In the passing weeks since his recruitment into the Luciano family as an associate, MarcellinoRomano has started to find his feet in Tinseltown. Becoming a heavy hitter in the West Coast drug game, LA’s biggest numbers man with his Sciocchi Numbers Game (turning over $2M in its first few days), and a good friend and asset of the family. But a lot had changed in his blood family too;

Marco’s cousin on his mother’s side, JohnnyRay, was recently made and promoted to family Capo. In this thing of ours, seeing one of your own become made is a huge thing, let alone that someone being your blood. It’s an enjoyment almost as great as having a child. Marco and Johnny hit the East Coast for a while to celebrate.

After a long night of drinking on the town, Marco is awakened by the phone beside his bed in the hotel. In a dazed and more than slightly hungover state, he props himself up and answers the phone.

“Hello?”

To his surprise it was Anthony, their other cousin, the straight shooter. They both got caught up in this thing, where as Anthony drove a cab like a second class bum. But that was irrelevant. Marco had what felt like an endless conversation with his cousin Anthony about their Nana, she raised Marco and Johnny from as early as they both could remember. She was dying, lung cancer. I suppose four packs of Camels a day finally caught up to her.

Marco hung up the phone, feeling like a part of his soul just died. He turned his head over to Johnny on the other side of the room, thinking of how to break the news to him. Reluctantly and with no other choice, he woke Johnny and broke the news to him about their Nana. They both just sat for a while and stared, reminiscing about the past, the times they had as a family. Which got them thinking, outside of just homelife, about this thing, and the way things aren’t the way they used to be.

Marco and Johnny come from a long line in this thing, their bloodline spanning generations. Johnny’s father being Johnny Ray Sr and their uncle being Jimmy Grivelli of the once great Chicago outfit. Those guys were the real deal, often referred to as The Golden Era Gangsters. Marco and Johnny were far too young back then to recall much, but the stories and the legacies left behind paint a picture of much greater times.

Back to the issues at hand, Marco and Johnny decided they needed to head back to LA to see their Nana. They packed up their things and hopped on the first flight back to the City of Angels. Once they landed, Johnny called in a favour and got a car to come and pick them up. They hopped in the car and had a long, silent car ride to their Nana’s place.

Eventually, after about an hour or so, they arrived. They both stepped out onto the street and slowly walked across the road, into Nana’s front yard, still not quite sure what to say or think. They went inside the house, where cousin Anthony was waiting.

“Thanks for keeping her company Tony”

Marco said

“Let me guess, you two were out on some sort of big macho gangster business trip? While Nana was here alone, sick. I got a call from the hospital telling me she stopped breathing down at the market. She’s lucky to be alive you assholes! I had to drive all the way out here from Florida, leave my family and job behind so I could wait for the pair of YOU!”

Anthony threw it all on to the two of them, trying to make out it was their fault that she was sick. No it wasn’t their fault, but they both felt guilt for leaving her by herself when she needed them. Marco not wanting to make a scene got nice and close to Anthony and in a soft, monotone voice he said,

“Ton, thank you for being here for Nana when we couldn’t be. But if you ever insult me like that again you little cockroach, your own kids won’t even be able to give you a fucking funeral that’s how far I’ll hide your body. You understand me?”

Marco threw a punch at Anthony but Johnny grabbed his arm and got in the middle of it, knowing that if Marco killed Anthony right here and now, sick or not, Nana would kill the pair of them. Johnny pushed Anthony out of the house, being the cooler headed one of the two, ultimately saving his ass from an enraged Marco. After being defused, Marco decided it was time to go see Nana. They both went into her room, sitting down with her, spending some quality time, not knowing how much they would have left.

After a few hours, Nana decided she wanted to have a nap, so Marco and Johnny headed out into the living room, the pair of them sat down. Marco fixes them both a drink.

“Things need to change John, we can’t be nothing but change scrapers for the rest of our lives.”

Johnny sits on the chair by the fireplace taking the glass from MarcellinoRomano with a slight nod and a small sigh. "yeah I suppose you're right" Johnny says as he takes a sip of the whiskey.

"You know so much has changed...it's not like when dad or Uncle Jimmy were around...I mean it used to be a guy got out of line you wacked him and the funeral was the next day now..." Johnny sits back a little lighting a cigarette taking a long drag. "And now it's like what're ya gonna do? amirite?" Johnny sets his drink down on the arm of the chair holding the rim of the glass staring into the glass as if it were a crystal ball he could see right into the past with.

He reminisced on stories he had been told of the days of his father in New York going from a common street hustler to his own crew in Chicago. He suddenly snaps back to reality shaking his head a little.

"You and me Marco...we got the goods..." Johnny stopped and took a drag of the cigarette exhaling smoke slowly. "Tony was never built for this life but we are...you know" 

Marco takes a cigarette from JohnnyRay 's packet and sparks it up while Johnny's still talking. Taking it what he's saying, agreeing whole heartedly.

"Man, guys from your dad and Uncle Jim's time were different, this thing, was different. Now, it ain't the same. Every half cut Stufade and their dog comes out of the fucking shadows with a crew, claiming they're this and they're that. It's pathetic!"

He takes a sip of his drink and a drag on his smoke, taking a brief pause

"This thing needs a couple of old souls to waltz on in and start earning, doing what's right! You and me Johnny boy, we're going places. No more pussyfooting around these half cut plastic gangster wannabes. We're cut from the same cloth that once ran these streets. I think it's about time we follow suit pal."