Faust

'I heard you got whacked'

About six to five years ago, after the Knox incident before I met those two nut job sisters. Those days I took a noticeable amount of work from gangs in little Italy, since I'm the peace broker, the mediator. I was able to remain on good terms with most gangs, and I got to know the district well enough that I could feel something was off when Santoro came out of absolutely nowhere.

Even today, where the Santoro family came from is still a mystery. The most logical theory was they were the combination of several small crews located close to the O'deans and took control of their territory when Knox wiped off the gang. This explains why they're quite open about the whole background, surname, bloodlines matter compared to others. (Though you still got to be Italian as fuck to break the glass ceiling.)

Another reason I know something huge is about to happen is because of Enzo again.

It took me almost 6 months to pay him back. On the day I ended the dues, he grabs my shoulder saying this deserves a celebration and lead me to a rundown pub with neon lights in the shape of Christmas trees even though it was way passed that season.

            By that time he had left Nicola's circle to join a smaller crew at north, closer to Saint Alisha. The most notable aspect of this group is it spurns the growing Santoro family.

             From the way he talks and interacts with the other members, putting minimal effort into the conversations yet still hangs by the edge of it. A sense of deja vu hit me like a spear through my brain. I found an excuse to leave at midnight, but when I reach for my wallet he stopped me. Telling me it's on him.

              Two days later the head of the gang along with his uncle and two cousins were pinned by the cops for attempting extortion of government agents.
              The loosed structured gang quickly dissolved the rest of the members scattered around Little Italy. It even made it to the third page of a broadsheets with a snobbish title:
An anonymous tip-off toppled over a criminal business.

Enzo then joins his next crew, this one is located right next to Santoro.

               Jumping between gangs like it's a fucking playground is something no one has ever done before in Little Italy. But Enzo did it more times than I can remember, every time there will be a perfectly good explanation for his 'inevitable' departure. It's either the gang was merged or purged by another that came knocking at the most unexpected timing.

              The similarity among these crews of the past is that every single one of them was either against or close to the Santoro family and what they stand for.

              Enzo's past records aren't pretty, some call him jinxed others think he's a snake for switching sides on a daily basis. But he just so happens to be one capable and eloquent motherfucker that all the.... rumors about him, can be overseen.

              The next time I saw him was almost one year after the night at the rundown pub with Christmas neon lights. Once again, I was hired as a mediator by the rising Santoro family for a peace negotiation with the Sartori which is where Enzo currently resides.

             It was about some skirmishes on the border. By that time, much like Piao Jie down south the power struggle between factions was almost ending. All that is left are these two, the rest either picked a side or faded in history like Nicola after Enzo left.

The guy who contacted me for the job promised me they've set their mind on 'ending
this in a consonant fashion'.....

Truth be told, the Santoros are probably the only ones in the city that can say this unironically without making me laugh. These fellows are diplomats over violence most of the time. With that in mind and the handsome compensation promised, I took the job without much thought. Thinking this would be an easy score.