The Mobster and …The Lawyer

By Harry Brooks

BROOKS DOES IT AGAIN!
The Mobster and The Lawyer is the story of two boyhood friends who grew up on the streets of Chicago, each going their separate ways. Roberto Longo, is the son of Maria Longo, who had an affair with a well to do Jewish law student.
The night she was going to tell him she was pregnant, he told her he was transferring from the University of Chicago to Harvard Law School. She never told him. Roberto goes on to become a successful criminal defense attorney. His boyhood friend Tony Castellina’s father is a ‘mob-guy’ and Tony follows in his father’s footsteps.
When the state of Nevada decides to prosecute Tony for numerous illegal activities, Roberto goes to Las Vegas to defend him, and discovers the Attorney General for the state of Nevada is going to personally prosecute the case. What happens after that will keep the readers on the edge of their seat!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669843474

Harry Brooks

Brooks was born and raised in Philadelphia. After serving two years in the marines, he went into the trucking business. During his business career, he served on the board of the American Trucking Association, was chairman of two state trucking associations, and was appointed to the U.S. Senatorial Business Advisory Board Steering Committee. After retiring from his business in 1989, Brooks has published six novels, written three short stories and an unproduced screen play. He continues to write a monthly column for a local Philadelphia publication. He presently resides in South Florida.

Book preview

The Mobster and …

the Lawyer

Harry Brooks

Copyright © 2022 by Harry Brooks.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/22/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Chapter 78

Chapter 79

Chapter 80

Chapter 81

Chapter 82

Chapter 83

Chapter 84

Chapter 85

Chapter 86

Chapter 87

Chapter 88

Chapter 89

Chapter 90

Chapter 91

Chapter 92

Chapter 93

Chapter 94

Chapter 95

Chapter 96

Chapter 97

Chapter 98

Chapter 99

Chapter 100

Chapter 101

Chapter 102

Chapter 103

Chapter 104

Chapter 105

Chapter 106

Chapter 107

Chapter 108

Chapter 109

Chapter 110

Chapter 111

Chapter 112

Chapter 113

Chapter 114

Chapter 115

Chapter 116

Chapter 117

Chapter 118

Chapter 119

Chapter 120

Chapter 121

Chapter 122

Chapter 123

Chapter 124

Chapter 125

Chapter 126

Chapter 127

Chapter 128

Chapter 129

Chapter 130

Chapter 131

Chapter 132

Chapter 133

Chapter 134

Chapter 135

Chapter 136

Chapter 137

Chapter 138

Chapter 139

Chapter 140

Chapter 141

Chapter 142

Chapter 143

Chapter 144

Chapter 145

Chapter 146

Chapter 147

Chapter 148

Chapter 149

Chapter 150

Chapter 151

Chapter 152

A Note from The Author

For Mimi.

Without her encouragement, this book

would never have been written.

PROLOGUE

I N 1947, WHEN Maria Costello was ten years old, she traveled from Chicago with her mother to visit her aunt and uncle in Florida. She knew very little about them other than they helped support her and her mother after her father was killed by the police during an attempted robbery of a clothing warehouse. When they arrived in Florida, her uncle told them he and Maria’s aunt had to go to Havana where they had family business.

You will come with us, he told Maria’s mother. It will be a nice vacation.

Maria remembered that night very well. After they landed in Havana, they were met by a tall thin black man who said very little. He directed them to an old Mercedes he had parked not too far from where the plane had landed, opened the doors, and waited for them to get in the car. The tall thin black man whispered something to Maria’s uncle who simply nodded, after which the tall thin black man drove away from the airport.

They drove for several hours into areas that seemed increasingly remote. It was very late and very dark when they finally arrived at a stately-looking house. When they got out of the car, they were greeted by a woman who ushered them into the house where there was a dinner party in progress. Maria’s uncle and aunt were greeted by the guests who didn’t pay very much attention to Maria or her mother. Their host, wearing a white apron, who had been cooking pasta, emerged from the kitchen. When he saw Maria standing in the corner of the room by herself, he walked over to her, smiled, and said, I am Charlie . . . and you are?

Maria. I am here with my uncle and aunt. That’s my mother over there speaking to some lady.

