Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 32

The hotel Nic and I had met Don Vicari in was straight out of The Godfather Part II.

Now, sitting outside Don Vicari’s house, I found myself in a scene from the first movie.

Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) is hiding out in Sicily. While he’s there, he sees a beautiful girl named Apollonia and gets struck by the thunderbolt. That’s the Sicilian way of saying love at first sight.

He immediately wants her – needs her – and the only way to do that in Sicily back in the 1940s was to get married (unless you wanted her father or brothers to shoot you in the head).

So Michael talks to her father and goes to visit the girl for the first time. While he’s there at the house, he’s surrounded by a couple dozen of her relatives, from great-grandmas to 5-year-old cousins.

That was pretty much what lunch was like.

There was a massive table set out on a back porch with tons of Sicilian food: caponata made with eggplant, risotto with peas and bits of meat in it, bowls full of pasta, and lots of cold cuts and peasant-style brown bread. Plus homemade wine in bottles without labels.

Everything was simple but delicious – and very different from the food I was used to back in Tuscany.

Around the table sat two dozen relatives, mostly women with a lot of little kids.

Servants flitted back and forth, filling glasses and bringing new platters of food.

And in the background stood a bunch of armed foot soldiers.

Don Vicari sat to my right. Across from me sat Isabella. Her great-grandma sat next to her and across from Don Vicari.

The old lady smiled constantly. She didn’t eat much, but she could really put the wine away.

Also, I noticed that Isabella’s servant girl hovered in the background directly behind her, watching with that same emotionless expression I’d seen on her face earlier.

“Those are my older daughters, Abriana and Marcella,” Vicari said, pointing out two women in their late 20s or early 30s. They both looked up and smiled dutifully, then turned back to yelling at their kids. “Everybody else are their in-laws – sisters, cousins, aunts. Their husbands couldn’t be here because they’re busy running my territories down south. After you settle in, you’ll go meet my son Rocco. Start learning your new job. He’ll show you the ropes.”

“My new job?” I asked, surprised.

“What, you think you’re gonna lounge around all day for the rest of your life?” Vicari said contemptuously. “No. You’re gonna work, just like everybody else. Rocco’ll show you the ropes.”

looked up at Isabella. “Well, now that I’ve got a job, I’ll need to have fun when I’m off work. What do you

“Reading, mostly.”

I repeated, not sure

reading sure didn’t sound

out with friends – those

Reading was homework.

smiled. “I

said about her being a bookworm

Great.

she added, “there’s not much

glanced over my

it was rolling

gloomily, then turned back

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante,” Isabella said eagerly. “And I love Rupi

not knowing who

very famous on Instagram, then started publishing her

you found

Isabella said very seriously. “Papa won’t

Okay, THAT’S weird.

though?” I asked. “I mean, that’s where

won’t let me have a phone,

her like she just told me she liked to eat

Don Vicari taking my phone seemed a little more understandable

there these days,” Vicari grumbled. “The internet is

great-grandmother crossed herself and

I’d realized I was eating with

Vicari, Wait – WHAT

you said earlier about how many

want a bullet in the back of

do you read?”

Men’s Fitness, I

Isabella frowned. “What’s that?”

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