Bella walked quickly down the hallway, her hair up in a tight bun.  A few stray wisps of graying hair flew out despite her best efforts.  It was unseasonably warm and the forty-five-year-old woman has tired already, though this was probably due to days of not sleeping more than three hours in a row. 

Preparations for this day had been much harder than it had been for her own father's rise to power.  With him, it was the cost of two bullets and then a shit ton of drinking.  But with a name like Mezzo, she knew she couldn't drop the ball.  There was so much more to Louis' rise to power than just claiming a seat from some fat ass nobody... this was a legacy reclaiming its former glory.  This wasn't just about Louis or Race Street... it was about the long-reaching shadow of Jack Mezzo that still loomed over them all.

Gavin kept pace with his wife, munching on an apple as they moved through the crowd around the double set of doors at the rail station.  Emerging into the sunshine she smiled at the sight laid out before her.  It was a goddamned wonder.  A marvel for the ages - excessive amounts of money and man hours had gone into this moment.  She lifted her chin pridefully and smirked.

The Wolf nodded.  "Not bad." 

Bella scoffed and playfully poked back.  "Your talent for understating our accomplishments never fails to amaze."  

"Can't let you get an ego in your old age."  He quipped back, following Bella as she walked down the front steps receiving respectful doffing of hats and warm greetings of 'Don Byrne' as she passed.

Massive helium balloons on loan from Macy's in New York flew high above them.  Marching bands from local high schools stood in rows prepared to march and floats celebrating St. Patrick's Day stretched down the street as far as the eye could see.  It was fortunate that Louis' rise to Godfather had coincided with a popular holiday.  It had allowed Bella great latitude in arranging for the district-wide celebration.  What the city wasn't willing to accommodate on their own dime in gratitude for her contribution to the city landscape at the end of the parade route, Bella made happen with a landslide of blackmail, murder, and of course money.  

The grand marshall for the parade was none other than the Godfather himself, Louis Mezzo.  Louis looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but on the front of a huge parade float but Bella didn't feel the least bit sad.  Her face had a permanent smile painted onto it.  He looked so much like the younger Jack she met all those years ago.

"Mrs. B, I hope you know what you're doing!"  He called out to her.

"Trust me!"  She said with a wink.  "You're about to become the most popular man in all of Philadelphia, a God damned legend!  Just sit back and relax.  You deserve all of this and more.  Once we get to the end of the parade route you can drink yourself stupid while the whole damn city celebrates in the park named to honor your Grandfather.  This is your day, Boss.  Try to enjoy it!"

Bella waved her hand then, and the bands started to play, trucks pulling floats started up and she stepped back and watched as the parade began.  The city of Philadelphia had come out into the streets to watch the menagerie making its way down the main streets headed towards the newly opened "Jack Mezzo Memorial Park" - built with funds from the Race Street Railroad Company.

Gavin put a hand on the small of his wife's back and ushered her towards their car.  They took a direct route to the park, knowing damn well what they were missing: a riotous party where people in the crowd would be given cash and goods from their benefactor and protector... Mr. Mezzo.  After a long run of fending for themselves and being forced to suffer under the 'protection' of local police and politicians, the REAL POWER in South Philly was back.  A Mezzo was at the helm once again and after tonight, there wouldn't be a person in Philly who didn't know it.

As the floats came into the park, Bella made her way up the steps on the bandstand - kissing Gavin on the cheek as she departed his company.  She reached a hand out to shake with Grosso, her partner in crime these many years as Louis came into his own.  They'd done it.  They'd finally made it to this moment.  Everything they'd done, everything they'd failed to stop from happening, it was all worth it.  They'd paid the dues and now South Philly had her Godfather once more.  

"Ladies & Gentlemen? HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY SOUTH PHILLY!!!"  She called out loudly at the mic on the front of the stage to a deafening roar of applause and cheers.  Prohibition was in full swing, no one could sell alcohol but right now Louis Mezzo was a God-King as the amber beer flowed free of charge to the attendees of his celebration.  

"Welcome to the grand opening of the Jack Mezzo Memorial Park and City of Philadelphia's Saint Patrick's Day celebration brought to you by the generous donations of our benefactor LOUIS MEZZO and the RACE STREET RAILROAD COMPANY!  Let's all take a moment to raise our glasses to the man of the hour, the man you could call the Godfather of South Philadelphia herself, my dear friend and Boss, MR. LOUIS MEZZO!"

Louis and his entourage were visibly present at the front of the crowds forming down the block. Luis and Joe stood in the front and waved to his Godfather as they passed by, receiving the subtle nod back as a means of recognition.

Luis quickly motioned for his men to follow him to the end of the block where the had ended. It wasn't long before they all moved off to a more secluded area where Luis got a brief moment to speak with his Godfather..

"My dear friend, Louis.." Luis smiles before taking his hand and kissing the ring on his finger

"My Godfather... You have my undying loyalty in this life and the next.." he glanced at Joe who pulled a large envelope from his suit and handed it to Luis..

