The Rock Star and The Mafia

Chapter 46

Alessio made it a point to be up, showered and dressed before Cheri awoke.  He didn't want or need her endlessly worrying about him, also he was not prepared to answer any questions, just yet on what was being prepared for her father.

There was a clandestine meeting set up for all the heads, at a location only determined by Don Angelo Silveri.  No one else knew about the location until they were each separately texted, when and what time to meet.

Dressed in his black suit, Alessio opted for a white button down and his blood red tie.  Fitting don't you think?  He looked very intimidating at the moment, in fact all the made men in this room looked that way.

Letting his eyes roll around the room, he took into account that all were present and accounted for.  Benny Sarzo and his crew.  Michael Reinaldo and Vinny Bonnati.  A lot of muscle stood lined up around the room against the wall as well, each protecting their boss.

"Gentlemen" Don Silveri was standing and calling the meeting to order now.  "I trust you all found your way here with little or no trouble" he started.  "Quite a lot has taken place since the last 'meeting'" he said with all seriousness in his tone.

"It would seem that we have a rat among us and this rat has become somewhat of a pest to us now.  Every man sitting at this table is alive today because of Don Castellano.  His quick assessment, information gathering and other leads gave us a chance to escape, virtually unharmed.  

I wish I could say that we didn't suffer any casualties, but the ones we lost will not have died in vain.  With your help, gentlemen, it is my intention to see that Frank Lantana suffers for his crimes against this syndicate."

Benny Sarzo stood up and addressed the group.  "I too am thankful to be standing here with you today.  Don Castellano, had it not been for your quick thinking, my wife would be raising our child alone."  He let them take in his words before continuing.  "Yes gentlemen, my beautiful Angelica is expecting our first child."  There was a smattering of applause at his announcement.

Vinny Bonnati was next.  He was one of three family heads that was not at the dinner but showed up for the doomed-from-the-start meeting at Rockefeller Center.  "Don Castellano, it is true that we all owe you a debt of gratitude for your bravery.  I understand you were wounded as well and I'm thankful to God you are with us" he said while doing the sign of the cross.

"I would, however, like some assurances from you, and Don Silveri, please tell me if I'm out of order, but Alessio you are involved with Lantana's daughter.  Will you please address this body on these concerns?"  Bonnati took a seat while Alessio stood up.

Straightening his jacket and buttoning it, Alessio made eye contact with every man at the table.  "I understand your concerns, Don Bonnati, and I welcome any and all questions that you may have concerning my relationship with his daughter, Cherisa.

Let me say first off, prior to a month ago, she had no contact, phone or otherwise, with that piece of shit for ten years.  The night she came into town, he sent his enforcer to drug and kidnap his own daughter and when that failed, I believe he had Geraldo try and kidnap her again.  Which he did succeed in doing.

He's admitted to murdering her fiance, Cheri's biological mother, which was not Rosalia Lantana and he's admitted to having a son by a mistress that he also had killed.  This son is a loyal member of my organization and Cheri's half brother.  I want this man to cease existing.  He's greedy, he's sly and he's manipulative.

He came to me, wanting a meet with his daughter, trying to use me to get to her and then lied about having cancer.  Gentlemen, rest assured, he's not above or beneath trying anything to get what he wants.  He's a greedy bastard."  Alessio sat down.  He was done.

Don Silveri stood back up.  "I think we can all be assured that Don Castellano is a man of his word and loyal to our famiglia.  I also believe, after meeting Lantana's daughter, that she is an innocent in all of this.  

She had no idea the treachery that this man was capable of.  Does anyone have any other questions for Don Castellano?" he asked.

The main question was how were they going to trap and kill a rat?  The minds that sat around that table surely would be able to formulate a fool-proof plan that would take Lantana from this world.

Marcus Zantini, another family head, spoke up.  "I think first and foremost, we need to put eyes on Lantana.  Track his movements very carefully.  I'm assuming since his attempt failed, he's no longer at his place of residence?"

Alessio addressed this.  "Don Zantini, that is correct.  We have eyes on his house, have spoken with the help and any of his men that were left behind.  He took five men with him and according to Alberto Morelli, we need to go through his office looking for anything he might have left behind.

I'm thinking because his arrogance knows no bounds, he probably never expected his attempt to fail, so there has to be something we're missing or overlooking.  If you want to put some of your trusted people to task in tearing up his office, I have no problem with that.  

We need to establish a preferred method of communication, so we can keep open lines between all the families.  We need to close ranks, tighten them up and show him our numbers and what happens when you fuck with our families, our businesses and our livelihoods."

The men mumbled their approval in the words that Castellano spoke.  Others spoke up with their own ideas and takes on the situation but one thing they all agreed upon one hundred percent was, he had to be stopped, no matter what.  And anyone that had taken up being in league with him would suffer the same fate he was destined to suffer.

The meeting lasted four hours but they had made a lot of ground, phones were being put to use as seconds, captains and soldiers were given their orders and the plan to stop Frank Lantana was being put together to take him down.

Alessio stepped outside to make a phone call.  He needed to hear Cheri's voice.  It rang three times before she answered.  "Alessio?" her sweet voice called out.  He closed his eyes, imagining what she looked like, what she was wearing and very much wanting to be in her vicinity.

"Hey baby" he said after a moment.  "How are you?" he asked.  She said she was fine, slept okay and then she told him about her time with Tommaso that morning.  "You two seem to be getting closer" Alessio remarked.  Cheri sighed.  "We are.  Do you know that I almost didn't agree to doing that farewell show?" she revealed.  Alessio was stunned.

"Why?" he asked.  "I was just tired, you know?  Ready to be done for a while but then I talked to Mikey and he told me what he'd gone through to set it up and I just couldn't let him down.  And you know what?  I'm so glad we took that show.  I would have never met you and who knows if I'd ever known I had a brother."

Her words met a lot to him.  He spoke to her for a bit longer and then told her that he would be home later.  "Would you wait up for me?" he asked.  "You don't have to ask, baby" she said softly.  "I don't sleep well when our bed is empty."

"I love you, Cheri" he said honestly.  He could hear her smile on the other end of the phone.  "I love you too, Castellano" she replied.  Hanging up, he returned to his meeting, where Don Silveri had started handing out assignments, post locations, contacts for each family to get a hold of when information was found, etc.  Lantana would soon meet a fate even he wouldn't be able to manipulate his way out of.