mp.godfather-第59部分

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　written　document　proving　his　ownership　of　the　shares；　to　preclude　any　treachery。　Don　Corleone　had　been　horrified。　〃I　would　trust　you　with　my　whole　fortune；〃　he　told　the　president。　〃I　would　trust　you　with　my　life　and　the　welfare　of　my　children。　It　is　inconceivable　to　me　that　you　would　ever　trick　me　or　otherwise　betray　me。　My　whole　world；　all　my　faith　in　my　judgment　of　human　character　would　collapse。　Of　course　I　have　my　own　written　records　so　that　if　something　should　happen　to　me　my　heirs　would　know　that　you　hold　something　in　trust　for　them。　But　I　know　that　even　if　I　were　not　here　in　this　world　to　guard　the　interests　of　my　children；　you　would　be　faithful　to　their　needs。〃
　
　The　president　of　the　bank；　though　not　Sicilian；　was　a　man　of　tender　sensibilities。　He　understood　the　Don　perfectly。　Now　the　Godfather's　request　was　the　president's　mand　and　so　on　a　Saturday　afternoon；　the　executive　suite　of　the　bank；　the　inference　room　with　its　deep　leather　chairs；　its　absolute　privacy；　was　made　available　to　the　Families。
　
　Security　at　the　bank　was　taken　over　by　a　small　army　of　handpicked　men　wearing　bank　guard　uniforms。　At　ten　o'clock　on　a　Saturday　morning　the　conference　room　began　to　fill　up。　Besides　the　Five　Families　of　New　York；　there　were　representatives　from　ten　other　Families　across　the　country；　with　the　exception　of　Chicago；　that　black　sheep　of　their　world。　They　had　given　up　trying　to　civilize　Chicago；　and　they　saw　no　point　in　including　those　mad　dogs　in　this　important　conference。
　
　A　bar　had　been　set　up　and　a　small　buffet。　Each　representative　to　the　conference　had　been　allowed　one　aide。　Most　of　the　Dons　had　brought　their　Consiglieres　as　aides　so　there　were　paratively　few　young　men　in　the　room。　Tom　Hagen　was　one　of　those　young　men　and　the　only　one　who　was　not　Sicilian。　He　was　an　object　of　curiosity；　a　freak。
　
　Hagen　knew　his　manners。　He　did　not　speak；　he　did　not　smile。　He　waited　on　his　boss；　Don　Corleone；　with　all　the　respect　of　a　favorite　earl　waiting　on　his　king；　bringing　him　a　cold　drink；　lighting　his　cigar；　positioning　his　ashtray；　with　respect　but　no　obsequiousness。
　
　Hagen　was　the　only　one　in　that　room　who　knew　the　identity　of　the　portraits　hanging　on　the　dark　paneled　walls。　They　were　mostly　portraits　of　fabulous　financial　figures　done　in　rich　oils。　One　was　of　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　Hamilton。　Hagen　could　not　help　thinking　that　Hamilton　might　have　approved　of　this　peace　meeting　being　held　in　a　banking　institution。　Nothing　was　more　calming；　more　conducive　to　pure　reason；　than　the　atmosphere　of　money。
　
　The　arrival　time　had　been　staggered　for　between　nine…thirty　to　ten　A。M。　Don　Corleone；　in　a　sense　the　host　since　he　had　initiated　the　peace　talks；　had　been　the　first　to　arrive；　one　of　his　many　virtues　was　punctuality。　The　next　to　arrive　was　Carlo　Tramonti；　who　had　made　the　southern　part　of　the　United　States　his　territory。　He　was　an　impressively　handsome　middle…aged　man；　tall　for　a　Sicilian；　with　a　very　deep　sunburn；　exquisitely　tailored　and　barbered。　He　did　not　look　Italian；　he　looked　more　like　one　of　those　pictures　in　the　magazines　of　millionaire　fishermen　lolling　on　their　yachts。　The　Tramonti　Family　earned　its　livelihood　from　gambling；　and　no　one　meeting　their　Don　would　ever　guess　with　what　ferocity　he　had　won　his　empire。
　
