by Joe Corso
CHAPTER 39
The date for the grand opening of the Starlight Club was set. Red had to make sure Swifty was available. He wanted his three fighters to be here at the Starlight Club in Queens for Saturday night’s Grand Opening. Red reminded Sammie to be there too. “Bring your wife and ask Rabbi Liebowitz and his wife to come with you. I’ll reserve seats for the four of you. I know they’ll enjoy the evening. Everyone who was ever invited to one of Red’s special events would never think of missing it. Red always had a surprise lined up for his guests and they loved guessing what or who it would be. When Red was in Cal Neva, although he wouldn’t show it, he was pleased that Frank Sinatra agreed to perform at the Starlight Club for his grand opening, saving him the trouble of trying to book him for the night. More surprising was the fact that Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. agreed to perform with Frank as well and at no cost to Red. Red wasn’t sure if Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford would join them. He figured Bishop might make the party, but Lawford, well, he was a big question mark, especially after the way Red and his men had manhandled him.
Red cancelled his trip west so he would be at the club Saturday night. Frank Pettigrew, his CEO in charge of Starlight Productions day-to-day operations, and Harvey Bancroft, his chief in charge of movie production, called Red on a daily basis to keep him informed about all that was happening at the studio. Red was pleased to hear that Harvey rejected numerous scripts until he found the one he liked. He confided to Red that he thought this script could make both Henri and Gonzo movie stars. Harvey didn’t mention to the two fighters that the script he was going to give them was for a low budget “B” picture entitled Street Guys.
When Red acquired Dark Storm Productions, he inherited a very talented woman who came along with the package and Harvey intended to use her in this picture. Her name was Lucy Adams and she was an extremely talented acting coach. Harvey pressed the intercom and asked her to come to his office. After she was comfortably seated, he introduced her to the two young fighters. After introductions were made, Harvey handed each of them a Street Guys script. “Lucy,” he said. “These young men are going to star in Street Guys. That’s the script you’ve just been handed. I want you on the set every day. When either of the boys is in a scene, show them what to look for in that scene. You’ll coach them on how to say their lines, how to use facial expressions and so on. Do what you do best with them, Lucy. The script you’re holding is a very good one.” He turned to look at the two young men and directed his words to them. “Listen carefully to what I’m telling you. Listen to Lucy. I don’t like repeating myself, but this script is a very good one, and if you listen to what she tells you, you’ll both be movie stars. Study your lines. Make sure you know them when you report for work and above all listen – to - her. She is the best there is, so pay attention and you will do very well in the movie business.”
Harvey was motivated about this picture. It was the first picture he was making for his new studio and he was determined to make Street Guys the best picture he ever had made. He was excited to be given this opportunity and he wasn’t going to blow it. He was determined to make the most of it. While Larry Bernstein could size up a person and predict if he or she had the potential to become a major star, Harvey, on the other hand, had an uncanny ability to make a low budget picture appear to be an expensive picture. He could see the storyboard of Street Guys, frame by frame, clearly in his mind. Now it was just a simple matter of filming it. Every morning before shooting began and even during the breaks between scenes, Lucy tutored the two boys. The two boxers understood that Red had handed them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so they listened and learned from her and the results of her efforts showed in the daily rushes. When the picture finished shooting and the film was in the projectors ready for viewing, Red flew out on the red eye especially for the screening. He sat with his studio heads and his two stars, waiting in anticipation for the movie to start. The lights went out in the small theater and the movie began. When the picture ended, Red was excited about it. Both Henri and Gonzo had acted extremely well under Lucy Adams’ tutelage. Red mused, as he listened to Lucy describe how she instructed the two men on how to act in a scene before the camera, about how similar it was to Gil Clancy instructing the boys at Stillman’s gym on how to train for a fight. Because of her instructions, you’d think these two men fighting their way across the screen had been acting in pictures for many years.
When Street Guys was released, the studio was unexpectedly inundated with fan mail and it surprised them. It was an indication to Red that the two boxers would be successful in pictures. Harvey tailored the script for the two fighters. He made sure there was a lot of action and very little dialogue. That formula fit the two men perfectly. The film cost 1.2 million dollars to make and it grossed 5.5 million. The studio realized a handsome profit of 4.3 million. Two more scripts that followed the same plot line were nearing completion. This was good news for Red, but it got better because when Swifty returned to Hollywood, he would star in Red’s next movie.
Red was always six moves ahead of the next guy and right now he knew what he needed. He had Swifty, who was a very hot property, and now he had Henri and Gonzo being groomed for stardom. Harvey was busy trying to find additional leading men for the studio. He had dinner with leading men from other studios, attempting to lure them with offers of a lot more money and he was, in part, successful. Two of the seven stars he had dinner with agreed to change studios and join the Starlight Productions family. But Red knew what was missing. He needed a female star if he was going to build Starlight Productions into a major studio. Harvey tried, but failed to lure female stars away from their studios, so Red decided to create his own female star, then again, maybe he’d create two female stars.
