The Legacy of the Assassin

by Tony Bertot

  This information, sent to Captain John Connolly in the form of an internal alert notice, was sitting on his desk; buried among all of his other papers.

  On October 25, a week after his meeting with his two agents, Captain John Connolly almost jumped out of his chair when he discovered the notice. He immediately ordered Agents Sam Williams and Sheila Connors to Wisconsin to interview Joey Escalla. Unfortunately, it was two weeks after Joey Escalla left the Wisconsin penitentiary, having completed his twenty-two year sentence.

  Awaken

  New York City/October 1984

  Nurses P. Church and C. Parry had been making the rounds on the ICU floor of Belleview Hospital for over ten years. They would start at the east wing and work their way to the west wing, checking the patients’ vitals, the intravenous connections, and monitor for any changes.

  Though for the most part, those staffing the nurse's station would immediately notice any change, it was mandatory that they physically made their rounds every hour. On this particular day, they had about eighteen patients to check; most in different stages of recovery, and one listed in a coma with little chance of improvement.

  Around 2:00 a.m. they made their way to this particular patient's room. Nurse Church went around to the right side of the patient's bed and checked on the IV, while the other nurse went to the left side of the bed to check on the forty-seven year old patient.

  "She looks like an angel," commented Nurse Church as she looked upon the woman lying there. The patient’s eyes were closed, and she was covered with a white sheet from her feet to just under her neck. Her head was wrapped in a white bandage making her look like a nun.

  "Honey, that ain’t no angel in this bed," responded Nurse Parry. "She was once head of a ruthless crime family. She made her own bed. Serves her right if you ask me," Nurse Parry said with venom in her voice.

  It had been three months since an assassin's bullet had a collision with her forehead. An operation she had when she was a child had resulted in a plate being placed on her front lobe, which had saved her life. The bullet ricocheted upward and to the right, resulting in a lot of bleeding. From the initial appearance, with blood all over the floor and nearby cabinet, it looked as if her brain had been splattered. However, it was only the outer skin that ripped as the bullet hit the plate and took flight upwards, missing the brain altogether.

  As both nurses performed their duties, Nurse Church let out a short gasp when she looked up and saw the patient staring back at her.

  "Wh... where... is my brother?" the woman asked in a frail, but commanding voice.

  Without responding, Nurse Parry immediately reached for the call button and nervously began to push, while Nurse Church backed away fearing that the patient might have heard her.

  Felicia Giordano had once again cheated death.

  ***

  Within the hour, the room filled with doctors, nurses and the curious hospital staff. Though no one was permitted to visit with Miss Giordano for several days, immediate calls went out to a list of contacts provided by both the FBI and members of the Giordano organization. It was clear to all that failure to advise them of any changes to the state of Miss Felicia Giordano's health would result in dire consequences.

  Almost immediately, two heavily armed men arrived and positioned themselves outside Miss Giordano's room. Additionally, two uniformed police officers were also dispatched to the hospital, not so much to protect Miss Giordano, but rather to control the onslaught of media and the curious. Barricades were put up around the entryway to prevent unauthorized access by the media and the public.

  "This is outrageous! I want all of these barricades removed," screamed the hospital administrator.

  It was Leo Russo who quite persuasively advised the hospital administrator that it was necessary to ensure the safety of Miss Giordano.

  "Sir, if anything happens to Miss Giordano while she resides here in your hospital, you and your fucking family will pay the price. I hope I have made myself clear," Leo told him.

  With that said, the administrator went back to his office and refrained from voicing any more objections.

  The front page of most of the local newspapers bore the story of Miss Giordano's recovery. Some were calling it a miracle, while others were predicting that a slew of executions would befall those responsible for her brother's death.

  "Has she been told yet?” “Does she know her brother is dead?” “How did she take the news?" reporters shouted out at anyone who entered the hospital who they thought might know Miss Giordano.

  ***

  Three weeks after her recovery Felicia Giordano met with Leo Russo. Before Leo could say anything, she raised her finger to her lips, cautioning him on what was to be said.

  "How do you feel, Miss Giordano?" he asked her.

  "Leo, we've been friends for so many years and still you don't call me Felicia. Why?" she asked him.

  "I am sorry Miss Giordano...um... Felicia. It's an old habit. I am so glad you are back with us. We are all very glad you have recovered," Leo told her.

  "My brother, did he suffer?" she asked him.

  "No, Miss Giord... Felicia. No he did not suffer. He was still under when...You know," Leo told her. Felicia nodded her acknowledgement of what he was trying to say.

  "Why, Leo? Why did he do it? Why did he kill my brother and try to kill me?" Felicia asked then raising her hand signaling him not to answer. "We will discuss the matter further when I am out of this place," she told him.

  "Yes, ma’am," Leo responded.

  Just then there was a knock on the door. It was Captain John Connolly.

  "Miss Giordano, I am Captain John Connolly with the FBI and I would like to ask you a few questions about the night you were shot."

  "Get out of here. Take your questions and stick them up your ass." Felicia responded calmly.

  John continued into the room ignoring what she just told him. "Miss Giordano, we can offer you protection," Connolly told her.

