Chapter 11 Section VI

Peter Clemenza didn't sleep well that night.In the morning, he got up early and prepared himself a breakfast: a glass of brandy, a thick section of salami and a large piece of thick fresh Italian bread.As usual, fresh Italian bread is still delivered to your doorstep.Then he filled a large plain china mug with hot coffee and anisette.Wearing pajamas and red felt slippers, he paced back and forth, meditating on the day's tasks.Last night Sonny Corleone made it clear that Paulie Gatto was dealt with immediately.This must be done today. Clemenza was in a dilemma, not because Gatto was his protégé, nor did it mean that the commander had no vision.By all accounts, Paulie's parentage is unassailable.He came from a Sicilian family.He had grown up with the Corleone children, and had been schoolmates with one of the Corleone sons.There was nothing wrong with his first stages of growth.He has been tested and found no shortcomings.Then when he had passed the "hard test," he made a good living on the backing of the Corleone family, receiving regular grants from the East Coast "ledgers," and a spot on the Society's payroll.But Clemenza never knew that Paulie Gatto was working as a hired ranger outside, supplementing his income with the extra high wages.This is definitely against the family rules and regulations, but it also says a lot about the character of the person.Violation of such rules and regulations is considered a sign of energy, like that of a good racehorse trying to break free of the rope.

Bowie, on the other hand, never got into trouble because of his extra high salary.The extra income has been carefully planned, done quietly, safely and without harming anyone.He had three thousand dollars on the payroll at the Garment Center in Manhattan and a small sum on the payroll at the Porcelain Factory in poor Brooklyn.No matter how you say it, it is okay for young people to have more money in their pockets, and it is in line with the rules.But who would have guessed that Paulie Gatto would one day become a traitor? It was staffing that was troubling Peter Clemenza.The execution of Gatu was as ordinary as a routine.The problem is that in the family organization system, who will the commander promote from the grassroots to replace Gatu?This is a major promotion, and it cannot be given to any "handyman" casually.The ones to be promoted must be tough, capable, faithful, not soft-boned people who tell the truth when things go wrong, but good guys who have been fully educated by the Sicilian "dumb" law, the law of secrecy. .In addition, there is another question, what kind of treatment should I enjoy after accepting the new task?Several times Clemenza had suggested to the Don that bonuses should be increased for key orderly men who were on the front line for the first time when something went wrong, but the Don would not agree.If Borry had gotten a little more bonus, he would probably have rejected the lure of the scheming "Turk" Sollozzo.

Clemenza made some eliminations, and the shortlist was down to three.The first is the law enforcers who maintain black discipline within the rogue group.He worked with some of the Negro lottery dealers in Harlem, and he was a huge, easy-going man with a charm to get on with the crowd, but sometimes he made people afraid of him.Clemenza crossed off his name after thinking about it for half an hour.The reason is that this person has too frequent contacts with black people, which indirectly shows that there is a stain on his personality.Also, it is difficult to find another person to replace him when his position becomes vacant.

The second name Clemenza considered was a lad who did a great job in the organizational system.He was a moneylender collector in Manhattan licensed by the Corleone Family.He was a runner for the bookies.And to get such a major promotion, obviously the conditions are not very mature yet. In the end, he settled on Rocco Rabon.Rabon served a brief but excellent apprenticeship in the family system.He had been wounded in Africa during the war and walked with a noticeable limp.Clemenza put him in touch on the black market, and he frequented clothing centers and dealt with government officials in charge of food stamp duty at the Price Administration.After being tempered by this kind of specific work, Rapunzel is very capable and has become an expert in solving troublesome problems in this line of work.What Clemenza particularly admired was his sound judgment.Lappone understood that being stubborn and stubborn on a certain issue would end up in either a heavy monetary fine or a six-month prison sentence criminally.He is very self-aware: he is not in a line of business where the use of threats is unscrupulous.Threats should only be used in moderation.His approach to the whole system he's in charge of has always been low-key, and that's exactly what's needed.

