by Tony Bertot
"She set them up? But why?" Sheila asked.
"I don't give a crap why. All I know is these two are running for their lives, and we need to get to them before the Giordanos do," John responded. "I have sent a couple of agents from our Chicago office to visit with these so-called ‘witnesses’. In the meantime, you two need to find out where exactly these pictures were taken, and which way these two were headed," John ordered and went on to say, "We got to get to them before they get shot on sight by the Giordanos, or some trigger happy cop. It's my understanding they are going to release this story on the twelve o’clock news, and I'm sure all hell will break loose once the word is out. We got to move fast and get ahead of everyone else."
***
Long Island NY
Around 12:30 p.m. Felicia Giordano and Leo Russo were sitting in front of the television watching the latest news broadcast when they heard;
"Earlier today there was an incident involving the shooting of a police officer during a botched holdup attempt at a convenience store in Chicago. In an unexpected twist, the two suspects had their pictures taken in Woodbridge, New Jersey less than an hour after allegedly committing the crime in Chicago. No one seems to be able to explain how this was possible, but authorities from both New Jersey and Chicago are looking into the matter," The commentator reported.
"Son of a bitch!" Felicia screamed.
"We got them now," Leo commented.
Felicia turned to Leo and glared before smiling at him and nodding. "Yes, we have them, but now we have another problem," she said.
"What? Isn't this what we wanted?" he asked her.
"Not exactly. I need you to go and get rid of the witnesses before they can be questioned. Do you understand?" she asked him.
Leo stared at her for a second before complete comprehension hit him in the face. Almost running, he nodded to Felicia waving his hand as he left the room.
Five minutes later, Felicia was calling her contacts in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut giving them orders to start tracking the Diasparras. Within minutes, a massive manhunt was underway for Tom and Kathy. The Giordano's influence spanned across street vendors, cab drivers, prostitutes, bag handlers, police officers, politicians and more, throughout the tri-state area. Their reach was virtually unlimited.
Felicia continued to stare at the telephone after putting it down. She underestimated this Tom Diasparra, or whatever his name was. She knew she could not afford to make mistakes like that; it could cost her dearly.
"Run you son-of-a-bitch. It's just a matter of time before we splatter you and your bitch's brains all over the sidewalk," she thought to herself.
***
Chicago (several hours later)
"We are saddened to report that the officer shot during an attempted holdup earlier this morning has died from his gunshot wounds. Though the doctors had reported this afternoon that he had been stabilized and would make a full recovery, they later discovered that he had somehow ruptured his wounds. The monitor he was hooked up to apparently malfunctioned, and hospital staff was not alerted to the situation until it was too late," the anchorman reported.
Around the same time, across the street from the convenience store where that same officer had been shot, two FBI agents were stepping out of their car. A second later, the store erupted into a huge explosion, knocking both agents to the ground and showering them with broken glass and debris. When they finally recovered, they found the store completely destroyed with a dead body inside. The fire marshal who reported to the scene ruled it accidental due to a gas leak. One of the FBI agents insisted he do another scan as he felt it might have been intentional and made to look like an accident; especially since the owner was the only victim. After reexamining the scene, the fire marshal returned with his final conclusion, and once again ruled it an accident.
“Felicia Giordano pays well,” the fire marshal thought as the two agents drove away, none the wiser.
Tom and Kathy Diasparra
New Jersey/New York
Putting on wigs and changing their clothes, Kathy and Tom were moving slowly towards the toll booth leading into the Lincoln Tunnel.
"This was a big mistake. We should have gone through Staten Island instead. We are sitting ducks right now," Tom said.
"There is nothing we can do now. Chances are we won't be spotted if we simply stay cool, and don't do anything that would bring any attention to us," Kathy responded.
After twenty minutes, they finally reached the booth where they handed the attendant the toll and sped off towards the nearest tunnel, breathing a sigh of relief. But not before a vigilant attendant made a call to a friend of a friend of the Giordanos.
