Maggie woke in the alleyway to the sound of feral cats fighting.  The box she’d chosen to sleep on was sopping wet and now so is her body.  Her stomach complained loudly and after two long days of not having anything to eat she was beginning to become desperate.  She had tried to find work everywhere but no one was willing to hire a street rat who looked as though she hadn’t washed herself in days.  It seemed that businessman as well as common folk were feeling the pinch of the Great Depression.

She had left home a week ago having decided that it would be better to try to make it on her own then to deprive her brothers and sisters of food any longer.   There were too many mouths to feed and after hearing her mother and father speaking about selling the oldest boy to a local farmer she decided she had to do it had to be done.   She wondered if they missed her or if they were secretly grateful that she had decided to go.   Maggie scrub it dirty hand across her eyes smearing the dirt with her tears.  Standing up she stretched and yawned before leaving her sorry excuse for a pallet.

 She was going to risk it.  She was tired of being a victim of circumstance and felt it was time to take her feet into her own hands either she was succeeded picking someone’s pocket and have breakfast or she’d end up in jail in which case she probably get breakfast anyway.  What did she really have to lose?  Making her way down the street she casually snack up beside someone who looked like they had some money to spare, someone who is slightly distracted.  As carefully as she could she slit her hand into their pocket and try to grab for the Wallet just as they turned and looked her right in the eyes!  

Ralph looked at the little urchin who had tried to slide off with his pocketbook. 

"Now what would you be doin the now lass? Petty theft, and so young at that is it?"

The eyes looking down soften, and a small smile tries to make an appearence at the corners of his mouth. "Ah hell, I started not to different them you meself. Come along with you. Let's get you a meal, and then we'll talk."

The day had started much like any other. A few small thefts, a brief run in with the law, nothing obscene though. He had been contemplating his very purpose and drive, such was the monotony of his day. This line of work had at first been intimidating, however the young lad was finding his feet. There was a vacant satisfaction though that he felt could be much better fulfilled. 

Young Jack Mezzo, no older than 14, strolled on. Dodging well dressed ma'ams and mean looking sirs, until a sensation distracted from his pace. 

He turns. 

Following a brief look of curious interest, a small voice broke from his lips.

"Holy cow miss, you look all kinds of hungry"

Maggie’s eyes went wide. She didn’t know what to say or do!  She been caught it was her worst fear realized.  At first she tried to pull away, to run; but then he spoke so kindly to her, and the smile on his face soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread.

With an offer of food she didn’t think she could really refuse him (nor did she want to!) and if she did he might well just call the cops or worse...

So, she decided to go along. For a while she and Ralph walked in silence.  Maggie was unsure if she should apologize or not.  He did seem to indicate that they shared a criminal inclination.  If that connection is what got her meal, should she really be apologizing for what she did?

At last she settled on introducing yourself.  “My name is Margaret, but most folks call me Maggie.  What do they call you?”

"My name is Ralph Lombino. And when I came from the old country, I started with nothing. It makes me no stranger to the hardship you are facing,  and it means I know better then to look down with no pity on those with nothing. 

I had nothing, and now I run a business that spans an entire district."

As they reached a diner Ralph liked, he indicated a seat, then ordered a large meal for himself. 
"Eat your fill Ms. Maggie. This meal is on me. And when you're not distracted by your stomach, we can discuss future meals, so t speak. "

Star checked the time on her watch, realizing that it close to dinner time and she hadn't eaten a thing since the bagel and cup of tea early this morning. She had been shuffling paperwork all morning long in her office which served as a front for the more illegitimate business behind closed doors. Placing her now cold cup of tea on the back of her desk, she grabbed a stack of envelopes to put in the mail drop on her way out the door. 

Several minutes later she was on her way home, walking the short distance from her office to the post office. As she dropped each envelope into the box, checking for a stamp, she looked over her shoulder towards the diner across the street. She saw her associate and friend Ralph enter with a young and waifish looking girl and Star's curiosity was instantly piqued. After delivering all of the mail to its destination, she sauntered across the street and made her way into the diner. It Ralph was busy, she could still get something to eat before heading home. 