He had been thinking about the two beautiful girls that he and Jimmy the Hat had met at the Elbow Room in Fort Lauderdale and he wondered if he could find them again. Those gals were young, they were intelligent, and they were beautiful. He was thinking of calling Larry Bernstein to ask him whom he used as an investigator. Then he remembered Horace Sweeney, the investigator Julius, Trenchie’s wife Mary’s ex-husband hired to find her in New York. Red’s desk was usually very neat, but since it had been destroyed in the fire, Angelo bought a new desk to use in the Corona Gentleman’s Club. The desk had been moved to the Starlight Club when the club was near completion. When the movers moved the desk to the new location, they must have turned the desk upside down to handle it better. When Red opened the center drawer, all of his papers and cards had been tossed around during the move and they were in a jumbled mess. He kept all of his business cards and notes in the drawer and he examined every card, but he couldn’t find Sweeney’s card. He was just about to give up when he brushed his hand along the back of the drawer and felt a card lodged in the back corner. When he pulled it out and read the name on the card, he breathed a sigh. It was Sweeney’s. He immediately called the number. A voice answered on the second ring.
“Horace Sweeney, how may I help you?”
“Mr. Sweeney, I know of your work and I’d like to hire you. I have a job for you.”
Sweeney asked, “What exactly do you want me to do for you?”
“I want you to locate the address of two women I met while I was in Florida. Their names are Iris and Tiffany. I don’t know their last names, but I can tell you that they’re young, beautiful and they stayed at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.”
“I see,” Sweeney said. “And what year did you say you met them?”
“I think it was 1961.”
“I see, and they stayed at the Diplomat?”
“Yes that’s right.”
“I believe I can help you. My fee is $100.00 a day with a minimum of three days. I’ll need $150.00 paid in advance. When I locate them, I’ll bill you for the days I worked.”
“That works for me,” Red replied. “I’ll wire you payment by Western Union and you’ll have your deposit in a couple of hours.”
“That will be fine, Mr. . . . ? Mr. . . . ? Excuse me, but I didn’t get your name.”
“My name is Red Fortunato and you can reach me at the Starlight Club in Corona, Queens. Here’s my number. Write it down. ” Red gave Sweeney his number and Sweeney wrote it on a pad on his desk.
“Red Fortunato. Hmm. Are you by any chance the same Red Fortunato who had the altercation with the man who killed the actor James Roman? I was hired by that man to find his ex-wife. His name was Julius. Would you be that person?”
“Yes, that’s me. Why?”
“Oh, no reason. I was just wondering why you would hire me when, if you remember, I was with the other side.”
“I remember! And that’s exactly why I want to hire you. You’re good at your job and I like that. I need a man like you for this job. Don’t worry about money. Find those girls for me and there’ll be a bonus in it for you. And of course, I’ll pay you the bonus in addition to your usual fee. The faster you find the girls, the bigger your bonus will be, so go and find the girls for me. I’ll send you the one hundred and fifty dollars within the hour.”
Two days later Sweeney called Red at the Starlight Club. When Red was told who was holding on the line for him, he quickly picked up the phone. “This is Red. How did you make out?”
Sweeney gave him the good news. He found the two women. “They live in Raleigh, North Carolina.” He gave Red their phone numbers and addresses. “They both live within a few blocks of one another in the same section of town in Raleigh.”
“Great work, Mr. Sweeney. I’ll get a check out to you for the $150.00 I owe you, plus another $300.00 as the bonus I promised you. You’ll get your money within the hour. You may get a call from me in a few weeks. I may hire you to do some more work for me.”
The first call Red made was to Iris, the girl he met in the Elbow Room in Fort Lauderdale. Even though he hadn’t seen her in a few years, he had a soft spot for her. They had become intimate and he had to admit that he really enjoyed her company. While he waited for the phone to be picked up, he wondered if she was still single. His thoughts were interrupted when the phone clicked.
“Hello?” a woman’s voice answered.
Red smiled broadly and he took a deep breath before speaking. “Is this Iris?”
“Yes?”
“Iris, it’s Big Red. We met in Florida a couple of years ago. You remember me?”
“Red! How can I ever forget you? You two men were the most exciting guys Tiffany and I ever met. How have you been?”
“I’ve been great. And you?”
“I’ve been good also. Say, whatever happened to Jimmy? Do you still see him?”
Red shook his head as if she were standing in front of him. “Don’t you go to the movies, Iris? Jimmy became James Roman, but he was killed.”
“What? I can’t believe Jimmy was James Roman? Oh my God. I can’t believe it. I saw his movies and I told Tiffany that he looked just like the Jimmy we met in Florida and, all the while, it was him. Oh my God. I still can’t believe it.”
Red interrupted her. “Is Tiffany still single?”
“Yes! She’s still single. We’re still two old maids looking for husbands.” And she gave him a sweet laugh.
“Look, Iris, I want you to call Tiffany and I want you two to work it out between you. Tomorrow morning, I want both of you to get on a plane and come to New York and I’ll meet you at the airport. I’ll send you two first-class airline tickets if you tell me you’re coming. Can you be here tomorrow? Or is that too soon?”
