himself. He had been trying to sell the place for months now with no luck. The facility was just too run down and would cost too much to rebuild. He was between a rock and a hard place. If he turned down Red’s offer, he may never get another offer. Instead, he would lose it to the banks. They were close to foreclosing on him now. He finally made up his mind. He would accept Red’s offer, although he couldn’t figure out why Fortunato would want the place when it would cost so much to renovate. He didn’t know what Red had in mind for the business. Red would just as soon tear the place down and rebuild it, but Shepshank didn’t know that.
“Well?” Red asked.
“Would you do the deal for $1,250,000?”
Red stood. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Shepshank.”
“Wait. Okay, Okay. $1,000,000. I’ll do it for the million. You did say you’d write me a check, right?”
“I’ll give you a good faith check for $100,000 and the balance when we sign the contract.”
Shepshank stood. “Don’t move. I had my lawyer draw up a contract. It’s in my safe. I’ll get it.” He walked over to an old standalone safe sitting in the corner and opened it. He sorted through some papers until he found what he was looking for. “Here it is.” He dropped it on the desk. “All we have to do is fill in the numbers.”
Red picked it up and read it. “Are there any back taxes or liens that I should know about, Mr. Shepshank?”
“Yes, there are some liens but no back taxes. I will take care of the liens with the money you pay me.”
“The contract looks good to me. It includes the property and casino. Now we’ll find a lawyer to check the contract and handle the legal end of this. Then we’ll take care of the liens placed against the casino, and when that is done I’ll give you a check for the balance.”
Red didn’t want to spend any more time away from Queens than he had too, so he and Johnny Eight Fingers took the redeye back to New York’s Idlewild Airport, where they were met by Tarzan. Red was surprised to see Tarzan, one of his captains, waiting for them at the luggage carousel.
“How come Piss Clam didn’t come to pick us up?” Red asked.
Tarzan looked at Red and then at Johnny Eight Fingers, wondering how much he could say in front of this stranger. Red picked up on Tarzan’s uneasiness and, although he trusted Johnny, he felt it was better to be safe than sorry.
Johnny was a street guy and, sensing that Tarzan had things to say to Red in private, said, “Why don’t you guys go outside for a smoke. I’ll wait at the carousel for the luggage.”
Red appreciated the gesture. “Good idea, Johnny. We’ll be outside waiting. When you get the luggage meet us out there.” Red pointed to a recessed area to the right of the exit.
As soon as they stepped outside Tarzan tilted his head. “You sure you can trust that guy?”
Red shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his chin reflectively. “Well, he protected me and Jimmy the Hat when we were down in Florida, and I have a good feeling about the guy. It’s a little hot down south for him because he happens to be one of the loose ends that Meyer is cleaning up.”
“Cleaning up?”
“Yeah. He’s getting rid of any
body or anything that could cause him trouble with Bobby Kennedy’s crime commission. I like the guy and I think we could use him. Besides, if Yip used him that’s good enough for me. Now, what did you want to tell me that you couldn’t say in front of Johnny?”
Tarzan stepped closer to Red and looked around suspiciously, as if someone might record what he was about to tell Red. But there was no one around and he sensed no danger. “A company called East Coast Appliances, Inc. opened up shop right next door to the Jackson movie theatre on Junction Boulevard. Right after I was told about it, I checked it out. It’s a front for Ray Patriarca’s Boston mob. The word I got is that he feels that, since you decided to abandon Queens for Las Vegas and California, the Queens action is open to anyone with the balls to step in and take it.”
Red thought about it for a moment. “He wouldn’t make his move unless he had the blessings of the commission or one of the heads of the five families.”
Tarzan smiled grimly. “I hear Genovese is behind the move. That greedy little bastard wants a piece of Queens on top of all he has in Manhattan.”
CHAPTER 16
Giancana called Louie “Moonbeam” Razzaro into his office.
“What is it, Boss?
“I have to call Red and set up a meet with him.”
“Why are you bothering with Big Red, Sam?”
“I fucked up last year with that Marilyn business. Big Red could have taken me out but he didn’t. I disrespected him, which I shouldn’t have done, but I was so pissed off at the Kennedy brothers that I acted instead of thinking.”
Sam took his private book with the special phone numbers from its secret hiding place in his office and looked up Big Red’s number.
Big Red picked up on the first ring.
“Red here.”
“Red, it’s Sam. How ya doing?”
“Great, Sam. What do ya have for me?”
“Look, The McGuire Sisters will be at the Copa on Saturday and I’m flying in to catch the show. I’d like to meet you there if you can arrange it. I have a few things to talk to you about. Things that could affect your health.”