Bound By Blood: The Rise of a Mafia Prince

  BOUND BY BLOOD:

  The Rise of a Mafia Prince.

  BY: TONY B. FARRAJ.

  Copyright 2004, Tony Farraj.

  All rights reserved.

  CHAPTER 1

  THE BEGINING

  The doors of the juvenile delinquency department swung open. Mrs. Sakakini had been here before; she didn’t need anyone to tell her what had happened. She knew the routine by heart. A stocky bushy black hair kid wearing orange overalls was escorted into Judge Anderson’s courtroom. Anthony Sakakini was in trouble, again. This time it was for beating up a bully, nearly crushing his head in with a metal pipe.

  “Anthony Sakakini, young man this the third time you have stood before me. Do you have anything to say on your behalf?”

  Anthony stood erect, his eyes fixed on the judge. “No, I got nothing to say.” His cocky attitude and disrespect for authority made him stick out in juvenile hall. At the age of seventeen, he could be charged as an adult for the crime he committed. It was now up to the judge’s discretion.

  Judge Anderson looked up from his paperwork and glared back at Anthony. “Is your mother here?”

  A frail middle-aged woman stood up and approached the bench. “Here your Honor.” Mrs. Sakakini had raised Anthony on her own since he was a baby. Her form of discipline worked when Anthony was young. She would send him to bed without supper or spank him with a leather belt, but the older Anthony got, the harder it was to manage his temper. He had been in and out of trouble, since he was ten. It was always for minor things, like shoplifting candy or breaking and entering, but this was serious.

  The judge fired his stare toward Anthony’s mother. “Mrs. Sakakini, this is the third time your son has been in my presence. I’m really sick of seeing his face…”

  Anthony stood and listened to the judge lecture his mother. He knew he was no angel. He knew he got into a lot of trouble, but that wasn’t because his mom wasn’t strict. It was because he had a bad temper. The short fuse combined with the knack for trouble, spelled big trouble for anybody that got in his way and for some reason it seemed like everyone was in Anthony’s way.

  “Mrs. Sakakini, this will be the last time. If I ever catch him in my court room again, he will not be turned over to you.” The judge lowered his glasses and stared deep into Anthony’s eyes. “Next time I will throw the book at him and he’ll spend more than a day in our custody. I’ll send him to jail, are we clear on this?”

  “Yes your honor.” Mrs. Sakakini said softly. Her fragile voice seemed to break in the presence of Judge Anderson.

  “Very well, pay the court and you’re free to go.” Judge Anderson slammed his gavel down and closed Anthony’s massive file.

  Mrs. Sakakini knew it was time to move once again. It was time to find a new place to call home, a permanent place. A place somewhere out of judge Anderson’s district.

  In a small section southwest of downtown Houston, they both found such a place. But, if Mrs. Sakakini was looking for a place where Anthony wouldn’t get into trouble, she was sadly mistaken. The neighborhood wasn’t the best, but it did have it’s own unique style. The small one-story brick buildings seemed to stretch passed the horizon. At night, the entire neighborhood would gather outside and share their dinner, with one and other. The whole entire block smelled like a large Italian restaurant. Everything you could imagine was home made, nothing was store bought. From pasta primavera to meatballs rolled by hand; to sauces that simmered for forty-eight hours. Everybody looked out for each other. The moment Mrs. Sakakini moved in, the women in the neighborhood treated her and Anthony like a lost relative. This was the kind of place she was always searching for, a place where trouble wasn’t waiting for her son around a corner or down the street or at school. Maybe this was heaven, then again, she knew her son.

  One afternoon while Anthony was making his way home, he happened to cross paths with a couple of the neighborhood bullies. The three guys surrounded Anthony like a pack of wild dogs. “Hey, look at this, another prick moved into our neighborhood. Hey? You, you got a name? I’m talking to you motherfucker!” All three guys started laughing. Their howling rang in Anthony’s ears like a hundred sirens.