Clemenza felt a burst of relief, the kind of relief an executive feels after solving a thorny staffing problem.Yes, the right assistant is Rocco Rapen.Clemenza was going to deal with the problem himself, not only to help an inexperienced novice go through the "hard test" but also to settle a personal score with Paulie Gatto.Pauly had always been his protégé; he had promoted him by leaps and bounds in the past, and passed many more qualified and loyal people;Today, Paulie betrayed not only his family, but also his mentor, Peter Clemenza.This unselfish behavior must be liquidated. Everything is arranged.Paulie Gatto had orders, a car was coming for him at three o'clock in the afternoon, nothing serious.Now, Clemenza picked up the phone and dialed Rocco Rabon's number.He didn't say who he was, but simply said:

"Come to my house, I have a task to explain to you." Clemenza was very happy to hear Rabon's voice. Although it was early in the morning, he could hear that he was not panicked by the sudden call, nor was he stunned by sleepiness.He answered simply: "Ok." "Boy!" Clemenza added. "Don't worry, come see me after lunch. But not later than two o'clock in the afternoon." Another terse "Okay" came from the phone, and Clemenza hung up.He had already told his men to gather at Corleone Boulevard to replace Tessio's men, and he had done so, and he had plenty of capable assistants.He never intervenes directly in such activities.

He decided to wash his "Cadillac" car.He loves this brand of car, in which you can hear no noise, feel very stable, and the interior decoration is very elegant.When the weather is good, he will sit in it for an hour, because it is much more comfortable to sit in the car than at home.Whenever he washes the car, he always thinks about it: thinking of his father's meticulous care of the donkey in Italy at this time. Clemenza muses in the heated garage, which is cold.He is reviewing his plans.Be careful with Paulie, he's like a mouse, he can tell if he's in danger by smelling it.Of course, although he was usually fearless, since the old man was not dead, he must be in fear.He was as irritable as a donkey tickled by a giant ant.But Clemenza is used to dealing with these kinds of issues.It's his job to do that.First, there had to be an excuse to ask Rocco to accompany both him and Paulie.Secondly, there must be a task that sounds reasonable and requires the three of them to complete together.

Of course, strictly speaking, such caution is completely unnecessary, and Paulie Gatto could be easily killed without this set of mysticism.He is already the turtle in the urn, and he can't escape even if he wants to escape.But Clemenza felt strongly that it was important to maintain good work habits and make sure they were foolproof.After all, these questions are about life and death, and you can't predict what accidents will happen along the way. As Peter Clemenza washes down his baby blue car, he thinks about what he's going to say and previews the facial expressions he'll be performing.He was going to be rude to Paulie.As if angry with him.In a man as sensitive and suspicious as Paulie Gatto, this might have baffled him.The posturing politeness might have put him on his guard.But, of course, the so-called roughness must not be manifested in excessive rage.To appear as a careless casual tantrum.Why is Rabone here?Pauli must have been surprised by this, especially since Rabon had to sit in the back seat.Paulie sat in the driver's seat by himself, and with Rabon behind him, Paulie felt he would be in the way in case of an accident.Clemenza scratched and polished the Cadillac and got bored.It's a tough question, very tricky.For a moment he mulled over whether to find someone else, but then dismissed the idea.On this question he follows a method of elementary reasoning.In a number of years the situation may change and one of his colleagues may present evidence against him for his own benefit.If there is only one accomplice, even if he gets up, the result is bound to be difficult to distinguish right from wrong.But if a second accomplice had been present, his testimony could have been foregone.He can't be sloppy, he has to strictly follow the procedures.

What bothered Clemenza was the fact that the results of the execution had to be "public," that is, for the body to be discovered.He preferred to dispose of the body so that no one could find it. (Usual places for burial are the nearby ocean, or swampland in New Jersey owned by friends of the Corleone family or others more indirectly.) But the body must be made public, in order to deter would-be traitors while It also served as a warning to the enemy that the Corleone family had by no means become incompetent and weak.On the one hand, Sollozzo will be vigilant when he knows that the traitor he bought was discovered so quickly, and on the other hand, the Corleone family will also recover the loss of prestige.The shooting of the old man made the Corleone family look a little mediocre and inactive.

Clemenza sighed: the Cadillac was polished like a giant egg of blue steel, and he was far from solving his problem.In the end, he had a sudden inspiration, a plan that was both logical and straightforward.This solution would explain why Rocco Rabon, himself, and Paulie were together: the three of them were tasked with carrying out a major mission that required full secrecy. He was going to tell Paulie that their task today was to find an apartment in case the family leader decided to mobilize "soldiers sleeping on mattresses". Whenever the war between the families is at a critical moment, the opposing sides will set up a headquarters in a secret apartment. The room is covered with mattresses, and the "soldiers" can sleep on the mattresses.