Iris really wanted to accept his offer. She was silent for a moment, mentally trying to work out her schedule. “I don’t know. I have a job, you know. Tell you what. Let me call Tiffany and talk to her and I’ll call you back.”
“Look, Iris. I really want you to come here. Even though I’m busy with my grand opening on Saturday night, you’ve been on my mind. I want the two of you to come as my guests. Actually, it’s a grand re-opening. My club burned down last year, but it’s completely rebuilt now and it’s just as beautiful now as it ever was. Frank Sinatra will be doing the entertaining, so Saturday night is gonna be something special. If you girls decide you can make it, don’t take a fancy dress. I’m taking you to a friend of mine in New York City who sells top-of-the-line women’s clothing. Now make the call to Tiffany and call me back. Remember, I need you here tomorrow if possible, but the day after at the latest. If you call and tell me you can’t make it, then I’ll have to make other arrangements and find someone else.”
“Red. What’s so important that you call me out of the blue and you ask us to fly to Queens on the spur of the moment? And what about our jobs?”
It was a fair question and he thought it deserved an answer. “How much do you make a year, Iris?”
“About $6,500.00 a year and that’s a little better than most girls make.”
“Look, you be on that plane tomorrow and when you get here, we’ll have a talk. That $6500.00 will be like chump change if things work out the way I want. Trust me on this. It’ll be to your advantage to come here. I’ll front the airline ticket both ways and I’ll pick up all your expenses. You can stay at my club.”
Iris smiled when he said his “club.” She wondered what kind of club it was that she would be staying at. “What kind of club is it that you have, Red?” she asked him with suspicion. “And what’s the name of your club?”
“I own the Starlight Club, that’s the name of my club.”
That name sounded familiar to her. “The Starlight Club … Starlight Club. Wait a minute. It wouldn’t be the club that was in James Roman’s picture, would it? It- it couldn’t be, could it?”
“Yes, that’s the club. Only it was in two of his pictures and that’s where you’ll be staying.”
“Oh my God, you’re telling me that Tiffany and I will be staying at the famous Starlight Club?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“I didn’t know that you owned the Starlight Club. You never told me that. Wow! I’m calling Tiffany right now. I’ll call you right back. Red, you continue to surprise me. Maybe that’s why you’re always on my mind.”
Thirty minutes passed slowly before the phone finally rang. It was Iris. “We’ll call in sick and we’ll see you tomorrow. Now, how do we handle the airline tickets?”
“Stay by the phone and I’ll make the arrangements with the airlines for the tickets and I’ll call you right back.” Red reserved two first-class tickets on an American Airlines flight from Raleigh, North Carolina to LaGuardia, New York. They were to board at nine a.m.
CHAPTER 40
Red was waiting with Shooter at the luggage carousel at the LaGuardia terminal. He spotted the girls coming down the escalator. Both girls rushed over and gave him hugs and kisses. He felt like a million dollars with the fuss they were making over him in front of Shooter. Even mob bosses enjoy being fussed over by beautiful women once in a while. “Girls, this is Shooter. He works for me and he’s a lot like Jimmy was. He’s my right arm and I depend on him a lot.”
Red’s build-up made Shooter feel important and the thing was, he wanted Red to depend on him. He respected the man, even loved him like a father. “Let me take your luggage for you,” he said to Tiffany. Red took Iris’s and they pulled the carry-ons to the limousine that was waiting outside by the curb for them. Joey Bones was behind the wheel. “Joey, take us to Rene Dumas in Manhattan.”
Iris heard the name and couldn’t help saying, “Rene Dumas? They sell the most exquisite and the most expensive women’s dresses in the world. I never in my life dreamed I would be going there, but why? Why are we going there? I thought we were going to your club.”
“We are. But first, we have to make this stop.
Marco himself greeted Red after he called earlier to give him a heads up that he would be arriving shortly with two girls for whom he needed outfits. “Red how are you? Have you completely recovered?”
“Yeah, I’m back to normal now. Feeling pretty good
if I say so myself.”
Tiffany asked, “What was wrong with you, Red?”
Red gave a wave of his hand, as if to dismiss what she asked. “It was nothing.” When Red went to tell Marco what he was looking for, Iris asked Shooter, “What was wrong with Red? Was he sick?”
Shooter gave her a shadow of a smile. “Yeah, he had a very bad case of lead poisoning.” Both he and Joey Bones laughed at his little joke.
“Lead poisoning?” Tiffany murmured.
“Don’t tell him I told you. He doesn’t like talking about himself, but he was shot five times and almost died.”
“Oh my God. But he’s all right now, right?”
“Yeah, he’s his old self again,” Shooter chimed in. “He’s good as new.”
Red came back with Marco and Marco handed the girls two pads with pencils. “Mark the dresses you like on this pad. Okay?”
Iris looked at Red. “Red, what in hell is going on here?”
“I’m throwing a very fancy party Saturday night and I want you two girls to look spectacular. Don’t worry about anything and don’t question me about what I’m doing. I have reasons for everything I do, so just let me do my thing, and I promise that you both will be happy with what I have planned for you.”