The Jersey Wars

Chapter 6 - Stepping Out

August 1988    

"....has been no leads in this crime that has left a small town of The Jersey Shore in fear and in shock. Once again Jeanie Costanzo, the 22-year old daughter of reputed mob boss Vito Costanzo, was found shot to death in this Burger King parking lot along Hwy. 35 just three short weeks ago. Local police have no suspects and are looking into her father's mafia activities for a motive. This is...."

I turned off the television and refilled my glass with more Jack Daniels. As I sat alone in my spacious 2-bedroom loft in Orange, I was somewhat filled with regret. This had been the first time in my criminal career that I had acted using emotion instead of my brain. The last time I'd done so, my brother Winton wound up dying in my arms after a stick-up crew came gunning for me back in '76. After hearing the tape that Ghost and KC brought back to me from Spice's club.... I didn't even blink when ordering the murder of Vito Costanzo's daughter.

Now my actions were going to cost me as well as my crew. An emergency meeting of The Garden State Syndicate had been called by Vincenzo Ditta for tomorrow afternoon in which one of three things will happen:

1. Vincenzo's going to ask if anyone there had anything to do with what happened,

2. Vincenzo already knows who did it and the meeting is a trap to catch the perpetrator or,

3. Nobody knows shit about shit and Vincenzo is looking for whoever's going to crack first.

My vote is on #3 but if any of the other scenarios transpire, I have plans made for them. I shouldn't worry though; KC and Ghost don't leave evidence or witnesses for police or anybody else to find and pin bodies on them. They are extremely thorough and all I can hope for is that I'm right.

The Next Day

The Radisson Hotel – 4:27 P.M.

New Rochelle, NY

Whenever The Syndicate got together for a meet there was always laughter and playful banter occurring, today there was nothing but silence. The usual folks were here but with a few minor changes. As always Rah was representing Central Jersey with Ray-Squared and A-Poc, and Big E for South Jersey with his son Mell and Consigliere Regula Lew. The Shore had a new representative with Petey and CeCe Costanzo being joined by their father Vito.

It must've been serious for a boss of Vito Costanzo's stature to be slumming it at a Syndicate meeting. I was now joined by KC and Ghost for obvious reasons but mainly because Tre was still somewhat out of it following Takeera's murder.

After a few long minutes of waiting, Vincenzo Ditta entered the conference room flanked by security that was big enough to be mistaken for NFL offensive linemen. He stepped up to the podium in front to begin.

"There's been an infamnia committed and I plan on getting to the bottom of it. A hit was put out on Vito Costanzo's poor daughter Jeanie a few weeks ago. The public and law enforcement may think of it as a "robbery gone wrong" but I've been living this life entirely too long not to recognize a hit when I see one.

Now today I ask you, fellow members of The Garden State Syndicate, the same thing I've asked my own Cosa Nostra families, who is responsible? If the perpetrator considers himself to be a man of honor, then he'll tell the truth here today and accept his punishment like a man."

Everyone looked around at everyone else, waiting for someone to own up to the murder and voluntarily put his dick in the dirt. I'd already discussed with my crew what I would do if this scenario came to pass, so what happened next came as a surprise to everyone except for Ghost and KC.