The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
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done until the case was settled in court and all creditors satisfied. This might take three 
years and Nazorine would be lucky to get back ten cents on the dollar. 
Vito Corleone listened to this story with amused disbelief. It was not possible that the 
law could allow such thievery. The wholesaler owned his own palatial home, an estate in 
Long Island, a luxurious automobile, and was seeding his children to college. How could 
he keep the three hundred dollars of the poor baker Nazorine and not give him the 
furniture he had paid for? But, to make sure, Vito Corleone had Genco Abbandando 
check it out with the lawyers who represented the Genco Pura company. 
They verified the story of Nazorine. The wholesaler had all his personal wealth in his 
wife’s name. His furniture business was incorporated and he was not personally liable. 
True, he had shown bad faith by taking the money of Nazorine when he knew he was 
going to file bankruptcy but this was a common practice. Under law there was nothing to 
be done. 
Of course the matter was easily adjusted. Don Corleone sent his Consigliere, Genco 
Abbandando, to speak to the wholesaler, and as was to be expected, that wide-awake 
businessman caught the drift immediately and arranged for Nazorine to get his furniture. 
But it was an interesting lesson for the young Vito Corleone. 
The second incident had more far-reaching repercussions. In 1939, Don Corleone had 
decided to move his family out of the city. Like any other parent he wanted his children 
to go to better schools and mix with better companions. For his own personal reasons 
he wanted the anonymity of suburban life where his reputation was not known. He 
bought the mall property in Long Beach, which at that time had only four newly built 
houses but with plenty of room for more. Sonny was formally engaged to Sandra and 
would soon marry, one of the houses would be for him. One of the houses was for the 
Don. Another was for Genco Abbandando and his family. The other was kept vacant at 
the time. 
A week after the mall was occupied, a group of three workmen came in all innocence 
with their truck. They claimed to be furnace inspectors for the town of Long Beach. One 
of the Don’s young bodyguards let the men in and led them to the furnace in the 
basement. The Don, his wife and Sonny were in the garden taking their ease and 
enjoying the salty sea air. 
Much to the Don’s annoyance he was summoned into the house by his bodyguard. The 
three workmen, all big burly fellows, were grouped around the furnace. They had taken 

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