Mafia Queen

by Rusty Kontos

  Nick dropped to his knees, and then screamed out in terror. “Those dirty fucking bastards! I’ll kill them. I will kill them all! I swear I will kill them all! I swear to you Chris, on my father’s grave. I’ll kill them! I, Nickolas Colletti, will personally rip out their nuts with my bare hands. This I promise you, kid. I promise this to you!”

  Nick was still kneeling over Chris’s body when two cops arrived at the scene. Their car had scared Bugs and Rat off. “My God, Tim, call an ambulance!” One cop yelled to the other one as he looked at Chris’s body with shock and disbelief. Later, Nick was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for cuts and a broken collarbone. After a cast was put on his arm and shoulder, Nick called for a couple of his men to pick him up and take him to see old Joe and give him the bad news. Joe took his son’s death very hard.

  Meanwhile, Benny was still with Mary at her house. He was standing at the bar, mixing himself a drink. He noticed Mary sitting on the sofa with tears in her eyes, as she sat, staring at the floor.

  “Mary, what’s wrong?” Benny asked as he handed her a drink. “Come on now, you can tell me. Is it Nick? Has he been treating you badly?”

  “I-I’m pregnant, Benny.”

  “Well, that should make you happy, not sad.”

  “You do not understand, Benny. Nick and I aren’t married.”

  “Are you afraid he won’t marry you, is that it?”

  “No, that is not it. I know Nick will.”

  “Then what is the problem, Mary?”

  “It’s Nick, that’s what. He has changed so, and I don’t want him to marry me because he has to. Benny, I don’t want my child’s father to be a gangster.”

  “Mary, you knew that before you gave yourself to him.”

  “I know, but I thought he would change and be like other men.”

  “Mary, he can’t change. You know that. Nick was born to be a gang leader. Besides, even if he wanted

  to get out, he couldn’t. They wouldn’t let him, you know that. Once you become one of them, the only

  way out is death.”

  “Then why doesn’t somebody stop evil men like that?”

  “Mary, many a men has died trying to stop them. An army couldn’t stop them. There are too many and they are so powerful that any man that holds a high place in offices can be bought off. The Mafia is something we must accept. Its roots go back to the old country in Sicily. The Mafia has been in existence for more than a century. Our parents and grandparents came to this country to be free of such things. As you can see, the Mafia reached out it’s hand from across the sea and clutched it’s fist into everyone’s pocket, giving us greed and showing its force of power. Our streets and neighborhoods run red with the blood of those who stood against them. The Mafia deals in death like a butcher deals with meat, a life means nothing to them. So Mary, it’s bigger than you or me. Now you must make a decision. I only hope that for you, it is the right one.”

  “Yes Benny, you’re right. I have a very big decision to make.”

  “Mary, it’s late. I’d better be going; it wouldn’t look so good to Nick if he came home and found me here this late at night.”

  “Yes, maybe you’re right, Benny. Thank you, Benny, for staying and listening to my troubles. I’m

  sorry if I seemed like a nuisance.”

  “You could never be a nuisance to me, Mary.”

  Then Mary leaned over to kiss Benny lightly on the cheek. Benny took Mary tightly in his arms and kissed her tenderly at first on the lips, and then he kissed her long and hard. Mary could feel the hot, burning and longing of desire in his kiss. For a moment, Mary did not resist him. She fell hungrily into his kiss. Nevertheless, as she realized what she was doing, she pulled away from Benny. He looked

  deep into her eyes, and he began to speak to her in a very soft, low voice, “Mary, come away with me. I cannot go on pretending any longer. Mary, I love you. I have loved you since the first day I saw you. You do not have to answer me now. Take a little time and think it over. If you come away with me, we could get married and I could give the baby my name. It would be our baby. I would love you both. We could go where no one would ever find us. Mary, I love you, and I could give you the kind of life you want, for you and the baby. I would make you a good husband.”

