Achilles walked out into the street, taking one last drag from his cigarette before flicking it to the ground and squashing it out. It was a habit, he thought, he ought to give up. But it seemed as if you were going to live this life, that you ought to have a vice or two...or four under your belt. He watched some of the people passing by and the other people stopping to speak up about one thing or another. When there seemed to be a quiet moment, he grabbed the milk crate that was leaning against the building. He set it down and stepped up onto it.

You know, it's not always an easy decision to live a life in this thing of ours. I remember being a young child and walking into the back room poker games that my father hosted. Hearing my parents fight about the life that my father had chosen. Seeing men come and go from our house wearing high dollar suits, diamond rings and smoking cigars. I remember long talks with my father when I was a boy about how he wanted something different for me. I think they all do, but they don't really realize that they are building a generation of those that are destined to follow in their footsteps. We talked about college and "real careers". Whatever those are. A nine to five desk job? Going door to door trying to push people into buying insurance they don't really want? That life was NEVER what I really wanted.

But at that age, college and "real careers" seemed possible. Until I got a taste of the power. Of the rush that living the fast life brings. I was a teenager at this time. Getting rebellious, fighting with my father over ideals that now seemed childish and stupid. An associate of my fathers dropped by while he was out of town. I was sprawled out on the couch, smoking a cigarette as a sign of my rebellion, refusing to do my homework. He asked where my father was and I gave him some smart ass answer that probably would have gotten me a back hand from my father. He told me to get my lazy ass up and run an errand for him. He handed me an envelope stuffed full of cash. There had to be over one hundred thousand dollars in there. He told me that he knew the exact amount that was in there and if there was so much as one single dollar missing he'd chop me up into little pieces and mail me to my father. I was never so nervous, so anxious, so thrilled in my life. This is the kind of life I wanted.

After I returned, he slipped me a hundred dollar bill for my "troubles" and was out the door, on his way to his next business venture. I stared at that money in my hand and thought of the money I had just delivered and I knew there was no turning back. This was the life I was meant to lead. It was coarsing thru my veins. I started cutting school to run errands for my fathers associate instead. I was hooked and soon my father discovered what was going on. He tried to stop me, but he knew it was a futile effort. He knew there was nothing he could do or say, because he saw in me, what his father had seen in him so many years ago. That drive to succeed, the eagerness to make a name for myself in the crew, and eventually become a member of a family...To be a member of the New York Mafia. And as I stand here before you today, that drive is just as strong, if not stronger than it was at first so many years ago...And that is what makes me the man I am today. If anyone wishes to share their personal path with me on this beautiful New York night, please feel free. I have some spare time before I head back across the states on "business."

He stepped down off the crate, pulling his crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He shook one out, lit it up, picked up the milk crate, placed it back against the wall, then leaned against the wall himself, inhaling deeply on the cigarette and exhaling up into the night air...

Whether we make the choice ourselves, so we can continue that RUSH that you mentioned or we are dragged back in by our ear because our friends and associates know what is best for us. We are in this thing of ours until we no longer breathe. But never forget,the life you choose to make yourself feel alive,is also the one that will take you from this earth in a heartbeat.

As a new generation to this thing of ours I feel it should be told why i have chosen to become apart of this thing of ours. I am not extremely talkitive so bear with me if this is short but I mean the fact with everything else i have tried to do I just didnt feel like i belonged. My life may be shorter with this thing of ours but at the very least I now feel free enough from all the other hassels in other careers that it makes up for it. As to if my children follow in my footsteps I can only hope that they themselves make the choice and understand the choice they are making with their life. We can only as parents support our children as they are our future.

Tortio noticed a well dressed figure standing on a milk crate giving a speech.  At first he thought it was one of those old crazy folk that tell people the world is going to end or he can sense the devil on earth or something like that, but it wasn't.  The man standing up there was to well dressed for that sort of thing.  Tortio stopped and hovered at the back of a filling crowd.  He zipped up his jacket and lit a cuban cigar and began to listen to the man.  Tortio thought the man spoke allot of sense and appreciated how up front and honest this fellow was.  As the speech ended and this man, Achilles his name asked for other personal paths Tortio listened to two others before he spoke out.

