53. The D'erricos(Part Four)

Giovanni regards me with a measured gaze.

He steepled his fingers, taking a deep breath before continuing. "On the surface, we present ourselves as a successful family-owned automotive business - a legitimate front that allows us to move freely in polite society. But in truth, we are part of a much older, more complex organization with roots stretching back centuries."

Giovanni's expression took on a grim cast as he spoke the next words. "We are a powerful criminal syndicate, an intricate network akin to the legendary Five Families that once dominated the American underworld."

I felt the breath leave me in a sharp exhale at his baldly uttered confession.

"Let me explain. In the 1920s, a man named Mattia D'errico reorganized the Italian-American gangs in New York into five distinct families - each with its own territory, hierarchy, and leadership that answered to an overarching governing body. For a time, D'errico envisioned himself as the supreme 'boss of all bosses' that would rule