by Joe Corso
That got Red’s attention. “What time do you want to meet?”
“Let’s catch the ten o’clock show. I reserved a table, but it’ll be tough for us to talk at the Copa while the show is going on. Suppose I meet you at Norby Walters, right next to the Copa Lounge at nine o’clock, and we’ll talk over a drink or two.”
“Sounds good, Sam. See you on Saturday at Norby Walters.”
Saturday night Red, Tarzan and Trenchie walked into Norby Walters. They spotted Sam with his cigar held high like a lighthouse beacon in a dark sea. Red joined Sam, while Trenchie and Tarzan sat at the adjoining table with Sam’s men. Sam picked this table because he could see who came and went.
“Okay, Sam, you have my attention. For you to call for a meet, this can’t be good.”
“It’s not. Lansky put a hit on you. Seems like he don’t like competition in Vegas. He’s territorial that way. He got the shit kicked out of him in Cuba by that Castro punk so now he thinks Vegas is his alone.”
Red rubbed his chin deep in thought. “If I remember correctly, you have a presence there, so how come he’s not going after you?”
“Hell, it’s me that should be goin’ after him. I was there first.” Then he looked at Red, knowing what he just said wasn’t exactly true. “Well, what I mean is. I was there before he got there.”
Red smiled. “And what about the Flamingo and Bugsy Siegel. If I remember right, Lansky had money invested in that hotel.”
“Yeah that’s true. But after Siegel got whacked he didn’t have a presence there until recently.” Sam had a funny look on his face as he turned to Red. “Look, Red, I know I pissed you off with offin’ Marilyn. I should’ve waited and talked to you first, but I was so anxious to get back at the Kennedy’s that I fucked up. I’m glad you didn’t take it personal. It was just business, that’s all.”
Red glared at Giancana for a moment then simmered down. “Sam, if it was anyone else but you, I would have taken it personal. I happen to respect you, so I let it pass and just took care of your two men.”
“Yeah I know. Well, you had to do something. I would have done the same thing. Look, Lansky’s contract on you hasn’t been lifted. You know, Red, you’re so hell bent on getting in on the Vegas action that you can’t see the can of worms you’ve opened up by making that move.”
“What are you talking about, Sam? Come on, talk to me. I know you have information that I need if I’m going to survive.”
“You got that right, partner. You got problems right in your own back yard and you’re so busy trying to move west you can’t even see the threat. The noose is tightening, Red.”
Fire flared in Red’s eyes. “Well, goddamnit, are you gonna tell me or do you want me to grovel?”
Sam smiled. “Damn. I never seen you get so riled up before. Relax. Have another drink and I’ll tell you what I know.”
Red, unlike other mob guys, wasn’t a big drinker, but he ordered another scotch and water anyway, knowing he’d need it. Sam picked up his drink and took a sip. “One of my men, Felix Alderisio, while in Vegas doing some business for me, picked up a bit of information that he brought to my attention. One of Genovese’s men owed the table a lot of dough and he traded that debt for a pass by giving my man the information about the hit put on you by Lansky. That little Jew is one sharp motherfucker, but he’ll never get his hands dirty. He just gives the orders and leaves the dirty work for others to do for him. It seems he doesn’t like the idea of you moving your operation to Vegas.”
“But why? Vegas is a big town. There’s more than enough action there for everyone.”
Sam agreed. “Yeah, well he doesn’t see it that way, after that lyin’ punk Castro fucked all the boys by takin’ everything they worked so hard to build away from them. All the dough we put into building those great hotels, the gambling we brought to Cuba and the money, the tons of money, we brought into their economy, and that putz takes it all off the table. Especially Lansky. He got hit the hardest ’cause he had all his dough tied up in those hotels and casinos. So what does he do? You know he’s not a quitter. You know he’s gonna do something, go somewhere and open up shop again. So he picks Vegas. The same town he sent Bugsy Siegel to. So you see he had roots in that town before all of us. He just never took advantage of it till now. And then you come along and threaten his empire by talkin’ about openin’ up shop in his town.”