  Anthony stood still. His eyes locked on the one making the entire racket. There are rules that everyone follows and Anthony was no exception. He said grace before eating, he listened to his mom most of the time and he didn’t like to be touched. Say what you wanted about him, but don’t touch. Just as one of the bullies began to raise his hand toward Anthony, a skinny dark hair kid jumped out of nowhere and stood in between the bullies and Anthony. His short body and firm voice made the three guys step back.

  “Hey fellas, why don’t you leave the new guy alone.” Chris Pappas said calmly.

  “You always stick your nose in other peoples business, one day you’re gonna get really hurt!” One of the guys said, as he stuck his finger in Chris’ direction.

  Chris took a step back and glared with his dark brown eyes. “ Anytime, any place asshole.” He threw down his cigarette and prepared to go to war.

  Anthony could feel the blood surging through his veins. His muscles tightened, his breath became fast and shallow. The three bullies slowly turned and walked away.

  “You alright buddy?” Chris asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, but next time, mine your own business. I could’ve taken those guys.” Anthony said nervously, not knowing if this was a trick.

  “That’s the thanks I get for saving your ass.” Chris said jokingly.

  Anthony stared at him. “ Like I said, next time mind your own business.” The last thing he wanted in a new neighborhood was a reputation as being weak.

  “Fine!” Chris stepped aside and let Anthony walk on by. He knew that the new guy wasn’t ever going to need his help.

  Anthony calmly walked away. When he made the corner, he looked back, but Chris had vanished in between all the small houses. The following morning, Anthony made his way down the street, when he saw Chris walking towards him.

  “Hey, I want to talk to you. We got off on the wrong foot.”

  “So?” Anthony interrupted.

  “So, I’m willing to give you another try. My name is Chris Pappas, my family owns the apartment complex where you live.”

  “Anthony… Anthony Sakakini.”

  “So, Anthony, where you from?” Chris asked. He was curious to know more about the new guy.

  “Here and there. We move around a lot. We never stay in the same place for more than a year or so.” Anthony said softly.

  “Why, is it because of your dad’s job?” Chris asked curiously.

  “I don’t have a dad. He died when I was young.” Anthony didn’t like to talk about his father, since he didn’t know anything about him. He never even met the man. His mom told him that his dad left the day he was born. While the two where talking, a black Lincoln town car pulled up and stopped in front of them. Chris excused himself and approached the car. Anthony could see a large figure of a man sitting in the back seat. At the time, he didn’t know that the most respected man in the neighborhood sat in the back of that car.

  “Who was that?” Anthony asked Chris, as he watched the car pull away.

  “That my friend is the most powerful man of this neighborhood. If there is any kind of trouble, people go to him to clean it up.”

  “What’s he the Pope or something?” Anthony asked.

  “Anthony, in this neighborhood, he’s bigger than the fuckin Pope!” Chris said with a smile.

  “Really? I used to know a guy like that years ago, so what do you do for this guy?” Anthony asked with interest.

  “I work at his social club. I run arou
nd and get him and some of his associates’ coffee; I pick up little packages for him, whatever they need me to do, I do, plus the money isn’t bad. If you’d like, I can put in a good word for you.” Chris said kindly.

  “Why would you do that for a guy like me? I mean don’t get me wrong, but what’s in it for you?” Anthony asked curiously.

  “Look, in this neighborhood we look out for our own. You watch my back and I watch yours. I do you this favor and one day you pay me back.”

  “Sure, why not.” Anthony replied. It’s not like he hadn’t heard those words before.

  “Alright then, let’s plan on meeting here around 12:30. I’ll call Mr. Mazellie, that’s the guys name that was sitting in the back of the car and I’ll ask him if we can come by tomorrow afternoon and Anthony don’t be late. Mr. Mazellie doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Chris said firmly.

  The next morning Anthony got up and got dressed and headed down the stairs, where Chris was already waiting. The social club wasn’t that far away, just a couple of blocks. As they made their way down the street, the Houston sun beat down on their necks like a sledgehammer. The hot asphalt seemed to melt the bottom of their shoes and right to their feet. Anthony was filled with anticipation. His heart was pounding in his chest. The closer they got to the club, the faster his heart raced. Finally, as they rounded the corner, Anthony caught site of the social club.

