A COLD CASE

Word on the street was Louie “No Nose” Lombardo was sprung from the slammer. He must have sung like a canary whistling a sweet ballad to earn his “get out of jail free” card.

His early release spelled big trouble; not only was Louie seeking revenge for his disfigurement and incarceration, he got wind that his sworn enemy Tony “The Cutter” Tedesco had been sniffing around his wife while he was doing time. Yeah, that rat bastard Tony gave new meaning to the term “double-cross”.

Louie and Tony weren’t always enemies. In fact, when they were kids they were inseparable, like brothers. They would ride their bikes down to the empty lot where they’d scrounge around for discarded cigarette butts with just enough life left for a couple of drags. They played stickball in the street with a broom handle and a Spaldeen. During the summer they’d jump on the rear bumper of a bus or truck and snag a free ride to Orchard Beach, laughing and holding on for dear life. When they got close, they’d jump off and sneak onto the beach through an opening in the fence. 

Tony’s father, Tommaso Tedesco, was the mob mortician for Tedesco Brothers Funeral Home and you better believe he knew where the bodies were buried. He wasn’t called “The Undertaker” for nothing. Sometimes Tony and Louie would sneak in after a wake to check the big sofa cushions for loose change. 

One day around Christmas Louie got nabbed in Woolworth’s Five and Dime trying to shoplift an angel ornament for his mother. When the store manager realized Louie’s father was the owner of Luca’s Ristorante, a well-known mob hangout, he looked the other way. He let Louie keep the ornament saying “He didn’t want any trouble”. He even gave Louie a paper bag filled with Christmas candy.

Louie’s father Luca Lombardo was the finest chef of authentic Italian food in the entire tri-state area and was held in high regard by the members of La Cosa Nostra. Luca knew what side his bread was buttered on; he kept the restaurant open late for syndicate bosses like Rocco “The Rocket” Randazzo. He and his soldiers were welcome at Luca’s any day, any time. It was a discreet, safe place and the police looked the other way.

For the first 19 years of their lives nothing or no one could come between Louie and Tony – that is until Rocco brought his  daughter Rosanna to Luca’s restaurant. Rosanna could render even the toughest wise guy powerless. She was a vixen with long chestnut hair, flawless bronze skin, smoky green eyes and a body that could melt the mozzarella right off your pizza. 

Rosanna was a real tease and Tony and Louie fell hard. She hooked up with both, enjoying the game of pitting them against each other, watching their animosity grow like angry dogs fighting over a bone. After stringing them along for over a year, Rosanna finally chose Louie.

Rocco gave the couple his blessing along with an extravagant wedding, a lavish honeymoon in Italy, a beautiful house and a bundle of money. Now that Louie was Rosanna’s husband, it wasn’t long before Rocco brought him into the family “business”. Seven months after the wedding, Rosanna had a baby and her jilted lover Tony was invited to the christening party. Louie paraded Rosanna around the room on his arm like a trophy while Rocco proudly displayed his first grandson. And all Tony could think about was whether he was the father of Rosanna’s baby and not her husband Louie.

The cacophony of music, laughter and cheering mixed with the crazy thoughts in his head was getting to Tony big time; he lost it and went ape shit. Tony and Louie started fighting. Pushing and shoving led to punches, then the switchblades came out. Suddenly Tony’s brother Angelo lunged at Rocco and Louie intervened, protecting his father-in-law by fatally stabbing Angelo. Seeing his brother murdered was the final blow for Tony; howling like an animal, he whirled around and sliced off most of Louie’s nose. 

At his trial for Angelo’s stabbing death, Louie was charged with manslaughter and sent up the river to Dannemora. Rocco, indebted to Louie for saving his life, told him to sit tight and he’d take care of everything. “Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen” Rocco pledged. Louie whispered in his ear and Rocco replied “Consider it done.”

Rocco called in some favors, greased a few palms and made the Governor an offer he couldn’t refuse by reminding him of the sex scandal that Rocco made disappear. It all fell into place nicely; Louie was pardoned and released.

Two weeks later Louie was staring at a portrait of Tony next to his closed casket at Tedesco Brothers Funeral Home. The photo of his one-time best friend had to suffice; after being blown to bits by a car bomb, there was nothing left of Tony to look at.  

The police have no leads. 

NAR © 2023
Incorporated the words ballad, double-cross, render, bundle and cacophony.
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