mp.godfather-第59部分

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　factions；　too　many　special　interests　that　conflicted。　Agreement　was　impossible。　Like　other　great　rulers　and　lawgivers　in　history　Don　Corteone　decided　that　order　and　peace　were　impossible　until　the　number　of　reigning　states　had　been　reduced　to　a　manageable　number。
　
　There　were　five　or　six　〃Families〃　too　powerful　to　eliminate。　But　the　rest；　the　neighborhood　Black　Hand　terrorists；　the　free…lance　shylocks；　the　strong…arm　bookmakers　operating　without　the　proper；　that　is　to　say　paid；　protection　of　the　legal　authorities；　would　have　to　go。　And　so　he　mounted　what　was　in　effect　a　colonial　war　against　these　people　and　threw　all　the　resources　of　the　Corleone　organization　against　them。
　
　The　pacification　of　the　New　York　area　took　three　years　and　had　some　unexpected　rewards。　At　first　it　took　the　form　of　bad　luck。　A　group　of　mad…dog　Irish　stickup　artists　the　Don　had　marked　for　extermination　almost　carried　the　day　with　sheer　Emerald　Isle　élan。　By　chance；　and　with　suicidal　bravery；　one　of　these　Irish　gunmen　pierced　the　Don's　protective　cordon　and　put　a　shot　into　his　chest。　The　assassin　was　immediately　riddled　with　bullets　but　the　damage　was　done。
　
　However　this　gave　Sanrtino　Corleone　his　chance。　With　his　father　out　of　action；　Sonny　took　mand　of　a　troop；　his　own　regime；　with　the　rank　of　caporegime；　and　like　a　young；　untrumpeted　Napoleon；　showed　a　genius　for　city　warfare。　He　also　showed　a　merciless　ruthlessness；　the　lack　of　which　had　been　Don　Corleone's　only　fault　as　a　conqueror。
　
　From　1935　to　1937　Sonny　Corleond　made　a　reputation　as　the　most　cunning　and　relentless　executioner　the　underworld　had　yet　known。　Yet　for　sheer　terror　even　he　was　eclipsed　by　the　awesome　man　named　Luca　Brasi。
　
　It　was　Brasi　who　went　after　the　rest　of　the　Irish　gunmen　and　single…handedly　wiped　them　out。　It　was　Brasi；　operating　alone　when　one　of　the　six　powerful　families　tried　to　interfere　and　bee　the　protector　of　the　independents；　who　assassinated　the　head　of　the　family　as　a　warning。　Shortly　after；　the　Don　recovered　from　his　wound　and　made　peace　with　that　particular　family。
　
　By　1937　peace　and　harmony　reigned　in　New　York　City　except　for　minor　incidents；　minor　misunderstandings　which　were；　of　course；　sometimes　fatal。
　
　As　the　rulers　of　ancient　cities　always　kept　an　anxious　eye　on　the　barbarian　tribes　roving　around　their　walls；　so　Don　Corleone　kept　an　eye　on　the　affairs　of　the　world　outside　his　world。　He　noted　the　ing　of　Hitler；　the　fall　of　Spain；　Germany's　strong…arming　of　Britain　at　Munich。　Unblinkered　by　that　outside　world；　he　saw　clearly　the　ing　global　war　and　he　understood　the　implications。　His　own　world　would　be　more　impregnable　than　before。　Not　only　that；　fortunes　could　be　made　in　time　of　war　by　alert；　foresighted　folk。　But　to　do　so　peace　must　reign　in　his　domain　while　war　raged　in　the　world　outside。
　
　Don　Corleone　carried　his　message　through　the　United　States。　He　conferred　with　patriots　in　Los　Angeles；　San　Francisco；　Cleveland；　Chicago；　Philadelphia；　Miami；　and　Boston。　He　was　the　underworld　apostle　of　peace　and；　by　；1939；　more　successful　than　any　Pope；　he　had　achieved　a　working　agreement　amongst　the　most　powerful　underworld　organizations　in　the　country。　Like　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　this　agreement　respected　fully　the　internal　authority　of　each　member　in　his　state　or　city。　The　agreement　veered　only　spheres　of　influence　and　an　agreement　to　enforce　peace　in　the　underworld。
　
　And　so　when　World　War　II　broke　out　in　1939；　when　the　United　States；　joined　the　conflict　in　1941；　the　world　of　Don　Vito　Corleone　was　at　peace；　in　order；　fully　prepared　to　reap　the　golden　harvest　on　equal　terms　with　all　the　other　industries　of　a　booming　America。　The　Corleone　Family　had　a　hand　in　supplying　black…market　OPA　food　stamps；　gasoline　stamps；　even　travel　priorities。　It　could　help　get　war　contracts　and　then　help　get　black…market　materials　for　those　garment　center　clothing　firms　who　were　not　given　enough　raw　material　because　they　did　not　have　government　contracts。　He　could　even　get　all　the　young　men　in　his　organization；　those　eligible　for　Army　draft；　excused　from　fighting　in　the　foreign　war。　He　did　this　with　the　aid　of　doctors。　who　advised　what　drugs　had　to　be　taken　before　physical　examination；　or　by　placing　the　men　in　draft…exempt　positions　in　the　war　industries。
