Becoming a high-ranking in mafia isn't easy; some men serve as soldiers for decades and never see a promotion, even in old age. Qualifications matter, but ability matters more—the ability to generate revenue, or the ability to maneuver through power struggles. And no matter what kind of struggle it is, it ultimately comes down to the distribution of benefits.
Marigio chatted with Luca about recent events.
"The Bonanno family's been having a rough time lately. Frank has swallowed up a big chunk of Galante's market, and their product just can't compete with Blue Magic in New York."
Carmine Galante, the longtime boss of the Bonanno family.
Marigio continued complaining, "Serves him right! Galante refused to share the drug trade with the other families back then, and now no one's willing to stand up for him. We'd rather work with Frank than deal with that tightwad Galante."
Luca said nothing. You might as well go find Galante; at least he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't betray people. Frank confessed everything.
But Luca wasn't surprised by the cooperation between Dominic Cattano and Frank Lucas. The underboss was a rare card as well.
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Dominic Cattano (Unlocked)]
Dominic: B
[Source: American Gangster]
[Skill: Drug Trafficking]
[Bond: Familiarity]
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Dominic Cattano, the underboss of the Lucchese crime family, was also the family's public face—and a full-fledged drug lord.
Marigio had risen through the ranks thanks to Dominic's backing and protection. In theory, Luca would also need Dominic's support to become a crew boss. The underboss wasn't just running narcotics; he controlled a range of businesses—but drugs were by far the most profitable.
For Luca, who refused to touch drugs, earning Dominic's trust and endorsement would be difficult—unless he could generate massive profits through other channels and prove his earning power.
Thinking of this, Luca lifted his glass and took a long drink.
He doesn't deal drugs, so why should he hope for Dominic's help? It would be better to hope Dominic lands in prison—or better yet, gets removed as underboss, leaving room for someone else to rise. Luca wouldn't mind giving events a little push.
According to Luca's plan, this drug war would follow the tide of the times. He would secretly assist Richie Roberts in sweeping New York clean of dealers, defend the peace, and earn system rewards to improve bond-learning skills.
If the police won the war on drugs, Dominic's narcotics empire would take a devastating hit, cutting off a major source of income for the family.
That was exactly what Luca wanted.
First, he didn't want his family involved in narcotics long-term. If he ever came to power, he would eliminate the drug trade entirely.
Second, while everyone else struggled, Luca could build a fortune through alternative channels, expand his influence, win favor from the higher-ups, elevate the family's reputation, and ultimately climb to become the boss—or beyond.
He, Luca Greco, would become the family's new cash cow.
The brightest star.
The most powerful figure.
As for the money?
His superficial friends on Wall Street were experts at squeezing retail investors dry, and Jimmy was studying Jordan Belfort's playbook. Before the dot-com bubble burst, the U.S. stock market would experience a historic boom. Seize that window, and you could make a fortune.
Luca also knew of other gray-area opportunities—fuel tax schemes, even digging up hidden American treasures. Were they really going to wait for John McClane's arch-enemies to hit New York and rob the Federal Reserve's gold so others could profit? He wouldn't hand it over to the state the way Richie did. Once it's in your hands, it's yours.
There were countless ways to make money. Luca wasn't worried.
In the days that followed, the opening of the tire shop significantly boosted the drug trade in the Bronx. Drugs are among the easiest catalysts for crime and violence.
Luca, of course, wouldn't stand by.
Other neighborhoods were beyond his reach, but in Little Italy, no one would break his rules.
In just a few days, Luca defended the peace relentlessly, and his skill fragments quickly climbed to 80.
A gratifying harvest.
He took the opportunity to learn another of Mathilda's skills—[Dexterity], an auxiliary ability that improved the efficiency of mastering assassin skills. Adding assassin-related abilities later would cost fewer skill points.
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character: Luca Greco]
[Skills:
Firearms Mastery LV6 —> Firearms Mastery LV7;
Assassination Mastery LV6;
Combat Mastery LV6;
Driving Mastery LV4;
Shameless Rogue;
Greedy Rogue;
Harmless Disguise;
Sin of Wrath;
Neural Numbness;
Dexterity.]
[Current Skill Points: 0]
[Remaining Skill Fragments: 30]
__________________________________________________________________________
Inside the supermarket—
Closing the panel, Luca snapped back to reality and looked at Uncle Bill, who was sipping tea across from him.