  Mary looked at Benny with amazement and total surprise on her face. She sat there for a moment and just stared at him. Then she cleared her throat, and said, “Benny, I think you better go now. I have to be alone. I need time to think. I will think about what you said, Benny. But please, just go. Good night, Benny.”

  After Benny left Mary’s house, he drove over to the restaurant. He noticed a flickering light through the window. As he entered, he saw a figure of a man sitting at the table behind the burning candle. It

  was his father.

  “Hey, Pop, what the hell are you doin’ down here this late? And in the dark, with only one candle burning?”

  “Benny, sit down. I have to tell-a you something bad.”

  “Sure, Pop, but can’t it wait until morning?”

  “No, I tell-a you now!” The old man demanded, in a choked voice. Benny sat down facing his father. He could see that the old man was crying.

  “Hey, Pop, what’s wrong? Is it Mama? Has something happened to her?”

  “No, Mama is well. Benny, your brother is dead.”

  “Dead! How? When?”

  “He died tonight when you were gone to take Mary to her home. He was killed, Benny. They kill-a our

  Chris.”

  “Who, Pop? Who?”

  The old man told Benny everything Nick had told him. Benny became like a wild animal, blaming Nick. He wanted to find him and kill him. His father tried to tell him it was not Nick’s fault, and that he was not going to leave the restaurant. He grabbed Benny’s arm and held him back from the door. Out of respect for his father, Benny calmed down and promised not to make any trouble for Nick. In his heart, he built a growing hate for Nick and everything he stood for. He swore to himself that he would get even with Nick by taking Mary from him and Nick’s child, too, even though there was a chance that Nick might kill him for doing it.

  Meanwhile, Nick declared war on the Irish gang. There was to be a reign of terror and killings that no man was soon to forget. The Irish gang knew that they made a grave mistake by not making sure that Nick was alone that night. Chris Martino’s death had been a tragic mistake for them, but his death was only the beginning. For they knew that Nick Colletti was taking it personally and he would seek his revenge. With Chris dead, they had no way to force old Joe to buy booze from them, so they decided to use the old man as a way to strike back at Nick. As for Benny’s family, it was to become one tragedy after another, until Benny would be the only one left to suffer.

  On December 9, 1925, at 11:45 a.m., a month after the death of Joe’s son, Benny and Joe had gone downtown to buy a Christmas gift for Joe’s wife, Anna. A fine snow had started falling as Benny and

  his father came out of the store where Joe had bought a music box for Anna that played a tune from the old country. They both knew it was going to be a sad Christmas for them without Chris. They had to go on for Anna’s sake.

  They came to a street corner and waited for the light to change so they could cross the street. Suddenly Benny saw something in a shop window. “Hey, Pop, wait a minute,” Benny said as the old man started to step off the curb. “I see something I would like to get in that window. Come on with me and let’s go in.”

  “No, you go, Benny. I go to my old friend-a Louie’s and buy my tobacco from his store. I stay-a see him for a while. You come there when you finish, okay?”

  “Okay, Pop, I won’t be long. I promise.”

  “You no have to hurry. Take-a time. I no see my friend for long time. I like talk in his drug store. See how big his-a business get.”

  “Okay, Pop, see you later.” Benny left his father waiting for the light to change again and went into the store. The light changed and Joe s
tepped off the curb to cross the street. At that exact moment, one minute to twelve, a big truck started up from down the street. Joe reached the middle of the crosswalk and heard the roar of a truck. He looked up, his face stricken with horror as he realized that the truck was going to run him down. He tried to run from its path, but the truck headed straight for him. At that moment, a woman screamed as the truck hit him. Joe was knocked down to the wet, slushy street. He was still alive as he clutched the playing music box in his hand and tried to crawl to the other side of the street.

  The truck stopped only a few feet away. Then the driver put the truck’s gear into reverse and floored the accelerator. The truck started backwards, heading once again for Joe, still lying in the street. The rear wheels of the truck passed over Joe, crushing his body as if he was a fly. The driver put on his brakes and started forward, running over Joe once more. This time the truck turned at the corner and sped away. A man and a woman who were standing on the corner saw it all as it happened. The woman passed out as she heard Joe’s bones breaking and cracking when the wheels of the truck passed over him. This also caused Joe’s stomach to burst open like the bursting of a dam. His entrails oozed out into the pool of blood that surrounded his body.