Red shook his head. “Christ! All I want is to buy a share in a goin’ operation, or open my own little place. Someplace I could run my money through. And he resents that?”
“Look you got problems on both sides of you. You got problems in Vegas and you got problems back home. You want my advice? Stay in Queens and take care of business there. Everything else will come to you if you keep your base of operations strong and producing. Look at me. I have interests in Vegas, but do you see me leaving Chicago? No. I keep the cash cow producing money. Vegas is a bonus for me, but Chicago is my bread and butter. Look, the guys you have to worry about are the Boston mob. I don’t know if Ray Patriarca himself is involved in this play but he had to give his approval for something like this to happen. I hear he got the approval from Genovese himself. That means that once you’re gone and the Boston mob moves in, Genovese gets a hefty piece of the Queens action.”
“Christ. How the hell do you know all of this?”
Sam pulled out the pack of cigars he kept in his inside jacket pocket, took one out and offered one to Red, which he took. After the cigars were lit, Giancana continued his bizarre story.
“After Alderisio told me about the hit on you, I did a little digging. One of Genovese’s men is in prison and I got word he’s about to blow our thing out of the water.”
Red’s eyes widened. He didn’t know any of this. “Do I know him?”
“You might. He’s a little shit. A rat who believes Vito has a contract out on him.”
“Does he?” Red asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. But the little rat thinks he does, and because of that he’s gonna sing like a canary.”
“Who is this guy?”
“His name is Joe Valachie and they got him locked safely away. But here’s the thing. Before he testifies before Bobby Kennedy’s crime committee he’s being kept in the local prison. We managed to grease one of the cops guarding him. He told us that Vito’s brother Mike—he’s the legitimate one who handles all of his brother’s businesses—came to see him. Anyway, Mike told Joe in confidence about the hit on you by both Lansky and Patriarca’s crowd.” Sam looked directly into Red’s eyes. “The Boston crowd is already in Queens, so watch your back. I know I don’t have to say it, but none of what I just told you is for anyone else’s ears but yours.” He waited for Red to answer.
“You’re right. You didn’t have to say it. But what you just told me is safe with me. My question to you is why? Why do you care what happens in Queens?”
“I don’t care what happens in Queens. I happen to like you, Red. Maybe respect is a better word. There’s not many guys I can say that about. I didn’t survive in this world by doing favors for people. I survived because I took what I wanted and the hell with the consequences. But you’re a stand up guy, Red, and you don’t deserve to be shot in the back by some young turk. I just thought I’d bring you up to date. After all, what the hell good is information if you don’t use it? Look at it this way. You now owe me, and someday I’ll expect payment.” He smiled and patted Red on the arm. “Come on. Let’s go next door to the Copa. The show’s about to start.”
CHAPTER 17
The next day Red called Tarzan into his office. “How do our books look?”
Tarzan raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Are you asking if they’re up to date, or are you asking how much money we have in the operating fund?”
“The operating fund.”
Tarzan leaned over closer to Red before speaking. “On one set of books we have $56,000 in the fund, but in the unofficial set of books we have over $7,000,000 in a slu
sh fund. Why?”
Red rested his elbow on his desk and cradled his chin in the palm of his hand. He spoke quietly. “I’m sending Bull out to Las Vegas with ten men and I want you to pick the men who’ll go with him. Whoever you pick will have to figure on being away permanently. So pick single guys. I hate to uproot entire families, so ask for volunteers if you have to. And keep this in mind. Everyone you send out there will live in our casino, and Bull will be in charge. He will be me. I planned on going myself but I can’t get out of here now. Not with the Boston crowd looking to move in on us. I have to be here to take care of this bit of unpleasantness.”
