It started casually enough. By this time the Genco Pura Oil Company had a fleet of six

delivery trucks. Through Clemenza, Vito Corleone was approached by a group of Italian

bootleggers (торговец контрабандными или самогонными спиртными напитками;

bootleg – голенище) who smuggled alcohol and whiskey in from Canada. They needed

trucks and deliverymen to distribute their produce over New York City. They needed

deliverymen who were reliable, discreet and of a certain determination and force. They

were willing to pay Vito Corleone for his trucks and for his men. The fee was so

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enormous that Vito Corleone cut back drastically (радикально; drastic –

сильнодействующий /о лекарстве/) on his oil business to use the trucks almost

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exclusively for the service of the bootlegger-smugglers. This despite the fact that these

gentlemen had accompanied their offer with a silky threat. But even then Vito Corleone

was so mature a man that he did not take insult at a threat or become angry and refuse

a profitable offer because of it. He evaluated the threat, found it lacking in conviction,

and lowered his opinion of his new partners because they had been so stupid to use

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

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it responsible for Brooklyn. He also split Tessio off from Clemenza and made it clear

54

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]),

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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