  People stood on the sidewalks and street corners, frozen like mannequins in a store window, their faces stricken with shock and disbelief. Joes’ friend, Louie, came out of his drug store to see what had happened. He saw the man lying in the street was his old dear friend, Joe Martino. He ran out into the street and knelt down beside Joe’s crushed and lifeless body. He began crying with grief for his friend. Benny came out of the store and saw the crowd of people standing in the street and on the sidewalks staring and talking to one another. Benny asked a man standing next to him on the street corner, “Hey, mister, what happened out there?”

  “Some old fellow was crossing the street, when suddenly this truck came from over there,” he pointed his finger in the direction it came from, “and hit the poor old fellow and it was done on purpose, too. I saw it all. That guy driving the truck didn’t hit the old man once. He hit him three times. Three times! Can you imagine that? That guy had to be nuts. Anyway, this guy drove off real fast and turned the corner. However, the oddest thing happened. It was something the old man did.”

  “Yeah? What was that?” Benny asked.

  “Well, it was right after the old man was hit the first time. He had a little blue music box in his hand. The old man opened it so it played a tune, as though he knew he was going to die.”

  Benny grabbed the man, shaking him by the shoulders as he said, “MUSIC BOX! Tell me, what was he wearing?”

  “Hey, Mack, take it easy. The old man had on a gray tweed coat and hat.”

  “Oh my God, no!” Benny cried out in a hoarse voice.

  “Hey, Mack, do you know him?”

  Benny did not answer the man. He ran across to where his father lay dead in the street. He pushed his

  way through the crowd of people. Benny collapsed to his knees as he stared at his father’s body. “Pop! Pop! Oh God, why?”

  Across town in Benny’s neighborhood, at exactly twelve noon, the same time Joe was killed by the truck; Benny’s neighbors saw and heard the horrible death screams of Anna Martino. When Joe’s restaurant blew up in an explosive blast of fire and smoke, Anna ran from the burning building. Her entire body was aflame, like a human torch. As she ran into the street, her screams could be heard for nearly three blocks. Then after a few moments, she was silent, as she fell dead in the street. A couple of men saw Anna and tried to get to her in time, to put out the fire on her body. When they reached her and put out the fire, she was already dead. The flesh fell from her bones like charred ash. The fluids from her body oozed out like a thick, sticky syrup as she lay there. One of her hands had been burned to the bone; all that remained was the bony skeleton, as blood and fluids oozed over it. One of the men became violently ill when the horrible odor reached his nostrils as her bowels and bladder relieved themselves for the last time. The stench from her charred flesh mixed itself with the other vile odors. The other man standing over Anna covered her body with a blanket someone had given him. He looked over to his friend, who was still vomiting on the curb, and said, “What in God’s name could have caused such a fire? Poor Joe, first his youngest son dies, and now his wife – and to have to die in such a horrible way!”

  The fire trucks had arrived to put out the fire and try to save the other buildings. As the flames licked at everything that was not burning, it became like a huge ball of fire. People were screaming and running from the other buildings in terror, trying to find safety in the streets.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Wednesday, 9:15 A.M.

  Mary waited with Nicole for the train at the station. “Nickole, honey, are you sure you will be okay?”

  “Yes, Mama, I’m sure.”

  “Please be careful, honey. This is the first time you have ever gone so far alone. I’m afraid for you.”

  “Don’t be afraid, Mama. I’m not. I think it will be fun to ride the train.”

  “I wish I could feel that way, but I can’t. Now you remember everything I have told you. I don’t want you to talk to any strangers, and you make sure you leave in plenty of time to make your train back at two o’clock.”

  “I won’t forget.”

  “I will be here to meet you when your train returns.”

