The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
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figured for a yellow guinea.” Sonny paused and then said softly, “But you’re a Corleone 
after all, you son of a bitch. And I was the only one who knew it. I’ve been sitting here 
waiting for the last three days, ever since the old man got shot, waiting for you to crack 
out of that Ivy League, war hero bullshit character you’ve been wearing. I’ve been 
waiting for you to become my right arm so we can kill those fucks that are trying to 
destroy our father and our Family. And all it took was a sock on the jaw. How do you like 
that?” Sonny made a comical gesture, a punch, and repeated, “How do you like that?” 
The tension had relaxed in the room. Mike shook his head. “Sonny, I’m doing it because 
it’s the only thing to do. I can’t give Sollozzo another crack at the old man. I seem to be 
the only one who can get close enough to him. And I figured it out. I don’t think you can 
get anybody else to knock off a police captain. Maybe you would do it, Sonny, but you 
have a wife and kids and you have to run the Family business until the old man is in 
shape. So that leaves me and Freddie. Freddie is in shock and out of action. Finally that 
leaves just me. It’s all logic. The sock on the jaw had nothing to do with it.” 
Sonny came over and embraced him. “I don’t give a damn what your reasons are, just 
so long as you’re with us now. And I’ll tell you another thing, you’re right all the way. 
Tom, what’s your say?” 
Hagen shrugged. “The reasoning is solid. What makes it so is that I don’t think the Turk 
is sincere about a deal. I think he’ll still try to get at the Don. Anyway on his past 
performance that’s how we have to figure him. So we try to get Sollozzo. We get him 
even if we have to get the police captain. But whoever does the job is going to get an 
awful lot of heat. Does it have to be Mike?” 
Sonny said softly, “I could do it.” 
Hagen shook his head impatiently. “Sollozzo wouldn’t let you get within a mile of him if 
he had ten police captains. And besides you’re the acting head of the Family. You can’t 
be risked.” Hagen paused and said to Clemenza and Tessio, “Do either one of you have 
a top button man, someone really special, who would take on this job? He wouldn’t have 
to worry about money for the rest of his life.” 
Clemenza spoke first. “Nobody that Sollozzo wouldn’t know, he’d catch on right away. 
He’d catch on if me or Tessio went too.” 
Hagen said, “What about somebody really tough who hasn’t made his rep yet, a good 
rookie?” 
Both caporegimes shook their heads. Tessio smiled to take the sting out of his words 

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