Five minutes later, Tom and Kathy were exiting the mile and half tunnel onto 39th Street heading downtown toward 34th. From there they would cross Manhattan to Long Island since it was the fastest route. As they turned left onto 34th and headed for the East 34th Street tunnel entrance, they were spotted by a cabbie who called in to one of the Giordano contacts. The Giordano network was now on full alert with walkie-talkies announcing Tom and Kathy's movements as they made their way east through the city. A newspaper vendor spotted them as they passed Lexington Avenue, and a hot dog vendor called in at 3rd. A dozen cars filled with armed men, all coming from different directions, headed towards the Diasparras.
The Giordanos weren’t the only ones following Tom and Kathy, however. Sam and Sheila were also in hot pursuit as a helicopter landed them at the 34th street heliport where a police car was waiting for them. The FBI and local police were monitoring the radio frequencies. They too had dispatched several cars in pursuit of the Diasparras. Thanks to a petty thief who had been apprehended with over ten thousand dollars in jewelry, the police had lucked out. As part of his plea bargain for a lighter sentence, the thief told the police there was an all out alert for the whereabouts of the Diasparras. He said that heavy guns had been ordered and would be communicating via walkie-talkies.
"Where are they now?" Sam asked the officer driving the car.
"They were last spotted on 3rd Avenue heading east," he responded.
Exiting on the other side of the Queens Midtown Tunnel, Tom and Kathy continued east towards Long Island as two Giordano cars and two police cars closed in just four miles back. With no more orders being broadcast, the pursuers were now moving blindly through the mid-day traffic.
"Where the hell are they?" Sheila asked.
Suddenly they heard, "Going east on I-495 at around 59th Avenue."
"They are heading to Long Island," Sheila said. "You don't think they are headed to the Giordano estate, do you?" she asked everyone.
"Son of a bitch! You are probably right. They are probably going to try and get her before she gets them," Sam speculated and added, "Let's get our people ahead of them and maybe we can cut them off."
Sheila quickly called for a helicopter and, not knowing how many guns the Giordanos had sent, she added that sharpshooters should accompany the team.
A few miles up ahead, Tom got off the I-495 and took the Van Wyck Expressway I-678 south towards Bell Parkway. With no one spotting them, his pursuers continued on the I-495 heading east towards the Hamptons. It wasn't until two minutes later that someone called in and reported they had been spotted on the I-678 heading south.
"Dammit. Maybe they are headed to the airport, trying to get out of town," Sam said.
Sheila and Sam watched as, suddenly, two cars in front of them cut across traffic to the exit ramp, causing cars to hit their breaks. "Watch out!" screamed Sheila as the vehicle in front of them swerved to avoid crashing into other cars. Now with sirens blaring they went after the two cars. Hitting the exit ramp at fifty miles per hour, they zoomed up the ramp in time to see the two cars going down the opposite side, now heading west on the I-495.
"They must be Giordano's people!" Sam yelled as they crossed the overpass and were now in hot pursuit half a mile behind.
Sheila grabbed the radio and advised the helicopter p
ilot of their location, and that they were currently headed for the southbound lane of the Van Wyck Expressway chasing two cars with several men inside. At that moment, two helicopters were airborne and heading in their direction. Each chopper had two sharpshooters on board with legs dangling over the side. Unknown to Kathy and Tom, the Giordano's cars were now five miles behind them and closing fast.
"Let's get something to eat at the next exit," Kathy suggested.
A few seconds later, they pulled off the expressway and into the parking lot of a restaurant at the end of the exit ramp. As they stepped out of the car and headed toward the restaurant door, they heard sirens and the sound of helicopters behind them. Tom and Kathy turned in time to see two helicopters fly by accompanied by the sound of police sirens coming from the expressway.
"Holy shit! What the hell is that all about?" Tom remarked as they continued their trek to the entrance. They both reached the door at the same time, stopped and turned, then looked at each other.
