mp.godfather-第45部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ew what it was all about。
Sometimes Nino came over for a drink and listened with him and Johnny would say to him scornfully； 〃You guinea bastard； you never sang like that in your life。〃 And Nino would give him that curiously charming smile and shake his head and say； 〃No； and I never will；〃 in a sympathetic voice； as if he knew what Johnny was thinking。
Finally； a week before shooting the new picture； the Academy Award night rolled around。 Johnny invited Nino to e along but Nino refused。 Johnny said； 〃Buddy； I never asked you a favor； right？ Do me a favor tonight and e with me。 You're the only guy who'll really feel sorry for me if I don't win。〃
For one moment Nino looked startled。 Then he said； 〃Sure； old buddy； I can make it。〃 He paused for a moment and said； 〃if you don't win； forget it。 Just get as drunk as you can get and I'll take care of you。 Hell； I won't even drink myself tonight。 How about that for being a buddy？〃
〃Man；〃 Johnny Fontane said； 〃that's some buddy。〃
The Academy Award night came and Nino kept his promise。 He came to Johnny's house dead sober and they left for the presentation theater together。 Nino wondered why Johnny hadn't invited any of his girls or his ex…wives to the Award dinner。 Especially Ginny。 Didn't he think Ginny would root for him？ Nino wished he could have just one drink； it looked like a long bad night。
Nino Valenti found the whole Academy Award affair a bore until the winner of the best male actor was announced。 When he heard the words 〃Johnny Fontane；〃 he found himself jumping into the air and applauding。 Johnny reached out a hand for him to shake and Nino shook it。 He knew his buddy needed human contact with someone he trusted and Nino felt an enormous sadness that Johnny didn't have anyone better than himself to touch in his moment of glory。
What followed was an absolute nightmare。 Jack Woltz's picture had swept all the major awards and so the studio's party was swamped with newspaper people and all the on…the…make hustlers； male and female。 Nino kept his promise to remain sober； and he tried to watch over Johnny。 But the women of the party kept pulling Johnny Fontane into bedrooms for a little chat and Johnny kept getting drunker and drunker。
Meanwhile the woman who had won the award for the best actress was suffering the same fate but loving it more and handling it better。 Nino turned her down； the only man at the party to do so。
Finally somebody had a great idea。 The public mating of the two winners； everybody else at the party to be spectators in the stands。 The actress was stripped down and the other women started to undress Johnny Fontane。 It was then that Nino； the only sober person there； grabbed the half…clothed Johnny and slung him over his shoulder and fought his way out of the house and to their car。 As he drove Johnny home； Nino thought that if that was success； he didn't want it。
Book Three
Chapter 14
The Don was a real man at the age of twelve。 Short； dark； slender； living in the strange Moorish…looking village of Corleone in Sicily； he had been born Vito Andolini； but when strange men came to kill the son of the man they had murdered； his mother sent the young boy to America to stay with friends。 And in the new land he changed his name to Corleone to preserve some tie with his native village。 It was one of the few gestures of sentiment he was ever to make。
In Sicily at the turn of the century the Mafia was the second government； far more powerful than the official one in Rome。 Vito Corleone's father became involved in a feud with another villager who took his case to the Mafia。 The father refused to knuckle under and in a public quarrel killed the local Mafia chief。 A week later he himself was found dead； his body torn apart by lupara blasts。 A month after the funeral Mafia gunmen came inquiring after the young boy； Vito。 They had decided that he was too close to manhood； that he might try； to avenge the death of his father in the years to e。 The twelve…year…old Vito was hidden by relatives and shipped to America。 There he was boarded with the Abbandandos； whose son Genco was later to bee Consigliere to his Don。
Young Vito went to work in the Abbandando grocery store on Ninth Avenue in New York's Hell's Kitchen。 At the age of eighteen Vito married an Italian girl freshly arrived from Sicily； a girl of only sixteen but a skilled cook； a good housewife。 They settled down in a tenement on Tenth Avenue； near 35th Street； only a few blocks from where Vito worked； and two years later were blessed with their first child； Santino； called by all his friends Sonny because of his devotion to his father。
