It was a Tuesday when Frankie sent a runner to take a message, and an envelope containing $5,000, to Makavelii.  The message which the young sandy haired youth delivered read simply:
 

I'm taking some time to get to know my associates.  You're next on the list.  Since I want a night out of the city, use this cash to meet me in Reno at a gambling establishment called Harrah's.  I'll be in the restaurant.  Dinner is my treat and the cash is for you to enjoy at the tables after.

-Frankie

Francesca “Frankie” Messina-DiCaprio, Don of The Ivory Tower was enjoying Billie Holiday singing on the stage and a salad when Makavelii arrived.  She was dressed in a golden colored metallic gown, high heels, and her hair was hanging long around her bare shoulders.  Her large brown eyes lit up when she saw her guest enter and she waved him over to her table.

“Waitress, please, bring my friend a drink.  What will you have Mak?”

Known only as Makavelii new associate of The Ivory Tower, walks into Harrah's and it seemed that everything came to a halt as he enters wearing a custom made blue pin-stripped Armani suit.  As he approached the able he asked the waitress to bring him a Ciroc with pineapple for his drink.  He was mesmerized with how his host was looking that night seemed that the light from was shooting out from the tips of her hair.  Thank you for the invitation he told her, I was looking forward to finally get a chance to sit down with you and tell you some things bout me in hopes that offer my services to you and your family in any capacity.  As not to step out of bounds, he said, excuse me, but I must ask you to dance with me, the music, the lighting, the vibes were just right.  As they danced he assured her that he will work hard to get where he ants to go, and that he didn't want anything handed to him, that he'll rather work to get to the next level within the organization.  As their dinner arrived they walked back to the table, he pulled back her chair so that she could take her seat, then he seated himself down at the table.  He told Francesca, I hope I am what you are looking for, and I look forward to learning from you.  

"You dance wonderfully."  She said with a smile, clearly having enjoyed herself.  She opens her napkin across her lap before picking up her utensils to cut into her medium-rare steak.  "You've done great work for the family so far, Mak, I'm not worried about your progress - I hope you didn't think that's what this was about?"  She arched an eyebrow and took a small bite of the steak.

"I honest wanted to know a bit more about you.  Why don't we start with you telling me a bit about where you grew up and what you father did for a living."  She puts down her fork and knife and picks up her wine.  "And since fair is fair - for every question you answer for me... I'll answer one for you, sound good?"

***Being known as a person who likes to make people smile*** he raises his eyebrow says to Frankie: 'The way you raised your eyebrow I was waiting for you to take off your shoe and rub your foot on my leg" as she giggled not expecting that reply, he couldn't help but to bright smile at her.  I grew on the westside of Chicago IL, the oldest of 5 siblings.  My dad not much I can tell you about him except he came back into my life when I was 31 years of age and he became my very best friend, which we remained until his death due to cancer.  My mom, my favorite girl in the world was a nurse all her life, she would always call me her oldest baby, she took god care of us raised us up to be respectful, and to always pray for other and everyone else, she sadly passed away in 2014 on Mother's Day from complications with diabetes ***wipes away a tear*** this is still hard for me to this day, I miss her.  As for my siblings well they're all married sisters are nurses, my brother the youngest drives a truck for Frito Lay's.  As for me, I had my ups and downs, bumps and bruises, but I didn't let anything from stopping me from reaching any and all goals I set out to accomplish.  And now at the age of 56, my life is now comfortable and I can say that I am very content. And you he ask....

Frankie continued to eat her meal as Mak spoke.  She felt deeply awkward about his comment regarding her foot because she'd just lost her husband, Tony DiCaprio, and had zero desire to think about any man at the moment.  Truth be told she didn't know that she would ever want another man again.  Still, considering she was the one who invited him out to dinner, it was an understandable mistake.  Mak seemed a nice enough guy so, she forced a giggle so he did not feel as though he'd done anything wrong.  She listened to what he had to say about his family and nodded as he became emotional about the loss of his mother.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother passing away."  She sipped her wine.  "My own passed away when I was very young.  I was raised by Father for a while and eventually my Grandfather.  I suppose it's fair to say I've consequently had no skill to speak of in the art of homemaking, though Tony never seemed to mind..."  She let her voice trail off as she realized she brought her dead husband up again.  She'd been trying hard not to do that, but he was always a part of her life - to not having him here now, and to not speak of him was next to impossible.

She shook the thoughts away, "I told you that you could ask me a question - fair is fair.  Do you have one for me."  Frankie eyed a desert cart passing by and made a mental note to get some chocolate cake before leaving!

He paused and thought for a minute....yes I have a question for you...how do you do it, I mean run a organization, and yet still find time for yourself? It has to be tiring sometimes.  Oh and Frankie, I am sorry for your loses as well, and I apologize if I stepped out of bounds with that foot remark.  Hope all is forgiven.

Frankie seemed to stare intently at some spot on the far wall for a long moment, silent.  Her thoughts racing behind her doe-like eyes, she didn't immediately answer.  Did she find time for herself anymore?  What did that even look like without Tony?  Every moment for herself since reuniting with him had been spent with him... 

