by Tony Bertot
Herr Kaiser ran downstairs and out of the shop but not before one of the workers spotted him leaving. They had heard the gunshot, but it was not unusual to hear gunshots in the area since there was a firing range not too far down the road. Even now, they could hear someone firing a weapon.
Herr Kaiser went straight to the command post and reported to Garrit Hoffmann that he had found a spy among them before collapsing into a chair from the wound in his back.
In that instant they heard a scream coming from the bakeshop. One of the workers had gone upstairs to report they were ready to open the shop but instead found Lucia dead, lying in a pool of blood.
Italian authorities were quickly summoned as a crowd gathered in front of the shop.
After a few minutes the Italian authorities, followed by a crowd of citizens, left the bakeshop and went straight to the German command post where they were confronted by German soldiers with weapons drawn.
As the crowd gathered in front of the Germans, several people noticed Theo among the curious walking up to join them. Someone whispered to one of the authorities Theo was the son of the woman they found. Theo realized everyone was staring at him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
No one would answer. Everyone stood still watching him. One of the Italian police officers started to walk toward him with arms outstretched.
“Theo, please come here,” he ordered.
Theo did as he was told and walked toward the officer.
Theo stood frozen, absorbing what he was being told, as the officer explained to Theo there had been an accident and that his mother was dead.
“No. No,” screamed Theo as he broke his grasp and raced towards the bakeshop.
Too fast to be stopped he dodged between the people and up the stairs
“It was that German, Herr Kaiser. He killed her after he had his way with her,” someone said.
This was said and heard by Theo before they realized he was there.
His mother had been placed on the bed and Theo walked up to her and started to plead with her.
“Mama, please get up. Please don’t leave me. I promise to be good. Please. Please come back,” he said through his tears as he shook her.
The room became still as they watched the boy begging his mother to get up. Finally, a couple came and took the boy away.
No one had noticed it was Angelina and her husband. They quickly took the boy and left the shop; ignoring the crowd across the road gathering in front of the German command post where Garrit Hoffmann was addressing the crowd.
“My Head Community Leader, Herr Kaiser, discovered that Fraulein Lucia Gresco was a spy. She and her boy were sent here from America to keep an eye on us and relay our movements to the enemy. If you don’t believe me then explain why her mother-in-law and one of my soldiers has disappeared,” Garrit Hoffmann told the crowd.
The Italian authorities could not dispute Herr Hoffmann’s comments since they knew that Angelina’s husband was never in favor of a German alliance. A fact he made clear before the Germans ever arrived in Palermo. Facing eight heavily armed German soldiers, the Italian authorities began to disperse the crowd telling them an investigation would begin and nothing further could be accomplished by their presence in the street. As the crowd broke, up Garrit Hoffmann went back inside to face Harold Kaiser.
“You fool. What were you thinking?” he said raising his voice to Herr Kaiser.
“Comrade Hoffmann, I am certain they came here to spy on us. Find the boy and he will confirm what I have said. They came here from America. The boy speaks fluent English and his grandparents have disappeared,” Herr Kaiser told Commander Hoffmann.
Turning to his men, Garrit Hoffmann ordered they find the boy and bring him to headquarters where he will personally interrogate him.
A Change of Plans
Chicago
Six months have passed since the services of Anzio Giordano were held. The Sabrisio brothers, working with Al Giovanna, had begun to put in place a plan to get rid of both Ricardo Gallo, Sal Manetti from Chicago and, Eric Russo and Joey Costa from San Francisco. At the same time, the Sabrisio brothers were faced with yet another problem, the disappearance of three of their men. The men, two strong-arms and their driver, were sent to the South Wabash store strip to persuade the storeowners of their need for protection. No one has heard from any of the men.
The usual attendees at the Sabrisio monthly meeting were adamant about not sending any more men without first finding out what had happened to the first squad.
“They could have been picked up by the cops,” said Tony Valerio.
“I don’t think so. I would have known,” reported Shorty.
“Well something has happened to them and we need to know what,” demanded Emilio Sabrisio.
“Andre, get some of our boys down there and snoop around. See what you can find out without raising any suspicion,” Frank told Andre Lazzario.
Andre Lazzario ran the numbers racket for the Sabrisio family and had street contacts all over Chicago he could place with minimal suspicion. The plan was to have them start running numbers in the area and to keep their ears open for any news on the whereabouts of the missing men.
Moving on, Victor Lorenzo and Leo Gustavo brought the family up-to-date with the plans to hit both the Queens and San Francisco crime families. Funds would be required to hire and relocate the necessary men and hardware. Details were still being worked out but Giovanna had promised the Sabrisio brothers and Bolnaldo they would be getting a piece of the pie when all was said and done. They were also promised to be given a heads up before the strike. This pleased Bolnaldo no end; however, patience was not one of his virtues and he demanded action be taken sooner than later. Al Giovanna’s irritation with Bolnaldo resulted in a veiled warning to exercise uncompromising patience. A tone seldom used but much needed in this case, as Bolnaldo appeared to become agitated with the whole idea of waiting.