　Emigrating　from　Sicily　as　a　small　boy；　he　had　settled　in　Florida　and　grown　to　manhood　there；　employed　by　the　American　syndicate　of　Southern　small…town　politicians　who　controlled　gambling。　These　were　very　tough　men　backed　up　by　very　tough　police　officials　and　they　never　suspected　that　they　could　be　overthrown　by　such　a　greenhorn　immigrant。　They　were　unprepared　for　his　ferocity　and　could　not　match　it　simply　because　the　rewards　being　fought　over　were　not；　to　their　minds；　worth　so　much　bloodshed。　Tramonti　won　over　the　police　with　bigger　shares　of　the　gross；　he　exterminated　those　redneck　hooligans　who　ran　their　operation　with　such　a　plete　lack　of　imagination。　It　was　Tramonti　who　opened　ties　with　Cuba　and　the　Batista　regime　and　eventually　poured　money　into　the　pleasure　resorts　of　Havana　gambling　houses；　whorehouses；　to　lure　gamblers　from　the　American　mainland。　Tramonti　was　now　a　millionaire　many　times　over　and　owned　one　of　the　most　luxurious　hotels　in　Miami　Beach。
　
　When　he　came　into　the　conference　room　followed　by　his　aide；　an　equally　sunburned　Consigliere；　Tramonti　embraced　Don　Corleone；　made　a　face　of　sympathy　to　show　he　sorrowed　for　the　dead　son。
　
　Other　Dons　were　arriving。　They　all　knew　each　other；　they　had　met　over　the　years；　either　socially　or　when　in　the　pursuit　of　their　businesses。　They　had　always　showed　each　other　professional　courtesies　and　in　their　younger；　leaner　days　had　done　each　other　little　services。　The　second　Don　to　arrive　was　Joseph　Zaluchi　from　Detroit。　The　Zaluchi　Family；　under　appropriate　disguises　and　covers；　owned　one　of　the　horse…racing　tracks　in　the　Detroit　area。　They　also　owned　a　good　part　of　the　gambling。　Zaluchi　was　a　moon…faced；　amiable…looking　man　who　lived　in　a　one…hundred…thousand…dollar　house　in　the　fashionable　Grosse　Pointe　section　of　Detroit。　One　of　his　sons　had　married　into　an　old；　well…known　American　family。　Zaluchi；　like　Don　Corleone；　was　sophisticated。　Detroit　had　the　lowest　incidence　of　physical　violence　of　any　of　the　cities　controlled　by　the　Families；　there　had　been　only　two　execution　in　the　last　three　years　in　that　city。　He　disapproved　of　traffic　in　drugs。
　
　Zaluchi　had　brought　his　Consigliere　with　him　and　both　men　came　to　Don　Corleone　to　embrace　him。　Zaluchi　had　a　booming　American　voice　with　only　the　slightest　trace　of　an　scent。　He　was　conservatively　dressed；　very　businessman；　and　with　a　hearty　goodwill　to　match。　He　said　to　Don　Corleone；　〃Only　your　voice　could　have　brought　me　here。〃　Don　Corleone　bowed　his　head　in　thanks。　He　could　count　on　Zaluchi　for　support。
　
　The　next　two　Dons　to　arrive　were　from　the　West　Coast；　motoring　from　there　in　the　same　car　since　they　worked　together　closely　in　any　case。　They　were　Frank　Falcone　and　Anthony　Molinari　and　both　were　younger　than　any　of　the　other　men　who　would　e　to　the　meeting；　in　their　early　forties。　They　were　dressed　a　little　more　informally　than　the　others；　there　was　a　touch　of　Hollywood　in　their　style　and　they　were　a　little　more　friendly　than　necessary。　Frank　Falcone　controlled　the　movie　unions　and　the　gambling　at　the　studios　plus　a　plex　of　pipeline　prostitution　that　supplied　girls　to　the　whorehouses　of　the　states　in　the　Far　West。　It　was　not　in　the　realm　of　possibility　for　any　Don　to　bee　〃show　biz〃　but　Falcone　had　just　a　touch。　His　fellow　Dons　distrusted　him　accordingly。
　
