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Contents |
The Facts
From New York
Background
Mortal Life
I have always been my brother’s keeper. Ever since Xander could get himself into a fight with Tony Madrazi, I was there to either yell at the bastardo or helping him home for mom to clean up. It was my role and in a sad way, was much of my life. I was the middle child, the only daughter. My older brother, Gabriel, was four years older than myself and Xander was the baby with only a three year difference. I say brothers, but it would be a lie. We were half-siblings. Our mother had been married twice…I was the in-between point. Gabriel’s father had been a dock hand working the graveyard shift near the southside port. He had died when he was young. A loading crane accident had killed him when the cable snapped. I never met my father. I was conceived during my mom’s ‘in between’ period.
My mother eventually found a husband again, named Marco Costello who had been a close friend to Gabriel’s father. He had become the local union rep for the dock workers in that port. Marco was never close to me despite being the closest thing I knew to being a father. I think it had to do with me not being his friend’s son or his own. My mother thankfully never treated me any differently though. We grew up in Manhattan in the area that most know as Hell’s Kitchen and others try to call Clinton. My childhood was in the early 60s going into the 70s. While the suburbs and New England kids had barbeques and Leave It to Beaver-like lifestyles…I was watching the boys play stickball or trying to beat the summer heat. My siblings and I attended a church funded school near the Midwest section of Manhattan.
Gabriel was always further ahead in grades than me and despite how I act now; I was never a tomboy growing up. I was tough, sure, but only because Xander was never good at looking out for himself. I was the only one there to make sure the bullies left him alone or helped him home if he got hurt. In a way, I might have been responsible for the incompetent mess he became later on as an adult. Childhood, though not extragavent or great, was simple and enjoyable. We weren’t rich; we didn’t have a great family. Yet, we had each other…we had no great tragedies.
All of that began to change when theteenage years rolled around. The first to change was Gabriel. By 15 and 16, he was doing small-time run jobs for a man named DeVico. Our father wasn’t happy with it but he only said something when he thought he was alone with Gabriel. I overheard more than a few conversations though, coming to know that DeVico was ‘involved’. Involved was a kind way of saying that the man was involved with the gangs. This wasn’t something that everyone knew. Not every family that lived in the West End or Hell’s Kitchen had sons or fathers involved in the gangs or crime. But people talked…people knew each other.
By the time I was 13, I was obsessed with the idea of becoming an actress or singer. There was only one problem with this idea. I had no talent. I lost what little singing voice I had due to disuse after quitting choir because I felt I was on a straight way to becoming a nun. Acting was not natural to me, despite being in a few holiday plays that the school put together. By the time school was done, I was scrimping what little money I could to attend the Actors Studio only to find out I needed to go to a school like Pace University before I could qualify.
Gabriel was the one to help me into college. By now, he was his ‘own man’, 21 and working for DeVico on a regular payroll. He was the one who approached DeVico for me to get the money to put me into classes. That would later come to bite me in the ass. Attending Pace University, I enrolled into acting classes and standard academics. By my junior year, I was facing the cold reality that I would likely never make it as an actress. I also found that I was floundering in my academics. I got involved with the wrong crowds, struggling actors and actresses like myself cut loose by bitching about things that didn’t concern us…you call them hipsters. I called them friends at the time. We were self-entitled. I eventually ended up failing my classes as I was too often spending time in bars and clubs passing a drink around while we went on about the after-effects of the Vietnam War.
