threats where none were needed. This was useful information to be pondered at its
proper time.
Again he prospered. But, more important, he acquired knowledge and contacts and
experience. And he piled up (складывал в кучу, накапливал; pile – куча, груда, кипа)
good deeds as a banker piles up securities (ценные бумаги). For in the following years
it became clear that Vito Corleone was not only a man of talent but, in his way, a genius.
He made himself the protector of the Italian families who set themselves up as small
speakeasies (speakeasy – бар, где незаконно торгуют спиртными напитками) in
their homes, selling whiskey at fifteen cents a glass to bachelor laborers. He became
godfather to Mrs. Colombo's youngest son when the lad made his confirmation and
gave a handsome present of a twenty-dollar gold piece. Meanwhile, since it was
inevitable that some of his trucks be stopped by the police, Genco Abbandando hired a
fine lawyer with many contacts in the Police Department and the judiciary (судебное
право; судебное ведомство [dGu:'dı∫ı∂rı]). A system of payoffs was set up and soon
the Corleone organization had a sizable "sheet," the list of officials entitled (to entitle –
давать право [ın'taıtl]) to a monthly sum. When the lawyer tried to keep this list down,
apologizing for the expense, Vito Corleone reassured him. "No, no," he said. "Get
everyone on it even if they can't help us right now. I believe in friendship and I am
willing to show my friendship first."
As time went by the Corleone empire became larger, more trucks were added, the
"sheet" grew longer. Also the men working directly for Tessio and Clemenza grew in
number. The whole thing was becoming unwieldy (неуправляемый)). Finally Vito
Corleone worked out a system of organization. He gave Clemenza and Tessio each the
title of Caporegime, or captain, and the men who worked beneath them the rank of
soldier. He named Genco Abbandando his counselor, or Consigliori. He put layers of
insulation (слои изоляции) between himself and any operational act. When he gave an
order it was to Genco or to one of the caporegimes alone. Rarely did he have a witness
to any order he gave any particular one of them. Then he split Tessio's group and made
it responsible for Brooklyn. He also split Tessio off from Clemenza and made it clear
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over the years that he did not want the two men to associate even socially except when
absolutely necessary. He explained this to the more intelligent Tessio, who caught his
drift (медленное течение; направление; /здесь/ намерение) immediately, though Vito
explained it as a security measure against the law. Tessio understood that Vito did not
want his two caporegimes to have any opportunity to conspire against him and he also
understood there was no ill will involved, merely a tactical precaution. In return Vito
gave Tessio a free hand in Brooklyn while he kept Clemenza's Bronx fief (феодальное
поместье, лен [fi:f]) very much under his thumb. Clemenza was the braver, more
reckless (дерзкий, отчаянный, reckless of danger – пренебрегающий опасностью),
the crueler man despite his outward jollity (веселость; jolly – веселый, радостный),
and needed a tighter rein (повод, поводья).
The Great Depression increased the power of Vito Corleone. And indeed it was about
that time he came to be called Don Corleone. Everywhere in the city, honest men
begged for honest work in vain. Proud men demeaned (to demean – унижать)
themselves and their families to accept official charity from contemptuous officialdom
(от презирающих их властей). But the men of Don Corleone walked the streets with
their heads held high, their pockets stuffed with silver and paper money. With no fear of
losing their jobs. And even Don Corleone, that most modest of men, could not help
feeling a sense of pride. He was taking care of his world, his people. He had not failed
those who depended on him and gave him the sweat of their brows, risked their
freedom and their lives in his service. And when an employee of his was arrested and
sent to prison by some mischance, that unfortunate man's family received a living
allowance (пожизненное содержание); and not a miserly, beggarly, begrudging (to
begrudge – скупиться) pittance (скудное вспомоществование, жалование) but the
same amount the man earned when free.