Over dinner, Charley was charming. He personally brought out and served all the food. After appetizers came the pasta. Maria found herself looking down at a plate full of food she assumed was meant to be shared by everyone at the table.

With a big smile on his face, Charley said to her, Mangiare . . . mangiare. Eat, eat.

I can never eat all this, she said as she stared at the plate."

Ah, I bet you can, Charley said and then proposed a wager. I give you $10 if you-a-eat everything on your plate.

The other guests laughed and encouraged her to take the challenge and also offered her money if she could finish all the food on her plate. And so Maria took the challenge and was rewarded with almost $30 for her efforts, more money than she ever had.

Several weeks later, after Maria and her mother had returned to Chicago, a photograph in a newspaper caught her eye. It showed a man who seemed intriguingly familiar. Above the picture was a headline about the infamous Charles Lucky Luciano. He’d been captured in Cuba and was being deported to Italy. When Maria questioned her mother about it, her mother told her it was not important that she know everything. What was important, however, was to remember the kindness that Charley Luciano showed her, and she should always remember that the family comes first. Maria was not quite sure she understood, but as the years went by, she came to understand what the family meant.

It is no surprise that family members paint idyllic pictures of their mobster ancestors. Every mobster was also a father, brother, uncle, or grandfather, and at least, theoretically, his villainy didn’t spill over into those roles.

And so Maria grew up being part of the family. When she was eighteen years old, she married Angelo Longo, who was a member of one of the Chicago crime families. A year later, she had a daughter, Gina. Maria and Angelo instilled in their daughter the importance of Italian family life. They taught her never to judge what the family did. We do what we need to do to survive, Gina’s father told her.

And so Gina never questioned the family tradition. She heard all kinds of stories that made her wonder, but she simply accepted her life in the family. However, in 1976, when she was eighteen, she violated the family tradition.

She wondered if she could ever redeem herself with the family. But just as important, if the time came, would she want to?

CHAPTER 1

T HE YEAR WAS 1975. Gina had just graduated high school and was out celebrating with two of her classmates. They had dinner at a local Italian restaurant, went to a movie, and were on their way home when fate intervened, and Gina met Robert Shaw.

The three girls stopped at a service station to get gas, and Gina decided to use the bathroom. As she got out of the car, she noticed another car at the pumps with three young people in it: two guys and a girl. The girl was another one of Gina’s classmates. Hey, Gina! the girl hollered from the car. Come say hello to my friends.

Gina smiled and reluctantly walked over to the car. Her classmate was sitting in the front with one of the guys, and sitting in the back was a handsome young man. He smiled at Gina, and for whatever reason, she felt embarrassed. The boys looked to be about her own age when, actually, they were in their early twenties.

The two young men were attending law school at the University of Chicago. They had picked up Gina’s classmate at a local bar and were looking to have a night of fun.

The young man sitting in the back of the car was Robert Shaw. He was destined to be a ladies’ man early on. Most young men his age were interested in pursuing girls, but none more than Robert. He had everything going for him. He was good-looking, was a 4.0 student, had a great gift of gab, came from a family that had money, and to top it off, he was hung like a fucking elephant.

So who is your friend? Robert asked Gina’s classmate.

This is Gina Longo. She lives in Elmwood Park, Gina’s friend said with a giggle then added, She is very smart. She finished first in our class.

Gina could tell her friend had been drinking because she was slurring her words.

Well, Gina Longo from Elmwood, how about you come with us to a party? Some of our guys are throwing a bash at the fraternity house.

Gina didn’t know what to say or do. She really hadn’t dated that much, and she was flattered that such a handsome boy would invite her to a party without even hearing her speak a single word.

I . . . I don’t know . . . I’m with some friends . . . and well . . .

Robert Shaw laughed as he opened the back door to the car. Hey, Gina, I’m not proposing marriage. It’s just a party.

At that point, her two friends called to her to let her know they had gotten gas for the car and were ready to leave. Come on, Gina, let’s go.

There is a point in our lives when we make a decision that can affect the rest of our lives. That is what happened to Gina that night. She thought for a moment then yelled back to her friends, You guys go on, I’ll see you tomorrow.