It was a moment of irresponsiblity…a moment that lasted two years. I did small time work as a clerk, but spent the rest of the time with college friends who I didn’t realize were better off than me. While I had dropped out, their parents were footing the bill despite their suffering grades. My baby brother, Xander, often came to hang out and be with the adults. I was dating the wrong guys, involved with them too much to notice Xander developing habits…drinking at an early age, smoking pot, and getting with girls much older than himself. It all came to a cold halt when the debtor came to collect. DeVico was a patient man, a very patient man. But even he hated throwing money away. I had unwittingly put myself and my brothers into a difficult position. Gabriel had to burden the debt, which put him from getting promoted any further along in the chain of command. I was requested ‘favors’ from DeVico…having to become enmeshed in a life that I never had planned to be part of…never had wanted. None of the favors were overly untoward, I often had to play escort for some men but it never went any further than being arm candy. After all, I was related to Gabriel. Xander, in order to help the debt go down faster, offered to be a runner like his brother had been years before. Some families were born into crime. Mine happened to stumble into it. By my mid-20s, I was thinking that it would be over. Sadly, my baby brother took after me more than I wished. Xander had screwed the pooch. He had started doing side jobs for another family as well to get money, having made friends with a guy named Scaletti. Scaletti was an unknown player as far as Hell’s Kitchen went because for the most part, DeVico was the one running things. I had, through just habituation and exposure, come to find out that DeVico was a puppet player for the Five Families. He worked under the Gambinos, which meant he was connected.
Scaletti was pushing into DeVico’s business, and in turn, it meant Xander himself was becoming expendable. Gabriel spoke for him, vouching that he his brother was low key. It was the only time he backed the wrong horse. Xander was in actuality, being groomed by Scaletti for a lot more. DeVico at this point was fed up with my siblings.
It was 1986, December 5th, when my older brother, Gabriel Costello Salvatori, was shot and dumped nearthe Hudson River. I was already meeting with Scaletti at that point, the man promising me that both I and my brother would be protected. Neither of us found out about Gabriel until a week later. I was scared that either of us would become the next person for DeVico’s or the Gambino’s wrath. It never came. Scaletti was a man of his word. But as always, nothing in this world came free. By now, I was use to the treatment I got from what I regarded as the “boys’ club” that was organized crime. Scaletti wanted me to give similar treatment for guys, or to distract while he made deals. I went with it, thankful as I was at that time to still be breathing. Eventually, I was asked to meet with someone else…a man I was told named Alvatori Scaletti Francesca. For the first few meetings, I would often think it was small talk.
Alvatori was someone I could imagine as my grandfather. He wasn’t severely old, but just enough that you could see a widow’s peak and the white of his hair. He liked to talk, he often told me I reminded him of his own daughter when she was my age. Most of the time, he just wanted to know about my family…my brothers. It took some time before what really occurred began to come back to me. The talks were just conversation, but I was often there for one main thing…I was food. Alvatori was, and still remains, a vampire. By the time I realized this fact, it was long after he had given up trying to erase my memories. I slowly came to accept this new fact as the duties required of me became more keeping his company. The truth of the matter was that he was grooming me, much in the way that Scaletti had been grooming my baby brother. He wanted someone he saw potential in…potential he did not find in my brother. Xander to him was too irresponsible…he was smart when he wanted to be but as Alvatori said so eloquently once, “Xander only has the smarts to figure out how to get fucked.” I couldn’t argue that fact…Xander had indeed become a lush with only a penchant for ‘broads and booze’.
Alavatori had decided against his usual traditions that he would choose me to be his childe. He had been embraced shortly after Prohibition, the pinnacle of Mafia influence within New York and Chicago. By then, he had been ready to step out of the game…only to get thrust back into it when his own sire had chosen him because he wanted to know more as well as control this organization that had been mucking about in his businesses.
“Times are different. And they are going to continue to get different. I do not like what this has become. There are more rats than cats in the whole thing. It is time to start something new…to build upon the traditions that work and to toss the shit that’s just floating.”
He wanted to train me, of course. He liked to tell me that my stubborness was a good trait…that I had a strong will. He liked that I could tell when he was lying to me and when he was being blunt. But, he felt that I needed more before I would be ready to fill the shoes he had set for me.