This of course was not pure Christian charity. Not his best friends would have called
Don Corleone a saint from heaven. There was some self-interest in this generosity. An
employee sent to prison knew he had only to keep his mouth shut and his wife and
children would be cared for. He knew that if he did not inform to the police a warm
welcome would be his when he left prison. There would be a party waiting in his home,
the best of food, homemade ravioli, wine, pastries, with all his friends and relatives
gathered to rejoice in his freedom. And sometime during the night the Consigliori,
Genco Abbandando, or perhaps even the Don himself, would drop by to pay his
respects to such a stalwart (стойкий приверженец, верный последователь ['sto:w∂t]),
take a glass of wine in his honor, and leave a handsome present of money so that he
could enjoy a week or two of leisure with his family before returning to his daily toil
(тяжелый труд). Such was the infinite sympathy and understanding of Don Corleone.
It was at this time that the Don got the idea that he ran his world far better than his
enemies ran the greater world which continually obstructed his path. And this feeling
was nurtured by the poor people of the neighborhood who constantly came to him for
help. To get on the home relief (облегчение; освобождение /от уплаты/), to get a
young boy a job or out of jail, to borrow a small sum of money desperately needed, to
intervene with landlords who against all reason demanded rent from jobless tenants.
55
Don Vito Corleone helped them all. Not only that, he helped them with goodwill, with
encouraging words to take the bitter sting out of the charity he gave them. It was only
natural then that when these Italians were puzzled and confused on who to vote for to
represent them in the state legislature, in the city offices, in the Congress, they should
ask the advice of their friend Don Corleone, their Godfather. And so he became a
political power to be consulted by practical party chiefs. He consolidated this power with
a far-seeing statesmanlike intelligence; by helping brilliant boys from poor Italian
farnilies through college, boys who would later become lawyers, assistant district
attorneys, and even judges. He planned for the future of his empire with all the foresight
of a great national leader.
The repeal (отмена) of Prohibition dealt this empire a crippling blow but again he had
taken his precautions. In 1933 he sent emissaries to the man who controlled all the
gambling activities of Manhattan, the crap games on the docks, the shylocking that went
with it as hot dogs go with baseball games, the bookmaking on sports and horses, the
illicit gambling houses that ran poker games, the policy or numbers racket of Harlem.
This man's name was Salvatore Maranzano and he was one of the acknowledged
pezzonovante, .90 calibers, or big shots of the New York underworld. The Corleone
emissaries proposed to Maranzano an equal partnership beneficial to both parties. Vito
Corleone with his organization, his police and political contacts, could give the
Maranzano operations a stout umbrella and the new strength to expand into Brooklyn
and the Bronx. But Maranzano was a short-sighted man and spurned (to spurn –
отвергать с презрением) the Corleone offer with contempt. The great Al Capone was
Maranzano's friend and he had his own organization, his own men, plus a huge war
chest (ящик; казна). He would not brook (терпеть, выносить) this upstart (выскочка)
whose reputation was more that of a Parliamentary debator than a true Mafioso.
Maranzano's refusal touched off (его отказ вызвал, привел к) the great war of 1933
which was to change the whole structure of the underworld in New York City.
At first glance it seemed an uneven match. Salvatore Maranzano had a powerful
organization with strong enforcers. He had a friendship with Capone in Chicago and
could call on help in that quarter. He also had a good relationship with the Tattaglia
56
Family, which controlled prostitution in the city and what there was of the thin drug traffic
at that time. He also had political contacts with powerful business leaders who used his
enforcers to terrorize the Jewish unionists in the garment center and the Italian
anarchist syndicates in the building trades.
Against this, Don Corleone could throw two small but superbly organized regimes led
by Clemenza and Tessio. His political and police contacts were negated by the
business leaders who would support Maranzano. But in his favor was the enemy's lack
of intelligence about his organization. The underworld did not know the true strength of
his soldiers and even were deceived that Tessio in Brooklyn was a separate and
independent operation.
And yet despite all this, it was an unequal battle until Vito Corleone evened out the
odds (сравнял счет) with one master stroke.
Maranzano sent a call to Capone for his two best gunmen to come to New York to