Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday room ovtT a warehouse in Sanders Street that was used by Louie as a council chamber. A strange meeting, indeed, for the men represented every known gang in the city. There was the Rocco gang, tlie one led by an undersized rascal called the Midget, and some score other organisations. Without exception, all wondered why they had been called here by Louie Ricarno. It was for a friendly little chat, so they had been informed by the young man's henchmen, but, in case of accidents, they parked their guns. > When Louie entered the place, sur- rounded by his personal bodyguard that included his chief lieutenant, Steve Mileaway, there was an immediate stir among the waiting gangsters. Hands flashed instinctively to jacket pockets in case of treachery. "Order, please!" Mileaway raised his hand as Louie sat down at u table that was set at one end of the room. Silence descended at once. "Now, boys," re- sumed Mileaway. "I ask you to give Louie Ricarno a fair hearing, as he has something real important to say to jou —something which I think you will agree is for the benefit of you all." Louie got to his feet as his lieutenant stepped back, and his keen blue eyes scanned the evil faces in front of him. All of them bitter enemies of his, but just then the knowledge worried him not at all. Enemies were to become friends now—under his scheme peace was to reign in the underworld. Gun battles to be a thing of the past—every- one to work irr complete harmony and accord. " Well, there arc a lot of you mugs that I've neve- seen before," Louie began in a voice that would have done credit to a senator in congress, "so I thought it was about time we got acquainted. But that's only half the reason for this meeting. Now, most of you fellows knew me when I was a kid in short pants. A runner for a tough mob of South Side racketeers who've now migrated. A punk who knew how- to keep his mouth shut." "Yeah," came the sneering voice of Rocco, a dark, swarthy man with narrow beady eyes, Louie's most dan- gerous rival. " But when wo want his- tory we read books, Ricarno, see?" " My ' dear Rocco," Louie said in mocking tones. '* I wouldn't dream of putting you to so much trouble." BOY'S CINEMA There was a burst of coarse laugliter which Louie allowed to die down before resuming. "Of course, I forgot you're something of a student, Rocco, so I'll get down to brass tacks." The youngster returned the fierce look Rocco gave him, then allowed his gaze again to take in the whole assembly. "Now, boys, we're all in one racket or another, and just lately there's been a darned sight too much double-crossing going on. One mob crashing nto another mob's territory. No, no. don't interrupt, Rocco, please. We're in big business. The only thing wrong with it is that it needs organising and it needs a boss I'm taking over both jobs. I'm going to " "You're whatter?" Rocco was on his feet in an instant, eyes gleaming fero- ciously, his hand firmly gripping the butt of Lis concealed gun, while angry voices sounded around him declaiming Louie's coo! nerve. "As I was saying, I'm taking over both jobs." Louie, culm as ever, a cynical smile hovering around the corners of his mouth, raised his voice to make himself heard above the din. " I'm going to lay this town out in zones. I'll give each mob what I think is coming to it, and not one inch more. Get that? Each gang'll back me up and I'll take care of everything." It sounded quite a good proposition to some, but not to others. Rocco, con- sidered by himself the big noise in gangland, again jumped to his feet. "Piffle!" he roared and half dragged his gun from his pcckct. "You thinik so, huh?" Louie froze him with a look. "Well, just you think it over and you'll see " " Hey, wait a minute !" The Midget waved his hand frantically to draw Louie's attention. "How much we gotta pay you for bossing the show?" " H'm I" Louio rubbed his smooth chin, then shook his head. "Well. I hadn't thought that out. Still, I'll decide on that later." " And supposing we agree and pay you for organisation," the Midget per- sisted, "what are we going to do if some mug crashes another guy's terri- tory and hi-jaclts his stuff, the same as was done to mo last week?" "My dear Midget, what do we always do with rats?" Louie said meaningly." 13 "I get you." The Midget bared his teeth in a grin. "So you're taking care of that, too?" "Sure," Louio nodded vigorously. "I'm putting the beer racket on a big business basis, and that covers every- thing. If you fellows have any sense you'll see that my proposition is for your own good. Everything hereafter running smoothly, no more trouble that might land you in the jug, and big money coming your way as easy as if you were backing winners. Well, what do you say ?" "Splendid!" The Midget for one was impressed. Quickly he got to his feet and faced the others. "Let's get together, boys, just like Louie says. What do you say, huh?" The majority were agreeable. Among those who were not was Rocco, who was still smarting under a recent raid made on one of his booze lorries by Louie's own gang. "I say it's piffle!" Rocco snarled. "And if you fellows agree to it you're a lot of simps. \yhy, it's just a dodge cf Ricarno's to swipe up easy money." Louie's eyes blazed at him danger- ously. "Just say that again. Rocco I" he rasped. "You see, I didn't quite get the last crack." "Like mo to put it into writing?" Rocco spat out. In the fury that possessed him he strode to the table and confronted Louie threateningly. But the young racketeer only smiled, for. with a quick mcvo- mont, one of his personal bodyguard had slid up behind Rocco and a deadly automatic, cimningly concealed from the eyes of the assembly by a soft felt hat, was levelled at Rocco's back. "My dear Rocco," Louie said in mocking tones, "I wouldn't dream of putting you to so much trouble." "No? Well, get this!" Rocco «hipped out his own gun. "I'll run my own business. You hear me ? I don't need no punk Hike you telling me nothing. For why? Because I'm just as big as you are, and bigger. When one man's going to run this town, I'll bo him, see? Now, you tell the mob here I'm right. Go on, tell 'em—tell 'em !" "Pretty hot in here, isn't it?" Louie shot a sly glance at Mileaway, who was December i9th, 193U