"For your money purse.." he handed it to Isabella who stood nearby and smiled

"I will leave you now because I know you are a busy man.." 

He tipped his hat and motioned for Joe to follow him back into the shadows...

The day had gone like a blur. Ever since the news had got out Louis had been fending off well wishers left, right and centre. His hands were starting to feel raw from all the hand shaking and much more back slapping would turn hininto a Quasimodo type character. So being on a float would kill two birds with one stone...avoid pressing the flesh with the unwashed while simultaneously interacting just enough from afar. 

Despite the multitude of handshakes, there were some he couldn’t miss out; Gavin, Grosso and Luis.  He shook all three’s hands firmly and remarked to Gavin that the time spent at home had done little to reduce the advancement of the gray hair.  

Finally before alighting the float, there was Bella.  The rock to which the good ship Railroad had been tied to, even when it wasn’t even a twinkle in Louis’ eye when Bella and he first talked about ambition. He remembered saying that he wanted to be the man in a very youthful and naive manner but here he was. Literally following in his grandfather’s footsteps except, he was sure he would have heard about Jack being paraded on a float. Louis kisses Bella on the cheek, making sure Gavin was not about to do anything stupid. 

“Thank you for this Mrs B. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

Louis got up onto the float and as it wound its way to the park he took some time to think of how to address the crowds. 

You would never have gotten Grandfather Jack up there.

Connie smirked, a knowing she allowed herself to briefly consider before her attention returned to the man of the hour. The younger sister of the newly crowned Godfather was stood street side, inconspicuously and purposely remaining out of the spotlight. There was much to celebrate today, however her presence was not one of them. She would perhaps take a walk around the park later that day and again allow an indulgence into some of the nostalgic moments of the day.

One fact was certain, which was if Jack Mezzo was still able to look upon his grandson, his people, his district and see what each of them had become, he would be extremely fucking proud.

He might even have smiled.

Rat moved slowly through the crowd of people gathered for the parade.  People were always careless when in large groups and distracted by loud noises and entertainment.  He picked up various objects of some value that people either dropped or had carelessly left loose on the ground nearby.  He paused briefly at the commencement of the celebration in the park.

"Ladies & Gentlemen? HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY SOUTH PHILLY!!!" 

"Welcome to the grand opening of the Jack Mezzo Memorial Park and City of Philadelphia's Saint Patrick's Day celebration brought to you by the generous donations of our benefactor LOUIS MEZZO and the RACE STREET RAILROAD COMPANY!  Let's all take a moment to raise our glasses to the man of the hour, the man you could call the Godfather of South Philadelphia herself, my dear friend and Boss, MR. LOUIS MEZZO!"

Rat raised a glass that he recently had picked up.  "May you live a long and prosperous life." Draining the glass empty, he looked through the items he had picked up so far.  Well, he thought, this just might be enough to put together a nice gift basket.  Smiling cheerfully, he began mentally choosing the various delectable foods fit for a Godfather.

This morning when he roused himself from bed, Aurelio found he had to 'encourage' a pair of unexpected guests to leave the flat. It wasn't that he had anything against the company, both of them seeming to be young, beautiful, and eminently interested, but he was in no state to enjoy that particular surprise given the stupendous amount of liquor he'd gone through in the last...what?

Few hours? Few days? It was all running together and just felt like entirely too much worry for the moment.

He had just about cleaned himself up when a knock on his door heralded a visitor. It was a messenger, and it seemed that he'd awakened just in time to be told that there were big happenings afoot. It appeared that the esteemed Louis Mezzo had made the long expected push to take the reins of Godfather from the old lout that had taken to using the term since the fall of Louis's grandfather. An auspicious day to be sure and one well worth sobering up for, but the messenger had told him that he'd been requested by Don Byrne for a discussion beforehand.

Don Byrne.

Oh...shit.

------

A short time later and he found himself dressed in a fresh, new tailored suit and hobnobbing around with the who's who of the fine city of Philadelphia in the newly christened Jack Mezzo Memorial Park. It would have been a beautiful sight if not for the throbbing hangover that Aurelio still suffered, though the abundance of refreshments available for the guests made for a welcome sight. Nothing to cure the aching memory of the last day than a hair of the dog that bit you.

So it was that he'd had a couple of drinks before the time came for him to stand before his boss in his new role. It seemed that he was going to have to think fondly on his most recent straying as he'd likely have little time for a repeat any time soon. For now he was blessedly down to a subtle twinge of discomfort and so able to keep decorum.

"It is an honor to stand and see you take up the mantle we all knew you were destined for. It has been a proud thing for me to find my feet in your operation and I look forward to the sight of Race Street standing strong behind our very own Godfather once more and particularly behind a man of your caliber. Blessings and good fortune to yourself, and to all who stand with you in this time of celebrations! To the Godfather!"

He raised what was left of the most recent drink he'd been nursing and toasted the man of the hour before returning once more to the crowd to allow the next well wisher their chance.