What got to me was the fact that Moran’s boys were lured to the warehouse with the promise of stolen cut-rate whiskey via the Purple Gang. I don’t know if they weren’t aware that the Purples were affiliated with Capone or if they were so hot for the product that they didn’t care. Either way, I would have gone too. Getting my hands on cheap booze like that would have drawn me in, and I would have ended up a part of the mangled heap. Lucky for me, we Russians were small potatoes compared to the big boys who found themselves on the Outfit’s radar. Even more advantageous was that traditional Italian values seemed to have them avoiding the liberal and debouched Towertown altogether, at least for the time being.

Tapping the paper of my fag, I watched smoldering embers of ash flit down toward the asphalt, disappearing into the onyx surface, engulfed by the street. I took another drag, grateful the nicotine set forth to calm my frayed nerves, spurred into action one puff at a time. I never considered myself skittish, but the Outfit’s massacre didn’t seem like a one-off event, and I was on the wrong side for safety.

While the South Side Italians were focused on the North Side Irish, it was clear to see that they wanted the whole city for themselves and if it were up to Vlad, we West Side boys would eventually be making enough noise to draw their interest. According to the boss, expansion was the only way to rise up and pull bigger cuts. I wanted the money, of course, but I preferred to keep my head on my neck and my body sans bullet holes.

Just as I had numerous times since retrieving a hundred dollars from the contact in Lincoln Park, I patted the back pocket of my slacks, ensuring my wallet was still resting where it belonged. I didn’t question the tasks that were set out for me to complete, choosing not to be distracted by the details. Instead, I focused on getting shit done and I did it well.

Walking around with a great deal of money on me wasn’t ideal, but being that I was already on the North Side, I decided that, in the interest of time, I would head to The Gallery on State to take the alcohol order for April. I had a couple of days before I had to get it in, but there was no reason to delay. Plus, there were always ways to alleviate the stress and tension of my day in Towertown. I knew it would make sense to get myself a dame to take care of some of my needs; after all, if I closed my eyes tight enough, any hole would do. But I craved something more than a woman could give me, and settling for partial pleasure wasn’t appealing.