"You don't think? Hell yeah. They're probably looking for us," Tom said.
"We got to ditch the car and change clothes again," Kathy said as they returned to the car and took off.
A few miles down the Van Wyck Expressway, the two helicopters got in front of the two Giordano cars and ordered them to stop as the pursuing police cars were joined by six others closing in fast. Finally, after a couple of warning shots from the police sharpshooters, the two cars came to a screeching halt and surrendered to the police without any further incident.
Sam and Sheila remained glued to the radio, listening for any signs of Tom and Kathy. Though there was a lot of communications advising everyone to start checking along the Van Wyck Expressway, and though a reward of five thousand dollars was offered for the first one to spot them, no news was heard.
It wasn't until two more hours had passed when they overhead, "You lost them on the Van Wyck. Is that right? Ok, I'll be close by. Let me know when you spot them again."
Both Sheila and Sam stared at one another as a chill ran through Sheila's entire body.
"Oh, my God! It's him. I recognize his voice." Sheila said.
"Who?" asked Sam.
"The assassin; Theo Gresco," she replied.
***
One hour before the chase commenced, Theo Gresco called the Giordano headquarters for an update on his mark. A vehicle with a walkie-talkie was left for him at a car rental on 50th Street and 3rd Avenue. Theo took a cab to 49th and 2nd Avenue, then cautiously walked up 3rd. Then he headed north to 50th Street, all the while checking out both sides of the street, making mental notes of the pedestrians he saw or passed. Satisfied that it was not a trap, he entered the rental facility and approached the counter when no one else was there. As directed, he asked for Paula C and was told to hold on while they got her. From the side entrance, a young lady entered and approached Theo.
"Hi, I'm Paula. How can I help you?" the woman asked.
"I was told you were holding keys for me," he told her.
She stared at him, took a step backwards and nodded. “Yes, sir. Please follow me." She led Theo outside to where a slew of cars were parked. Theo could see the woman was nervous and assumed they must have told her something about him.
A couple of hundred feet from the office she stopped and turned in front of a red 1983 Mitsubishi Colt Lancer. "The keys are inside," she said, stepping aside.
Theo stared at her and then at the car.
"I'll tell you what. I am going to walk back to the office and I want you to drive it to me. Do you understand?" he asked her.
"Uh... Yes, sure," she replied somewhat puzzled.
Theo walked to the office and watched as she got into the car and drove it to him.
"Is something wrong?" she asked him as she stepped out.
"Not now. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to blow up," he responded as he got into the car and watched her face turn a shade of gray.
Theo headed downtown and was about six blocks away when he pulled into a side street and parked. He picked up the walkie-talkie left on the passenger seat and examined it without turning it on. Satisfied it had not been tampered with, he placed it back on the seat and headed towards 2nd Avenue and 50th Street, peering behind him to ensure he was not being followed. Before reaching the corner he found an open parking spot and parked the car. Taking the walkie-talkie, he got out of the car and started walking east towards 2nd Avenue. Looking both ways and finding what he was looking for, he headed south. A few minutes later he was at a car rental where he rented a black 1983 Mercury Marquis. After heading south on 45th street he pulled to the side, parked the car and turned on the walkie-talkie. It was then that he heard that Tom and Kathy had been spotted on the Van Wyck Expressway. He called in.
Though he heard no more status updates on the whereabouts of the two, he decided to head towards Long Island. Theo deduced they were not heading to the airport since they had come from New Jersey and could have easily gone to the one in Newark. Also, why would they come to New York where the Giordano influence was even greater? Theo smiled to himself as he realized there was only one logical answer; they were going after the ever popular Felicia Giordano.
"I wonder if she has realized this yet," he thought to himself, smiling as he now headed to the Hamptons.
***
"We lost communications with the two cars closest to them," Leo was told over the phone.
Leo met Felicia in the hallway as she descended the stairs.
