The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
89
dancing line of long-stemmed beauties was the finishing school for many of the city 
hookers. 
The first meeting was all above-board, Tattaglia offering him a job to work in the Family 
business as enforcer. The flirtation went on for nearly a month. Luca played his role of 
man infatuated with a young beautiful girl, Bruno Tattaglia the role of a businessman 
trying to recruit an able executive from a rival. At one such meeting, Luca pretended to 
be swayed, then said, “But one thing must be understood. I will never go against the 
Godfather. Don Corleone is a man I respect. I understand that he must put his sons 
before me in the Family business.” 
Bruno Tattaglia was one of the new generation with a barely hidden contempt for the old 
Moustache Petes like Luca Brasi, Don Corleone and even his own father. He was just a 
little too respectful. Now he said, “My father wouldn’t expect you to do anything against 
the Corleones. Why should he? Everybody gets along with everybody else now, it’s not 
like the old days. It’s just that if you’re looking for a new job, I can pass along the word to 
my father. There’s always need for a man like you in our business. It’s a hard business 
and it needs hard men to keep it running smooth. Let me know if you ever make up your 
mind.” 
Luca shrugged. “It’s not so bad where I’m at.” And so they left it. 
The general idea had been to lead the Tattaglias to believe that he knew about the 
lucrative narcotics operation and that he wanted a piece of it free-lance. In that fashion 
he might hear something about Sollozzo’s plans if the Turk had any, or whether he was 
getting ready to step on the toes of Don Corleone. After waiting for two months with 
nothing else happening, Luca reported to the Don that obviously Sollozzo was taking his 
defeat graciously. The Don had told him to keep trying but merely as a sideline, not to 
press it. 
Luca had dropped into the nightclub the evening before Don Corleone’s being shot. 
Almost immediately Bruno Tattaglia had come to his table and sat down. 
“I have a friend who wants to talk to you,” he said. 
“Bring him over,” Luca said. “I’ll talk to any friend of yours.” 
“No,” Bruno said. “He wants to see you in private.” 
“Who is he?” Luca asked. 
“Just a friend of mine,” Bruno Tattaglia said. “He wants to put a proposition to you. Can 

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