Fabrizio’s Rise: Mini Series – Ep. 1
One hot, summer, day in 1955, Fabrizio DeAngelo was sitting on his stoop in front of his Brooklyn Tenement but he wasn’t enjoying the sound of kids playing stickball and eating ice cream from the local Malt Shop. He was thinking of all his problems going on in his life, having no money to support his growing family since his wife had just given birth to his second child and he didn’t want his children to grow up being poor like he did, his bills were piling up, his landlord was harassing him because he wasn’t paying his rent (but he was mostly bothering him because he was Italian) and he was just recently fired from his job as a cab driver. As he was rubbing his head he looked up and saw a brand new Cadillac driving down the road and he automatically knew it was Carlo DeMarco, he was not only the local Mafia wiseguy but he was also a friend of Fabrizio’s since their parents came over from Corleone, Sicily. As the Cadillac came to a stop in front of Fabrizio the door opened and he saw Carlo in what looked like a hand made suit, Italian shoes, a milk white fedora and a huge diamond ring, Fabrizio always thought Carlo was too flashy but he never told him that.
“Fabrizio! How are you my friend!?”
The two embraced each other and patted each other’s back. Fabrizio let out a sigh to quiet enough Carlo didn’t hear it
“I don’t know Carlo, I lost my job, the bills are piling up, the landlord is harassing me, and with the new baby I’m so lost I don’t know what to do.”
Carlo patted Fabrizio on the shoulder and looked him in the eye.
“Listen I’ve known you all my life and I hate to see you in so much trouble so I want to help you out. Here lets go for a ride.”
As the two men were in Carlo’s car down the highway down to the docks Carlo lit a cigar and was talking to Fabrizio.
“ Listen there’s this business I want to go into but can’t trust anyone not to turn me in so I want to offer it to you.” Fabrizio already knew what Carlo was talking about, though he was never a “made member” he always heard what was going on in the neighborhood. For the last few months word was Carlo had been dealing in heroin (which was how he could afford the Cadillac Fabrizio thought) but the mob bosses forbade the dealing of drugs because of the long jail sentences but Carlo never listened. But Fabrizio acted like he didn’t know that.
“What business would that be?” Carlo gave him a look but quickly looked back at the road.
“Well lately I’ve been doing well for myself selling in dope in Jersey but if I can get you to help me in Brooklyn we could both make a killing, what ya think?” Fabrizio took a long pause as he looked at the traffic going by.
“I don’t know Carlo… People tend to hate drugs being sold couldn’t we get into trouble?” Carlo made a quick grin but quickly got more serious.
“Non sense! I’m making so much money no one would dare to kill me! With one shipment that we’re going to get at the docks could make us $500,000 each! Now how can you refuse that? Listen there’s the bus stop ahead, do you want me to drop you off and you can try to find a job? Or do you wanna come with me and make more money then you could ever dream of?”
Fabrizio knew what could happen if the cops catch them that he could spend the rest of his life in jail but worse if the Mob Bosses caught his selling drugs in their neighborhoods they’d kill him. But he had a family to provide for and they were his main goal in life.
Fabrizio lit a cigarette and took a deep breath and said, “I’m in.”
Five months later after going into business with Carlo, Fabrizio has become a multimillionaire. He moved out of his crappy apartment into an estate in Long Island, has his own black Cadillac DeVille, wads of cash always on hand and can afford to send his kids to the top private schools in the state. But what Fabrizio did not know was that just the day before Carlo was taken by the local Mafia Capo for being caught selling heroin to school children, Fabrizio always told Carlo never to deal drugs to kids just adults. But Carlo didn’t listen so as his punishment Carlo was taken to the Brooklyn docks and tortured him till he gave the name of his partner in Brooklyn. Fabrizio knew he’d never betray Carlo but Carlo said to the Capo that Fabrizio was the mastermind of the whole operation. So the Capo gave a look to two of his soldiers and said we’ll go meet Fabrizio and told them to clean Carlo up. The next day Fabrizio was home in his study reading the newspaper his favorite team the New York Yankees just won the World Series when he heard the door bell and heard is wife scream and dropping something made of glass. Fabrizio assumed it was his afternoon coffee so he grabbed the gun in his desk and ran out to see a large man helping his wife pick up the glass his wife had dropped. He recognized the large man: Giovanni Luciano–the most feared Capo in Brooklyn.
“Sorry for the scare all I wanted was to talk to you.” Showing that he wasn’t scared of Giovanni, even though he was, Fabrizio told him to join him in his study that he was just reading the paper.
As the two men sat opposite of each other at Fabrizio’s desk Fabrizio put his paper aside but Giovanni asked to see the paper. As Giovanni was reading the paper he asked if Fabrizio if he knew Carlo DeMarco.
“Well yes I know Carlo we go way back.” As Giovanni put down the paper and a certain section that Fabrizio couldn’t see but it had a large picture on the page.
“Listen Fabrizio I know you and Carlo are dealing dope in Brooklyn and Jersey, now I can’t tell someone how to make a living but what I DON’T like is people dealing drugs to kids! So all I’m saying is that you have my ok to deal drugs in Brooklyn and parts of New Jersey but no dealing to kids alright? I tell you this cause I know you can be trusted to listen to orders. So I hope your operation does well and who knows maybe we can work together some day.” As Giovanni looked at his watch he started to get up from the chair and to the door but before he left he looked at Fabrizio and pointed to the paper that Giovanni left to the last page he looked at before putting it down. “Take a look at that poor guy! He’s a perfect example of why people should listen and show respect like you. Well I’ll let you read the paper I hope you have a good day.”
As Giovanni left, Fabrizio picked up the paper and saw that the picture was Carlo with his head bashed in and with the caption above the picture. “Local Hood killed on the Brooklyn waterfront, Police searching for murderers but have no leads.” Fabrizio put the paper down and sat back in his chair, he knew what Giovanni meant. He knew Giovanni knew him and Carlo worked together but Fabrizio never dealt drugs to kids, he also knew that Carlo must’ve told him he was his partner and where he lived. So Fabrizio realized that Carlo betrayed their friendship thinking he could save his life by giving Fabrizio’s life instead. So Giovanni was telling him he can take over Carlo’s side of the business as well as long as he never deals to kids seeing what can happen when you break the rules and go into business with people who will rat you out. As Fabrizio’s wife came in asking if everything was okay Fabrizio said he was fine and gave her a big hug and told her to start looking for a new house.
“Honey, we just bought this place and the movers are bringing the new furniture we don’t have the money to get another house.”
Fabrizio took a look at the paper at the corner of his eye and looked back at her and gave her a big smile. “Don’t worry honey! I got a feeling business is going to be real good starting today.”
Submitted by The Dubliner