The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
87
Clemenza’s wife knocked on the door of the den to tell them that Paulie Gatto had 
arrived. He was parked in the driveway. Clemenza led the way through the garage and 
Lampone followed him. When Clemenza got into the front seat with Gatto he merely 
grunted in greeting, an exasperated look on his face. He looked at his wristwatch as if 
he expected to find that Gatto was late. 
The ferret-faced button man was watching him intently, looking for a clue. He flinched a 
little when Lampone got into the rear seat behind him and said, “Rocco, sit on the other 
site. A big guy like you blocks up my rear-view mirror.” Lampone shifted dutifully, so that 
he was sitting behind Clemenza, as if such a request was the most natural thing in the 
world. 
Clemenza said sourly to Gatto, “Damn that Sonny, he’s running scared. He’s already 
thinking of going to the mattresses. We have to find a place on the West Side. Paulie, 
you and Rocco gotta staff and supply it until the word comes down for the rest of the 
soldiers to use it. You know a good location?” 
As he had expected, Gatto’s eyes became greedily interested. Paulie had swallowed the 
bait and because he was thinking how much the information was worth to Sollozzo, he 
was forgetting to think about whether he was in danger. Also, Lampone was acting his 
part perfectly, staring out the window in a disinterested, relaxed way. Clemenza 
congratulated himself on his choice. 
Gatto shrugged. “I’d have to think about it,” he said. 
Clemenza grunted. “Drive while you think, I want to get. to New York today.” 
Paulie was an expert driver and traffic going into the city was light at this time in the 
afternoon, so the early winter darkness was just beginning to fall when they arrived. 
There was no small talk in the car. Clemenza directed Paulie to drive up to the 
Washington Heights section. He checked a few apartment buildings and told him to park 
near Arthur Avenue and wait. He also left Rocco Lampone in the car. He went into the 
Vera Mario Restaurant and had a light dinner of veal and salad, nodding his hellos to 
some acquaintances. After an hour had gone by he walked the several blocks to where 
the car was parked and entered it. Gatto and Lampone were still waiting. “Shit,” 
Clemenza said, “they want us back in Long Beach. They got some other job for us now. 
Sonny says we can let this one go until later. Rocco, you live in the city, can we drop 
you off?” 
Rocco said quietly, “I have my car out at your place and my old lady needs it first thing 

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