　Anthony　Molinari　controlled　the　waterfronts　of　San　Francisco　and　was　preeminent　in　the　empire　of　sports　gambling。　He　came　of　Italian　fishermen　stock　and　owned　the　best　San　Francisco　sea　food　restaurant；　in　which　he　took　such　pride　that　the　legend　had　it　he　lost　money　on　the　enterprise　by　giving　too　good　value　for　the　prices　charged。　He　had　the　impassive　face　of　the　professional　gambler　and　it　was　known　that　he　also　had　something　to　do　with　dope　smuggling　over　the　Mexican　border　and　from　the　ships　plying　the　lanes　of　the　oriental　oceans。　Their　aides　were　young；　powerfully　built　men；　obviously　not　counselors　but　bodyguards；　though　they　would　not　dare　to　carry　arms　to　this　meeting。　It　was　general　knowledge　that　these　bodyguards　knew　karate；　a　fact　that　amused　the　other　Dons　but　did　not　alarm　them　in　the　slightest；　no　more　than　if　the　California　Dons　had　e　wearing　amulets　blessed　by　the　Pope。　Though　it　must　be　noted　that　some　of　these　men　were　religious　and　believed　in　God。
　
　Next　arrived　the　representative　from　the　Family　in　Boston。　This　was　the　only　Don　who　did　not　have　the　respect　of　his　fellows。　He　was　known　as　a　man　who　did　not　do　right　by　his　〃people；〃　who　cheated　them　unmercifully。　This　could　be　forgiven；　each　man　measures　his　own　greed。　What　could　not　be　forgiven　was　that　he　could　not　keep　order　in　his　empire。　The　Boston　area　had　too　many　murders；　too　many　petty　wars　for　power；　too　many　unsupported　free…lance　activities；　it　flouted　the　law　too　brazenly。　If　the　Chicago　Mafia　were　savages；　then　the　Boston　people　were　gavones；　or　uncouth　louts；　ruffians。　The　Boston　Don's　name　was　Domenick　Panza。　He　was　short；　squat；　as　one　Don　put　it；　he　looked　like　a　thief。
　
　The　Cleveland　syndicate；　perhaps　the　most　powerful　of　the　strictly　gambling　operations　in　the　United　States；　was　represented　by　a　sensitive…looking　elderly　man　with　gaunt　features　and　scow…white　hair。　He　was　known；　of　course　not　to　his　face；　as　〃the　Jew〃　because　he　had　surrounded　himself　with　Jewish　assistants　rather　than　Sicilians。　It　was　even　rumored　that　he　would　have　named　a　Jew　as　his　Consigliere　if　he　had　dared。　In　any　case；　as　Don　Corleone's　Family　was　known　as　the　Irish　Gang　because　of　Hagen's　membership；　so　Don　Vincent　Forlenza's　Family　was　known　as　the　Jewish　Family　with　somewhat　more　accuracy。　But　he　ran　an　extremely　efficient　organization　and　he　was　not　known　ever　to　have　fainted　at　the　sight　of　blood；　despite　his　sensitive　features。　He　ruled　with　an　iron　hand　in　a　velvet　political　glove。
　
　The　representatives　of　the　Five　Families　of　New　York　were　the　last　to　arrive　and　Tom　Hagen　was　struck　by　how　much　more　imposing；　impressive；　these　five　men　were　than　the　out…of…towners；　the　hicks。　For　one　thing；　the　five　New　York　Dons　were　in　the　old　Sicilian　tradition；　they　were　〃men　with　a　belly〃　meaning；　figuratively；　power　and　courage；　and　literally；　physical　flesh；　as　if　the　two　went　together；　as　indeed　they　seem　to　have　done　in　Sicily。　The　five　New　York　Dons　were　stout；　corpulent　men　with　massive　leonine　heads；　features　on　a　large　scale；　fleshy　imperial　noses；　thick　mouths；　heavy　folded　cheeks。　They　were　not　too　well　tailored　or　barbered；　they　had　the　look　of　no…nonsense　busy　men　without　vanity。
　
　There　was　Anthony　Stracci；　who　controlled　the　New　Jersey　area　and　the　shipping　on　the　West　Side　docks　of　Manhattan。　He　ran　the　gambling　in　Jersey　and　was　very　strong　with　the　Democratic　political　machine。　He　had　a　fleet　of　freight　hauling　trucks　that　made　him　a　fortune　primarily　because　his　trucks　could　travel　with　a　heavy　overload　and　not　be　stopped　and　fined　by　highway　weight　inspectors。　These　trucks　helped　ruin　the　highways　and　then　his　road