The Godfather Legacy

CHAPTER ONE

1998

Sonny "Cross" Crocetti stood with Jim Lorenzo in Mott Street, little Italy. Waiting outside the street on an extremely cold night is really a bad idea, Sonny thought. As he shivered, Sonny stared at his companion, Jimmy, about 5'2" in height with a stout figure, as ate his sandwich. He was not showing any signs of coldness while Sonny was minutes away from being a human popsicle.

Sonny broke the ice and decided to talk to Jimmy, "C-Cold night, huh?" Hoping their conversation could lessen the chill.

Jimmy gobbled another bite before he answered, "Nah," Jimmy stared at the kid as, Sonny looked back at the entrance door.

It was not too long after Sonny and Jimmy talked that a tall man, wearing the usual black hat and trench coat, went out of the Olive Oil Company. Both Sonny and Jimmy looked at Scootch "Scootch" Neri as he walked beside them.

"S-So Whaddaya want me to do?" Sonny asked Scootch. his body, shaking though he wasn't so sure now if it was the cold or the fact he already knew the answer to his question.

"Whaddaya want me to do he says," Jimmy chuckled, as he took another bite from his tasty roast beef sandwich, cursed as the sauce spilled on his coat.

"You Sonny Cross?" Sonny looked at Scootch- towering at him - as his deep voice echoed at the empty street. Nodding, he replied. "Here's your gun," Sonny took the gun at Scootch's hand. The gun was too heavy for his slender hand he nearly lost his grip on it.

"Careful, kid. You might not want to get shot on the leg," Jimmy said, throwing his trash at the nearest bin.

He gestured a sign of the cross before nervously tucking his gun inside his coat.

The well-known hitman laughed, "I can see why they named you Sonny Cross, kid," He glanced at Jimmy who's also amused by Sonny's gesture.

Scootch patted Sonny's back, "Don't worry, kid. We're just going to visit a friend. And I need a driver. The gun is just for protection, per la protezione," Sonny looked at him as they stopped in front of the car. "Jimmy here told me you're a great driver."

The three of them walked towards and entered the black sedan. Scootch sat in front, Jimmy at the back. As Sonny started the ignition, "Hey, Kid? pull over after two blocks from here, beside Carl and Lenie's Restaurant," Jimmy said.

"Sure, Jimmy," He answered, thinking if Jimmy would want another sandwich apart from the three huge sandwiches he already had inside the car.

"You wanna know the story how Sonny got 'em nickname, Scootch?" Jimmy asked. Scootch looked back at him as he went on his story, "It was in East Harlem, that job Ritchie gave us whiles you took this thing with your Uncle..."

"Yes - yes!," Scootch interjected.

"So you was there, and I got stuck with this kid, he's fresh, and we're in a lousy block. Ritchie forgot telling us about it and bada-boom bada-bing we're in a crossfire. Me, this kid and Benny." Jimmy patted Sonny on the shoulders he continued, "So, we're shooting. Benny and I picked up our hand guns. This kid, - you wouldn't believe what he carried - a fucking sawed-off shotgun!" He roared.

"Yes quite a story," Scootch said, unengaged, turning at Sonny and swinging back to stare in front.

"Blang! His shots woke up the whole neighborhood and...,"

"So how did he get the nickname, Jimmy," Scootch interrupted.

"He always makes the sign of the cross every time before he reaches for the gun or keeps it," Jimmy answered.