Chapter 23 Section 17

The 1947 war between the Corleones and the Five Families was costly for both parties.This is compounded by the pressure on all sides from the police to resolve the case of Officer McCloskey.It is rare for police executives to disdain politically powerful figures who protect gambling and other nefarious activities, but in this case the politicians were also helpless, like a rampaging army of officers who did not carry out orders from their superiors. , The army looting everywhere, the staff is also helpless. This unprotected state did little harm to the Corleone family.The lottery, under the control of the Corleone Gang, which makes most of its income from sponsorship, has been hit particularly hard.The receptionists and cashiers who run such events are caught by the police, and they are usually moderately beaten before they are recorded in the file.Even the secret locations of some dealers were found out and attacked.The loss of money was heavy, and the dealers, all men in their own right, complained to the Commander; the Commander took their complaints to the family council table.However, still nothing can be done.The answer to the bookmakers was to change jobs.There were lone warriors among the local men who were allowed to take over the gambling operations in Harlem.Harlem is the most profitable area in this industry. Instead of concentrating their casinos in one place, they are scattered everywhere and move around, so it is difficult for the police to catch them.

Since the death of Constable McCloskey, some newspapers have carried stories about his involvement with Sollozzo.Newspapers published evidence that he had received several large cash payments before his death.These stories were all made up by Hagen and provided by him.The police department neither admitted nor denied these stories, but it worked.The police authorities got information from informers, from cops on a regular stipend from the Corleone family, that McCloskey was a rogue cop in the first place.The problem is not that he accepts money or legitimate bribes, but that he accepts the dirtiest of dirty money, murder money and drug money.In terms of police ethics, this is unforgivable.

Hagen knew it: The police believed in law and order to a ridiculously naive degree.They trust law and order more than the masses trust law and order.Law and order is ultimately the magic spring from which the police draw their power, the magic spring of personal power.They cherished their personal rights as all men cherish their personal rights.However, they have always had a smoldering sense of resentment towards the people.The people are the object of their protection and at the same time the object of their plunder.As objects of protection, the people appear ungrateful, restless, and make endless demands; as objects of plunder, the people appear slippery, dangerous, and cunning.Once someone is caught by the police, the institutions of society that the police protect exert all their power in an attempt to trick the person they have captured.Here, the politicians are behind the scenes.Judges are always lenient in giving suspended sentences to the heinous robbers.State governors, and even the President of the United States himself, often issue amnesties because they believe that respected lawyers have failed to secure acquittals for criminals.After a period of time like this, the police will learn how to behave. Why shouldn't he accept the money handed over by the gangster?He needs money more.And his kids, why shouldn't his kids go to college?Why shouldn't his wife go shopping in expensive stores?Why shouldn't he himself go to Florida for the sun during the winter break?All in all, it's not a joke to say that being a police officer is a life-saving job.

However, the police generally will never accept dirty bribes.He could take some money and let the bookies go about their business.He can also accept some money from someone who doesn't want to buy parking and speeding tickets in advance.He can allow prostitutes who just make a phone call and prostitutes who wait for customers to solicit business, of course with a certain fee.Such vices are human nature.Usually, however, he would not accept the stolen money to indulge in drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape, murder, and various other outrageous crimes.In their view, condoning such crimes undermines one's prestige and is therefore unacceptable.

The murder of a police officer is tantamount to regicide: but when news spread that McCloskey was murdered in the company of notorious narcotics dealers, the fact that McCluskey was suspected of complicity in the murder As the facts became overwhelming, the police's desire to take retaliatory action abated.Also, without the "redemption" money sent in by rogue robbers, the police would have to scrimp and save just to make ends meet, and unlicensed street vendors could just send some lunch money.Dividing the spoils on the parking fare can also add up.Some more unscrupulous policemen, in the district police assembly hall