"My father told me not to get involved in things like gangs and violence.  Of course I knew from a young age he was up to his knees in stuff like that, my mother disagreed with it - she used to tell me my father was a hypocrite"

Tortio laughed and took one last drag of his cuban cigar before speaking on.

"I think my life was planned out for me in those nine long months my mother had me inside her.  School, college and then a boring nine to five desk job like you said.  Well I got right up to the college part and then started the best days of my life.  I ended up dropping out of college and becoming a devious young man, I met a fellow New Yorker, older than myself and he took me under his wing.  Bonaserita was his name. He showed me how to make myself known to people and how to make fast easy money, of course anybody would love things like this at a young age.  I eventually got myself invited to his gang, a well known New York crime gang, I've since never looked back.  That is how i have ended up her today"

Tortio pulled out another cuban cigar and lit it up hoping to hear from other fellow New Yorkers.

Bonaserita throws cigar and steps on create

Genereations of my bloodline died on these shores in all kind of wars. I am just one of them who will share their fate one day but i am sure that my son will choose same "job". Money and power will just drag him in and he will become what i am today. Member of one of the New York families. Maybe i will sound weird but i will be proud if he makes a name for himself.

Cassi listens to Achilles speech intently and her mind begins to wander. She thinks of a day where she was standing in the kitchen with her mother. It was filled with the sounds of boiling water, pots clanging together, her mother standing over the stove, stirring, sampling. As her mother motioned for her to come over, she held the spoon out to her filled with her homemade sauce. I blew on it carefully before covering the spoon with my mouth. Cassi closed her eyes trying to take the moment in, for she knew one day, there would be no more moments like this. When she opened my eyes, her mother was looking at her with tears in her eyes as she said, 'Cassi, while I would never choose this life for you, one day it may just choose you.'

I didn't understand what my mother meant when she told me that this life may choose me until the day it happened. Sometimes we don't really have a choice. Sometimes we're called here. But whatever way it happens, you can't help but feel the comfort that being a part of a family brings. You can't help but enjoy the power and respect that comes along with that honor. And you definitely can't help but cherish the bonds that you make in this life. I wouldn't trade being here for anything in this world.

It is great to hear you share the way you got into this way of life. I for one envy you a little. You had a father to tutor you and guide you through your first, well second, steps.

I was just an orphan and I had to grow tough in a hell hole where it was to eat or be eaten so after I left there the only skills I had was busting jaws and intimidating people to extort money from them. From that to what I am today it was only a natural succession of events...

It is good to see you tell the story of how you came to be part of our world Achilles. Everyone has a different story and most are interesting. I never wanted to be a gangster but my grandfather forced it upon me. He said I had to take over for him since my father was too....."pussy." So I did, at age 12 I dug my first grave for someone my grandfather killed. At age 15 I held down a man while my grandfather beat him to death. At age 17 I killed my first man, he said some shit about my grandfather after his death so the man paid the price. After that I started to make money and work for families, got more involved in our lifestyle. Though I never wanted to be a part of it I kept doing it cause I was good at it and like my grandfather use to always say, "If you are good something you will be able to find a way to make money from it." He was a wise man.

After hearing Achilles, Michael thought to himself... He thought over the idea on how he got himself into the life of crime. The ultimate acceptance still is infront of him, becoming a full member of the New York Mafia. 

My story is similar, most are if you really listen.

I was born on the other side, Siciliy. I remember hitting the shores of New York and passing Ellis Island as the horn of the large vessel made its way to the ports. I was only ten at the time. The only life I knew was that of the old country. It seemed the same ways were coming over the long blue ocean of the Atlantic. The ways of La Cosa Nostra to be specific. Things were different in the old country, they were organized. Growing up, random groups of thugs ran wild thru the streets. No one wanted to work together. The police had their hands full and they knew it. 

I made a few friends here and there growing up. Ralphie and Vito, to be specific. We stuck together no matter what conditions we were in. A street fight with a local gang, out numbered 2 to 1, we fought together. Getting pinched for knocking over the local butcher, we kept our damn mouths shut. Others took notice and got their heads straight. Things get more organized and people started to work together. They all had one common goal and that was to make money. Money and power. Everyone wanted it. 

Few years haved rolled by now and I'm now an associate in the great city of New York. Wouldn't have it any other way.....

Michael turns and starts walking away.