Tarzan rose to leave but Red stopped him. “There’s more that I want you to do. I’m reopening the horse racing gambit on Wednesdays, and I want the truck hijacking to begin again. Since we’re not leaving Queens as I planned, I don’t want that action to go to anyone but us. Get a hold of our old contacts and tell them we’re back in action. Send a few guys to our warehouses in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn and tell them to shape the places up. Check the warehouses for security systems. I want security installed in all of the warehouses that don’t have a system already in place. Appoint a man to be in charge of each warehouse and have him report directly to you on a daily basis. When we start this big machine going again I want to know it’s being done right. Bookmaking, loan sharking, the numbers and the horses are now all operational.”
There was a knock on the door and Piss Clam stuck his head in. “Boss, there’s a couple of kids out here saying they need to speak to you. They say it’s important. I took them over to the mechanic’s lot across the street. I think you should listen to what they have to say.”
Red looked up at Tarzan. “You see what I mean. It never ends.” Red waved to Piss Clam. “Okay. Let’s go and see what they want.”
Red sat in the mechanic’s chair behind the messy desk and when Piss Clam waved the two boys in, Red studied them. “Who are you and what’re your names?”
The two muscular boys appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old. One stood about five foot seven and the other five foot ten. Both had dark brown hair, but it was the shorter kid who spoke. “We have a truck full of these things.” He handed Red a box containing Polaroid film and another item which Red knew to be a battery for the Polaroid camera.
“What’s your name, kid?”
“Rocco, Mr. Fortunato.”
“And you? What’s your name?” He pointed to the taller kid.
“Sonny.”
“How did you kids get the truck?”
“We noticed it idling in front of an appliance store and, without thinking about it, we got in and drove it away quickly and parked it behind our house in Corona here.”
Red’s eyes narrowed. “Did you kids clip the truck from somebody in the neighborhood?”
Rocco sweated a little but kept his composure. “No, we grabbed it in Manhattan by the midtown tunnel and drove it here to Queens.”
“Good,” Red said. He would never rip off a neighborhood business man.
He looked at Rocco and then at the Polaroid box he held in his hand. “And you say you have a truck full of these boxes?”
“Yes, sir. A truck full of Polaroid film and batteries and cameras.”
“Wait a minute. You have Polaroid cameras too?”
“Yeah, didn’t I mention them?”
“No you didn’t. Piss Clam?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Take Squinty with you and go with the boys.” Vito was called Squinty because of his poor vision, which necessitated him wearing thick eye glasses. “Take a look at the goods and see if they’re telling the truth. If they are, have Squinty follow you to our warehouse and leave the truck there. Then telephone me to confirm it’s what they say it is. Once I hear from you I’ll telephone Lefty at our warehouse in Ridgewood and tell them to expect you.” Then Red pointed to the two boys. “If Piss Clam confirms that the merchandise is what you say it is, you two go home. In two or three days, after the merchandise is sold, you’ll get a call from him to set up a meeting; and at the meeting he’ll hand you both an envelope that’ll make you happy.”
After Piss Clam and the boys left, Red said, “It’s destiny, Tarzan. I no sooner told you we’re going back in the truck hijacking business when these two kids bring us a truck full of gold.”
“If they’re for real,” Tarzan added.
“They’re for real,” Red said. “They know that if they’re yanking my chain, they’ll get a beating.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
CHAPTER 18
Red ground his teeth as he fought to control his growing anger. Lansky put a contract out on me because of my move to Vegas and now Patriarca is making a move in Queens.
After making sure the place was free of listening devices, Red called for a meeting with his captains and brought them up to date on what was happening.
“There’s been a change in plans, guys. I’m remaining here in Queens where I belong. I got a little ambitious, and because of that I almost lost Queens to the Patriarca family in Boston and Genovese from Manhattan. So there’s gonna be a little change in how we operate. Here’s what’s gonna happen. We’ll continue to make movies with Starlight Productions. That company is now operating in the black for the first time since it opened. I secured two Las Vegas casinos. Nell’s Silver Spur has to be completely gutted and rebuilt, but the main thing is we have the city’s approval to renovate the place. It was an eyesore, but they couldn’t do anything about it because the guy who owned it was grandfathered in and operating within the law. When I showed them the plans for the new casino they loved it. I also bought a majority interest in The Double Seven Casino. We’re gonna invest some of our dough to upgrade the place, but otherwise it’s in pretty good shape.
