“Yes, sir.”
Frank crossed a leg over the opposite knee, laced his fingers together, and rested his hands on his lap. “I made a few inquiries and found out who did it.”
Frankie leaned closer. “You did?”
“Are you questioning me?”
“No, sir.”
He didn’t know why he feared his uncle more than he did his father. Maybe it was because he now was the head of the family, and there was a lot of responsibility resting on his shoulders. Hopefully, he would lighten some of that responsibility now that he was an accountant.
“My people uncovered talk about some kid who got his ass kicked because he’d been messing with a girl whose boyfriend is the leader of a street gang. When she told her boyfriend she was pregnant, he went crazy and threatened to give her a hot shot because he knew the baby wasn’t his.”
“He was going to shoot her up with heroin?”
Frank slowly nodded. “He knew she’d lied because he’d gotten into some trouble in Westchester County and was sentenced to six months in a county jail. Then she lied again and said that Ray had raped her, and she was afraid to say anything but then she discovered she was pregnant.”
“So, the baby is Ray’s?”
“Yes. But you can never tell him. Once she revealed Ray’s name and address, her boyfriend and his brother stalked him, waiting until they found him alone. They forced him into a car, took him to an abandoned building, beat him, then dumped his body in Hunts Point.”
Frankie pressed his fist to his mouth. “Sonsofbitches.”
“Street thugs will spill their guts if they’re offered enough money, and it didn’t take long before the brothers found themselves in the same situation as Ray. Hanging from meat hooks like pieces of slaughtered beef can take its toll on one’s mind and body. One was left in Brooklyn and the other near the Bowery. It’s going to be a very long time before they’ll be able to walk, talk, piss, or shit without experiencing extreme pain. I’m telling you this because I never want you to come to me ever again asking me to help you get retribution for anyone.I’m not my father, and when he died, I left that life behind.”
“I understand, uncle.”
“Wrong answer!” Frank shouted. “I don’t think you do, because if you did, you never would’ve come to me with this shit. We are not murderers, and if one of the fuckers would’ve died, then his death would’ve been on my conscience. Not yours!”
Frankie nodded, because he was too scared to say anything. It wasn’t often that his uncle lost his temper, and this was one of those times. He’d heard stories about his grandfather, who would put fear in someone’s heart with just a look, and he was experiencing the same with Frankie Delano.
“One of these days, you will head this family, and it’s time for you to begin your lessons.”
“Isn’t my father in line to take over after you, Uncle Frank?”
“No. Gio has no head for finance. Prepare yourself, because this summer I’m going to teach you everything there is to know about how I run my businesses. When you’re ready, you will use this apartment as your base of operation. You will never hold meetings here. And more importantly, never bring a woman here. I don’t want you to learn the hard way that you shouldn’t shit where you eat. I own this building and the laundromat. You will be responsible for maintaining separate books for the butcher shop, restaurant and pizza shop, shoemaker, Jimmy’s Bar, and the laundromat. And like any smart accountant, I have two sets of books. There’s a floor safe in one of the bedroom closets with the actual accounting, and the other set is in a file cabinet. That’s the set you make available if there is an internal revenue audit.
“I also have a loaded gun in the safe. I have a license for it, because there are times when I have to pick up cash from the various businesses. You’ll have to apply for your own gun license. Now that we’re legitimate, I’d like to keep it that way. If anyone comes asking you to get involved in narcotics, donot entertain them, because if you’re caught trafficking in drugs, you’ll be facing a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years to life. Can you imagine not seeing your family for fifteen years?”
“No.”
“And another piece of advice. Don’t get caught up in the mob. Once you’re in, it’s for life, because you’re not allowed to walk away. And whatever I’ve told you today stays here. You are never to breathe a word to Ray that his attackers were punished for what they did to him.”
“What about Kenny?”
“No. Definitely not Kenny.”
“Why? Because you’re still involved with his mother?”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you ask me that.”
“You’re just like Kenny. He gets very touchy whenever I mention you and his mother.”
“That’s because you should mind your damn business! You’re going to have enough on your plate once you begin working for an auditing firm. Then there’s the CPA exam. And I shouldn’t have to warn you that in order to keep your head on straight, you’ll have to stop fucking around with women. They’re like trains. There’s always one leaving the station.”
Frankie digested what his uncle had revealed to him. He would be in his mid-twenties when it came time for him to take control of the family business. All he had to do was listen, follow orders, and not question authority to ensure a smooth transition from one Francis D’Allesandro to the next-generation Francis D’Allesandro.
CHAPTER29
