The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
210
and dangerous, full of guile. As soon as one is in the policeman’s clutches the 
mechanism of the society the policeman defends marshals all its resources to cheat him 
of his prize. The fix is put in by politicians. Judges give lenient suspended sentences to 
the worst hoodlums. Governors of the States and the President of the United States 
himself give full pardons, assuming that respected lawyers have not already won his 
acquittal. After a time the cop learns. Why should he not collect the fees these hoodlums 
are paying? He needs it more. His children, why should they not go to college? Why 
shouldn’t his wife shop in more expensive places? Why shouldn’t be himself get the sun 
with a winter vacation in Florida? After all, he risks his life and that is no joke. 
But usually he draws the line against accepting dirty graft. He will take money to let a 
bookmaker operate. He will take money from a man who hates getting parking tickets or 
speeding tickets. He will allow call girls and prostitutes to ply their trade; for a 
consideration. These are vices natural to a man. But usually he will not take a payoff for 
drugs, armed robberies, rape, murder and other assorted perversions. In his mind these 
attack the very core of his personal authority and cannot be countenanced. 
The murder of a police captain was comparable to regicide. But when it became known 
that McCluskey had been killed while in the company of a notorious narcotics peddler, 
when it became known that he was suspected of conspiracy to murder, the police desire 
for vengeance began to fade. Also, after all, there were still mortgage payments to be 
made, cars to be paid off, children to be launched into the world. Without their “sheet” 
money, policemen had to scramble to make ends meet. Unlicensed peddlers were good 
for lunch money. Parking ticket payoffs came to nickels and dimes. Some of the more 
desperate even began shaking down suspects (homosexuals, assaults and batteries) in 
the precinct squad rooms. Finally the brass relented. They raised the prices and let the 
Families operate. Once again the payoff sheet was typed up by the precinct bagman, 
listing every man assigned to the local station and what his cut was each month. Some 
semblance of social order was restored. 
* * *
It had been Hagen’s idea to use private detectives to guard Don Corleone’s hospital 
room. These were, of course, supplemented by the much more formidable soldiers of 
Tessio’s regime. But Sonny was not satisfied even with this. By the middle of February, 
when the Don could be moved without danger, he was taken by ambulance to his home 
in the mall. The house had been renovated so that his bedroom was now a hospital 
room with all equipment necessary for any emergency. Nurses specially recruited and 

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