Then without weighing the consequences of her decision, she got into the back seat of the car with Robert Shaw. He didn’t waste any time placing his hand on Gina’s upper leg and with a smile, leaned over and said, Okay, Gina from Elmwood Park, let’s party!

CHAPTER 2

T HE PARTY WAS more than Gina had expected. First of all, it was not in the fraternity house as Robert Shaw had said but instead in a hotel suite Downtown Chicago. Why are we going to a hotel? Gina asked as they pulled into the hotel garage.

Well, the invite list got out of hand, and we needed more room, Robert Shaw said.

Gina was getting nervous. I think, maybe, I’ve changed my mind, she said. Can you take me home, please?

Oh, come on, Gina, Gina’s girlfriend said. Don’t be a party pooper.

I don’t know . . ., Gina started when Robert Shaw said, Look, let’s go up and see what’s going on. If you don’t feel comfortable, then I’ll take you home. Whatta you say?

And so they parked the car and went to the so-called fraternity party.

The first thing that Gina noticed when they entered the hotel suite was a young man in his underwear holding a plastic bag, talking to a blonde who was half undressed. One of the bedroom doors was partly open, displaying a group of tangled figures lumped together in the half light. There was a girl on all fours surrounded by two young men. Off to the side were faces buried in slits and crevices, twisted in lustful positions, with tongues licking and fingers exploring wide-open bodies. The party was in full swing.

Gina had difficulty breathing; she felt like screaming but knew her throat was too dry to speak. Then she felt like she was going to throw up. She looked around, found the bathroom, and just about made it in time to spit up her guts. Robert Shaw followed her into the bathroom. Are you okay? he asked.

Still on her knees with her head half in the toilet, she was sobbing uncontrollable. Take me home . . . Please take me home!

On the ride home, neither of them spoke. When they arrived at her house, Robert Shaw said, I’m really sorry, Gina. Believe me, I didn’t know it was going to be that kind of party. I never would have taken you there if I knew. Please believe me.

Gina didn’t know what to believe.

Look, let me make it up to you. Let’s have a regular date. You pick the time and the place.

Gina knew her parents would never let her date somebody they didn’t know. She thought for a moment and then said, I’m going bowling with some of my friends on Saturday. If you want to meet me there, then we can decide.

You got a deal, he said.

And so began the affair between Gina Longo and Robert Shaw. Gina’s parents never knew that she was dating an older non-Italian boy. She would tell her parents she was going with her girlfriends to a movie or ice skating or some other cock-and-bull story, but all the time, she was seeing Robert Shaw, a twenty-two-year-old Jewish law student. On their third date, after leaving the movie theater, Robert Shaw drove into the park about two blocks from Gina’s house. He parked the car in a deserted area, turned to Gina, and put his hand on her leg under her dress. What are you doing? she said, finding it difficult to speak.

I really want to make love to you, Robert said. I want you now.

I can’t, Gina said. The priest told us we have to wait until we are married before we can have sex.

But that didn’t deter Robert; by this time, his hand was gently massaging her between her legs. Gina was finding it more and more difficult to breath; finally, she put her arms around Robert’s neck and kissed him with all the passion in her eighteen-year-old body. Yes, Robert, I want to make love to you too.

And so Gina lost her virginity to a twenty-two-year-old Jewish law student in the back seat of a 1976 Chevy. Gina had broken the age-old Italian tradition of family, first by having sex out of wedlock and even worse than that, having sex with a non-Italian.

Unfortunately, it was a one-way romance. They had been sleeping together for almost six months when Robert told her that he was transferring to Harvard Law School.

This is a great opportunity, Robert told Gina.

But what about us? Gina asked.

What do you mean what about us? There is no us, Gina. We have had a good time together, but I have to finish law school, and then who knows after that. I might even end up back in Chicago, and if you are still available . . . well, we might end up back together again.

Gina was devastated. She thought he loved her. She had given herself to him, body and soul, and he was making jokes. That same night he told her he was leaving Chicago to go to Harvard, she had planned to tell him she was pregnant. But how could she tell him now? He would probably want her to have an abortion, and that was out of the question.