He also didn’t want me to follow in the footsteps of his sons. During the months following Alvatori’s confession of his intent, I came to find out about his other childer. One was a former solidati named Leo Freditori…his first born, who wound up dead after putzing around with the influences of someone else and almost exposed their world. The other had left to Chicago a decade ago, after giving ‘dad’ a big fuck off speech. So, it was understandable why Alvatori wanted to take his time with me. So why wasn’t I screaming at the idea of being made into something like him? Why was I just accepting of this whole idea? Well…a couple of things really. Alvatori wasn’t dumb…he had been slipping me a couple sips of his blood now and then. It was just enough to get me close to him but not enough where I was spouting love sonnets to him. Another reason is because well…looking at my life, it was really accomplished of anything. I had wanted a lot of things…to be an actress…to have wealth. To some extent, I resented being always in the know but having no control of where my life was going. And here was this guy offering me the chance to have power…to be in charge…and for once, deciding on how things would play out for my life. I would be telling someone what to do for a change, rather than just telling Xander how stupid he was being on that given day.
My sire embraced me on a July night, in 1988. He had given me time to become ready to separate from what I knew of my life. It was perhaps the kindest gesture he ever did (or ever would do after that point). The night I was taken, we made it look like a suicide...that I had decided to go swimming in the Hudson. Even left a note about the lack of accomplishing anything, how I was to blame for Gabriel's death. And then...I became one of the 'Damned'.
Kindred History
Years passed under Alvatori. Though he had trained me to be ready for my new role, I still had to learn the actual experience of being amongst vampires. It's not something that just comes automatic for some. There were, as my sire liked to put it, speed bumps. For one, I had an accident barely a month after being taken in. I don't know to this day if it was merely hunger or just the urge while I had my mouth on this guy's throat...but I went from an enjoyable meal to a mess on my hands. Alvatori took care of it, of course, saying 'these things happened'. I...wasn't ready for that. I've seen bodies since then...I've even had to kill someone with my own hands. But I was still new...still freshly dead and still adjusting to the idea that I was no longer that middle daughter, that would-be failure of an actress. I had always been 'the sister' to my brothers.
I like to thank that somehow...the guilt of that situation resulted in my curse. Since then, I've always had problems around crosses. Needless to say, I don't do well with the Lancea Sanctum's presence. Or religious clergy. It could well be that it had to do with me being raised Catholic for so long by my mother. It made it difficult in certain circles and it’s never gone away. Time passed with the leash that Alvatori had around my neck. By then, he was entrusting more and more of his control into my hands over the piece of the pie he hard garnered in his decades within Manhattan. I had gotten use to sitting back behind the scenes, operating by tugging a string here and there or manipulating a foot soldier for the Five Families through older methods. What tricks Alvatori didn’t teach me, I came up with my own as I adapted to my life. Eventually, he had me released, considering me an ally but no longer wanting the responsibility of any potential fuck-up falling on him.
It was in this time that Alvatori probably regretted not doing a better job of keeping me in the shadows. WhileI was not a high roller or had power of my own; I was still noticable to those that knew my face. Especially family. Alvatori had gotten so focused on his new childer he forgot one little detail that was now coming back to bite us in the ass. My baby brother, Xander, had been playing around with the La Familia as well. After Alvatori had chosen me, Scaletti had recommended Xander to someone actually connected. Alvatori was right that my brother was only smart enough to get fucked, but in some ways…that can help you.
My brother had married into the family, he was more than solidati. He was trusted and that meant he was often attending functions similar to the ones I managed to sneak into. It was only a matter of time before stumbled onto his ‘dead’ sister. Before Alvatori realized it, he had a potential Masquerade breach. Of course, he wanted to just solve it the old fashioned way….just make him disappear. My brother caused the unwitting turning point between me and my sire. Like I said from the beginning, I have always been Xander’s keeper. That wasn’t going to change. I disobeyed Alvatori, double-crossing him before he could have my baby brother whacked. I hid him away…knowing the sort of game I was playing was now dangerous and would soon firmly put me outside Alvatori’s camp.
