5 Clemenza finally narrowed down the list of candidates to three men. The first

was an enforcer who worked with the colored policy bankers in Harlem, a big

brawny brute of a man of great physical strength, a man with a great deal of

personal charm who could get along with people and yet when necessary make

them go in fear of him. But Clemenza scratched him off the list after considering

his name for a half hour. This man got along too well with the black people, which

hinted at some flaw of character. Also he would be too hard to replace in the

position he now held.

6 The second name Clemenza considered and almost settled on was a hard-

working chap who served faithfully and well in the organization. This man was the

collector of delinquent accounts for Family-licensed shylocks in Manhattan. He

had started off as a bookmaker's runner. But he was not quite yet ready for such

an important promotion.

7 Finally he settled on Rocco Lampone. Lampone had served a short but

Impressive apprenticeship in the Family. During the war he had been wounded in

Africa and been discharged in 1943. Because of the shortage of young men,

Clemenza had taken him on even though Lampone was partially incapacitated by

his injuries and walked with a pronounced limp. Clemenza had used him as a

black-market contact in the garment center and with government employees

controlling OPA food stamps. From that, Lampone had graduated to trouble-

shooter for the whole operation. What Clemenza liked about him was his good

judgment. He knew that there was no percentage in being tough about something

that would only cost a heavy fine or six months in jail, small prices to pay for the

enormous profits earned. He had the good sense to know that it was not an area

for heavy threats but light ones. He kept the whole operation in a minor key,

which was exactly what was needed.

8 Clemenza felt the relief of a conscientious administrator who has solved a

knotty personnel problem. Yes, it would be Rocco Lampone who would assist.

For Clemenza planned to handle this job himself, not only to help a new,

inexperienced man "make his bones," but to settle a personal score with Paulie

Gatto. Paulie had been his protйgй, he had advanced Paulie over the heads of

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more deserving and more loyal people, he had helped Paulie "make his bones"

and furthered his career in every way. Paulie had not only betrayed the Family, he

had betrayed his padrone, Peter Clemenza. This lack of respect had to be repaid.

9 Everything else was arranged. Paulie Gatto had been instructed to pick him up

at three in the afternoon, and to pick him up with his own car, nothing hot. Now

Clemenza took up the telephone and dialed Rocco Lampone's number. He did not

identify himself. He simply said, "Come to my house, I have an errand for you."

He was pleased to note that despite the early hour, Lampone's voice was not

surprised or dazed with sleep and he simply said, "OK." Good man. Clemenza

added, "No rush, have your breakfast and lunch first before you come see me.

But not later than two in the afternoon."

10 There was another laconic OK on the other end and Clemenza hung up the

phone. He had already alerted his people about replacing caporegime Tessio's

people in the Corleone mall so that was done. He had capable subordinates and

never interfered in a mechanical operation of that kind.

11 He decided to wash his Cadillac. He loved the car. It gave him such a quiet

peaceful ride, and its upholstery was so rich that he sometimes sat in it for an

hour when the weather was good because it was more pleasant than sitting in the

house. And it always helped him think when he was grooming the car. He

remembered his father in Italy doing the same thing with donkeys.

12 Clemenza worked inside the heated garage, he hated cold. He ran over his

plans. You had to be careful with Paulie, the man was like a rat, he could smell

danger. And now of course despite being so tough he must be shitting in his

pants because the old man was still alive. He'd be as skittish as a donkey with

ants up his ass. But Clemenza was accustomed to these circumstances, usual in

his work. First, he had to have a good excuse for Rocco to accompany them.

Second, he had to have a plausible mission for the three of them to go on.

13 Of course, strictly speaking, this was not necessary. Paulie Gatto could be

killed without any of these frills. He was locked in, he could not run away. But

Clemenza felt strongly that it was important to keep good working habits and

never give away a fraction of a percentage point. You never could tell what might

happen and these matters were, after all, questions of life and death.

14 As he washed his baby-blue Cadillac, Peter Clemenza pondered and

rehearsed his lines, the expressions of his face. He would be curt with Paulie, as

if displeased with him. With a man so sensitive and suspicious as Gatto this

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would throw him off the track or at least leave him uncertain. Undue friendliness

would make him wary. But of course the curtness must not be too angry. It had to

be rather an absentminded sort of irritation. And why Lampone? Paulie would

find that most alarming, especially since Lampone had to be in the rear seat.

Paulie wouldn't like being helpless at the wheel with Lampone behind his head.

Clemenza rubbed and polished the metal of his Cadillac furiously. It was going to

be tricky. Very tricky. For a moment he debated whether to recruit another man

but decided against it. Here he followed basic reasoning. In years to come a

situation might arise where it might be profitable for one of his partners to testify

against him. If there were just one accomplice it was one's word against the other.

But the word of a second accomplice could swing the balance. No, they would

stick to procedure.