, even searching for money on suspects (homosexuals and batterers).Finally, high The senior police officer finally showed kindness.They raised their asking prices and got the families back in business, with pay lists typed out by bribe brokers in the precinct.List every policeman who belongs to the district on the list, and after the name is the amount of money each person should get every month.In this way, the social program was restored somewhat. It was Hagen's idea to hire private detectives to guard Don Corleone's ward.The strength of these private detectives has been supplemented and strengthened by the soldiers of Tessio's regiment, but Sonny is not at ease about such measures.By mid-February, when the old man could be moved without danger, he was brought home by ambulance to the Boulevard.The house had been converted beforehand: what had been his bedroom was now a well-appointed hospital ward.Nurses are hired after special selection and review, and they are on duty 24 hours a day and night.Dr. Kennedy agreed to work here as a family doctor after all the talk and the attraction of a high salary. The deadline is to wait until the old man's condition improves and he only needs nurses to take care of him.

The defense of the entire forest road has been strengthened, and it is impregnable.The military workers moved into several other houses, and all the original residents were sent to their hometowns in Italy for vacation, and all expenses were reimbursed. Fred Corleone was sent to Las Vegas, partly to recuperate, and partly to open up a site where the Corleone family could also grow their thriving luxury hotel and gambling complex. carry out activities. Vegas is part of the neutral West Coast Empire whose overlord keeps Freddie safe.The five major families in New York also had no intention of coming to Vegas to search for Freddie and made enemies everywhere.They had enough trouble to deal with in New York.

Dr. Kennedy strictly forbade discussing business matters in front of the old man.But this prohibition was generally ignored.The old man insisted that the meeting be held in his house, and the night the old man moved home, Sonny, Tom Hagen, Peter Clemenza, and Tessio were all gathered in his house. Don Corleone was too weak to say much, but he wanted to hear and exercise his veto.When he heard that Freddie had been sent to Vegas to learn about the gambling business there, he nodded in agreement.He shook his head and sighed when he heard that Bruno Tattaglia had been killed by the Corleone family's gunmen, but what annoyed him most was that Michael had killed Sollozzo and Sergeant McCloskey instead. Forced to flee to Sicily.When he had finished listening, he gestured for them all to go out; they continued their meeting in the corner room where the law books were kept.

Sonny Corleone sat relaxed in the big armchair at the back of the office. "I think we'd better let the old man take it easy for a week or two until the doctor says he can go back to work." He paused, then added, "I want to get the business back on until he gets better." Open. We've got the nod from the police that we're open. The first thing to do is the lottery dealers in Harlem. Those black person daredevils are working hard there, and we've got to take the dealers back. They're making money by swindling , but that's all right, just as they're always scamming in everything they do, and they've got a lot of clerks who don't pay the lottery winners. I don't like them looking rich to the gamblers; I don't like them dressing up too nicely; I don't like it when they have new cars. I don't like them cheating on lottery winners. I don't want lone bookmakers to keep doing it. They've ruined our name. Tom, let's get this This kind of business starts right away. As soon as you put out the word that the lid is open, everything else will fall into place."

Hagen said, "There's a couple of really tough kids out there in Harlem who've tasted the big bucks and don't want to go back and go back to running errands or sub-banks." Sonny shrugged. "Just give Clemenza the name of such a person, and that's his job, teach them a lesson," Clemenza said to Hagen, "No problem." Tessio asked a most important question. "Once we're open, the Five Families will raid. They'll hit our bookmakers in Harlem and our bookies on the East Side. They'll even make life difficult for the entire crew at the clothing center we're protecting. That's A war looks like it's going to cost a lot of money."