  "Protection! You can give me protection? Really? Weren't some of your protection outside my brother's room when that fucker came in and shot us? Damn good protection you have! No, thanks," Felicia almost screamed at him.

  The commotion was heard out in the hallway causing a doctor to rush in to see what had happened. "You are upsetting my patient. You will all have to leave now," the doctor commanded.

  John smiled at her and nodded. But before walking out of the room he turned to her and said, "You had your own protection there too, and it didn't do you much good either."

  "Get the fuck out of here," she told him.

  Leo Russo followed John Connolly out of the room nodding at her as he left.

  Felicia looked at the doctor and asked, "When can I be released?"

  "You need some therapy to get you up and walking again. Probably in a couple of weeks," he told her.

  Standing at the other end of the bed, Felicia asked him to come closer. With her right hand she pulled his white smock jacket down towards her.

  "I want to be out of here right now. You do what needs to be done to make that happen. Do I make myself clear? If it is therapy I need, then have someone do it at my home in New Jersey. In the meantime, get me an ambulance to take me home right now. One more thing. You tell no one. Understand?" Felicia told him in a very strong and commanding voice.

  The doctor stared at her and knew he had to handle this matter very carefully. "Miss Giordano, I must object. It is not in your best interest to leave this minute. It is not healthy. Please give me a couple of days to try and make you stronger. I strongly urge you to listen to me. I have only your best interest at heart. Please, just a couple of days," the doctor begged her.

  Felicia stared at him for a few seconds. Seeing the concern in his face she retreated. "Ok. You win this round. You got a couple of days. But I want to get started now," she told him.

  "Thank you, Miss Giordano. I will arrange for a therapist to see you immediately," he told her.

  A State of Dilem
ma

  Chicago/October

  Most crime families met the news of Felicia's recovery as a sigh of relief. However, for crime boss Luis Ruiziano, a combination of both relief and fear overwhelmed him.

  "Holy shit, she's alive. What are the odds of her beating this rap?" he commented to the others in the room.

  "What are we going to do boss?" asked his brother Dennis.

  "Hey, we ain’t got nothing to be afraid of. We didn't do anything wrong. We come clean; tell her what we know. She is smart; she'll see we had nothing to do with it. She'll know what to do," he responded, actually believing what he was saying.

  Luis Ruiziano was the head of one of the biggest Chicago crime syndicates ever to hold power. A status bestowed upon him by the Giordano Family, who wanted nothing to do with Chicago. By supplying both the muscle and finances, Mr. Ruiziano attained the position of capo rather quickly. His loyalty was tested and proven on several occasions, earning the trust of both Felicia and Fabio, as well as other members of the family. As a result, he was allowed to keep most of his profits from illegal gambling, prostitution, and the numbers racket with only a small percentage reverting to the Giordano Family. It was the same arrangement made between most of the crime families operating in the United States. They all had a stake in the success of the Giordano's since their influence on public officials and those that enforced the law spanned across the entire United States, and they were unprecedented by any other organization. Additionally, their ability to gather intelligence against any organization, or person, was envied by all.

  Most of the families rallied behind Leo Russo when the news of Fabio's death and the attempted murder of Felicia hit the airways. As Leo Russo and his sons, Encino and Jimmy, took the reins of leadership, many families sent soldiers in support of the Giordano family while Felicia lay in the hospital. Other members of the Giordano family quickly moved up the ranks to fill any voids left by the loss of Fabio Giordano.

  Luis Ruiziano knew when Miss Giordano returned to her position, she would launch an investigation into the murder of her brother and the attempt on her life. However, he had already advised Leo Russo to let him know when Felicia would be able to talk to him; he had valuable information on the identity of the assassin.

  Two and a half months after Fabio and Felicia Giordano had been shot, Luis Ruiziano received a call on the special phone. This phone had been set as a means to contact the assassin they knew as Nick Costello.

  Surprised to hear the phone ring, Luis Ruiziano answered with some hesitation. "Hello, who is this?" he asked.

  "Where is my money?" the voice on the other side asked.

  "What are you talking about? What money?" asked Ruiziano.

  "I'm not going to ask you again! The money better be there before the end of tomorrow?" the voice insisted.

  "Wait! What are you talking about?" Ruiziano asked, now realizing with alarm who was on the other end of the phone.

  There was hesitation on the other end.

  "The money for taking out the Giordanos," was the response Ruiziano heard.

  "What! Are you out of your fucking mind? I never authorized a hit on the Giordanos. I swear I didn't," Ruiziano was now shouting into the phone.

  Remembering to whom he was talking, Ruiziano calmed down. "Mister, I swear I didn't order a hit on the Giordanos," Ruiziano now said in a steady voice.

  Again, there was silence on the other end of the phone, then, "Someone ordered the hit from this phone. I found the papers in the agreed locations and half the money," the voice said.

  "I swear I didn't order the hit, but I promise you I will look into the matter. I have no reason to want the Giordanos dead. I swear it," Luis Ruiziano told him.

