The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
365
Rocco got into his car and drove out of the mall. He crossed the Jones Beach 
Causeway, the same causeway on which Sonny Corleone had been killed, and drove 
out to the railroad station of Wantagh. He parked his car there. Another car was waiting 
for him with two men in it. They drove to a motel ten minutes farther out on Sunrise 
Highway and turned into its courtyard. Rocco Lampone, leaving his two men in the car, 
went to one of the little chalet-type bungalows. One kick sent its door flying off its hinges 
and Rocco sprang into the room. 
Phillip Tattaglia, seventy years old and naked as a baby, stood over a bed on which lay 
a young girl. Phillip Tattaglia’s thick head of hair was jet black, but the plumage of his 
crotch was steel gray. His body had the soft plumpness of a bird. Rocco pumped four 
bullets into him, all in the belly. Then he turned and ran back to the car. The two men 
dropped him off in the Wantagh station. He picked up his car and drove back to the mall. 
He went in to see Michael Corleone for a moment and then came out and took up his 
position at the gate. 
* * *
Albert Neri, alone in his apartment, finished getting his uniform ready. Slowly he put it 
on, trousers, shirt, tie and jacket, holster and gunbelt. He had turned in his gun when he 
was suspended from the force, but, through some administrative oversight they had not 
made him give up his shield. Clemenza had supplied him with a new.38 Police Special 
that could not be traced. Neri broke it down, oiled it, checked the hammer, put it together 
again, clicked the trigger. He loaded the cylinders and was set to go. 
He put the policeman’s cap in a heavy paper bag and then put a civilian overcoat on to 
cover his uniform. He checked his watch. Fifteen minutes before the car would be 
waiting for him downstairs. He spent the fifteen minutes checking himself in the mirror. 
There was no question. He looked like a real cop. 
The car was waiting with two of Rocco Lampone’s men in front. Neri got into the back 
seat. As the car started downtown, after they had left the neighborhood of his 
apartment, he shrugged off the civilian overcoat and left it on the floor of the car. He 
ripped open the paper bag and put the police officer’s cap on his head. 
At 55th Street and Fifth Avenue the car pulled over to the curb and Neri got out. He 
started walking down the avenue. He had a queer feeling being back in uniform, 
patrolling the streets as he had done so many times. There were crowds of people. He 
walked downtown until he was in front of Rockefeller Center, across the way from St. 

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