I spent the next month buiding connections, getting ready for the schism to come. It was the mid 90s when it came to a head. Alvatori had a lot of things to deal with by the time I pulled the rug out from under him. At the same time that I splintered off from the connections he had, taking only a couple of fences and goons from his payroll, gang warfare had assaulted NYC streets. He was furious when he found out that I had taken out a few pegs of his empire….he was ready to kill me when he found out that Xander was in my care, now a retainer to me.
The Carthians were unsure of my loyalties at this point as well, thinking that I was jumping camp. I reassured them that no such thing was happening…after all, there was no reason for me to leave the Movement. Yet. I just no longer wanted to be in my sire’s shadow…I was in the shadows of everyone else’s life. He had built me up to be something more. Sadly, Alvatori had done too good a job inspiring me to be more than what I had been. By the turn of the century, the two of use were locked in a feud that the myrmidion could not defuse.
It remained a good solid stalemate for the next ten years. After all, with RICO laws, it made it difficult to have gangland wars going on between either faction we were influencing. Secondly, with the situation in New York as it was, we did not need attention from mortal agencies like the NSA or Homeland Security. So, it was an effective stalemate between the two of us…each doing our own thing.
The rules of the game stayed the same until last year. Alvatori finally convinced one of the Carthians that my loyalties were only to greed. Combining their efforts, the two started harassing me in a method that had nothing to do with the underworld. Alvatori had effectively gotten a snitch, forcing one of his men to start attacking my holdings by telling the cops about operations that were controlled by my baby’s brother crew. I had little influence within the justice system, having always focused outside it. It was now effectively screwing me as one by one, members of our ‘family’ were being slammed for charges of extortion, money laundering, or other crimes. Not one of the charges were RICO related, keeping the case load nice and swift for Gregor’s police ties.
It was only a matter of time before they would get Xander. I hada feeling that Alvatori would arrange for an accident to happen in prison as well…the man lived by the old ideas of a Mafia vendetta. It was time to go. I didn’t cut and run, mind you. This was a conflict between vampires over what really mattered to us…or rather what mattered to me and Alvatori. It was power…just two Ventrue wanting the same cut of the pie. I arranged a meeting with the myrmidion after that, offering a victory to Alvatori. I promised to leave NYC as I imagined that the vendetta would just continue if I remained. In return for him to not interfere any further, I gave him control of the little territory I had garnered. My sire was pleased to say the least. Like that, it was over. I liquidated what resources I had…tossing the rest or severing connections where I could. The ones who had gone to jail were frankly fucked and not that connected to me. I sent Xander ahead…deciding to get as far from Alvatori’s connections as I could just in case. Jersey was out because I knew he had blood kin there.
Xander suggested Vegas. The idea had merit. There were few connections there anymore…most of the Mob kicked out after Hughes time or hampered by legalization acts and the gambling commissions. Even Alvatori had mentioned Vegas being the best and worst idea that Lansky ever came up with for the Five Families and the Commission. Regardless, it meant prime grounds for new blood.
So, sending Xander ahead and a couple of working stiffs, I’m heading for Viva La Vegas. If all goes right, it will be a hell of a lot better than being around here anymore.
The Goombas
Little Vinnie
'Little' Vinnie Morretti was never going to get any further than 'solidati' in the rank and file of the Gambino family. A leg-breaker since his 20s, he had been working around the time that RICO had broken the back of the Mafia. Due to not being full Sicilian (or so it was rumored) as well as pissing off a made man, Vinnie was stuck sticking the screws to those that owed. Eventually, he got sent to prison for manslaughter after shooting a man in self-defense (he claimed it was a mugger). He did a nickel and dime, resulting in the divorce from his wife while he was in the pen and his own kids disowning him. Already in his 50s, Vinnie was practically retired until he met Xander and his sister, Harley. At first, he was just training new recruits for them but soon Harley gave him a chance for the 'glory days'. As a ghoul to Harley, he feels revitalized like she's given him his youth back though he often jokes 'there is nothing she can do for this ugly mug'. Almost family, Vinnie is the main muscle and enforcer for the Costello family.