mp.godfather-第56部分

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ithout　being　asked。　Finally　he　decided　to　go　into　the　olive　oil；　importing　business　with　his　boyhood　chum；　Genco　Abbandundo。　Genco　would　handle　the　business；　the　importing　of　the　olive　oil　from　Italy；　the　buying　at　the　proper　price；　the　storing　in　his　father's　warehouse。　Genco　had　the　experience　for　this　part　of　the　business。　Clemenza　and　Tessio　would　be　the　salesmen。　They　would　go　to　every　Italian　grocery　store　in　Manhattan；　then　Brooklyn；　then　the　Bronx；　to　persuade　store　owners　to　stock　Genco　Pura　olive　oil。　（With　typical　modesty；　Vito　Corleone　refused　to　name　the　brand　after　himself。）　Vito　of　course　would　be　the　head　of　the　firm　since　he　was　supplying　most　of　the　capital。　He　also　would　be　called　in　on　special　cases；　where　store　owners　resisted　the　sales　talks　of　Clemenza　and　Tessio。　Then　Vito　Corleone　would　use　his　own　formidable　powers　of　persuasion。
　
　For　the　next　few　years　Vito　Corleone　lived　that　pletely　satisfying　life　of　a　small　businessman　wholly　devoted　to　building　up　his　mercial　enterprise　in　a　dynamic；　expanding　economy。　He　was　a　devoted　father　and　husband　but　so　busy　he　could　spare　his　family　little　of　his　time。　As　Genco　Pura　olive　oil　grew　to　bee　the　bestselling　imported　Italian　oil　in　America；　his　organization　mushroomed。　Like　any　good　salesman　he　came　to　understand　the　benefits　of　undercutting　his　rivals　in　price；　barring　them　from　distribution　outlets　by　persuading　store　owners　to　stock　less　of　their　brands。　Like　any　good　businessman　he　aimed　at　holding　a　monopoly　by　forcing　his　rivals　to　abandon　the　field　or　by　merging　with　his　own　pany。　However；　since　he　had　started　off　relatively　helpless；　economically；　since　he　did　not　believe　in　advertising；　relying　on　word　of　mouth　and　since　if　truth　be　told；　his　olive　oil　was　no　better　than　his　petitors'；　he　could　not　use　the　mon　strangleholds　of　legitimate　businessmen。　He　had　to　rely　on　the　force　of　his　own　personality　and　his　reputation　as　a　〃man　of　respect。〃
　
　Even　as　a　young　man；　Vito　Corleone　became　known　as　a　〃man　of　reasonableness。〃　He　never　uttered　a　threat。　He　always　used　logic　that　proved　to　be　irresistible。　He　always　made　certain　that　the　other　fellow　got　his　share　of　profit。　Nobody　lost。　He　did　this；　of　course；　by　obvious　means。　Like　many　businessmen　of　genius　he　learned　that　free　petition　was　wasteful；　monopoly　efficient。　And　so　he　simply　set　about　achieving　that　efficient　monopoly。　There　were　some　oil　wholesalers　is　Brooklyn；　men　of　fiery　temper；　headstrong；　not　amenable　to　reason；　who　refused　to　see；　to　recognize；　the　vision　of　Vito　Corleone；　even　after　he　had　explained　everything　to　them　with　the　utmost　patience　and　detail。　With　these　men　Vito　Corleone　threw　up　his　hands　is　despair　and　sent　Tessio　to　Brooklyn　to　set　up　a　headquarters　and　solve　the　problem。　Warehouses　were　burned；　truckloads　of　olive…green　oil　were　dumped　to　form　lakes　in　the　cobbled　waterfront　streets。　One　rash　man；　an　arrogant　Milanese　with　more　faith　in　the　police　than　a　saint　has　in　Christ；　actually　went　to　the　authorities　with　a　plaint　against　his　fellow　Italians；　breaking　the　ten…century…old　law；　of　omerta。　But　before　the　matter　could　progress　any　further　the　wholesaler　disappeared；　never　to　be　seen　again；　leaving　behind；　deserted；　his　devoted　wife　and　three　children；　who；　God　be　thanked；　were　fully　grown　and　capable　of　taking　over　his　business　and　ing　to　terms　with　the　Genco　Pura　oil　pany。
　
　But　great　men　are　not　born　great；　they　grow　great；　and　so　it　was　with　Vito　Corleone。　When　prohibition　came　to　pass　and　alcohol　forbidden　to　be　sold；　Vito　Corleone　made　the　final　step　from　a　quite　ordinary；　somewhat　ruthless　businessman　to　a　great　Don　in　the　world　of　criminal　enterprise。　It　did　not　happen　in　a　day；　it　did　not　happen　in　a　year；　but　by　the　end　of　the　Prohibition　period　and　the　start　of　the　Great　Depression；　Vito　Corleone　had　bee　the　Godfather；　the　Don；　Don　Corleone。
　
