There was no more a beautiful sight than looking at the skyline at night, over the ocean. The lights hitting off the water, with the moon high in the sky. It was a sight that even money couldn't buy. Sure some people preferred looking at the lights over the city, or climbing the statue of liberty and looking out of it, but to James Corrolla, it was simple. It could be from the beach, one of the many island attractions in the state, or even here on the docks. There just was no beating the skyline sight over the ocean. 

It was currently midnight and James "Jimmy Cars" Corrolla had summoned a crew of movers to help take cargo out of shipping containers, along the Manhattan docks, and put them on trucks, to be transported to his shop to be sold. True to his nickname, the cargo the movers were transferring, were high class and exotic automobiles shipped in from overseas Europe. "Jimmy Cars" had established himself on the streets of New York, as being the man one would go to see when it came to automobiles. Anything from exotic cars, specific modifications, creating areas of concealment, specific car parts, or lost automobiles, if it had anything to do with a car in the state of New York, James Corrolla was your guy. 

Jimmy began working with his father at his auto repair shop, when he was an older teen. From there he was more interested in turning it into a more profitable business. He didn't have his father's love or passion for working on or fixing cars, but he had ambition. He had vision and business sense, even if it wasn't the way it was taught out of a book or from a school. Jimmy had a nose for making money and turning a profit. He used the knowledge his father would pass on and his charisma to flip the business and make it more presentable and profitable. It was his idea to get in on making hidden compartments in trucks, to help bootleggers during prohibition and make them a fortune. It put his father's and now his auto body shop on the map. They took off during that period of time and never looked back. 

Jimmy thought back to those simpler times, when he was the brains of making money, and his father was still the main one in charge of all the business. He wondered what his old man would think of what he was doing now if he could see. These were the things on his mind as he puffed on a cigar, looking out at his favorite view while the workers worked behind him. 

"We should be just about done Jim. Guys said they got another couple containers to open and then we'll be all set." A voice said from behind him, interrupting his musings and causing him to turn around and face the intruder. 

He was a hired muscle to make sure everything went down smoothly, loaned to him by his friend Arturo Pavanno, who was a made man in the Castelli crime family operating outta the Bronx. Arturo loaned the men in order to get a piece of the returns on the shipment coming in when they were sold. Jimmy would be able to say if he was questioned by anyone, that the shipment was under protection of the Castelli family if Arturo was backing him and he was getting a percentage. 

This should keep him safe from the family who would think to hijack the shipment or anyone else who thought about trying anything else. 

"Good, the faster we get out of here, the better." Jimmy replied evenly. 

He was on edge since the start of this whole thing. He was uneasy before that if he was being honest and he just wanted to get this whole thing over with and get out of Manhattan. 

"Don't worry so much Jimmy. Boss says D'Agostino could give a fuck less about these docks unless he's got somethin' big coming through here himself. You don't use these docks that much so he shouldn't know too much about you anyway." One of the others said.

Jimmy didn't say anything back to that, not wanting to jinx things and too unsettled to get into banter with the two hired thugs. Most of the time here was spent either looking out and being on guard, or looking out at the ocean and thinking. He thought about other things to keep himself from worrying too much, but when he was brought back to the situation he began to worry again. He had a bad feeling all day, but business was business and he needed to be here to oversee things. He worked with the crew of movers plenty of times before, they were professional enough, but on big shipments like this, he believed his presence was good to help move things along in the right way. It also helped deter anyone from getting any ideas. Sure he paid them well, and it was no secret about Jimmy's ties to the mob and other underworld organizations, but greed was a sonuva bitch, and could tempt the best of people.

Jimmy was once more broken from his thoughts suddenly. This time, by the sound of brakes screeching, indicating a car coming to a sudden stop near by. This caught the attention of everyone on the docks, considering they should've been the only people here. The hired thugs were reaching inside their jackets to get their hands ready on their weapons. The movers had froze in place waiting to see exactly what would happen and Jimmy was watching the car looking for the slightest hint of trouble as well. He wasn't a shooter so he already was thinking of places he could go to for cover, should anything pop off. 

The driver and passenger side doors opened first. The men stepped out of the car slowly, so as not to put the thugs hired by Jimmy anymore on edge. They refrained from pointing their guns at the men, but they had them out and at the ready. Then the door to the backseat opened. 

"You can put the guns down boys. There won't be no need for those." A voice said from the backseat. 

A man in a navy blue suit, with a fedora on his head stepped out the car last, with his hands up in mock surrender. Even though it was dark out, Jimmy could see the smirk on the man's face. 

"After all. You wouldn't shoot a made man on his own territory would you. Even you zeroes gotta know better than that. Jimmy certainly does." The man said. 

Jimmy didn't have enough light to make out his face, so he couldn't say he recognized him or his voice, but this man certainly knew who he was. Apparently this newest intruder was also made. 

"Who the fuck are you?" Jimmy asked bluntly. 

The man let out a chuckle to mock him. Jimmy wasn't a violent or hot tempered person, but this person was already trying his patience. This world was also one where you couldn't outwardly show any weaknesses, so he couldn't afford to be punked here either.

"It's not who I am that matters, but rather who I represent. They tell me you're pretty street smart Jimmy, so does the name Richie Gaetano mean anything to you?" The man asked. 

