Family Business

       “You wanted to see me, Uncle Tommy,” Peter said as he walked into the office. Don Tom Buono smiled, the kid looked just like his old man- Tom’s best friend at one point.

             “Pete,” the old man said, he greeted the young man with a hug accompanied by an envelope slipped into Peter’s jacket pocket. “Have a seat, young man.” The don took his chair behind the great mahogany desk stacked with papers between old photographs of friends and family. He was accompanied by his consigliere- or confidant-, Anthony Scalia and one of his captains, Peter’s actual uncle, Jackie Ventimiglia. Each man paid their respects to the kid with envelopes of cash themselves and a hug.

             Peter sat down at the chair directly in across from Don Buono. He didn’t say anything, just scanned the room and faces of the older men that looked at him.

             “Peter, first of all, I want to say- we all want to say congratulations,” the men on either side of Buono nodded with a quick word of congratulations themselves, “Graduating from Notre Dame is a big accomplishment and I know your father would have been more proud than any of us put together, it’s a great accomplishment.”

             “Thank you, sir it means a lot to me,” Peter spoke, still uncertain of what the situation of why he was told to vacate the party momentarily for this little meeting was.

             The don smiled. A true gentleman, the Tom Buono thought, just like his old man was.

             “Peter, the reason why I wanted to speak to you is you’re out of school now. You are a man and I am offering you a position in this little extended family of ours,” the old boss spoke carefully, trying to give the emotion in his words without meaning too much. “Your uncle would be showing you the ropes and we could get you moving up the ranks fast- maybe even opening the books for you within five years.” He stopped to allow Peter to speak, but Jackie took a breath and vocalized first.

             “I am sorry your father, my brother won’t be around to teach you himself like he would have wanted- God rest his soul,” Jackie Ventimiglia loved his nephew like the kid was his own son, “But I’d keep you under my wing until we knew you were ready to fly. Start off small first, but in time, you would be running some high-profile investments of ours.”

             Don Tommy Buono nodded. Peter’s father, John- Big J- Ventimiglia would not have wanted this life for his son- often telling Tom how he wanted only great things and happiness for the kid back when Johnny was boss and Tommy was his right-hand man. However, the kid was not so much a kid anymore and was old enough to make his own decision- he could go far in life no matter what direction he chose, Pete was so intelligent.

             Peter sat in the chair thinking. Eyes cast down to his hands, folded in his lap, then to “Uncle” Tony, “Uncle” Tommy, and finally, the eyes of Uncle Jackie. Outside, a blackbird had landed on the windowsill outside, right behind Jackie. It looked like the crow was perched on his shoulder.

             Eventually, the kid took a breath, “Uncle Tommy, sir,” The don smiled once again at his best friend’s son’s politeness, “I want to thank you very much for your offer. And Uncle Jackie, I appreciate you offering to teach me how to be a part of the Family, but I am going to have to refuse the offer.”

             Jackie and Anthony both sighed and let out disappointed breaths, only the don remained unphased, “Peter, you do realize what you are giving up by refusing this offer,” he said.

             “I do, Uncle Tommy, and I appreciate it, I really do,” Peter replied. He was nervous, but stuck to his guns- the kid had dreams of writing bestselling novels one day, not leading the criminal underbelly of one of America’s largest cities.

             “We would be training and teaching you how to be a leader. The three of us were all very close to your father back before his death, and we want to give you the same opportunity,” Don Buono leveraged to Peter, “We would be gearing you to sit in my position one day, Boss of your own family- just like your father was and his father before him.”

             Peter shook his head with sorrow, he wanted to make the ghost of his father proud, but not this way, “It’s not for me, sir.”

             “Whaddya mean it’s not for you, Petey?” Jackie spoke now. “Your father and I ran everything, and now I run it with your Uncle Tommy here, our family has been in this business since they came from Naples,” he wanted to speak more, but the don raised a hand and Jackie pipped down instantly. Peter saw right then what kind of power he would have if he took this man’s offer to continue in the family business.

             “Let’s hear your brother’s son out first, Jack,” Tom said. He turned his eyes back to Peter, “What are your plans, son?”

             Peter mulled the question over, carefully choosing how to word what he was going to say, “Well, Uncle Tommy, I got my degree in English. I want to get a job as a journalist to maybe work my way to editor at one of the news stations. After that, I’d like to write books eventually, maybe some screenplays for Hollywood even.”

             Don Buono smiled at the kid, he reminisced former Don Big J Ventimiglia bragging to him many times, “My son is going to be the next Mario Puzo or F. Scott Fitzgerald one day! Only eight years old and already writing stories about superheroes! There had been nothing but love and adoration in the man’s voice. Tommy could hear these lines in his head as if they were being spoken to him right then.

             “Your father was always very proud of your ability to make stories, Peter,” he nodded to Jackie and Anthony, “He would always tell us about what you had written for him, I am sure Jackie read many of them himself.”

             Jackie Ventimiglia let a crack in his tough exterior show in the form of a reminiscent smile, “It’s true, remember the story you wrote me for my birthday when you were only seven-years-old? About the Martians invading Washington D. C.?”

             “I am only going to ask you one more time, Peter,” Don Tommy spoke seriously now, “Are you sure you don’t want to join the business?”

             “I am sure, Uncle Tommy, Uncle Jackie,” Peter spoke, “I thank you three for the offer, but that life isn’t for me. I have my own plans.”

             Don Tommy nodded and smiled, he stood up and walked around his desk, “I understand, kid. Go back to your party, if you ever need a favor from us let me or your uncle know. We have a few friends in Hollywood who could maybe help you get where you want to be. It’s the least we could do in your father’s memory.” He hugged Peter and congratulated him on graduating college again. Peter paid his respects to the other two men in the room and left to rejoin the festivities downstairs.

             “My own brother’s son,” Jackie Ventimiglia said, “Doesn’t have it to do what all the rest of us did.”

             “You honor that young man’s decision or you and I will have a different discussion, Jackie,” the don spoke, taking the demeanor of an enforcer rather than a family friend now, “You know just as well as I do that your brother never wanted this life for his oldest son- that the kid was capable of better things.”

             Jackie nodded and spoke calmly, “You’re right, I’m sorry Tommy.”

             “Now I mean it, anything that kid needs, we do for him. No questions asked,” Tommy turned to his consigliere, “Anthony, tomorrow, I want you to call our friends in California and see if we can get any opportunities for Peter.”

             “Sure thing, boss,” Anthony said, making a mental note to make his phone calls first thing in the morning.

             “You two go join the party, I’ll be down in a moment,” Jackie and Anthony left to old don alone in the office. He poured himself a scotch and thought of the old times. Being a young kid in the old neighborhood at twelve-years-old with a young Jackie and Johnny Ventimiglia. “I hope I am doing your son right, Big J,” the old man said and downed his drink.