  “Mama, look! Here comes the train.”

  “OK, honey, you got your ticket?”

  “Right here.”

  “Okay now, remember everything I have told you.”

  “I will, Mama.”

  Mary gave Nickole a kiss on the cheek and a hug, then waved goodbye to her as she got on the train. She waited on the platform until the train was out of sight. She returned to her car where Tiena sat quietly waiting. She got in the car and they drove off for home.

  Nickole arrived at the Chicago station at 11:15 a.m. She got off the train and headed for the hospital. When she arrived in front of her father’s room, she saw the same police officer that she saw the day before with her mother.

  “Well, good mornin’, little one. I see you have come back to visit Mr. Colletti. Where might your lovely mother be?”

  “She couldn’t come today. However, she let me. I came here all by myself. Isn’t that something?”

  “Ah, yes it is, but aren’t you afraid you might get lost in such a big city all alone like this?”

  “Nope, I’m not afraid of anything.”

  “Well now, you’re a very brave little lassie, aren’t ya?”

  “Yes sir! Can I go in to see my father now?”

  “Did you say your father?”

  “Yes, my father!”

  “Well, I’ll be. Mr. Colletti, your father.”

  “Can I go in now?”

  “Yes, darlin’, you can.”

  Nickole went into Nick’s room, leaving the cop with deep thoughts written on his face. Nick’s face beamed with joy when he saw Nickole come into his room. His voice was a faint whisper as he spoke.

  “You came back! I was praying that you would.” His eyes moved around the room, searching, back to Nickole’s face as he said, “Your mother! Where is she?”

  “She is not here. She will not be coming back. She said you would understand why.”

  “Yes, I guess I do. But how did you get here?”

  “Mama put me on the train this morning. I came all by myself.”

  “Nickole, are you planning on coming back?”

  “Yes, I was. Don’t you want me to?”

  “Of course I do. But I am worried about you coming here alone, as young as you are.”

  “Aw, you sound just like Mama now.”

  “Well, your mother is right. You don’t know what the dangers of a little girl traveling alone can be. Before you leave today, I want you to tell that cop outside that I want to see him.”

  Nickole took Nick’s hand in hers as she answered, “Okay, Papa, I will.
”

  “Did I hear you right? You called me Papa?”

  “Well, you are, aren’t you? Don’t you want me to?”

  “Of course I do! It’s just — but I didn’t expect you to, that’s all.”

  Nickole smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. They spent the rest of the day talking and getting to know each other. She told him about her beloved dear friend, Sally, and how violent her death was. Nickole read to him for a while, and then he fell asleep. After that, Nickole just sat there, watching him as he slept and thinking to herself about how her life had begun to change in such a short time. Nickole’s thoughts were interrupted when the cop poked his head in the door. “Little one, it’s almost

  one-thirty. You best be going now.”

  “Thank you, sir. My father wanted to talk to you before I left. But he is sleeping now.”

  “I was sleeping,” Nick said as he drowsily opened his eyes. “Is it time for you to go? I’m sorry I went to sleep on you.”

  “That’s okay, Papa, Yes, I have to leave now. I have to catch the two o’clock train for home.”

  Nick looked toward the cop. “Tell him to come here, Nickole, and you wait for him outside.”

  “Yes, Papa. Good-bye for now, I will see you tomorrow.” Nickole kissed Nick good-bye and left the room, telling the cop her father wanted him.

  Nick looked deep into the cop’s eyes as he said, “You know she is my daughter?”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “Well then, I want you to look out for her. See that she gets to and from the train safely every time she

  comes. Will you do this for me?”

  “Yes, sir. I will gladly do it for you. I was thinkin’ the same thing myself, about her comin’ here alone an’ all.”

  “I feel a little better now that I know someone I can trust will be with her. Thank you.”

  “That’s all right, sir. I don’t mind at all. It’s my job to look out for you and her. If you don’t mind me sayin’, Mr. Colletti, you have got one very sweet little girl.”

  “Yes, I know. Thank you.”