Who is Lou Sciortino? by Ottavio Cappellani Page B

the fuck the Secondigliano Alliance was. And Ciro La Bruna, being the top guy he was, sent a message to Carmine Gullotta saying, “Sorry, Don Carmine, we must have made a mistake.”
    Carmine Gullotta was left speechless.
    In return, every now and again Don Giorgino Favarotta has to cut the La Brunas in on a job being done by some crew up in the north, and every now and again he and Sal Scali have to perform a service for the La Brunas of Forcella and America.
    *   *   *
    In the hotel bar, Uncle Sal spots the three men and walks toward them deferentially. The meeting is taking place in a hotel because that’s what protocol requires. Don Giorgino has to reprimand Uncle Sal in public and tell him to straighten out this sergeant business. To do this, he can’t invite Uncle Sal to his house, he can’t threaten a guest who’s paying a social call, he has to go to Sal. And he can’t go to his house, because his family and kids are there.
    â€œDon Giorgino,” Uncle Sal says, “you’re here.”
    And he stands there, waiting for a sign.
    Don Giorgino doesn’t move.
    One of his picciotti goes up to Don Giorgino and whispers in his ear, “Sal Scali’s here.”
    Don Giorgino jumps. “Turuzzeddu is here?”
    â€œHere I am, Don Giorgino!”
    â€œHere he is,” the picciotto says.
    â€œSo why don’t you tell him to sit down?” Don Giorgino says to the picciotto.
    The picciotto signals to Uncle Sal that he can sit down.
    Uncle Sal sits down and looks around him.
    â€œIs it true Turuzzeddu fucked up?” Don Giorgino asks the picciotto on his right.
    â€œIt’s true, Don Giorgino, I fucked up!” Uncle Sal says.
    â€œIt’s true, he tells me,” Don Giorgino says. Then he turns to the picciotto on his left. “Is it true or not that I always say, when somebody fucks up they gotta put it right?”
    â€œIt’s true,” the picciotto confirms.
    â€œIt’s true!” Uncle Sal says.
    Don Giorgino nods and turns to the picciotto on his right. “I know if Turuzzeddu fucks up, we gotta give him time to put it right. He’s a quick thinker, I’m sure he’ll straighten things out within a week, because I got some business to take care of in town next week, and I need everything to be clean. Minchia, ” he says, laughing his toothless laugh, “it’s a good thing Turuzzeddu’s a quick thinker, otherwise I’d be in the shit!”
    The picciotto turns to Uncle Sal and says, “Don Giorgino is sure you’ll straighten things out in a week.”
    â€œTell Don Giorgino that Sal Scali has already straightened things out.”
    â€œSal Scali says—”
    â€œI heard him, what do you think I am, deaf?” Don Giorgino says. “Why don’t you two boys go for a walk? Did you hear? Turuzzeddu’s already straightened things out. Now sit here, and tell me about it.” He squeezes the arm of the picciotto on the left and says, “Turuzzeddu says he’s straightened things out, then he has. You think somebody’s going to say things are straightened out when they’re not?”
    The picciotti look at each other, take off their dark glasses, and go out without a word.
    Once they’re alone, Uncle Sal sits down on the chair next to Don Giorgino.
    â€œTuruzzeddu, tell me about it!” Don Giorgino says.
    â€œEverything’s fine,” Uncle Sal says, “just like you ordered. Tonight, that kid Sciortino meets the junkie. He already went to see Uncle Mimmo and threatened him … That way, like you ordered, we talk to the cops, tell them the americano is trying to fuck things up for Sal Scali, shifting the blame from that junkie dipshit onto two of my picciotti who just happened to be passing through Uncle Mimmo’s store! He’s trying to make the cops think I’m some nobody whose word’s for shit—that’s