　It　started　casually　enough。　By　this　time　the　Genco　Pura　Oil　pany　had　a　fleet　of　six　delivery　trucks。　Through　Clemenza；　Vito　Corleone　was　approached　by　a　group　of　Italian　bootleggers　who　smuggled　alcohol　and　whiskey　in　from　Canada。　They　needed　trucks　and　deliverymen　to　distribute　their　produce　over　New　York　City。　They　needed　deliverymen　who　were　reliable；　discreet　and　of　a　certain　determination　and　force。　They　were　willing　to　pay　Vito　Corleone　for　his　trucks　and　for　his　men。　The　fee　was　so　enormous　that　Vito　Corleone　cut　back　drastically　on　his　oil　business　to　use　the　trucks　almost　exclusively　for　the　service　of　the　bootlegger…smugglers。　This　despite　the　fact　that　these　gentlemen　had　acpanied　their　offer　with　a　silky　threat。　But　even　then　Vito　Carleone　was　so　mature　a　man　that　he　did　not　take　insult　at　a　threat　or　bee　angry　and　refuse　a　profitable　offer　because　of　it。　He　evaluated　the　threat；　found　it　lacking　in　conviction；　and　lowered　his　opinion　of　his　new　partners　because　they　had　been　so　stupid　to　use　threats　where　none　were　needed。　This　was　useful　information　to　be　pondered　at　its　proper　time。
　
　Again　he　prospered。　But；　more　important；　he　acquired　knowledge　and　contacts　and　experience。　And　he　piled　up　good　deeds　as　a　banker　piles　up　securities。　For　in　the　following　years　it　became　clear　that　Vito　Corleone　was　not　only　a　man　of　talent　but；　in　his　way；　a　genius。
　
　He　made　himself　the　protector　of　the　Italian　families　who　set　themselves　up　as　small　speakeasies　in　their　homes；　selling　whiskey　at　fifteen　cents　a　glass　to　bachelor　laborers。　He　became　godfather　t　Mrs。　Colombo's　youngest　son　when　the　lad　made　his　confirmation　and　gave　a　handsome　present　of　a　twenty…dollar　gold　piece。　Meanwhile；　since　it　was　inevitable　that　some　of　his　trucks　be　stopped　by　the　police；　Genco　Abbandando　hired　a　fine　lawyer　with　many　contacts　in　the　Police　Department　and　the　judiciary。　A　system　of　payoffs　was　set　up　and　soon　the　Corleone　organization　had　a　sizable　〃sheet；〃　the　list　of　officials　entitled　to　a　monthly　sum。　When　the　lawyer　tried　to　keep　this　list　down；　apologizing　for　the　expense；　Vito　Corleone　reassured　him。　〃No；　no；〃　he　said。　〃Get　everyone　on　it　even　if　they　can't　help　us　right　now。　I　believe　in　friendship　and　I　am　willing　to　show　my　friendship　first。〃
　
　As　time　went　by　the　Corleone　empire　became　larger；　more　trucks　were　added；　the　〃sheet〃　grew　longer。　Also　the　men　working　directly　for　Tessio　and　Clemenza　grew　in　number。　The　whole　thing　was　being　unwieldy。　Finally　Vito　Corleone　worked　out　a　system　of　organization。　He　gave　Clemenza　and　Tessio　each　the　title　of　Caporegime；　or　captain；　and　the　men　who　worked　beneath　them　the　rank　of　soldier。　He　named　Genco　Abbandando　his　counselor；　or　Consigliere。　He　put　layers　of　insulation　between　himself　and　any　operational　act。　When　he　gave　an　order　it　was　to　Genco　or　to　one　of　the　caporegimes　alone。　Rarely　did　he　have　a　witness　to　any　order　he　gave　any　particular　one　of　them。　Then　he　split　Tessio's　group　and　made　it　responsible　for　Brooklyn。　He　also　split　Tessio　off　from　Clemenza　and　made　it　clear　over　the　years　that　he　did　not　want　the　two　men　to　associate　even　socially　except　when　absolutely　necessary。　He　explained　this　to　the　more　intelligent　Tessio；　who　caught　his　drift　immediately；　though　Vito　explained　it　as　a　security　measure　against　the　law。　Tessio　understood　that　Vito　did　not　want　his　two　caporegimes　to　have　any　opportunity　to　conspire　against　him　and　he　also　understood　there　was　no　ill　will　involved；　merely　a　tactical　precaution。　In　return　Vito　gave　Tessio　a　free　hand　in　Brooklyn　while　he　kept　Clemenza's　Bronx　life　very　much　under　his　thumb。　Clemenza　was　the　braver；　more　reckless；　the　crueler　man　despite　his　outward　jollity；　and　needed　a　tighter　rein。
　
　The　Great　Depression　increased　the　power　of　Vito　Corleone。　And　indeed　it　was　about　that　time　he　came　to　be　called　Don　Corleone。　Everywhere　in　the　city；　honest　men　begged　for　honest　work　in　vain。　Proud　men　demeaned　themselves　and　their　families　to　accept　official　charity　from　a　contemptuous　officialdom。　But　the　men　of　Don　Corleone　walked　the　streets　with　their　heads　held　high；　their　pockets　stuffed　with　silver　and　paper　money。　With　no　fear　of　losing　their　jobs。　And　even　Don　Corleone；　that　mgt　modest　of　men；　could　not　help　feeling　a　sense　of　pride。　He　was　taking　care　of　his　world；　his　people。　He　had