Russian businesses had never thrived in territories dominated by Italians, let alone inside Mafia-controlled ports and docks.
The Gambino crime family held absolute control over the ports, while the other four families only received a share of the profits.
For example, the Lucchese family's garbage shipping business.
Even then, the Gambino family still had to share a portion of the profits with the other families; otherwise, they would incur everyone's wrath and be ostracized like that unlucky guy Carmine Galante back then.
But the Gambinos had never intended to share port access with the Russians.
In other words—
The Lucchese family had recently gained control of several ports, allowing Russian oil tankers to dock.
And immediately afterward, they were targeted by a certain mentally unstable individual.
Abram's angry voice came through the phone.
"Dove! Gallo stole several truckloads of our oil! Is he an idiot? My men told him it was Mafia oil, and he still tried to steal it!"
"He's crazy! Completely crazy! How can your Mafia have such a madman?"
"He really is a madman."
Abram was speechless for a moment.
"…Dove, what's going on with your reputation lately? Gallo doesn't respect you at all."
His voice was filled with helpless frustration.
He truly wished Baba Yaga would simply kill Gallo.
But killing a Mafia member would cause endless trouble for their organization.
"It's precisely because he's a madman that everyone is wary of him," Luca replied calmly.
"I can help your tanker dock at the port, but I can't stop Gallo's men from wandering down there to enjoy the sea breeze."
"You guys should probably keep a closer eye on things next time."
Abram fell silent.
It seemed there was no choice but to swallow the loss.
Then he said carefully,
"Actually… some of that oil was meant for your refinery."
"That damn Crazy Joe," Luca said angrily. "He dares to steal my stuff too? Does he have a death wish?"
"I'll settle this score with him."
"Dove, you must give us justice," Abram insisted.
"Sure, no problem."
Luca added casually,
"Oh, by the way… have John come see me."
---
Harlem, New York City.
Ever since the drug kingpin Frank went to prison, the area had lost its central leader.
Various Black gangs carved the neighborhood into territories, while Mafia families took the opportunity to extend their reach and seize profits.
Within this relatively small district, there were at least a dozen factions of varying size.
Frank went to prison.
But Joe Gallo walked out.
During his time behind bars, he befriended many African-American gang members.
After his release, many of them started working for him.
Gallo was also considered the first Mafia member to openly cooperate with Black gangs.
"Cheers to our friendship!"
Inside a gang hideout, several white Italians were surrounded by a large group of Black gang members, drinking heavily and celebrating.
One of the Black men asked,
"Isn't Mr. Gallo coming tonight?"
These Italians were Gallo's partners and subordinates.
One of them shook his head.
"He has something else to do."
According to rumors, Gallo was currently attending an art salon with several New York artists.
Some female celebrities were reportedly there as well.
Among New York's art and culture circles, Gallo was the most famous Mafia member.
"Then we won't bother Mr. Gallo tonight."
The gang continued drinking.
"Those hairy Russian pigs," one of the Black men laughed, "when they saw our guns, they got so scared they begged for mercy."
"When are we robbing them again? That oil will make us rich!"
"We could rob Russian brothels too. I've heard those Eastern European girls are incredible."
"After we're done, we can sell them. I know some Mexicans who collect organs."
"Once we take over Harlem, we'll start a new era."
"We'll become the next Frank of Harlem!"
The entire room erupted in agreement.
If these Black gangs were acting alone, they would never dare provoke the Russians.
But with the Mafia leading them, everything changed.
In New York—
The Mafia bullied others.
No one bullied the Mafia.
The Italian gangsters enjoyed the flattery.
They laughed arrogantly.
"After the public rally, we'll pull off a big job."
"What's wrong with robbing Russians?"
"If we're going to do it, we might as well go big."
"Once Colombo dies, the entire family structure will change."
"When Gallo becomes boss, everyone here will rise with him."
Bang!
Blood suddenly exploded in the air.
A Black man froze in place.
A bullet hole had appeared in his forehead.
Blood sprayed across the table.
At the same moment, nearly everyone in the room felt an overwhelming sense of fear.
It was as if they had suddenly become rats hiding in a sewer—
And somewhere in the darkness, a pair of massive amber eyes was staring straight at them.
"What the hell?!"
Screams erupted instantly.
Chaos exploded throughout the room.
One Mafia member stiffly turned his head.
The door had already been closed.
Two tall men were standing there.
Blocking the exit.
John shut the door calmly, his expression cold.
"Dove said that everyone except the italian people and the women should be killed."
Leon nodded.
"Understood."
A horrific massacre began.
The white flour scattered across the table soon turned into red mud.