  The exterior of the club was draped in Italian colors, green with a light red trim. There was an open sign hanging on the left side window. The right side window was totally covered by an Italian flag. Outside, Old Italian men sat sipping on dark black coffee, in small tea like cups. The street was lined with cars parked in front of the social club and on the sidewalk, just like you see in the movies. As they approached the entrance, Chris grabbed Anthony by the shoulder and stared intently into his eyes.

  “Listen to what I have to tell you before we go in; Don’t talk to nobody, don’t say a word to nobody, and try not to look anybody directly, you get what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah, yeah I got it.” Anthony said.

  “Also, when you meet Mr. Mazellie, let him talk to you first. Anthony this is important, don’t talk to him. Wait for Mr. Mazellie to talk to you.” Chris grabbed the handle of the front door and pulled it open. The interior of the club was dark and smoke filled. A large oak bar ran from right to left. On the other side of the bar, was a small game room, with several pool tables and assorted video gambling machines. Toward the back of the club was another door that led to the parking lot and at the very back of the club was a booth. That’s where Mr. Mazellie was sitting with hit back against the wall. As Chris and Anthony approached, Mr. Mazellie stood up to greet them both.

  “Mr. Mazellie, I would like you to meet the new kid, Anthony Sakakini.” Chris nudged Anthony toward Victor Mazellie.

  Anthony could feel his heart pounding in his chest. “Mr. Mazellie, it’s an honor to meet you sir.”

  “Let me be the first to welcome you to our neighborhood.” Mr. Mazellie said with a strong Brooklyn ascent.

  Anthony immediately noticed Mr. Mazellie’s diamond pinkie ring, which had a stone in it as big as a walnut. His hand shake was firm and powerful. Mr. Mazellie was a large, husky man. His jet-black hair was combed back and his eyes seemed to stare right through to your soul.

  “Chris tells me you’d like to work here, is that true?” Mr. Mazellie sat back down in his private booth.

  “Yes sir. I’d be happy to do whatever you want me to do around here. I’m not picky.” Anthony said calmly. He hadn’t notice the two young men approaching from behind.

  “Ah, Michael, Sonny, I want you to meet someone. Anthony, these are my two boys.” Mr. Mazellie said proudly.

  Anthony turned to greet Victor’s boys, when he suddenly recognized one of the bullies that he ran into several days earlier. Michael was the one that was looking to pick a fight with him, that was before Chris jumped in between them. “You!”

  “What the hell are you doing in my father’s club? You don’t belong here!” Michael glared at Anthony.

  “Look, I’m not here to start any trouble. I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot.” Anthony was trying to maintain his composure. Even though he would have loved to teach Mr. Mazellie’s older son a lesson.

  “Yeah, whatever.” Michael pushed his way passed his bother and sat down at the bar and puffed on a cigarette.

  “What was that all about?” Sonny finally asked. He was confused by the encounter his bother had with the new guy, but he knew that was normal. His brother was the hot head of the family.

  “Just a small misunderstanding between your brother and I. By the way, my name is Anthony Sakakini.”

  “Anthony, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Sonny said softly.

  Anthony could see Sonny was the soft-spoken one. He had jet-black hair just like his dad. His dark brown eyes and gentle smile made you feel at ease. He spoke with a slit New York ascent. Right away, Anthony, Chris and Sonny hit it off. The three of them began to hang out at the club. They began to refer to each other as “ The Three Goombata.” This angered Michael. From that moment on, the tension between him and Anthony could be felt when they where both in the same room.

  CHAPTER 2

  THE STAND

  The more time Anthony spent at the club, the less time he began to spend in school. Working for Mr. Mazellie was becoming a full time job. It wasn’t hard work, just time consuming. He would show up at the club around 10:30, play a couple of games of pool, then run to the local bakery and pick up breakfast for Mr. Mazellie and the other guys hanging at the club. As summer drew near, he couldn’t wait for school to be over. That meant he would be at the club from sun up, to sun down.

