Chapter 11:All hail Don Verratti
The year was 1960 and Don Dante "The Hitman" Verratti had been killed,a huge memorial service was then held for the past criminal.The streets were painted red with roses and th sky black with thunderclouds,all mobsters belonging to the mafia were present to comfort Dante's mourning family although much to disapproval of his younger sister, Dante's heir - Vincent Verratti had the Don cremated.During the funeral although all three Mafia families put on a mobster facade of unity,the tensions were pretty clear and Dante's Caporegime certainly didn't want the two Don's in attendance believing one or even both of them had something to do with he Don's death,in the case of Vincent,he instantly suspected Scipione Maranzano to be the one behind his father's death and he had hated him ever since.Vincent Verratti was a rising force within the Verratti Crime Family,much to his father's shocking disapproval it was clear he was destined to be heir to the Verratti Family and became Underboss to the Family.Although he had some competition within the family,conveniently all his competition either disappeared or ended up "agreeing" with his way of philosophy.Scipione didn't like Verratti's kid either,Vincent was notorious for his aggressive behavior and now with his father's passing,Maranzano had deduced inevitable war between the three families would occur should he take power,but there was nothing he could do,he couldn't interfer in Verratti business.Then...
In April 1960,a plain landed on theWashington International Airport (Victoria City's Airport)carrying Giuseppe "The Chief" Verratti,Don Dante's old cousin from Rome,Italy.Giuseppe Verratti was the one Don Dante had lost the race for the seat of Mafia Chief to the Verratti Mafia in Italy.By this time there were many clear and distinct difference between the Verratti Mafia from Italy and the one from America,but the one that prevailed the most was that the American based Verratti Mafia Family was way more powerful and influential.Don Salvatore Fiorentino had arranged for Giuseppe to come to Victoria City in order to take the seat of Don Verratti after Dante.Vincent was shocked by the arrival of his uncle,meeting him for the first time ever.Vincent despised Giuseppe upon sight,he didn't know anything about him but he knew that back in the day,his father hated his family and Giuseppe included.Giuseppe instantly made a run for Dante's seat, protesting that Vincent at 25 years was much to young,naive and inexperienced to run the family.He made an outcry about uniting the Verratti Family under one tree again and made it clear that he wanted to be the one to control the Verratti Crime Family so as to take Vincent under his wing and teach him everything possible so that he may be "ready" once to enter Donship.Vincent hated the idea,the Capøs of the Verratti Family weren't really thrilled about the idea either but to some extent agreed with Mafia Chief Giuseppe Verratti,besides he was family,and that's all Giuseppe used to manipulate them.So due to disagreements within the family,the matter is brought up to the Mafia Commission.Without shock Salvatore and Scipione decide unanimously that control of Don Dante's Verratti Family should be passed to Giuseppe.So in July 1960,after a wave of mafia politics,the Verratti Family embrace Giuseppe Verratti as their leader and the Mafia embraces him as Don of the Verratti Crime Family.Vincent who remained underboss was livid.By 1961 Salvatore had had enough,so he cut his ties with the drug business and withdrew all of his investments there.Walsh O'Sullivan,his former partner was furious and all the political power that was protecting their narcotics business went out the window.The Verratti Family had political power of their own,but after Don Dante died it also went out the window.Trying to protect his Mafia Family's investments,Don Giuseppe cuts his ties with Walsh as well,much to the disapproval of Vincent,who unfortunately could do nothing.With no more finance, security,political protection and foot soldiers to distribute the coke,it ws clear to Walsh that his business in Victoria City was through,so he took the loads of dirty drug money and the last batch of stuff he had gotten from SGT Potz(the German drug supplier)and disappeared to Miami Florida,to start up new operations or simply live there,well no one really knew.Vincent was growing ever impatient with Giuseppe,by 1964 he had taken a completely different route,most family investments were going to Italy and he donated millions of Verratti money to the Vetican to "protect the family image". Nevertheless for Vincent it was only one more year to go.You see,the only reason he reluctantly agreed to let Don Giuseppe mentor him was because Don Giuseppe had promised to give him the seat once he reached 30,as the Don himself was very old.Then 1965 hit and it was time for Don Giuseppe to pass the torch,but he merely dismissed his nephew Vincent, telling him he's not really.Vincent was furious and seore revenge.The same year Vincent began his system of sabotage,much to his own distaste he began sabotaging his own father's mafia family to force the old man Giuseppe to steo down.So by March 1965 gangs were attacking Verratti businesses and heists on their operations were frequent,not to mention Verratti territory was being fought over daily.By September 1965,the Capøs of the family began questioning Giuseppe's leadership.Giuseppe instantly ordered the death of a shocking three Capøregime of the family and demoted all the others, using "restructuring" as an excuse,putting on only the goons from his Mafia branch in Rome,Italy in the seats of Capøregime.Now Giuseppe had total control of the Verratti Crime Family and only Vincent survived the purge.This was the last straw for Vincent,and he together with all the former Capøregime unanimously decided Don Giuseppe had to go, and Vincent was gonna be the one make it happen.Don Giuseppe was paranoid,he didn't trust anyone but most of all he wasn't stupid,he had always been suspicious of Vincent for the latest "Disasters" occuring upon the family and had an eye on him.Vincent was still very much under the impression that Scipione Maranzano had set up his father,but he knew he needed total controk of the family if he was ever gonna try and take revenge.After hearing about plans from the Don of the Verratti Crime Family to make him disappear Vincent knew he needed to act fast.So in November 1965,as Don Giuseppe was going to go and meet him in their warehouse in Bellville(District in the Victoria City mainlands belonging to the Verrattis)to discuss plans about potentially expanding operations to Cosmo City and also personally witness Vincent murder a man whom he accuses of being responsible for a recent heist on the family brewery truck,one of Vincent's men kills off one of the drivers of one of the two escort vehicles Don Giuseppe usually has accompanying his limo and thus poses as the one supposed to be driving it.Don Giuseppe was passing from Stanford Island to the city mainlands to get to the meet,but once they reached the iconic Reddington Bridge connecting the island to the Victoria City mainlands,once in the middle of of the bridge,the car behind the limo the Don was riding on shockingly breaks formation and forcefully rammed the Don's car off the bridge and into the cold sea water below,the Don was dead.As for thenother escort security,too shocked to do much the car responsible speeds away.After five years of rule,Don Giuseppe's era was over.Vincent as underboss this time without wasting time takes control of the family,he kills all the Capøregime in place and then has all Giuseppe loyalists within the Verratti family and even goes so far as to withdraw all Verratti funds in Rome,Italy especially those meant for the Vetican.Vincent then consolidated his power by having all those in the Verratti Family pledge absolute loyalty to him or die and then visited Italy and making an Alliance with the new Mafia chief of the Verratti Crime Family,his cousin and now Don Vitale Verratti thus quickly restrengthening the Verratti Crime Family in America.In December 1965,with the reluctant approval of the Commission,Vincent takes the seat of Don of the Verratti Crime Family,thus in December 1965,Vincenzo was now Don Vincent Verratti.Don Salvatore was in absolute shock,he had underestimated Vincent's ability to influence Mafia politics and Scipione was greatly disappointed and slightly nervous,he didn't like Vincent's aggressive attitude,but nonetheless it was clear that perhaps a new generation was on the horizon.
To be continued...
