Page 175 of Marcello

The Severinos.

The Fiorettis.

The Rosolinis.

The Camerotas.

But instead of flaunting their activities like the old guard had, they kept to the shadows and conducted their business in secret. People whispered about them, but the families made sure no one could prove anything. The new Cosa Nostra had learned their lesson from what happened to everyone in Sicily (everyone, that is, except the most powerful family – the Vicaris).

Of all the cities the new generation took over, there was one that proved incredibly difficult.

It held the most potential because of opportunities in international shipping and the piracy of luxury goods –

But it was also the most treacherous, because it was already controlled by a rival organization.

That organization was the Camorra…

And the city was Naples.

With the financial backing of the other families in the mainland Cosa Nostra, Papa had come to Naples as a young man 40 years ago.

He had established a power base… gotten married to a girl from Sicily… raised a family…

And fought the Camorra every step of the way.

The conflict had turned into a long, intractable war. It would die down for years at a time, then suddenly burst back into flames.

It was during one of those violent periods that Rolando and Gilberto had been murdered.

After that, my father had rained hell on the Camorra until they reached a sort of détente.

Luciano had followed in my father’s footsteps, and was his top lieutenant…

But Mama had made Papa promise to keep the truth from me.

And that was why I knew nothing about my father’s being in the Cosa Nostra.

It also explained why I was a prisoner in my own home.

I remember being numb at first.

I was just… shocked. Stunned. In disbelief.

I knew my life wasn’t like the people I saw on television shows and movies…

But I thought that was because we were rich.

Not because we were criminals.

Eventually the numbness faded and was replaced with disgust.

My father was an outlaw.

A scourge on society.

A murderer.

I took on the role of righteous crusader, spurred on by movies about cops who chased and imprisoned people like my father and brother.