　
　And　so　the　Don　could　take　pride　in　his　rule。　His　world　was　safe　for　those　who　had　sworn　loyalty　to　him；　other　men　who　believed　in　law　and　order　were　dying　by　the　millions。　The　only　fly　in　the　ointment　was　that　his　own　son；　Michael　Corleone；　refused　to　be　helped；　insisted　on　volunteering　to　serve　his　own　country。　And　to　the　Don's　astonishment；　so　did　a　few　of　his　other　young　men　in　the　organization。　One　of　the　men；　trying　to　explain　this　to　his　caporegime；　said；　〃This　country　has　been　good　to　me。〃　Upon　this　story　being　relayed　to　the　Don　he　said　angrily　to　the　caporegime；　〃I　have　been　good　to　him。〃　It　might　have　gone　badly　for　these　people　but；　as　he　had　excused　his　son　Michael；　so　must　he　excuse　other　young　men　who　so　misunderstood　their　duty　to　their　Don　and　to　themselves。
　
　At　the　end　of　World　War　II　Don　Corleone　knew　that　again　his　world　would　have　to　change　its　ways；　that　it　would　have　to　fit　itself　more　snugly　into　the　ways　of　the　other；　larger　world。　He　believed　he　could　do　this　with　no　loss　of　profit。
　
　There　was　reason　for　this　belief　in　his　own　experience。　What　had　put　him　on　the　right　track　were　two　personal　affairs。　Early　in　his　career　the　then…young　Nazorine；　only　a　baker's　helper　planning　to　get　married；　had　e　to　him　for　assistance。　He　and　his　future　bride；　a　good　Italian　girl；　had　saved　their　money　and　had　paid　the　enormous　sum　of　three　hundred　dollars　to　a　wholesaler　of　furniture　remended　to　them。　This　wholesaler　had　let　them　pick　out　everything　they　wanted　to　furnish　their　tenement　apartment。　A　fine　sturdy　bedroom　set　with　two　bureaus　and　lamps。　Also　the　living　room　set　of　heavy　stuffed　sofa　and　stuffed　armchairs；　all　covered　with　rich　gold…threaded　fabric。　Nazorine　and　his　fiancée　had　spent　a　happy　day　picking　out　what　they　wanted　from　the　huge　warehouse　crowded　with　furniture。　The　wholesaler　took　their　money；　their　three　hundred　dollars　wrung　from　the　sweat　of　their　blood；　and　pocketed　it　and　promised　the　furniture　to　be　delivered　within　the　week　to　the　already　rented　flat。
　
　The　very　next　week　however；　the　firm　had　gone　into　bankruptcy。　The　great　warehouse　stocked　with　furniture　had　been　sealed　shut　and　attached　for　payment　of　creditors。　The　wholesaler　had　disappeared　to　give　other　creditors　time　to　unleash　their　anger　on　the　empty　air。　Nazorine；　one　of　these；　went　to　his　lawyer；　who　told　him　nothing　could　be　done　until　the　case　was　settled　in　court　and　all　creditors　satisfied。　This　might　take　three　years　and　Nazorine　would　be　lucky　to　get　back　ten　cents　on　the　dollar。
　
　Vito　Corleone　listened　to　this　story　with　amused　disbelief。　It　was　not　possible　that　the　law　could　allow　such　thievery。　The　wholesaler　owned　his　own　palatial　home；　an　estate　in　Long　Island；　a　luxurious　automobile；　and　was　seeding　his　children　to　college。　How　could　he　keep　the　three　hundred　dollars　of　the　poor　baker　Nazorine　and　not　give　him　the　furniture　he　had　paid　for？　But；　to　make　sure；　Vito　Corleone　had　Genco　Abbandando　check　it　out　with　the　lawyers　who　represented　the　Genco　Pura　pany。
　
　They　verified　the　story　of　Nazorine。　The　wholesaler　had　all　his　personal　wealth　in　his　wife's　name。　His　furniture　business　was　incorporated　and　he　was　not　personally　liable。　True；　he　had　shown　bad　faith　by　taking　the　money　of　Nazorine　when　he　knew　he　was　going　to　file　bankruptcy　but　this　was　a　mon　practice。　Under　law　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。
　
　Of　course　the　matter　was　easily　adjusted。　Don　Corleone　sent　his　Consigliere；　Genco　Abbandando；　to　speak　to　the　wholesaler；　and　as　was　to　be　expected；　that　wide…awake　businessman　caught　the　drift　immediately　and　arranged　for　Nazorine　to　get　his　furniture。　But　it　was　an　interesting　lesson　for　the　young　Vito　Corleone。
　
　The　second　incident　had　more　far…reaching　repercussions。　In　1939；　Don　Corleone　had　decided　to　move　his　family　out　of　the　city。　Like　any　other　parent　he　wanted　his　children　to　go　to　better　schools　and　mix　with