(TN: White flour is C*C * I N if you guys didn't know)
---
Brooklyn, New York City
There was an art gallery here.
Outside the entrance, Luca and O-Ren Ishii walked up the steps together.
Tonight, O-Ren wasn't wearing her tight assassin outfit.
Nor was she dressed in a kimono.
Instead, she wore fashionable urban clothing.
And she wasn't carrying a sword.
"Luca, which artist do you like the most?"
"Van Gogh, probably."
Luca didn't know much about art.
But Vincent van Gogh was the one artist he remembered clearly.
Neglected during life.
Deified after death.
That was Luca's impression of Van Gogh.
The two casually discussed different artists while walking into the gallery.
Inside the hall, an art exhibition was currently underway.
Young art enthusiasts filled the room.
Media reporters were also present, taking photographs.
The place was crowded.
The host of tonight's salon—
Joe Gallo.
While in prison, he had studied philosophy and literature.
He also began painting.
Luca and O-Ren blended into the crowd like ordinary visitors, strolling through the exhibition hall and looking at the paintings.
Eventually, they spotted Gallo in the inner hall.
He was wearing a khaki suit and looked extremely gentlemanly.
Holding a microphone, he was explaining his creative philosophy to a group of young artists.
"This crooked face here is me."
Gallo pointed to a self-portrait hanging on the wall.
"I deliberately painted it crooked. Years ago, in a bar run by Colombo's people, some guys tried to 'fix' my face with a baseball bat."
"When I painted this, my cheek still hurt."
Laughter echoed through the room.
Gallo continued guiding the crowd.
"The Black men in this painting are people I met in prison."
"They're good friends of mine."
"Some old-fashioned people in my family say I shouldn't associate with Black people."
Gallo laughed.
"But how can a painting exist without black paint?"
"You need contrasting colors to create visual impact."
He lit a cigarette casually.
"Back in Brooklyn, if a bar refused to install my jukebox, I'd smash their windows until they looked worse than this painting."
"But now?"
"I paint for fun."
"I've been shot. I've been to prison. I've fought the police—and my own people."
"These paintings come from the scars on my body."
"I've committed many crimes, and I've never denied it."
"In this chaotic world, crime is an inevitable product of capitalism."
"If crime were blue sky, then I'd be the purest crystal."
(TN: Blue Sky is Product that Heisenberg from Breaking Bad make and sell if you guys didn't know)
Applause erupted.
Many young art lovers clapped enthusiastically.
A Mafia boss with a criminal record, a prison background, and a pretentious artistic personality—
It was surprisingly attractive to many women.
Joe Gallo's success with actresses back in the day wasn't only because of his status.
His charisma also played a major role.
At that moment—
A discordant voice suddenly rang out.
"Mr. Gallo, these paintings might be worthless now… but I believe their value will skyrocket after you die!"
__________________________________________________________________________
[Ding! You commissioned Leon and John to eliminate 21 notorious criminals and restore peace to Harlem]
[Skill Points +20]
[Skill Fragments +10]
[Remaining Skill Fragments: 44]
__________________________________________________________________________
"Now do you understand how I earned the nickname 'Butcher'?"
In a corner of the art gallery, Luca sat on a sofa opposite Joe Gallo.
A bag of Oreos rested in his hand.
Gallo slowly lowered his phone.
The message from his men terrified him.
Nearly half of his gang had been wiped out.
"Luca…"
Joe Gallo clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the fear inside him.
Why am I afraid?
I've never felt this kind of fear facing Colombo… or even Gambino.
Did I take too much "goods" before coming to this art exhibition? Is it kicking in now?
It felt as if his floating mind had suddenly been doused with ice water.
Cold.
Bone-deep cold.
Gallo sneered darkly.
"During the years I spent in prison, the Lucchese family really trained a remarkable newcomer."
"If ole Tommy Lucchese were still alive, he'd probably love someone ruthless like you."
The original boss Tommy Lucchese had died of a brain tumor.
Luca didn't have much impression of him.
There were simply too many strange characters within the family.
It was the most eccentric among the Five Families.
And the man sitting across from him—
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Joe Gallo (Unlocked)]
[Rank: C]
[Source: The Irishman]
Skill:
[Seize Power:
You frequently violate and break Mafia rules while targeting powerful figures.
Your intimidation effect against Mafia members increases by 10%.
When the target has a higher status than you, the intimidation effect increases by an additional 10%.]
[Learning Requirements: Friendship or higher; 100 Skill Fragments]
[Bond: Stranger]
__________________________________________________________________________
Seeing this skill—
Luca almost laughed.
It suited Gallo perfectly.
That madman was practically born to seize power and rebel.
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