Jimmy did indeed recognize the name, and if this person here was using it and was so confident he was in no danger, it also revealed who he was. It was the exact thing Jimmy was worried about from the beginning. 

"Yeah, one of D'Agostino's capos. So that must make you Arnold then if you're usin' his name so freely." Jimmy concluded. 

The man's grin got even wider. 

"The one and only. Arnold Palemeri, at your service." The man replied with mock bow. 

The D'Agostino's were a crime family that owned Manhattan. They took it over during the days of prohibition, and planted their flag here when the commission was created and the five families took territories all over New York. Richard Gaetano was known for owning the docks and shipping yards and running the unions making big time money off those rackets. He had others but unions were his bread and butter. He was Leonardo D'Agostino's top capo. 

"We gotta call that said someone was moving a few things on the docks tonight, so I asked the boss, if he had anyone paying to move things on the docks at such an odd time of night. He tells me no, but I better check it out. So here I am, and what do I find other than Jimmy Cars moving some fine auto mobiles. Now last I checked, you didn't have any stripes. You also weren't working for any of the families. So that makes you a civilian in our thing. Civilians, pay a civilian tax on everything they wanna bring through these docks. Outta respect and to make sure nothing happens to it, or them, but you haven't paid. You ain't trying to cut us out or go around us on our own docks are ya Jim?" Arnold asked. 

Jimmy hesitated for a minute. He couldn't outright disrespect someone who was here on business for the D'Agostino's on their territory either. Arnold was in the right here and he was in the wrong. He was hoping he could finish this up and get off their turf before anyone was any wiser. Unfortunately they weren't fast enough. 

"No Arnold. I'm just trying to bring this stuff in. We're almost done, and then we'll be outta here. You know I'm already payin' the Castelli's for protection on this." Jimmy explained. 

Arnold walked up closer to Jimmy, so they didn't have to yell across to each other. The last thing anybody here needed, was somebody else hiding and overhearing this conversation that shouldn't be. 

"See that's the thing. We KNOW what you're tryin' to do Jim. You're bringing this shit in here in Manhattan, so if something should go wrong, you distance yourself with the law. If the cops come here and inspect anything wrong, they wouldn't connect it to you because, logically you'd bring your shit in through the Brooklyn. So they wouldn't suspect you bringin' anything in through Manhattan. The problem with that is, the first ones they're gonna suspect is us. So you're little stunt here, is bringing us potentially unwanted heat and attention." Arnold explained. 

Jimmy had to wonder if maybe his plan was so basic and see through that everyone could see through it. Or if maybe this was one of the reason why Richie Gaetano was a power figure in the D'Agostino family. Either way, he didn't like how these guys had dissected his plan and were now putting the screws to him. 

"Look, I hear what you're sayin' but I'm already paying the Castelli's on this one. You can tell Mr. Gaetano that it won't happen again." Jimmy tried. 

Arnold walked around and mocking put his arm around Jimmy's shoulders. Jimmy flinched, and he was certain that Arnold had caught it, as his grin widened even more. 

"Oh we know it won't. The boss ain't an unreasonable man. In fact he's got a solution. We're gonna pay your shop a visit in a few days. You know after the time it takes to get these cars cleared and out on the sale's lot, we'll come by and get our taste for this... Misunderstanding. That shouldn't be a problem right Jimmy?" Arnold asked rhetorically. 

Jimmy rolled his eyes at the antics. Arnold was enjoying this way too much. He could tell Arturo's hired muscle were still on edge. He could tell they wanted to intervene, but they wisely stayed quiet, and knew better than to try and get physical in the situation. Touching a made man would just end up getting them all killed. 

"Yeah, sure. You guys come by and we'll work something out." Jimmy said. 

He didn't want to fight or banter back and forth. He just wanted to get this over with at this point so he could get them out of there. Arnold gave Jimmy a pat on the shoulder and stepped around to his front to face him once more. 

"See? That's all you had to do in the first place. Just show a little politeness. It gets you far Jim. Next time you have them deliver to Manhattan, come pay us a visit first. The next time we do this dance, I won't be so gentle." Arnold threatened. He finished with a soft smack on Jimmy's cheek that he had no choice but to take. 

Jimmy was gritting his teeth at this point, and Arnold's enjoyment could be seen from a mile away. Arnold walked back and got in the car he showed up in. The men who joined him also got in without a word to each other or a word said at all. They wasted no time in starting the car and driving off, and no one stopped them. Once they left the docks the movers could see from the look on Jimmy's face, it was best to just get back to work. That was good, because with the way he was feeling, he wouldn't have hesitated to make an example out of someone. The two hired thugs walked up to him. 

"Artie's not gonna like this." One pointed out. 

"No shit Sherlock. What would make you think that." The other replied. 

Jimmy however wasn't in any mood to banter with them either. 

"Would you two just make sure they finish up quickly here. I wanna get the fuck outta here already." Jimmy grounded out angrily. 

He walked away from the two, preparing himself and thinking on how he would report this to Arturo. Whether he wanted to hear it from them or not, the two were right. He was pissed because he was embarrassed and got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Arturo would be a whole different story, and it would probably be up to him to keep him from doing something stupid.