Chicago, the 1930's. Uncle Joe had firmly re established himself in the streets as the Consigliere of the Capazzo Crime Syndicate. He had set up connections in major cities across America and business was getting good. Joe had a multi-million dollar shy book, his numbers operation was in full swing and he had recently organized sports betting/bookmaking with member's of the Syndicate. Getting action on everything from boxing to soccer.

Uncle Joe was returning to the South Side from a business venture in New York with his chauffeur Gaetano_Badalamenti in his black 1929 Ford Sedan. While in New York Joe had taken notice of the many Mafiosi who were engaged in the sale of narcotics. Uncle Joe had dabbled in the trade but hadn't engaged in any serious large scale deals. He had also noticed the vast amounts of money these men of honor were making and it got him thinking. South Side Chicago didn't have any large wholesale dealers.

The view on drugs in La Cosa Nostra had long been deal and die due to the unwelcome attention drugs brought from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics but with all the potential money to be made many couldn't steer clear, they just wouldn't steer clear.

This included Uncle Joe.

Heroin seemed to be a very popular drug everywhere and wanting to get the Capazzo family in on the trade Joe knew just where to get started.

Back in Uncle Joe's native Castellammare del Golfo in Sicily his father had been a man on honor with a powerful mafia clan, the Inzerillo crime family. The Inzerillos were exporters of massive amounts of Heroin to the US. They brought in the raw Opiate base from Afghanistan and Sicilian chemists would process the base into the highest quality Heroin. They then used various methods to smuggle it off the island and to the intended destinations.

Reaching the South Side Uncle Joe told Gaetano to pull over when saw a payphone. Joe wanted to make a call across the pond to a man he knew could help arrange everything, one of his closest childhood friends, Don Inzerillos son and someday successor Giovanni Inzerillo.

Speaking in Sicilian Uncle Joe let Giovanni in on his intentions of organizing huge trans-Atlantic shipments of Heroin to various key locations in the states.

Joe and Giovanni negotiated prices, shipping planes, distribution and personnel. Uncle Joe had managed to organize everything to his benefit and would now be importing the finest Heroin into the whole damn country. 

With great pleasure and with business aside Joe and Giovanni reminisced on their fond memories of playing in the nearby hills around Castellammare del Golfo.They spoke of their boyhood exploits and Vendettas too old to bother holding on to. 

Uncle Joe and Giovanni ended their phone call with a promise from Giovanni to visit the states in the not so distant future. Joe would look forward to that occasion. Both were enthusiastic from their conversation.

Joe stepped out of the phone booth and needed to walk to think. Starting off down the street wrestling with a mix of emotions, Joe thought on the one hand about all he money he was going to be making for himself and his crime family which was all Uncle Joe ever strived for and this new venture made Joe beam with excitement and pride but on the other hand Uncle Joe was afraid. 

Joe feared the unknown and was worried about getting caught by the FBN despite having many agents on the take.

The laws were stiff for drug dealers in the states, nobody wanted to do a hundred years in prison.

Uncle Joe wondered into a nearby bar for a strong drink. He was going to be very busy in the coming days and felt he had deserved some kind of celebration for his new business endeavor. As Joe sat there sipping his drink he thought about who he would seek to involve in this endeavor and how he would approach them with such a lucrative yet taboo business. He knew he would seek to enlist the aid of his closest friends and crew members. An operation on this scale was going to change things everywhere and Joe wanted to bring in the people he cared about most to reshape the landscape of the american Heroin market.

Uncle Joe took his last sip finishing his drink and headed to his pork store Salumeria Biellese. He was ready to unwind and play some much needed poker with his crew members.