  One bright day in June, Anthony was making his way down to the club to meet Sonny and Chris, when he happened to run in to Michael and his pack of thugs that he ruled over. They all waited for Anthony at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Michael asked, with a devilish grin.

  “I have some boxes to unload down at the club.” Anthony tried to push passed Michael and his band of thugs.

  “Not anymore, my dad wants us to take care of some delicate business, it’s important.”

  Anthony felt uneasy. He spent all yesterday with Mr. Mazellie and not once did he mention anything about an important job.

  “Look, if you don’t want to come, I’ll just tell my dad you had better things to do. I think he’d like to know that his word mean nothing to you.” Michael turned and began to walk away.

  Anthony couldn’t stand the way Michael imposed his will on other people. He hated the fact that Michael walked around the club like he owned it, and he hated the fact that he couldn’t do anything about it, at least not without Mr. Mazellie's permission. He wanted nothing more than to knock that smirk off of Michael’s face. “If, Mr. Mazellie wants us to do this thing, then let’s do it, but stop with the threats. I’m in no mood for your crap.”

  “Alright tough guy, just calm down. We’ll do this and go our separate ways.” Michael dismissed his band of thugs and headed down the street.

  Anthony didn’t say anything; he just nodded and followed Michael. As they made their way inside a small mama and papa store, Anthony noticed a bulge in back of Michael’s shirt. Suddenly, before Anthony knew it, Michael had a gun stuck in the owner’s face. Anthony stood frozen like a deer caught in headlights.

  “Anthony, grab the money out of the register!” Michael screamed. “Take the fuckin money out of the register and get the fuck out!”

  Anthony grabbed the money and ran out the front door.

  “Listen up!” Michael said calmly. “If you think about going to the cops, I’ll come back here and put a bullet in the back of your skull and then torch this place, you got me?”

  The shopkeeper didn’t say a word. He just stood there with his hands above his head and small beads of sweat rolling off the side of his fore head. Michael and Anthony r
an back to his apartment. Inside, Anthony couldn’t believe what just happened. He sat on the edge of his bed, rocking back and forth.

  “Anthony, just relax. Don’t worry about the old man. He’s not gonna go to the cops. That place is under my dad’s protection.” Michael assured Anthony.

  That made Anthony even more nervous. Why would Mr. Mazellie steal money from his own shop? “What do you mean; under your dad’s control?”

  “It means my dad protects him from any kind of trouble, but lately he hasn’t been keeping up with his payments. So, my dad asked me to collect. Don’t worry about it.”

  “We just held up a store and stole money from your dad and you’re telling me not to worry about it? How in the hell did I let you talk me in to this?” Anthony was very worried about the consequence of their action. He felt like he was just set up.

  “Anthony, just calm down. You have nothing to fear, besides look at all this money.” Michael said, with a larger than life smile. He grabbed a handful and threw it in Anthony’s direction.

  The money! Anthony hadn’t seen so much money in his life. Michael was right, there was a lot of money, tens and twenties, but what was Mr. Mazellie going to say. Anthony had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew nothing good was going to come from this, but on the other hand, he felt untouchable. The ecstasy of stealing always made Anthony smile.

  “Do you have a place we can hide this bundle of cash?” Michael began to look around the room.

  “Wait a minute?” Anthony asked apprehensive. “You want to hide the money here?” He didn’t like that idea one bit.

  “Yeah.” Michael said. “We keep a low profile for a couple of days, then we can spend the cash.”

  “Why here?” Anthony asked curiously. “If this a collection, why aren’t you taking it to your dad?”

  “My dad told me, whatever I got from the old man, was mine to keep. I’m willing to split it with you, but if I take the money home and Sonny sees it, he’s going to want a piece of the action. Are you willing to spilt the pot three ways?”