Solamente: The Associate Has A Secret [REVISED]

CHAPTER 3-1: Things You Can't Find

ON TERMINOLOGIES:

Meanings of words/phrases with a (*) can be found in the Glossary of Mafia-Related Terminology.

Chapter 3-1's Umore are:

♪ When Sunny Gets Blue by McCoy Tyner

♪ Things I Thought Were Mine by Alfie Templeman

♪ Calling The Shots by Jamie B.

Link to the Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/yyj9cx5q

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Even among the mafia, Alessio De Laurentiis is known to be an earnest and steadfast man. Yet this man, who remains to be one of the most promising Alphas in the Cosa Nostra, prefers to disconnect himself from others.

Alessio is no social recluse, but he is not a people person, either. The young Capo Bastone* is making every effort to distance himself from those who have nothing to do with the family. Yet he is, for the most part, a surprisingly well-liked man.

It could probably be the man's quietness or his mild-mannered demeanor, or that gentle yet commanding tone that prompts others to act. Or perhaps it was the pleasantness that exuded about him. Most mafioso exuded an air of modesty in dress and manner of speaking but many of them bore rugged faces as unforgiving as stone. Alessio was on a different page on the same book.

But Alessio, much like most mafioso in his generation, is more reasonable, calm, and clear-sighted than his predecessors. He is fine-looking in a raffish and seedy kind of way; with a strange veneer of softness that never fails to make heads turn. Yet there is a subtle flame behind his calm face - one that keeps people on their toes.

But being well-liked is the least of Alessio's concerns. Over the years, the man has become a leader in the making - singular in his focus and assertive in his goals. His sternness can be seen in the way he pushes boundaries, in his own endurance, in his work ethics. And while he's not interested in perfection, his standards are on a level of their own.

The demands Alessio had placed on himself are quite extreme. While he was completely unhinged and rebellious in his younger years, he was now as strict and unforgiving as he could be, especially to those who abuse his generosity. He had high expectations toward people he works with, often making him a difficult – if not impossible – person to work with.

He has certainly roughened within the years, even more so when Don Filipo De Laurentiis, Alessio's father and the current Boss, had become ill. As the firstborn son and an Alpha, Alessio was next in line to become the family's patriarch.

And so, he had to grow up fast, and all that growing up involved putting aside all the lofty ideals he had in the past, all his personal dreams and ambitions... everything he held dear in his heart.

All for the sake of the borgata.

It had become Alessio's sole responsibility as Capo Bastone to represent the family in the Commission* and in social gatherings. And as the newest – and perhaps the last – borgata to have been recognized as part of the Italian American mafia, Alessio had to put up a strong front for people he wanted to impress.