Dimitri stands on a wooden crate left outside of a local store.

Hello good people. I was wondering what brought you all to this thing of ours? What you did before coming to America, what things inspired you to join this life of crime? For some, it may be the simple fact that their Mother or Father was a mafioso before them, and they wished to follow in their footsteps. This is fine. But im hoping that some of you will share a more colourful story with me today.

But first, i will tell you all my story.

I was born in Sicily. My father was a wealthy vineyard owner, by the name of Lorenzo, in the province of Messina. He was a good man, who had no desires to follow his ancestors into a path of crime. Some would call him a coward. Some say that he was betraying his roots. I believe he just wanted something more for his family.

My mother was half greek, named Elysia, and i was named for her father. She was a loving, caring woman, and it was said she was the most beautiful woman for miles around.

I was the oldest child but had two brothers and a sister. Their names were Andrea, Calogero and Francesca. All good Italian names.

I was born on the vineyard and raised on the vineyard. I never had any idea of my families roots in crime, until i reached the age of sixteen. This is when my uncle Salvatore came to my home and persuaded my father to tell me about my families roots. My father and uncle then gave me an option. Would i follow in my fathers footsteps, inherit the vineyard and live a peaceful if uneventful life, or go with my uncle to learn the ways of the mafia? I chose to stay with my family and my uncle spent the week at the vineyard, telling me stories which he would read from my ancestors journals, bringing me on "errands" with him and teaching me the basics of shooting. Slowly bringing me into his own way of thinking.

The local mafia boss, a man named Emilio, took offence to my uncle encroaching on his territory. Saw him as a threat and decided to make an example of him... And his family. When they started down the path to my home, a group of seven or so men,  my father and my uncle stayed to fight to buy me and my mother, brothers and sister time to get away with anything which we could not afford to leave behind including my uncles journals. We fled to my grandparents farm, and spent the next two years there. I never saw my Father or Uncle again.

During the two years i spent much of my time training with my gun, reading the journals and tending my grand-parents farm. I grew even taller and stronger, grew a beard and became a man.

I returned to the village i grew up in and stayed in a inn for a few days, before finally seeing what i had came for. Emilio. He was browsing the market with two of his men when i shot him. Then i shot his men. After taking the money from their bodies i fled, knowing that revenge would be swift if i stayed.

Then, with the money i had taken, i bought a ticket to America and ended up here.

That is my story, so far, and it is still being written. Now i will step down and allow you to share your stories with the world if you wish.

Dimitri steps down from the podium, in order to allow anyone else to stand and share their story. Remembering the family who he had left behind.

Emilio walks along and hears Dimitri speak.  Trying to remember his family, he begins to tell of his own story

It has been a long time since I have seen my homeland.  I lived in Sweden for much of my life.  My parents, God rest their souls, died when I was young.  I took to the streets soon after their death.  Living my life already in crime.  When I was about thirteen or so, I traveled back to Sicily with a man I was doing errands for.  He brought me here because he needed someone to run some coke to another drug lord.  Once I got there I met a man who seemed to recognize me, turned out to be my grandfather, who I must have been named after, for he was also Emilio.  That has been a very popular name in my family as well, since he said his father and his grandfather were also named that.  Would seem fitting, since my family had many enemies back in the day.  My grandfather told me stories of my father that I never knew, it seems when we went away to Sweden he was running from a boss he had angered.  Then my grandfather told me that my brothers were back in America still running some drugs around.  This was news to me because I never knew of my brothers.  So I shipped off to America, and landed in LA, I have yet to meet my brothers, but I hope soon I will meet them on the streets.  Its possible they are already dead, but I hope to find them regardless.

Emilio then lights up a cigerette, and waits for some other stories to be told.