Mafia: The Old Country Novels & Stories

I place it on the board in front of me, scanning every face that is present. ‘Ndragheta. Camorra. Sacra Corona Unita. Serbian Mafia. Turkish Mafia. Cártel de Guadalajara. Yamaguchi-Gumi. Sun Yee On. The Yakuza. The Bratva. The Knights of the Road. Even the Nigerian Syndicates. And the Old Guard. The oldest mafia family, consisting of the three main ones. The Italian, the Russian and the Chinese. Together, they oversee the foundational power structures of the empire. They collectively control historical power and legacy. Government. Military and enforcement. Cultural and ritual incidents. Maintaining and disrupting transitions of power.

“Everything’s ready inside. Security has been checked twice.” I nodded. “Good. You can leave after you bring in the files from the North office branch tomorrow morning.” “Yes, Boss.” He left, and I walked in alone. The place looked new, I dropped my coat on the couch and moved toward the window. The view was nice, at least Luca knew I loved seeing the night lights and traffics. He has been with me since my Dad sent me out of the country the if his death before he passed out. I had worked hard like a dog, clawing my way up through blood and loyalty until the name Vicente Russo started to echo again in the underworld, not as the son of a dead man, but as the man himself.

“Because he lives a different life from me. He has a farm in the countryside. He stays there with his wife and twin boys.” I smiled, imagining it. “Wow, he’s married. He’s sure the opposite of you. He lives a calm life.” Dante continued, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my back. “His grandfather and mine used to be friends and business partners, but his father took over the mafia business. He moved to the countryside and started his farming business, he raises cows and all that farm stuff. He met a girl there, they fell in love, and got married.” “That’s sweet,” I said, leaning into him. “So he’s not involved at all in the mafia?”Dante shook his head. “Not directly. He deals in arms only

Chiara Moretti Alessandro stared down at me, his jaw tight. "You say that now," he said, and took a step toward me. "But you do not understand what you are asking for, Chiara. The mafia world is not a boardroom. It is not about signing papers or making smart investments. It is a world built on blood, loyalty, and extreme violence. It is filled with people who will not hesitate to cut your throat just to send a message."

The kind of black that absorbed light, as though it was meant to remind people of who he was the heir to one of the most feared Mafia families in Europe. He looked up when she approached. His gaze swept over her once, quickly, and something flickered behind his eyes, but his tone remained even. “You’re late.” She frowned. “It’s been eight minutes.” “Eight minutes too long,” he said, turning away. Elena clenched her jaw but said nothing. Marco gave her a small, sympathetic glance, as if silently warning her not to push further.

I managed to smile, not wanting to come off as rude, even though her greeting had been somewhat sarcastic. “You must be Clarissa?” the older woman inquired, her voice exuding authority. I realized she was the matriarch of the Mexican mafia, ruling without a male counterpart. She was highly feared in the mafia world and had played a significant role in helping Dominic reclaim the Italian mafia. I smiled at her, maintaining a calm demeanor despite the unease that coursed through me. “Yes, I’m Clarissa,” I responded, my voice unwavering. I noticed a fleeting emotion in her eyes—something I couldn't quite identify. It appeared and vanished before I could fully comprehend it.

—and I was stressing that word—“ever decide to leave, we leave on our terms. We don’t leave ratting each other out, or begging for our lives, or pissing in some bucket in the woods and hiding out. We choose when we leave, just like right now. We’re choosing our place in this city.” His head moved up and down as he took in and released another deep breath. He clasped me on the shoulder this time. “Brothers in, and brothers out. That’s what you’re saying?” “That’s what I’m saying.” “Let’s see what life is like running two Mafia empires.” “We’re not just running two Mafia empires. We’re the kings of New York.” Trace’s mouth twitched. I could tell he liked hearing that. “We’re the goddamn kings

“Because the way he tossed you out, doesn’t that feel familiar? Doesn’t it feel like what men like him always do once they’re done using you? He let you go because he doesn’t need you anymore. His deal is more important to him and he would give you away just to get what he wants.” He took a step closer, voice tightening. “If he really loved you, he would’ve fought for you. He would’ve told me no, even if it risked the deal. But he didn’t. He let you walk, because he's done with you. You weren’t some cherished woman he couldn’t let go of. You were nothing more than a bargaining chip.” “Stop it,” I said, rising to my feet. He stood too, voice low and burning. “Your father, what would he think

he went on. “ I was afraid, because I thought that my enemies had caught up with me,” he went on with his voice breaking, I stood up once I had seen how trembling the while experience had been for him. I sat down next to him, and held his shoulder as I rubbed it. “ Lucy, when I decided on how to lead my life, or how to become a mafia lord who brought terror to his enemies, I always thought that that would be how my ending came, or worse,” he trembled as his voice continued to break.

Before we had the chance to enter I tug on her hand to get her to stop with me. "What is it, why did we stop?" "Do you think our moms knew about this all along?" "I think they do." I spent most of the day thinking about my conversation this morning with my cousin. It was still a bit difficult to believe, my dad is such a good person. How could he have been the leader of a Mafia? That too is one of the largest ones in Italy and Russia. After doing my research I learned that they were responsible for a lot of murders, drugs, and gun smuggling, and the one that terrified me the most was trafficking girls