The plans were to initiate the hit between November and December of 1943 when everyone was busy preparing for the holidays and Thanksgiving was behind. To keep Bolnaldo in line they decided to keep him informed on almost every step of the plan without revealing the critical target date. The aim was to locate the heads of the families and keep an eye on them without being detected. This was the most crucial part of the whole scheme; knowing where all the bosses were at the time they were ready to make the hit. Over the next six months, they brought in guns from both Italy and Sicily with a requirement they all speak English fluently so their blending into the neighborhoods would be less conspicuous. This was especially difficult with the war reaching new heights as British and American forces had stormed the beaches of Sicily in early July. The battle raged for almost 30 days as Sicily became the first piece of the Axis homeland to fall to Allied forces.
It was a slow process but by October of 1943, thirty men had been brought in with 20 placed in San Francisco and the remaining 10 in New York.
The coordination of all involved was being controlled by Al Giovanna’s son, Anthony. Every day he would receive updates on the situation from each contact. Where the bosses were, what they were doing, what was their favorite pastime? Everything and anything Anthony felt would be instrumental in bringing them all down at once.
Rumors run Rampant
Queens New York
Fazio was now living at the home of his grandmother on Long Island. It was his grandmother’s idea to have Fazio, Felicia and Fabio move in with them as she felt the house would feel empty without Anzio. Though Fazio hesitated at first, he realized it would be in everyone’s best interest. He sold both his and his Grandfather’s home in Queens and moved himself and the kids to his grandparent’s home in the Hamptons. The loss of his business and the money set aside for him by his grandfather, gave him the time needed to get away and plan for their future.
Fazio watched as his daughter danced about the living room pretending to be a ballerina. It had been over a year since the accident and though sh
e still had some bandages covering part of her head, she seemed herself.
“Daddy, do you think I could become a ballerina?” Felicia asked her father.
“Sweetheart you can become anything you want to be,” he replied.
Just then there was a knock at their door. His grandmother started to get up from the chair when Fazio told her to stay put as he got up to answer the door.
Fazio was surprised to see Ricardo Gallo and Sal Manetti at the front door.
“Mr. Giordano may we come in?” asked Sal.
“Well I guess since you’ve come all this way,” replied Fazio.
Fazio had not seen them in several months, when they met to forge a plan to bring down the house of O’Shea.
The men entered the living room occupied by Ella Giordano, Fazio’s grandmother, and Felicia. While glancing at Felicia still pretending to be a ballerina, dancing to the music from the radio, Ricardo commented,
“Wow. When is she going to perform on Broadway?”
This startled Felicia who ran to her grandmother’s side.
“Mrs. Giordano. Please forgive us for this intrusion,” Ricardo Gallo said.
Ella stood and stared at the men in the entryway.
“Come, Felicia, let’s check on your brother and get some cookies in the kitchen,” she commented giving the men a stern look.
Ella, who had been the wife of a capo, the head of a crime family knew and remembered what it was like. She blamed his involvement in that sort of business as the reason why he was no longer alive. However, she also knew it was because of it that the men responsible for her husband’s death were eventually punished. Take the good with the bad she thought to herself for at the end of the day everything balances itself out. She had always been a practical woman and grateful for the time she had with her husband and knew she had had more time than most in that line of business.
“Please sit down,” Fazio said to the men once Ella and Felicia had left the room.
“Mr. Giordano, let me get right to the point,” said Sal Manetti.
“We have a situation and based on how you handled the O’Shea incident we want to employ your services,” Sal explained.
“Gentlemen, let me first say I do appreciate your help in resolving my problem with the O’Shea’s. Nevertheless, it does not mean I would be interested in any more dealings with any of you; in spite of my grandfather’s past association in your business,” Fazio told them.
Sal Manetti stared at Fazio thinking to himself how easy it would be put a bullet in his head for those comments.
“Who the hell does he think he is? Does he think he is better than us?” Sal thought to himself.
“Mr. Giordano, when you came to us for help we didn’t hesitate. We did as you asked, not only out of respect for your Grandfather but also out of respect to you and for what you were going through. We didn’t have to do it, but we did and now we are asking for your help. We are not asking you to get your hands dirty. We are only asking for some advice on how to avoid an incident that may cost the lives of our friends. In fact, we are asking you for help in preventing a war, a war that cannot be won without some bloodshed. Wouldn’t that interest you?” Ricardo asked Fazio.
Fazio stared at the two men. He could see the anger in Sal Manetti’s face. This man does not like me, thought Fazio to himself.
“Sal, you don’t like me. I can tell by how you look at me. You think I feel I am better than you. On the contrary, I don’t. I simply fear for my family. I don’t care about your business, one way or another. That was proven to me when Congressman O’Shea tried to get away with murder and had my business and reputation destroyed. I learned the hard way it takes all kinds to survive. So don’t think I put myself above you and the business you are in. I fear what may happen to my family if I do get involved with your organization and your business. I hope you understand this,” Fazio said staring into Sal’s eyes.