In the neighborhood lived a man called Fanucci。 He was a heavy…set； fierce…looking Italian who wore expensive light…colored suits and a cream…colored fedora。 This man was reputed to be of the 〃Black Hand；〃 an offshoot of the Mafia which extorted money from families and storekeepers by threat of physical violence。 However； since most of the inhabitants of the neighborhood were violent themselves； Fanucci's threats of bodily harm were effective only with elderly couples without male children to defend them。 Some of the storekeepers paid him trifling sums as a matter of convenience。 However； Fanucci was also a scavenger on fellow criminals； people who illegally sold Italian lottery or ran gambling games in their homes。 The Abbandando grocery gave him a small tribute； this despite the protests of young Genco； who told his father he would settle the Fanucci hash。 His father forbade him。 Vito Corleone observed all this without feeling in any way involved。
One day Fanucci was set upon by three young men who cut his throat from ear to ear； not deeply enough to kill him； but enough to frighten him and make him bleed a great deal。 Vito saw Fanucci fleeing from his punishers； the circular slash flowing red。 What he never forgot was Fanucci holding the cream…colored fedora under his chin to catch the dripping blood as he ran。 As if he did not want his suit soiled or did not want to leave a shameful trail of carmine。
But this attack proved a blessing in disguise for Fanucci。 The three young men were not murderers； merely tough young boys determined to teach him a lesson and stop him from scavenging。 Fannucci proved himself a murderer。 A few weeks later the knife…wielder was shot to death and the families of the other two young men paid an indemnity to Fanucci to make him forswear his vengeance。 After that the tributes became higher and Fanucci became a partner in the neighborhood gambling games。 As for Vito Corleone； it was none of his affair。 He forgot about it immediately。
During World War I； when imported olive oil became scarce； Fanucci acquired a part…interest in the Abbandando grocery store by supplying it not only with oil； but imported Italian salami； hams and cheeses。 He then moved a nephew into the store and Vito Corleone found himself out of a job。
By this time； the second child； Frederioo； had arrived and Vito Corleone had four mouths to feed。 Up to this time he had been a quiet； very contained young man who kept his thoughts to himself。 The son of the grocery store owner； young Genco Abbandando； was his closest friend； and to the surprise of both of them； Vito reproached his friend for his father's deed。 Genco； flushed with shame； vowed to Vito that he would not have to worry about food。 That he； Genco； would steal food from the grocery to supply his friend's needs。 This offer though was sternly refused by Vito as too shameful； a son stealing from his father。
The young Vito； however； felt a cold anger for the dreaded Fanucci。 He never showed this anger in any way but bided his time。 He worked in the railroad for a few months and then； when the war ended； work became slow and he could earn only a few days' pay a month。 Also； most of the foremen were Irish and American and abused the workmen in the foulest language； which Vito always bore stone…faced as if he did not prehend； though he understood English very well despite his accent。
One evening as Vito was having supper with his family there was a knock on the window that led to the open sir shaft that separated them from the next building。 When Vito pulled aside the curtain he saw to his astonishment one of the young men in the neighborhood； Peter Clemenza； leaning out from a window on the other side of the air shaft。 He was extending a white…sheeted bundle。
〃Hey； paisan；〃 Clemenza said。 〃Hold these for me until I ask for them。 Hurry up。〃 Automatically Vito reached over the empty space of the air shaft and took the bundle。 Clemenza's face was strained and urgent。 He was in some sort of trouble and Vito's helping action was instinctive。 But when he untied the bundle in his kitchen； there were five oily guns staining the white cloth。 He put them in his bedroom closet and waited。 He learned that Clemenza had been taken away by the police。 They must have been knocking on his door when he handed the guns over the air shaft。
Vito never said a word to anyone and of course his terrified wife dared not open her lips even in gossip for fear her own husband would be sent to prison。 Two days later