The cafe was nice if a little old fashioned but the smell coming from the kitchen was divine as she sat down at a table catty-corner to Ralph. As she removed her hat, she nodded to her friend in greeting. 

"Fancy seeing you here for dinner Ralph. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Maggie ate voraciously.  Occasionally she spared a smile for Ralph as he watched her downing his generous gift.

“These are some good eats!”  She exclaimed around a large bite of hamburger.  “Thanks.”

After taking a large gulp of water she wiped her mouth.  The idea that he was willing to offer her some sort of arrangement for future meals was tempting to ask about, but it was also frightening.  What would this guy want from her?

“ I don’t have a lot of skills that someone in a nice suit is going to be able to make good use of.  I mean I can cook if you need to cook and I’m pretty good at cleaning too; Ma did teach me that. My Pa had me shooting rabbits from age 3, and I can hit one right in the eye halfway across Mr. Miller’s field.  I reckon night good at measurements so I don’t know how far that is, but it’s pretty far.  Ole Tom Johnson, he’s been blue ribbon winner in the rifle contest for as long as anyone can remember, he can’t do that!  If I’d been born a boy I’d have taken his title years ago.”  She said proudly.  

But then her smile faded. “But I reckon you don’t have any rabbits you need killin or blue ribbons you want won?”  

"Just a little interruption from normal business Star. But let me call you this evening, I think that the Denson deal is going through tonight."

Ralph turned back to the little girl. 
"Well, your small and slippery, if my suit pocket wasn't rigged for me to notice the smallest touch,  I think you would have gotten away cleanly. And it sounds like you could be very useful to me, if your as good with a weapon as you say. Besides, I'm sure even if that wasnt the case that I could find a way for you to earn future meals. But since you do have skills I could use, why don't you consider an invitation to come work for me at the bank. We are always looking for people with, shall we say, unusual skillsets."

Star nodded and turned back to her own table, intent on making the best out of the meal that she was about to order. She overheard a bit of the conversation between him and the young lady but chose to focus on her own affairs rather than stuck her nose in his. If the young lady were to become a new associate, perhaps she could teach her a little bit about the ways of the world but she wasn’t going to push her luck just yet. Perhaps what was needed was time as a choice such as this wasn’t always easily made. 

Maggie's eyes went wide.  "A bank?"  She hadn't meant to sound so shocked, but the last place she thought a man with criminal ties would be working was a bank.  She lowered her voice and  forced it to not sound so incredulous.  "I'd think the last place you'd want a girl like me, doing the things I did, would be around other people's money at a bank."

It was in that moment that Maggie put all the clues together which were laid out before her.  A man in a suit.  Money to spare.  Claims of a being a criminal, but he runs a bank ... and add to all of this he MIGHT have need of her gun skills: HOLY HOT POTATOES HE'S A GANGSTER!

Maggie choked upon her mouth full of burger and Ralph patted her on the back.  She grabbed for her drink and guzzled it, nervously eyeing him and considering where she might have ended up rather than at a table with food in front of her.  She'd seen the papers.  The Mafia was no joke!  Those guys carried tommy guns and terrorized the little people... or so papers said.  Papers, however, said a lot of things... a lot of not so true things in her good opinion.  

What wasn't in doubt about the Mafia, however, was the thought that their members weren't out selling their kids just to make ends meet and narrow down the number of mouths they couldn't feed.  They didn't fear no government who'd screwed up their jobs, homes, or future - no cops - no man.  They made their own way in the world.  They weren't victims of it.  Wasn't that EXACTLY what she'd been looking for?  A way out?

Once she stopped choking she wiped her mouth, "Sorry, bout that."  She said meekly.  "I sure could use some work... and maybe someone to show me the ropes if only so I don't embarrass myself again like this morning."  She shrugged.  "Why not.  I've got no better offers at the moment.  You help me learn my way, make sure I don't starve, and I'm your Girl Friday!"  She spit into her hand and offered it to Ralph.