Sal now had a new respect for this man. He was able to ascertain, in a few minutes, what he was thinking. Now more than ever, he knew they needed this man on their side.
“You are right in your assumptions, Mr. Giordano. I thought you were putting yourself above us because of the business we are in. I apologize for that assumption. But please understand that for the last ten years your grandfather served as an advisor to our organization. A secret he took with him to his grave. A secret we have kept from all others. Now, based on how you handled the O’Shea situation, we feel you have your grandfather’s insight and we are simply asking for your help. Advice we are willing to pay handsomely for,” Sal responded.
Fazio sat staring at the men as he nodded to himself as he thought about his future, about how he was going to provide for his family.
“What exactly is it you are asking of me?” Fazio replied.
With that, the men began to explain to Fazio about a strong rumor that the Bolnaldo and Chicago families were planning an attack on them and what they could do to prevent or stop it altogether.
The Baptism of an Assassin
Palermo/Sicily
The British and U.S. forces landed on the beaches of Sicily several weeks ago. Every day and night, they could hear the bombings as they got louder and louder as the Americans and British advanced.
Herr Kaiser, now leading a band of twenty-five men tracked Fernando, Angelina and Theo southward. Obsessed with capturing the boy and proving they were spies, he detached himself from what was going on around him and as a result was heading straight into the oncoming American forces.
As Fernando, Angelina, and Theo reached a bombed schoolhouse in an open field, they came upon six American soldiers who were scouting several miles ahead of the main force.
“Oh, my God, don’t shoot,” shouted Fernando
The Americans immediately searched them for weapons.
“What are you doing here?” asked one of the soldiers.
“There are Germans after us,” Angelina told them.
Suddenly a shot rang out and the closest soldier took the hit in the head. They scrambled to the nearby schoolhouse as bullets filled the air. The schoolhouse offered little cover as the roof was gone and three of the walls were half demolished. The soldiers huddled against the four corners while Theo and his grandparents found inadequate shelter under a large desk. The Germans atop of the hill looking down on them began to spread out and close in.
“Crap, aint got much of a chance against them,” said one of the Americans as he peered out at the oncoming forces.
Realizing they were outgunned and outnumbered, the sergeant turned to Fernando and Angelina and asked,
“Any of you know how to shoot?”
“I do,” said Theo.
“Theo. This is not a game,” his grandfather told him.
Theo scrambled to the soldier.
“Give me the rifle,” he told him.
Laying down and taking aim Theo fired. A German sticking his head out of a nearby tree only saw the flash of the rifle before hitting the ground dead.
“Oh, my Lord!” said the soldier.
Another German on the other side moved slowly between the rocks. Theo saw him and took aim.
Click, Theo heard in his head.
A second later, the German was dead.
“Two shots and two dead; no one will ever harm my family again,” thought Theo.
One of the Americans told Theo there was a Kraut closing in from the left flank. Theo moved quickly, aimed and fired. From their vantage point, they saw the Germans helmet fly off.
“Man, what a shot,” another GI said.
As the rest of the Germans saw their comrades go down, they slowed their advance. No one was in a hurry to be shot.
The Germans now moved forward cautiously. As they got closer and closer, they tightened the circle around the schoolhouse.
Herr Kaiser, however, was not afraid as he knew who was firing the weapon.
“The boy would not shoot him. After all, I am his friend,” he thought to himself.
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Herr Kaiser was unaware that Theo knew who killed his mother. Harold Kaiser moved to the front of the schoolhouse while his men covered the rear; giving them instructions to start moving in as soon as he stood.
“You in there come out with your hands up and no one will be harmed,” Herr Kaiser ordered.
The American soldier aimed at one of the Germans in the rear and fired forcing them to stop in their tracks. Theo covered the front and watched Herr Kaiser’s approach.
Herr Kaiser stood in plain sight; waving at them. “Come out and you will not be harmed. Let the child and the old couple out first and I promise no one will be harmed,” Herr Kaiser shouted out to them.
Herr Kaiser saw the flash from the rifle Theo was holding as a shot rang out followed by another shot a split second later.
The first bullet hit Herr Harold Kaiser in the left eye and as he fell to his knees, the second bullet hit him in the right eye. Several of the Germans saw it and could not believe what they had just witnessed. The Germans scrambled back up the hill zigzagging, hoping that a bullet would not find them as they ran for their lives. Theo’s grandparents and the rest of the American soldiers watched as if caught in a trance. There was both amazement and shock on their faces.
The young American soldier looking out the rear of the schoolhouse, not witnessing the incident, saw the Germans take off and though puzzled, was relieved. He knew the ensuing American forces would not reach them in time to prevent the Germans from killing them all. Leaving the safety of the schoolhouse the American soldier ventured toward where Harold Kaiser lay dead and turned his body over.
“Oh shit. Man that’s cold,” he muttered to himself.
He walked back to the schoolhouse where the Gresco family still huddled.