"We tracked them to the Van Wyck and we're waiting for more calls to come in," Leo told her.
"Funny you say that, ‘cause I just saw a news bulletin that the police were chasing two speeding cars on the Van Wyck just ten minutes ago," Felicia told him.
They both went into the living room and turned on the television to the news channel. After waiting several minutes no news was being broadcast about the chase.
"Either the news was suppressed, or I imagined it. Leo, call all of our cars, see if we've lost any of them," Felicia said.
A few minutes later, they got the report that two of their cars had been taken by the police. "So now the police are involved. I am sure they confiscated the radios and are aware we are trying to find these two assholes," Felicia said.
"We will have to change the frequency we are using and advise everyone by word of mouth," Leo responded.
"I'm sure they are going to be monitoring as many frequencies as they can. Tell everyone to use the phones to call in any new updates, not the radios. Have them use the radios to give bogus locations to throw the police off," Felicia ordered.
The network had been down this road before and knew exactly what to do. Instead of reporting that they were on the Long Island Expressway, they would say they were on the Northern State or Southern State Parkway; whichever was closest to the actual expressway they meant. The only one in the Giordano network that did not know the routine was Theo Gresco who was advised to call in for further instructions; this was overheard by Sam and Sheila.
"Why? Why would they tell him to call them? Only reason is that they didn't want to give him instructions over the radio," Sam deduced and Sheila added, "Because they know we are listening. Crap!"
***
After driving approximately eight miles east, Tom and Kathy decided to dump the car in a secluded area of Lynbrook. Tom had remembered an old friend who lived there; a friend who, just like him, lost friends and family at La Ristorante so many years ago. Two hours later, he was at Wyoming Avenue and Sunrise Highway in front of a deli that was supposedly run by his old friend. Tom and Kathy found the place packed, buzzing with conversations between the patrons and the owners. The radio was playing "In the Misty Moonlight" sung by Dean Martin.
"Hey Dr. Pim, get the lead out," someone from behind the counter said.
"I'll give you lead alright," another voice responded.
Tom and Kathy made their way to the far end of the counter and sat down. Then Tom saw him, Bob Hughes, and at the same time sa
w a cop enter the deli. Tom and Kathy grabbed a couple of menus and pretended to be looking through them to avoid any eye contact with the police officer.
"Hey, Pat, how's it going out there?" Bob asked him.
"Hey, Bob," the officer responded as three more men entered the store.
"Juan, John, Mike what are you guys doing here today? Thought you were off the rest of the week," Bob shouted out to them.
Pat turned around and looked at the three. "Hope your tanker isn't blocking my car," he said to them.
"No, we parked the tanker right on top of it," responded John as a few people laughed.
"You're lucky I don't believe in wasting my bullets," Pat responded, chuckling.
"Hey, Maria, don't forget my extra ketchup and mayo," one of the drivers shouted out.
"Oh, do you want extra ketchup and mayo with that like you always want?" she called back to him sarcastically.
A young lady named Jill walked over to Tom and Kathy and asked if she could take their order. "We still haven't decided, dear. Give us a few minutes more," Kathy replied.
"Hey, Mom, I got to get back to the school, ‘cause I got practice today," some kid who just came into the store shouted out.
Maria shouted back, "Zack, don't be coming home real late."
"I won't, Mom," Zack responded.
"Alyssa, see what those two at the other end want," Maria said as she happened to glance down the counter and recognize Tom and Kathy. "Holy shit," she thought to herself and pretended not to have noticed them as she turned to Pat, the police officer.
"Never mind, Alyssa, I'll take care of it. What can I get you, Pat?" she asked the police officer. After taking his order she rushed and completed it before anyone else's, handing it to him.
"Hey," someone said out loud. "I was here before him."
"Sorry, we got to take care of our men in blue, so they can put crooks like you behind bars," Maria responded. The place erupted with laughter as she watched Pat wave at her, leaving with his order.