"Uncle Bill, where's Mathilda?" he asked curiously. "Shouldn't he be working part-time here around now?"
Uncle Bill smiled. "Nancy took him out for a ride."
Luca was speechless.
How did that little brat end up mixed up with Nancy?
He'd met Nancy a few times. She was Uncle Bill's neighbor—a sexy Chinese-American woman, a biker gang member, and a motorcycle enthusiast.
If Uncle Bill nephew had come to New York earlier, according to the original storyline, they might've had a chance encounter.
But this woman caused his nephew considerable trouble; several conflicts stemmed from her.
As a Dove of Peace, should he resolve this issue in advance?
Just as they were chatting over tea, Luca's phone rang.
Jimmy: "There's a fight at the tire shop—cops are involved."
Luca paused. "Who did the police shoot?"
Jimmy: "It's police fighting police."
Luca: "???"
What the hell?
Drug crews had been clashing constantly lately, but this was the first time cops were beating each other.
"Stop it! Knock it off! Stop fighting!"
Jimmy arrived even before Luca—he'd received a tip from nearby vendors and shopkeepers.
He recognized both sides.
On one side were two officers: Richie Roberts, a familiar face from previous street drug busts, and Detective David Mills, a rising star who had recently been praised at a police press conference.
On the other side was Officer Trupo and his crew.
"Get out of my way!"
Trupo shoved Jimmy aside and lunged at David again, throwing punches.
David, fueled by anger, erupted with astonishing strength. It took several officers to restrain him.
Richie, standing nearby, also lost his temper and jumped in to back David up.
When Luca arrived, he saw a group of police officers brawling in the street.
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Nick Trupo (Unlocked)]
Rank: C
[Source: American Gangster]
[Skill: Abuse of Public Authority]
[Bond: Attention]
__________________________________________________________________________
Luca raised an eyebrow.
Wasn't this the NYPD's biggest drug middleman?
In the original storyline, the three most prominent drug players were Frank Lucas, the Harlem drug kingpin; Dominic Cattano, the Mafia distributor; and Nick Trupo, the corrupt cop.
If the DEA's middleman had been the late Detective Lou Toback, then the police department's primary middleman was this man.
His methods rivaled any federal fixer.
Every time he raided a lab, he siphoned drugs from evidence, diluted their purity, and resold them. One kilogram would magically become five. Then he'd push it back onto the very gangs he'd robbed, through another intermediary.
Those gangs had no choice but to accept—it was either comply or face his badge.
Secondhand drug trafficking within the NYPD—middlemen pocketing enormous spreads.
Still, Trupo knew better than to provoke the Mafia. At least he had that much awareness.
He preferred extorting French crews or smaller gangs—bullying the weak while fearing the strong.
Luca had no interest in him. Trupo's ability required holding public office; extortion and coercion increased its effectiveness. It had little relevance to peace.
Richie was wrestling with another officer, trying to reclaim a bag—his money.
All the bills had recorded serial numbers and had been pre-registered with the court. The cash had been officially approved for a controlled narcotics purchase.
The day before, Richie posed as an addict and bought drugs, arranging to collect the shipment today. Following the trail, he and David—newly assigned to the unit—tracked the dealer to the tire shop.
Richie had a feeling: today they'd land a big fish.
But unexpectedly, Trupo's crew targeted the same dealer.
The corrupt officers stormed the shop, beat the dealer handing over the cash, and brazenly stole it—openly robbing them, confident the dealers wouldn't resist.
Richie stepped in, flashed his badge, explained the source of the money, and demanded it back.
Trupo responded with mocking sarcasm. David, short-tempered, snapped—and the conflict ignited.
Trupo shoved David aside and sneered,
"Mills, haven't seen you around. So you've been shadowing honest Roberts now? What, you planning to hand over every dollar you find to the Feds?"
The surrounding officers burst into harsh laughter.
"Roberts, do you know where that million ended up?" Trupo taunted, staring him down. "You think the department donated it to charity? You idiot. Keep pretending you're so high and mighty—no wonder you'll never make detective."
The word "aloof" echoed again in Richie's mind.
His expression shifted from pale to ashen. He remembered the day Trupo called him aloof at the precinct—and how everyone silently agreed.
Just then, a loud shout rose from the watching shopkeepers and pedestrians:
"Luca the Dove is here!"
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