It was great being back on the streets earning again, though now I had to reestablish myself. I was able to get my loan and bookmaking operation up and running again, which should provide my with some nice easy cash. With that out of the way I can focus on getting my other easy money operation going. Protection rackets was something that I was real big into. Shaking down stores, dealers, bookies, loan sharks, just about anyone who I could get to pay up. I was a old school guy and brought up in doing old school rackets. I wasn't much for doing more new age crimes like stocks, credit fraud, and shit like that. I kept things simple and didn't want to do anything over my head. I was a cautious guy and didn't want to risk fucking something up.

Joe and I sat in the back of Trinacria, which was the grocery store my parents owned. It was also where Benny the Jew ran my loan and bookmaking operation for me. Benny has been doing a good job in brining in clients. Even though it has been a couple of days it's picking up. I took a drag of my cigarette and then looked over at Joe. "Now that I got this goin', I wanna get my protection up and runnin' again.' I explained to Joe. Joe had helped me before to get a strong hold on protection rackets in Ozone Park.

"What, get control of your old racket? We had like twenty businesses payin' up." Joe said. He knew that it would be difficult to get all of them to pay up to us. Some got taking over by other wise guys and some had gone without paying to anyone and might be harder to sway.

"I'm not fuckin' sayin' we need to hit up all of the stores and rackets, we can start small and expand over time." I explained.

"Alright, so where did you wanna start?" Joe asked. I took a drag of my cigarette and then flicked the ashes.

" I want to go visit Sciascia Bakery. Lorenzo Sciascia was the first guy that I had pay me for protection, he shouldn't be to hard to get to pay up." I said. Sciascia Bakery was a well known establishment in Ozone Park. It has been open since the thirties and has really become a popular place for getting Italian baked goods. They not only sell goods in the store but to other restaurants in Queens. All the top Italian restaurants want to have Lorenzo's baked goods served in their place. Lorenzo like many knew of the mafia and what could happen if you cross them.

"So were just goin' to the bakery?" Joe asked. I took one last drag of my cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray.

" I also want to hit one of the unprotected rackets." I said.

"If your lookin' for a good place, go to one hundred and first street. A place called Daniello's, Freddy Daniello owns the joint but also runs a shy." Benny said as he sat off in a corner at a small desk going over the spread.

I turned and faced him as he spoke, almost forgetting that he was back there. "Alright, looks like we have our second place. Lets get this done now, I need to go to Rego Park later." I said. We stood up from the table and walked out of the back room into the front of the store.

"Your leaving?" My mom asked.

"Yeah I got some things to take care of. I might be home late, so don't wait up." I replied as Joe and I headed for the door and then walked out. We walked over to Joe's car which was parked out front. I opened the passenger door and got in, Joe walked around the front of the car and got in the drivers side. He started up the car and pulled into traffic. The bakery was down several blocks on Liberty, we could hit the bakery then shy and then head off to Rego Park.

It didn't take long for Joe to pull up to the Bakery. As Joe parked I could see into the bakery and watched as people came out with bags of bread and cookies and deserts. I remembered as a kid my mom would send me here on Sundays for fresh bread and deserts for our family Sunday dinners. Joe and I stepped out of the car and walked inside the shop. The aroma of delicious baked goods filled the air as we walked towards the counter. There was a lady paying for her bread and we waited to she left to speak to Lorenzo.

Lorenzo was in his late sixties as he stood behind the counter sporting an apron with numerous baking stains. "May I help you?" he asked.

I smiled "What you don't remember me? Come on it hasn't been that long." I replied. Lorenzo squinted as he looked at me and then reached into his pocket and pulled out his glasses and put them on.

"Oh Salvatore, your mother told me you were out and about." he replied with a smile. "Did she send you here to get more bread?" he asked.

I laughed "No Lorenzo, I'm here on business. Now that I'm back on the streets I want to offer you my protection services again." I explained. Lorenzo looked down at his register and then back up at me.

"Oh I see, the same as before then?" he asked.

"Actually since this place is doin' so well, and plus with inflation and everything I figured I would bump it up a bit." I said.

A young man was filling the front display with fresh pastries when he overheard our conversation. "Wait a minute grandpa, your not really goin' to pay this guy?" he asked shocked and appalled.

"Calogero hush." Lorenzo scolded.

"You don't have to pay this guy, I'm callin' the cops." Calogero replied

"Hey kid I would listen to your grandpa." I said. He stopped and looked over at me like I wasn't anything to worry about. "See you haven't thought this through." I added.