So a trusted regiment commander went out to rent a secret apartment so that in the event of an offensive the secret apartment could be used as a base for the city.Clemenza was entrusted with this one task for good reason.It is also reasonable for him to take Gatu and La Peng to implement all matters, including the interior decoration.Besides, Clemenza laughed at the thought that Paulie Gatto had proved himself greedy; How much money do you get. Rocco Rabon came early and Clemenza explained what had to be done and their mission.Surprised and grateful, Rapon beamed with joy and respectfully thanked Clemenza for promoting him and allowing him to serve the Corleone family directly.Clemenza was convinced he had picked the right man.He patted Rabon on the shoulder and said: "You will get better treatment in the future, we will talk about this later. You also understand that the family is currently busy with more urgent issues and more important matters that are urgently to be completed." Rabon shook his hand to show that he was not in a hurry. Clemenza went into his closet and opened the safe inside.He took out a gun and gave it to Rabon. "Just use this," he said, "they'll never be able to track it down. Leave it in the car with Paulie after you've used it. When this mission is done, I want you to take your wife and kids to Florida." Vacation. Take it easy and enjoy the sun. Stay at the Corleone Family Hotel in Miami Beach. Use your own money for now, and I'll pay you back later." Clemenza's wife knocked on the door of the secret room to tell them that Paulie Gatto had arrived.His car was in the driveway.Clemenza went ahead and came out through the garage, followed by Rabon; Clemenza got in the front seat next to Gatto, and he just grunted in greeting and showed anger on his face look.He looked at his watch, as if he knew it well, felt that Gatu was late, and wanted to confirm it. The stoat-like squire was watching him intently, as if searching for some clue.Rabon got in the car and sat behind him.He flinched and said: "Rocco, lean over there. You're so big that you're completely blocking the light in my rearview mirror." Rapon moved submissively, and sat behind Clemenza, like a gag It was the most natural thing in the world to make such a request. Clemenza said sullenly to Gatto, "Sonny's a fucking loser, scared, he's already thinking of getting a mattress, we've got to find a place out west. Paul, you and Rocco With an order from above, all the soldiers can live in. Do you know any suitable places?” As he expected, Gatu’s eyes showed hungering interest.Paulie Gatto was hooked, for now he was thinking of how valuable this information would be to Sollozzo, and he forgot whether he himself was in danger.In addition, La Peng also performed well.He looked out the window, looking idle and lazy.Clemenza is happy with who he has decided on. Gatto shrugged. "I'm going to have to think about that a lot," he said. Clemenza snorted like a pig: "Thinking about it, driving hard, I'm going to New York City today." Paulie was an experienced driver, and there weren't many cars in the city in the afternoon, so they arrived as soon as night fell.They didn't chat in the car, and Clemenza directed Paulie to park in Washington Heights.He checked a few apartment complexes, then told Paulie to park near Arthur Avenue and wait.He left Rocco Rapen in the car as well.He entered the "Virgin Maria" restaurant, ate a simple meal of veal and coleslaw, and nodded when he met acquaintances.An hour passed, and he walked several blocks to the parking lot.He got into the car and saw Gatu and Rabon still waiting. "Shit," Clemenza grumbled. "They want us to go back to Long Beach again. We have another task for us right now. Let's talk about that later, Rocco, your family lives in the city, so we'll keep you, okay?" Rocco said slowly: "My car is still parked at your house, and my wife needs to use the car early tomorrow morning." "Well, then," Clemenza said, "you'll have to come back with us anyway." On the way back to Long Beach, neither of them said a word.On the way back to the city, Clemenza suddenly said: "Paulie, stop, I need to pee." Due to working together for a long time, Gatu knew that the fat commander wanted to urinate whenever he urinated.He often makes such requests.Paulie veered off the road and onto the soft dirt road that led to the swamp.Clemenza got out of the car, walked a few steps towards the grass, and really relieved his little hands.As he turned back to open the car door to get in, he took a quick look up and down the road.There were no lights on the road, and it was pitch black. "Let's go!" Clemenza said. A second later, gunfire rang out inside the car.Paulie Gatto seemed to throw himself forward, bumping himself against the steering wheel and then collapsing on the chair; Clemenza stepped back abruptly, fearing that skull fragments and blood spots would splash on him . Rocco Rabon crawled out of the back seat in a hurry.He still had the gun in his hand, and then threw it into the swamp.He and Clemenza walked quickly to a nearby car, and Rabon found the keys under the seat.He drove Clemenza home first, then followed the Jones Beach Causeway to the town of Merrick, then continued along Grass Creek Parkway to North State Parkway, to the Long Island Expressway, and then continued straight to the Whitestone Bridge, Across the Bronx and back to his Manhattan home.