Graduation

GRADUATION

“These mob guys are hard core,” Agent Ramone shook his head. “To become a ‘made man’ they have to kill a member of their own gang. What a bunch of dopes.”

After turning State’s evidence to save his own skin, Joey Bonanno started blabbing about everything he’d ever done for the gang in his bid to finally move up the ranks to become a ‘made man,’ the mob’s term for a full member of the organization. Being a made man had it’s perks, such as protection, and a steady income from the ill-gotten gains of their diversified, but illegal enterprises. It was a rare privilege, but it had to be earned.

“Shh! I can’t concentrate,” Agent Jameson shushed his partner as he read the transcription of Joey’s initial interview.

FBI: Describe for us this “final task” you had to complete before becoming a “made man.”

JOEY: It was sort of like my graduation ceremony. I was supposed to whack Bonafucci. Y’know, Little Tony, the guy who runs Dino’s Pizza down on Belmont Avenue. Y’know the joint?

FBI: Just for clarification, your orders were to kill Mr. Bonafucci, is that right?

JOEY: Dats what I said, didn’t I?

FBI: Who gave the order?

JOEY: Tommy Scuderi, Lou’s right-hand man. Big Lou himself promised if I whacked out Little Tony, I’d be a made man right on the spot. How ‘bout dem apples? Da big guy himself talking to me like I’m somebody.

FBI: Ok, take us through the steps after receiving your orders. What did you do next?

JOEY: I keep a cold piece handy, y’know, a gun what ain’t got no serial number. I called in a pizza order, and when I went to pick it up, I was supposed to whack Little Tony right there, drop the piece, and leave like nuttin happened, y’know?

FBI: So what went wrong?

JOEY: As soon as I walked in, I could tell Little Tony wasn’t surprised to see me, like he knew I was coming. He had that look.

FBI: What did you do?

JOEY: I’m telling ya, nuttin happened, y’know? Little Tony kept his hands where I couldn’t see’em, so I figgered he had a piece, too, cause he was ready for me.

FBI: Keep talking. Out with it, already!

JOEY: Since Little Tony seemed to be expecting me – and I don’t know how – I simply picked up my pizza and left before things got outta hand.

FBI: How did Scuderi react when you told him things didn’t go as planned?

JOEY: I called Scuderi, and he said fuhgeddaboudit. We’d catch Little Tony another time. He wanted me to come back to his place.

FBI: What did he say when you got back?

JOEY: You’re kiddin’ me, right? I didn’t go nowhere near Scuderi’s. If I had, I’d have been the one getting whacked. That’s the way these things work. You don’t follow through, you’re the one who gets it in the neck. No, I went into hiding and called youse guys. I need protection.

“What a life! These guys are un-effing believable!” Jameson said as he finished reading.

“So what are we going to do with them? We’ve got Joey cooling his heels in one interrogation room, and Little Tony down the hall.”

“And you’re sure neither one knows they’re ratting on each other?”

“Nope. We’re keeping them in the dark. They’re both scared to death the other is still out there waiting to finish the job,” Ramone said.

“It’s really too good; they’re both spilling their guts about the whole organization. They’ve already implicated Scuderi and his boss, Lou, in a dozen homicides, and we’ve only just started.” Jameson laughed.

“I just don’t understand how the mob operates. I mean, why did they want them to kill each other; two birds with one stone, so to speak? I don’t get it.”

“Who cares? For all their talk of ‘family,’ there’s no love lost among any of them, that’s for sure.”

“What’s next?”

“We’ll disappear these two into Witness Protection while we build a solid case. Then they can sing for a jury all over again.”

“Sort of a duet. I like that,” Ramone joked. “As Joey might say, it’s a beautiful thing, y’know?”

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