“Now, here’s the bad news. We’re being hit on two fronts. It seems that Meyer Lansky has built a Chinese wall around Vegas and doesn’t want any other competition operating there.”
Petey D raised a hand and stood. “What about the Chicago mob? They have a presence in Vegas, so why the hell is he worried about us?”
“Good point, Petey. I don’t know why. What I do know is that he lost a shit pot full of dough in Cuba and he left Cuba with all the cash he had and headed to Vegas. I heard from a good source that he’s taken over the Tropicana. He knows the Chicago mob has been skimming Vegas for years and he’s not about to start a war with them. But we’re another story. He feels we’re weak and want to close up shop and get out of Queens. I’ll take the blame for that. I was so hell bent on us becoming legit that I dropped the ball. But it’s not too late to fix it. The way I got it figured, we can be both legit and keep the rackets we have. We own one casino outright and we have a half interest in another. What a joke this is. Out in Vegas we’re doin’ the same thing that we’re doin’ here, only there it’s legit and here we have the law breathing down our necks. Go figure that one out, ’cause it don’t make a bit of sense to me.”
Tarzan spoke up. “Red, the casinos are gonna work out good for us, but that’s down the road a bit. Right now we have problems right here in River City, only there ain’t no music man with forty trombones marching down Main Street. We’re being invaded. We already lost a couple of businesses.”
Although Red didn’t show any emotion Tarzan noticed his eyebrows lift. “Which businesses?”
“Well, for starters they took over the condom factory in Long Island City and the bowling alley in Flushing.”
Red addressed his captains. “Go back to your crews and let them know what’s happening. And tell them to start carrying until I say otherwise. If any of your guys are approached or leaned on, or if they find out that strangers have been harassing our people here in Queens, I want to know about it right away. Got that?”
Everyone nodded.
Petey D stood. “What about the condom factory and the bowling alley? You want me to get a couple of boys and take care of it for you?”
Red shook his head.
“No. I’m gonna pay them a visit. I’m takin’ Tarzan and Trenchie and a couple of the boys and we’re gonna go and take our joints back.”
After his captains left, Red looked over at Ernie, his old friend and consiglieri. “What’s your thoughts, Ernie?”
Ernie had made his bones years ago but he could never be a made man because he wasn’t Italian. Ernie had worked in Albany and was right hand to Jimmy Hines, the power behind the governor; and although he wasn’t a made guy, by being Red’s consiglieri he was once again the power behind the throne.
“You go in alone Red and talk to the guy in charge. The rest of you remain outside just in case something goes wrong. I don’t see that happening. After all, these guys are just takin’ orders, and before they do anything they’d have to get in touch with their boss.”
Red agreed. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. I’ll go in like Ernie says. You guys will remain outside. If I need you or if you hear gunfire then come in and kill every motherfucker in the joint. But make sure you don’t shoot any pain in the ass civilians. You got that?” Red looked behind him and motioned to Tarzan. “Tarzan, call Lieutenant Zablonski and tell him I’d like to see him a.s.a.p.”
A short while later Tarzan returned. “All set. He said he’d be here in an hour.”
“Good.”
Forty-five minutes later Lieutenant Zablonski walked in. “Traffic was light. What’s up, Red?”
“There’s some things you need to know so when they happen it won’t come as a surprise to you.”
Zablonski knew something was wrong when he got the call from Tarzan. “Go on. I’m listening.”
Red brought Ray Zablonski up to date on all that was happening. “Look, Ray, as a precaution my men will be carrying guns. I don’t want them ambushed by any of Patriarca’s men without having a chance to defend themselves. I just wanted you to be aware of it in case any of them are brought in for carrying a piece, or worse, having to use the piece. I’m gonna try to prevent a war, but if they insist on moving in on my territory and taking over my businesses, then I’m gonna have to do something about it.”