  Once again the phone went silent, and then in a cold and chilling voice Luis Ruiziano heard, "I am going to assume you are telling me the truth. So I am going away for a while. It might be several weeks or several months, but when next I call, you had better have a satisfactory answer for me." The phone went dead as Luis Ruiziano heard him hang up.

  Ruiziano immediately launched an investigation into how someone in his own organization could have ordered a hit on Fabio and Felicia Giordano, and who it was. Only a few men had access to his office and the information on how to contact the assassin. He had no way of knowing when the hit was ordered, making it virtually impossible to find the culprit. After a few weeks, he was still unable to determine who could have issued the order, and with the recovery of Miss Giordano, his time had run out.

  The Past Catches Up

  Chicago/October

  Hearing his boss, Luis Ruiziano, announce the recovery of Felicia Giordano sent chills through Tom’s bones. He knew now it was simply a matter of time before she began her own investigation into who contacted the assassin and ordered the hit on her and her brother. He only had, maybe, a few weeks before he had to disappear.

  Twenty years ago he escaped from being poisoned simply because he was a recovering alcoholic. Soon after, he and his wife moved to Chicago under the assumed names of Tom and Kathy Diasparra.

  Both he and his wife were from mob families. Tom's father had been a soldier for the Costellino family, and Kathy's uncle, who raised her, was the head of one of the underground casinos owned by the same family. They met at one of the functions thrown by the families and instantly fell in love. They were part of this world, and knew the risks and rewards offered by this style of life. On more than one occasion they found themselves together at a safe house during one of the many wars that erupted between the different families.

  After arriving in Chicago, Tom and Kathy began to plan. Tom joined a local crime family and began working his way up the ladder from the bottom of the organization, around the same time that the Giordano family took control over most of the U.S. outfit. He was readily accepted as he repeatedly proved himself to be both cunning and ruthless. His planning had paid off when just after five years in the organization he was moved to lieutenant in the Ruiziano crime family.

  Now all his planning was in jeopardy. He knew if he rushed into anything it could cost him his life. He had to back off and rethink his strategy.

  When he got home he could see by the look on Kathy's face she had already heard the news about Felicia Giordano's recovery.

  "Tom, what are we going to do?" she asked him as he walked into the apartment.

  "Nothing right now. We need to plan our escape without letting anyone know. I will return to work tomorrow just like any other day. I'll try to shift any suspicion towards some of the other men to buy us some time. In the meantime, you need to keep all this to yourself and tell no one about any plans to leave town. Our lives hang in the balance," Tom told her. She nodded, fully understanding the consequences.

  "I know, honey, I was there too. Remember? I will never forget seeing our friends keel over, remembering how they looked as they gasped for air," she told him as tears rolled down her face.

  "I know, honey. We just got to be extra careful now," he told her as he held her in his arms.

  It was on July 11, 1964, when Kathy and Tom attended the funeral services of Bolnaldo Costellino, and then the breakfast at La Ristorante. Tom had always been quick to size up a situation and knew it was time to get out of town before the body count added one more. They didn't wait around for the police. In fact, they were already on their way out of town before the last ambulance left the scene. In those days he was a 2nd lieutenant in the Costellino crime family and known to all as Joseph Coleto.

  When he arrived in Chicago he kept abreast of what happened back in New York. He ordered a copy of all of the New York papers. After a short spell it was evident the Giordano family had carried out the massacre at La Ristorante. Several months of investigation led to no arrests; it appeared the Giordano's had gotten away with it.

  Both Kathy and Tom were outraged and swore to someday avenge the death of their friends. It was Kathy who suggested they use the knowledge Tom had about contacting the assassin; a risk Tom was willing to ta
ke. So that no one would be the wiser, Kathy was the one who managed to get into the office of Luis Ruiziano. She received the call from Theo Gresco at a time when the Chicago family was in New York attending a Giordano function. Except for one soldier who remained downstairs, completely unaware of the back entrance, there was no one in the building to stop Kathy from getting in and taking Theo’s call.

  During her conversation with the assassin, she instructed him on when and at what time to make the hit. She was a bit angry when Theo advised her he would decide on when, where and at what time he would honor the contract. His voice gave her a very uneasy feeling, and her hand was trembling when she hung up the phone. She realized then and there that if this man ever found out he had been duped, he would stop at nothing to eliminate the voyager who entered his world.

  Kathy had no way of knowing this single act had sealed her and Tom's fate.

  Old Friends

  St Maarten/January 1985

  Sitting on a lounge chair watching the calm waters of the Atlantic Ocean pulling and pushing the surf on the sandy beach, Jay Messina began to drift into a warm slumber.

  "Papa! Papa! Wake up," his daughter shouted out to him.

  "Maria, why is it that you always wait for me to nod off before you start calling me?" he asked his daughter.

  "I am sorry, Papa, but you are always nodding off," she responded.

  "Well, what is it now?" he asked her.

  "Mama is calling you," she informed him.

  Jay got up and looked around toward the house, and sure enough he could see Emelia waving at him to come. "Oh crap, what does she want me to do now? Can't a man have a peaceful nap every once in a while?" he complained to himself.