Realizing she'd let her thoughts carry her away from the moment she examined her plate and cut another piece of steak.  "You didn't offend me, Mak.  It's sweet of you to flirt and I suppose I can expect more of it as time passes; men do that... but, I appreciate your condolences on my loss.  It's just still very new of a wound for me.  If anything I apologize for even letting you know I was troubled.  It's not your fault Tony is gone.  You can't be expected to know what will make me feel a sense of relief from my mourning and what might offend, right?"

She shrugs.  "As for finding time for myself, I suppose I've been avoiding that since I lost Tony.  Far easier to focus on the crew, on the city of Las Vegas, and making profits... though, I admit, I feel as though some of my reasons for doing all that may have to change now."  She took a bite of steak, chewed it slowly, swallowed and then spoke again.  "I thought for a time that all my work building an empire of power and wealth was to give the DiCaprio and Messina families a future here in the United States -- to give my and Tony's children a future as doctors and lawyers maybe even politicians.  Of course, now there won't be any children for us."

She waved over the desert cart.  "Could you be sure to bring around some chocolate cake when we've finished with dinner."  She slips the waitress a sizable tip, sure the woman will not forget them.

"You know I hadn't realized you were in your fifties Mak.  I honestly thought you were closer to my own age."  She looked back at him.  "So what's the dream for you... I mean, I've told you what I had hoped to do, build a family - a legacy, what about you?  If you could accomplish anything in this thing of ours... what do you hope for?"

****he ponders for a while and then says**** My dream is to be respected, I've always worked hard at things, but it seems that respect is one that is hard to accomplish.  I want to be a intricate part of this organization and maybe one day with what I learn from you and other upper members to run my own organization.

"If anyone ever disrespects you, Mak, you let me know."  She takes another bite of food.  "I'll make them eat their teeth."  She gave a wry chuckled.  "But I get you.  Respect it's not a small thing, and sadly some folks mistake fear for respect.  They are, in my estimation, quite different."

"There are men and women, in this thing of ours, with such power as to call down death in a moment on whole cities ... but if that's the only reason men capitulate to them, what good is that?  In a heartbeat that can be lost.  Men turn on those they fear the second they think they're strong enough to do so.  But respect... that makes a man loyal until his last breath.  You do something people respect and they will follow you anywhere.  Give up anything to see you grow strong and rise again and again."

She puts down her silverware.  "In a way that's what the Tower is all about... respect.  It's about respect for other Mafioso, for this thing of ours and it's ways, as well as the communities who serve us and who we protect.  We do a lot of bad shit, to be sure, but we're honest with people about who we are and what it is we do.  These dirty cops, the lawyers and politicians; those bastards, they make me sick.  The hypocrisy of telling good folks who work a simple 9-5 that they are there serving and protect them when in truth you can steal more with the right laws than any associate of mine takes for protection."

She shakes her head,  "My people realize that if we drain the community dry, if we put people into the streets penniless, that we have nothing.  You don't kill the cow, when it still gives milk - you get me, right?  But not those bastards at the top... they kill the cow, eat the meat and wonder why the hell the world is starving."

"What manner of work have you been focusing on since you came to the Tower, Mak?  Drugs?  Guns?  Gambling?  To be honest, Sullivan keeps track of the numbers for me so sometimes I don't see much more than the upper levels of the books - but Sully tells me you're moving up.  You're one to watch.  So, what is it you do and what do you want to be doing?  I mean, besides being respected?  If I were to invest in you... give you cash to start up whatever operation you wanted... what would it be.  Money is no object.  Go wild.  What would you do?"

****without hesitation, Makavelii sips his drink and say**** I want to make tons of money, I want to run very profitable drug businesses for us.  If i need to grease a few palms, then so be it.  But I don't want anyone to stand in the way of what I'm doing, or I will ask that they be dealt with one way or the other.  

"Would you be interested in setting up a legitimate business in the downtown business district to house your operations... production and distribution.  I don't know what we could hide it within... but I bet if we put our heads together we can come up with something that will help you make cash and have the added bonus of allowing you to have a place to manufacture and package the good right in Summerlin."

Frankie accepted her chocolate cake when it was brought and once the waitress left she continued, "I'd be happy to back you financially.  See what you can do with some real cash flow behind you."  She takes a bite of the cake, swallows and says, "Of course if you have another idea... I'd love to hear it!"

I think opening a business in the downtown district would be perfect, especially if we could make it possible hat I could run it close to home, that is until I get my name out there.  Being the "new kid on the block" some might notice me doing very well for myself and want to cut in on the action, which that won't be happening.  I want to make money for our organization so that we could move forward in other endeavors that may become available to us.  ****he call the waitress over....I'll have a slice of dutch apple pie and coffee please***.  Let's make this happen.....If I come up with anything else I will let you know, but for know I want to concentrate on the opening my first of many businesses....

Frankie picks up her wine and raises the glass, "To you, Makavelii,"  She said warmly.  "May you find yourself a very wealthy man soon."  She clinked her glass with his.  "It has been my very great pleasure to have dinner with you tonight. We should do it again sometime soon."

***He politely kissed her hand and said*** Thank you, I had a wonderful evening and I'm looking forward to my time in your organization.......****As he walks out of Harrah's he notices a lady staring at him from the bar with dollar signs in her eyes, being the gentleman that he is, he whispers in her ear"you're not worthy" and smoothly walks out****