The Godfather

Chapter 1

Behind every great fortune there is a crime – Balzac 

Amerigo Bonasera sat in New York Criminal Court Number 3 and waited for justice;vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter, who had tried to dishonorher. 

The judge, a formidably heavy-featured man, rolled up the sleeves of his black robe as ifto physically chastise the two young men standing before the bench. His face was coldwith majestic contempt. But there was something false in all this that Amerigo Bonaserasensed but did not yet understand.

 "You acted like the worst kind of degenerates," the judge said harshly. Yes, yes, thoughtAmerigo Bonasera. Animals. Animals. The two young men, glossy hair crew cut,scrubbed clean-cut faces composed into humble contrition, bowed their heads insubmission.

 The judge went on. "You acted like wild beasts in a jungle and you are fortunate you didnot sexually molest that poor girl or I'd put you behind bars for twenty years." The judgepaused, his eyes beneath impressively thick brows flickered slyly toward thesallow-faced Amerigo Bonasera, then lowered to a stack of probation reports beforehim. He frowned and shrugged as if convinced against his own natural desire. He spokeagain. 

"But because of your youth, your clean records, because of your fine families, andbecause the law in its majesty does not seek vengeance, I hereby sentence you to threeyears' confinement to the penitentiary. Sentence to be suspended." 

Only forty years of professional mourning kept the overwhelming frustration and hatredfrom showing on Amerigo Bonasera's face. His beautiful young daughter was still in thehospital with her broken jaw wired together; and now these two animales went free? Ithad all been a farce. He watched the happy parents cluster around their darling sons.Oh, they were all happy now, they were smiling now.

The black bile, sourly bitter, rose in Bonasera's throat, overflowed through tightlyclenched teeth. He used his white linen pocket handkerchief and held it against his lips.He was standing so when the two young men strode freely up the aisle, confident andcool-eyed, smiling, not giving him so much as a glance. He let them pass without saying a word, pressing the fresh linen against his mouth.

The parents of the animales were coming by now, two men and two women his age butmore American in their dress. They glanced at him, shamefaced, yet in their eyes wasan odd, triumphant defiance. 

Out of control, Bonasera leaned forward toward the aisle and shouted hoarsely, "Youwill weep as I have wept– I will make you weep as your children make me weep"– thelinen at his eyes now. The defense attorneys bringing up the rear swept their clientsforward in a tight little band, enveloping the two young men, who had started back downthe aisle as if to protect their parents. A huge bailiff moved quickly to block the row inwhich Bonasera stood. But it was not necessary.

 All his years in America, Amerigo Bonasera had trusted in law and order. And he hadprospered thereby. Now, though his brain smoked with hatred, though wild visions ofbuying a gun and killing the two young men jangled the very bones of his skull,Bonasera turned to his still uncomprehending wife and explained to her, "They havemade fools of us." He paused and then made his decision, no longer fearing the cost."For justice we must go on our knees to Don Corleone."

 * * * 

In a garishly decorated Los Angeles hotel suite, Johnny Fontane was as jealously drunkas any ordinary husband. Sprawled on a red couch, he drank straight from the bottle ofscotch in his hand, then washed the taste away by dunking his mouth in a crystal bucketof ice cubes and water. It was four in the morning and he was spinning drunkenfantasies of murdering his trampy wife when she got home. If she ever did come home.It was too late to call his first wife and ask about the kids and he felt funny about callingany of his friends now that his career was plunging downhill. There had been a timewhen they would have been delighted, flattered by his calling them at four in themorning but now he bored them. He could even smile a little to himself as he thoughtthat on the way up Johnny Fontane's troubles had fascinated some of the greatestfemale stars in America.