Vito felt the rain on his face as he gazed up, transfixed on the monument.  The bow of the boat was empty as everyone else had taken shelter inside when the rain had started, but Vito was not going to miss this moment.  How he had dreamed of making his way to America and now, welcoming him to his new home was the Statue of Liberty.

He had been traveling for nearly a month at this point and he was ready to begin his life in New York.  The first leg of his trip had been to get from his home town of Milan to the coastal city of Genoa.  He had lucked out and been able to hitch a ride with a local merchant that needed supplies and had arrived much quicker than he had expected.  He had spent nearly a week walking from landmark to landmark, taking in the sights for one final time as he doubted he would ever return to Italy.  While he appreciated the architecture of the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the massive stone tower of Lighthouse of Genoa always left him in awe.

The boat ride from Genoa to New York had taken almost three weeks.  Having never spent time on a boat before, Vito’s first four days had been horrible as he had been nauseous from the instant they had set sail.  After three days of nausea, he had finally been able to drink water without immediately throwing it back up on the fourth.  By the fifth day, he had gained his “sea legs” and was finally able to eat some soup.  Now, he barely noticed the movement of the boat as it progressed through the harbor, heading for the one of many ports along the shores.

Vito was amazed at the number of vessels that seemed to be coming and going from the port.  Everything from fishing boats to cargo boats to passenger ships could be seen from is vantage point on the bow.  Then he noticed that a tug boat had pulled in beside the ship he was riding on and he realized that it was going to assist the large vessel navigate to the dock.  The port seemed to be just a flurry of activity and he felt the excitement rise inside of his chest.  Saying to himself “If the bay is this busy, imagine what the city must be like”.

A loud horn was sounded from the tug boat, signifying that it was in position and received two short blasts from the passenger ship, acknowledging its arrival.  Vito noticed that the ship was beginning to slow and as he scanned the various docks and mooring locations, it was clear that the passenger ship was headed toward one of the large docks that extended from the shore.

An hour later, Vito stepped down off the ramp and onto the wood covered dock.  Taking in a deep breath, he looked toward the large buildings of the city center and just smiled.  “New York…think you’re ready for me?” he thought to himself as he set off to find his uncle.

Looking down at the worn suitcase that contained everything he owned, he inspected the knot in the rope that was holding it together after the latch had broken on the ship.  Vito knew this was the last time this luggage would be used, but had hoped that it would make the journey without failing.  Luckily, he was able to acquire a length of rope from one of the maintenance workers on the passenger ship and improvised the repair.

The streets were busy with people and Vito found it interesting that everyone seemed to be in a hurry for something.  And even more fascinating was the vast variety of individuals from all walks of life.  From the main dressed in a finely tailored suit to the young couple that held onto each other tightly, they all had one thing in common.  They were all in a hurry. 

Walking past a finely manicured final resting place for many, Vito glanced up at a sign over the opening that said GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY.  From the directions his uncle had provided, he knew he was headed in the right direction.  His uncle lived in an older part of town, just past Prospect Park.   Vito’s uncle had described the park in detail in his last letter and by all indications, this was one of his uncle’s favorite places to visit in Brooklyn.

The rain had stopped right after the ship had docked, but the day was still cloudy.  At the corner, a vendor had set up a small cart and Vito stopped and purchased an apple to enjoy on his walk.  As he walked and ate, he noticed a car had stopped directly in front of the bank across the street.  While that shouldn’t have drawn his attention, it was the two men running into the bank with pistols raised that definitely grabbed Vito’s attention.  A third sat in the driver’s seat, nervously looking around.  Stopping, Vito just watched.

Looking around, everyone continued to hurry to their destinations and Vito seemed to be the only one that showed any interest in the potential crime.  After a few minutes, there were muffled gunshots and then the two men ran out the entrance.  One continued to the car and the other turned and fired back into the bank before continuing his sprint to the car.  Right after the shot, a woman screamed from inside the bank.  Once the last assailant entered the car, the driver pulled out into traffic and raced away.

While the pedestrians near the bank had taken cover at the sound of gunfire, Vito was amazed that no one on his side of the street seemed to even take notice.  Vito shook his head and took another bite of apple.  In his mind, he thought If everyone is so numb to crimes such as a middle of the day bank robbery, imagine what an energetic and creative Vito Genovese can accomplish!.