Robert was not stupid. He could see Gina was upset about him leaving. He put his arms around her and said, Look, Gina don’t feel bad, let’s have a great time tonight. You know you like it when we have sex. What do you say?

And with that, he took her in his arms and started to kiss her, and at the same time, he put his hand under her dress. She could not resist him. She loved him. She wanted to feel him inside of her even if it was going to be the last time. And so they made love for the last time. He never saw her tears as they gave themselves to each other.

CHAPTER 3

W HEN SHE TOLD her mother that she was pregnant, her mother almost had a heart attack. And to make matters worse, the father of her child was Jewish!

What are we going to tell the family? her mother said. They will disown you, child!

As it turned out, Gina’s mother helped her raise her son; however, she became estranged from the rest of the family. Her mother tried to make excuses for her to the heads of the family, but they were rejected. On occasion, Gina would be invited to a family wedding or christening, but she always felt uncomfortable.

She realized that, eventually, she would be on her own and had to find a way to support herself and her baby. She wanted to prove to the family that she could make it without their help. She knew she couldn’t live with her mother forever. So while her mother babysat her son, she went to real estate school and got her real estate license. She became friendly with the instructor who helped her get a job at a real estate agency near her house.

The owner was Joseph Falcone, a thirty-year-old Italian married to a woman ten years older than him. They had no children. They had been married for ten years when Gina went to work in his real estate office. There were three other salespeople in the office: two women and one man. Joseph liked Gina and went out of his way to give her the best leads. It paid off. Gina took to the business very quickly, and after only two years, she was the top producer in the office.

Gina’s mother died before Roberto was fourteen years old. Gina sold the house and moved to Skokie, a suburb of Chicago, and convinced her boss to open an office there. He agreed and put her in charge. He helped her get her realtor’s license, which made her the same as if she was his partner. He was fine with that since he was getting his share of the real estate commissions.

So Gina was on her own and doing well without the family. But she missed the people she grew up with. She missed the holiday celebrations, the parties, and the weddings. She wanted her son to be part of the family. How could she do that?

CHAPTER 4

I TALIAN FAMILY LIFE can be characterized by loyalty and closeness. This is especially true when the family is involved in organized crime as was Gina’s family.

From the immediate nuclear family to more extended relatives, Italians tend to remain as a close unit through several generations. Italian family life is one of the foundations of their culture. This is a culture that organized crime families held more dear than anything else. It explains why organized Italian crime families have stronger feelings of loyalty to one another than they have to their country. Even though there is increasing migration with some families geographically separated, the family is still the center of the social structure, providing unity and stability.

Gina was raised to understand and respect the way members of her family lived and earned their living. Omerta, standing up to unfair authority, protecting your own. Growing up, she often saw where members of her family who were accused of crimes were glorified in the newspaper and in the movies. She remembered when her mother told her about her trip to Havana where she met Lucky Luciano; he was charming and generous. Gina listened to the stories and felt bad that her son was not part of the family.

Although some traditional forms of lifestyle are breaking down under the strains of modern family life, the older dons hold fast to the old traditions: Do not marry outside your religion. Do not engage in sex before marriage. Never betray another member of the family. Have respect.

The irony of this is that many of the made-Italian wise guys violate this culture every day. They have mistresses, lie to their wives, and in some cases, steal from their own. When you think about it, is that any different from what some Jewish, Protestant, or Born-Again Christians do?

But be that as it may, Gina was being judged by some old-school mafia don, and unless he died or she could find a way to redeem herself, her son Roberto would never know the true meaning of an Italian family life. The reality is maybe that was not a bad thing!

CHAPTER 5

G INA MOVED TO Skokie for two reasons: First, to leave the neighborhood where most of the family lived. It was unpleasant for her to see these people every day but not be included in their life. And second, the one good family friend she had was Ann-Maria Costa. Ann-Maria was several years older than Gina, but they had been good friends from the time they were in grade school. Ann-Maria sympathized with Gina because she too had become pregnant before getting married. Ann-Maria and Vincent Castellina had been going steady for almost two years and were planning on getting married in six months when she found out she was pregnant.