"Please Salvatore, don't hurt the boy. He didn't mean it." Lorenzo said defending his young grandson.

"See you call the cops and they will arrest me and my friend here. But what you fail to see is that just because I'm in jail doesn't mean that bad things can't happen to you, your grandpa, or this shop. I have friends, friends who could burn this store down, beat you in an alley, and put your grandpa six feet under capiche?" I explained. Calogero didn't say anything, he was speechless. What reply could one come up with that wouldn't result in something terrible happening.

Calogero went back to restocking the front display. "How much Salvatore?" Lorenzo asked wanting to get this over with.

"Eight hundred, I'll be by next week for the pick up." I replied. I then fixed my suit jacket and tie and turned and walked out of the store with Joe following behind me. We got back in the car. "Fuckin' punk kid." I muttered.

Joe started up the car. "These kids today, they have no respect." Joe replied. He pulled onto traffic and turned down one hundred and first street. Joe kept a eye out for Daniello's. He then spotted it, it was a small bar next to a flower shop. Parking near the bar Joe looked to make sure no one was watching. He reached into his waistband and pulled out a small compact pistol and loaded and checked it.

"What's that?" I asked looking down at his gun.

"It's a Glock thirty three, I picked it up when I bought your Glock." Joe replied tucking the pistol into his waistband and covered it with his jacket.

"Alright lets go." I said. I opened the car door and stepped out with Joe doing the same. We walked into the bar and looked around the joint. It wasn't much a few tables and booths a bar. There was a pool table and a juke box but most of the patrons didn't seemed bothered by it. The couple of guys that were here, were sitting at the bar drinking beers. They didn't even seem to pay any mind to use as we walked in. The bartender was cleaning a glass and didn't even make eye contact with us. I noticed a door off in the corner near the restrooms. It must have been the office where Freddy would be found.

Joe and I casually walked over to the door and walked inside. We walked into the office and saw a long haired guy counting money at his desk smoking a cheap cigar. There was no one else in the room besides us which was foolish because someone could rob this place if they wanted too. Freddy stopped counting his money and held his cigar as he looked at us. "What do you want?" He asked as if we were bothering him.

"You Freddy?" I asked.

"Who wants to know?" he asked.

"What are you fuckin' stupid, I wanna know." I replied with an attitude.

"Oh, who the fuck are you talkin' to me that way? Go fuck off faggot." he said trying to act tough. Joe quickly reached into his waistband and pulled out his Glock and pointed it at the guy. "Jesus Christ, don't shoot." He exclaimed putting his hands up, dropping his cigar on the floor.

"Oh, what happened to the tough guy who called me a faggot and told me to fuck off? Huh?" I replied walking closer to him stepping on his cigar.

"Look I don't want any trouble." he said looking up at me. This guy was all talk and we called him on his bluff. I grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up out of his chair knocking it over. I slammed him face first against the wall and pulled out his wallet. I opened it up and saw his license and saw that he was Freddy. I turned him around and socked him right in his kidney. Freddy slid down the wall to the floor holding his side in pain.

"You could of done this the easy way, but since you fuckin' pissed me off it's too late." I said right before I kicked him in his mouth and then kicked him two more times in the chest. He just laid down, couldn't move or scream because the pain. I opened up his desk drawers and found a snub nose revolver. I put it in my jacket pocket so he couldn't use it against me. He tried to force himself up but I punched him in his jaw knocking him down again. Joe came over closer to us keeping his pistol pointed at Freddy.

"Your goin' to pay us protection to run your business here. Since business seems to be booming for I'm going to go ahead and take this as an early payment." I said grabbing the cash from the desk. "Oh and if you try and fuck me out of your payments. I'm going to have my associate here put two in the back of your head, and maybe the next guy that we see in here wont make your mistake." I explained. Joe leaned down and pushed his pistol against Freddy's head, he could easily squeeze the trigger and splatter his brains all over the floor and wall.

I put some of the cash in my jacket pocket and pants pocket. I also handed some to Joe for him to have, I wasn't going to hold out on him. "I think he got the point." I said fixing my jacket. Joe tucked his pistol away and stuck his money in his pocket. "Lets go." I said. We walked out of the back office and walked through the bar. No one still paid any attention to us as we walked out.

"That went well." Joe said as he walked around to the driver side door. I opened up my door and smiled. We got in the car and Joe started it up.

"Alright lets go to see Alonzo." I replied. Joe drove off....