Indebted to the Mafia King

l

f the elderly couple smile at me, and I head for their table to pick up their usual generous tip. I haven’t tol

sp and perfectly tailored over an equally black shirt and tie. The only element of him that doesn’t seem like it was mathematically designed for perfection is his curly hair, which tumbles just a little bit into his night-

rabs my arm. “I have something I

tom—” I squeak as

en us and the main restaurant, she re

ke my

ints.” She pushes strands of graying hair out of her eye

dow in the swing door at the beautiful

ombardis and the Staten Island Saints have bee

sp. Dante doesn’t look anything like Frank and the brutes he brings in.

me with blue eyes so much like m

ble, won’t it be less trouble

answer, I pull my order pad out of the pocket

Greek Corner,” I say. “

gyros. Would you recommend them?” He sm

oken to a man this handsome. “I do

look at me.

the owner’s daughter. Tha

ay afternoons in her kitchen. She’d be bent over the marinara pot, stirring to the rhythm of the records she brought from the Old Country.” He leans against the counter, and I c

e together enough fixings for everyone to have one last gyro, and Baba would tell the story of how they almost missed their boat to America because Mama ins

voice is dark and silky like ex

ere hasn’t been much laughter arou

tering the bubble of memory around us.

When I return to the kitchen, Mama and Baba ar

say as I

ds. “What did he s

r thirty, and far too smooth. He can’t possibly be in the sam

e doesn’t mean anything, chryso mo

ounter behind him. “

m from Lombardi’s men, so I don

nounce that you’ve heard myste

e. “She’s right, Gregorio.

sizzling on the grill in front of him. “I’ve heard there is a turf war brewing between him and Lomb

ps. “Parikia?

ppears. “Is it re

ling meat and stirs. “It might be, Maria.

rd from him since, and no one has found his body. After six months of waiting, we buried an empty casket. Baba wants t

the dreams my parents had when they came to this country. It must be Lombardi’s fault. And if it’s Lombardi’s fault, maybe the money I’ll get from