When she told her parents she was pregnant, they spoke to Vincent’s parents, and they all agreed not to tell anyone. After all, Vincent’s father was part of the Scosi crime family, and they didn’t want to have to explain to Charlie Scosi, who was head of the Scosi crime family, what happened between the two young people. Charlie Scosi was old-school Italian and very judgmental. Instead, they simply told everyone the kids were anxious to get married and didn’t want a big wedding, so they did some quick planning, and Ann-Maria and Vincent were married two weeks later in the church. There was a small reception at the house of Ann-Maria’s parents, and eight months later, she gave birth to Anthony Tony Castellina. The family was so happy to have a new baby boy in the family, nobody counted the months!

Shortly after the baby was born, Ann-Maria and Vincent moved from Elmwood Park to Skokie. This was the other reason Gina moved to Skokie, to be close to her friend Ann-Maria. It didn’t take long before their two sons became close friends. From the day Gina moved to Skokie, Roberto and Tony started to hang out together. Tony was several years older than Roberto and much more street wise, but it didn’t take long for Roberto to learn the ways of the street. One day, when the two boys were hanging out in the park near Tony’s house, a couple of black kids came by and started to give them some shit.

Is that your faggot brother? one of the youth asked Tony.

Tony knew that Roberto was able to take care of himself.

Yeah . . . he is, Tony said and then with a smile, added, How would you like to fight my faggot brother for $5?

The two other black kids started to cheer their friend on. Yeah . . . Go get him, Jackson! Teach that dago some manners!

Roberto was more surprised than anyone when Tony bet $5 for him to fight the black kid. Tony whispered in Roberto’s ear, This guy Jackson is a real pussy . . . I know him. Kick him in the nuts . . . He’s a dirty fighter.

But as it turned out, Roberto didn’t have to kick him in the nuts; he simply beat the shit out of him fair and square. Finally, Jackson said, Enough, enough, you mutha-fucker, here, take your $5.

Tony grabbed the money, laughed, and said, Tell your nigger friends that we own this neighborhood, so don’t fuck with us. And with that, he put his arm around Roberto and said, Let’s go blow this five bucks on an ice cream soda!

CHAPTER 6

I T DIDN’T TAKE Roberto very long to realize that his new friend Tony was a tough street guy. He liked to fight. He didn’t take any shit from other kids his age. It wasn’t long after the incident with the three blacks that Tony once again showed his true colors.

One day Tony, Roberto, and two of the neighborhood girls were sitting in the luncheonette not too far from the restaurant of Tony’s father, which was their regular hangout. Two older guys from another neighborhood came in and started wisecracking to the girls. One of them walked over to the booth where Tony and Roberto were sitting, pointed to Tony, and said to one of the girls, Hey, baby, whatch-u-doin’ sittin’ with that punk?

The other one who sat down in the booth behind Tony leaned over and said, Hey, bitch, come sit with us. After we finish feeling you up, you can go back to your faggot friends.

The two girls wanted to die; they were so embarrassed.

Tony leaned across the booth and said in a whisper to Roberto, Get up and make like we’re leavin’ then grab those large soda bottles off the rack and start crackin’ heads. We’re gonna teach these pricks some manners.

Roberto was reluctant to get in a fight again. He said to Tony they should just leave. Fuck those guys, forget it. But Tony was not about to forget it.

It all happened so fast the older boys from outside the neighborhood didn’t know what hit them. Tony beat one of the older boys mercifully, and he lay huddled on the floor, bleeding profusely. Tony leaned over and said, Look at me you son of a bitch and remember my face because if you ever come into this neighborhood again, I’ll kill you.

The fight ended with an ambulance carrying the two older boys to Albert Einstein Hospital. The owner of the luncheonette had called the police, but by the time they arrived, the fight was over. What happened here? one of the cops asked Tony and Roberto.

Those two scumbags come in here, badmouthing these two nice girls, and well, one thing led to another, and well, you know, we had to teach them a lesson.

The two cops laughed. That was some lesson they learned, Tony, your old man would have been proud of you.

Tony simply smiled. He knew the cops were on his father’s pad because of the relationship of Tony’s father with the mob.

So who is gonna pay for the damage here? one of the cops asked Tony, pointing to the broken bottles and one of the chairs that was minus a leg.

Tony said, "I am sure my father will, Officer