"Probably not," Sonny said. "They know we'll fight fire with fire. I've sent out peace messengers to find out. Maybe we just pay a pension for that Tattaglia boy and we'll settle everything." question." Hagen said: "We've been treated very coldly in these negotiations right now. They've lost a lot of money in the last few months. They blame us for it, and for good reason. I think they What is required is that we agree to be involved in the narcotics business, to use our family's influence in politics. In other words, the Sollozzo deal without Sollozzo. But unless they want to hinder us in some way, they will It's not going to be brought up for discussion, and when we soften, they'll think it's time for us to think seriously about the narcotics deal." Sonny said emphatically, "No drug dealing. The old man said no, and if he didn't, he wouldn't, unless the old man changed his mind." Hagen said briskly, "Then we have a tactical problem. Our money is in the open. Stakes registers and lottery gambling are vulnerable, but the Tattaglias have prostitutes waiting for customers." And whores on call and the longshore unions, how on earth do we hit them? Other families run gambling too, but mostly construction and money lending, and union control and government contracts. They Extraction of money by robbery and other forms of extortion involves innocent people. Tattaglia's nightclub is so famous that it's not easy to touch it, and if you try, you will make yourself smelly. At present, the old man is still stuck, and his political influence is equal to our political influence. This is the real problem we have at present." "Tom, the question falls to me," said Sonny, "and it is my duty to find out, to continue negotiating and to prepare for other countermeasures. Let's get back to business and see Watch. We're ready for battle anytime, anywhere. Clemenza and Tessio have plenty of soldiers. We can take on the Five Houses, if they insist." There was no difficulty in keeping the black dealers who were going it alone.When the police received the tip, they quickly suppressed it, and they were extraordinarily vigorous in doing this kind of thing.Because at that time, it was not possible for a black man to carry out such activities on a regular basis for senior police officers or government officials.The reason for this is racial prejudice and racial suspicion.The problems in Harlem have always been considered minor problems.The resolution of this issue was also expected. The Five Families attacked the Corleone family.Two powerful officials in the garment union were killed.Both officials are members of the Corleone family.The Corleone moneylenders, like the Corleone bookies, were barred from the shore piers.The local branches of the dock porters' union have fallen to the five major families.The bookies of Corleone's faction were threatened and persuaded to change their allegiance.Harlem's largest lottery bookmaker, Corleone's friend and old ally, is brutally murdered.There was no more choice, and Sonny told his regiment commander that there must be a general mobilization at once. Two apartment buildings were identified in the city as barracks, filled with mattresses and a cold room to keep food.In addition, guns and ammunition are also ready.Clemenza's pawns took one building, Tessio's pawns took another.All the Corleone family and bookmakers are equipped with bodyguards.However, lottery bookmakers in the Harlem area have also turned to the enemy one after another, which is impossible under the current circumstances.All this, the Corleone family lost a lot of money, and the money came in very little.A few months later, other miscalculations became apparent, the most important of which was that the Corleone family was surrounded by powerful enemies. There was a reason for this, too, because the old man was still too weak to take part in the activities, so the political forces that had favored the Corleone family were mostly neutral now.Also, ten years of peaceful life has seriously eroded the fighting will of the two regiment commanders, Clemenza and Tessio.Clemenza, though still a competent executioner and administrator, no longer possessed the energy and youthful vigor to lead an army.Tessio, too, was softer with age, and less hard-hearted.Tom Hagen, talented as he was, was an ill-suited wartime staff officer, and his chief weakness was that he was not Sicilian. Sonny Corleone was aware of the weakness of the family's wartime leadership, but could do nothing to remedy it, because he was not yet an old man.Only when you become an old man can you be qualified to replace the commander and staff.If it is replaced, the situation will be further complicated, and a defection is also likely to occur.At first Sonny had thought only of holding his ground until the old man was healthy enough to carry on the burden of war.But the lottery bookmaker is betrayed, the bookmaker is threatened with violence, and the Corleone family's position grows weaker and weaker.He decided to fight back immediately. He decided to hit the enemy directly in the heart.He drew up a large-scale military operation plan to kill all the heads of the five major families.For this purpose, he established a strict organizational system to monitor the whereabouts of these characters.But a week later, the leader of the enemy suddenly went underground and never appeared again in public. The Five Families and the Corleone Empire are at a stalemate.