The Mob War Part Five: Friday, June 10, 1926

The Previous Evening

Unbeknownst to everyone, Ron arranges to get Luca and Vince out of the house for a night on the town. Well, for as much of a night on the town as his “police escort” will allow. The three men go to an Italian restaurant near Vitale’s Gym, assuming that they will be relatively safe in the neighborhood blessed by Vitale’s “neutrality.”

They have a good evening, though they are briefly accosted by some men that Ron recognizes as being Anne Chantraine’s hired goons. Members of the other families, realizing that things are about to go down, intervene on Don Bernouse’s behalf, preventing any violence and lecturing the goons on Mafia etiquette.

The three men return to stately Bernouse villa, where their raucous, drunken singing awakens a perplexed Vivian. She yells at them to go to sleep and slams the bedroom window down on them.

Legal Eagles

Mikhail is released from police custody. The police cannot determine the identity of the man who attacked him, but it seems to them that Mikhail was defending himself from a mugging. They let him go, with the promise that they will comb their photo books to see if they can identify his attacker that way. They tell Mikhail not to leave town. 

Kane, who has been doing some investigating of his own, also learns this information. He also begins to track down how to get in touch with Martin Kavanaugh, the detective on Ron’s case, and Fredo Albanese, the other man the doorman saw. Kane also learns that, now that Gabriella’s apartment building is the subject of two criminal investigations, he won’t be able to get anywhere near it to look for evidence. 

Rally at the Judge’s

The London Group once again convenes at Judge Putnam’s to share information and try to figure out what to do next. The main focuses of this conversation are on the following topics:

Judge Bartlett: Based on information she received from Mr. Potafiori, Vivian suspects that the judge is in league with the Order of Silver Twilight. She consults her old notes about the membership of the Silver Twilight Lodge and finds a D. Bartlett listed among their members. Johnny explains that he has also seen photographic evidence that shows Judge Bartlett knows and is at least outwardly friendly toward “Big Grin” Bianco. The group tries to figure out the best way to steal the aforementioned photograph from Judge Bartlett’s apartment. Meanwhile, Judge Putnam and Mikhail explain that, if they are able to prove this connection, they might be able to get Judge Bartlett to recuse himself from presiding over Ron’s case.

Ron’s Case: After putting all their pieces together, the group decides that they need to protect the doorman and track down Fredo Albanese. Mikhail calls Luca to tell him to tell Vince not to kill the doorman, but to protect him. Luca is totally okay with this, and promises to forward the message up the chain. Ron says that he actually sort of knows Albanese—by reputation, anyway—and also that Albanese is one of the Gambino family’s enforcers. Ron and Vivian think it’s weird that, due to the way the Five Families territories are laid out, that Albanese would show his face around Central Park.

The Scissors: Also related to Ron’s case, Dr. Black reveals that he has stolen a pair of bloodied scissors found at the crime scene from the evidence bag at the coroner’s office. He tells the group that he did this because he believes these are the same scissors that wounded Ron, and that they will definitely make him look guilty. He suggests taking a drive up to his new property in Ossining to dispose of the scissors.

Oh, Scissors

After a lengthy conversation, the group splits up. Ron, Vivian, and Kane will go to Vitale’s Gym to see if they can talk to someone in the Gambino outfit about Albanese. Judge Putnam, Dr. Black, and Johnny drive up to Ossining to get rid of the scissors. Mikhail, meanwhile, goes off to do some research on both Ron’s case and for the magical means to defeat Anne Chantraine.

The Trip to Ossining

The trip is unremarkable, at least at first. Johnny, Judge Putnam, and Dr. Black, all being somewhat old hands at this sort of thing by now, remain vigilant for tails or signs of trouble as they head upstate. Once they are sure that no one is around, Johnny pulls over and Dr. Black exits the car to throw the scissors into the Hudson.

They continue onward, reaching Dr. Black’s new property without incident. Dr. Black once again talks about how he’d like to station cannons on his property where it overlooks the Hudson, for reasons that are unclear to the others. The group also chats amiably with the workmen who are busy renovating the main house. Dr. Black is vaguely tempted to dig up the strange, lead amulet that Ron buried inside his barn, but he ultimately decides against it.

On the way back to New York City, all three men become aware that the front passenger seat looks—indented—as if someone that they cannot see is sitting in it. The three men exchange looks before Dr. Black tosses a pinch of the Powder of Ibn-Ghazi into the front seat, briefly revealing the otherwise invisible, hard-looking young man sitting there.

A desperate fight ensues in the car, with Judge Putnam and Dr. Black trying to restrain the invisible assailant from the back seat while Johnny drives and tries to stab the assailant with his pocketknife. Things go briefly south when the assailant twists Johnny’s knife hand (which is also his maimed one), disarming him and causing the car to swerve dangerously. Things go even further south when Johnny and Dr. Black both realize that the judge’s eyes have turned bright red and that he is leaning over the front seat to sink his teeth into the assailant’s neck.

Johnny does a bit of expert offensive driving, throwing everyone around in the car like sacks of potatoes. Both Judge Putnam and Dr. Black wind up a little dazed in the backseat. Johnny then braces himself and hits the brakes. Hard. This causes Dr. Black and Judge Putnam some additional discomfort, but also hurls the invisible assailant face first into the windshield, knocking him out cold.

Johnny pulls the car over to the side of the road and the three men discuss what to do with their unconscious attacker. A quick search of his person reveals no identification, a small phial with the dregs of a bluish liquid, and a very big knife.

The Trip to Vitale’s

Just Another Day at Vitale's...Until...

Kane, Vivian, and Ron find that it is just another day down at Vitale’s, with young men learning to box and old men trying to give them pointers. Ron is immediately accosted by “Big” Jimmy Russo as he walks in.

“What the hell, Deluca! Every time you come down here, you bring the cops with you and none of us can get anything done. Go home and take your friends with you!”

Vivian entertains the attentions of a very young gun who has just joined the Bernouse ranks. He treats her with all the deference and respect one normally reserves for royalty.

The Italians present at the gym are a bit baffled at the sight of Kane Eastman. Ron explains that he’s brought Kane down to Vitale’s to teach him how to box. This explanation doesn’t seem to reduce anyone’s confusion.

Ron spots Fredo Albanese sitting by one of Vitale’s three rings, offering advice to a young guy who is sparring with an old trainer. Ron heads over, introduces himself and Kane to both Albanese in the trainer, and then pressures the trainer to teach Kane the basics. Kane, who was not expecting this and has no other clothes, takes off his shoes, strips to his shirt sleeves, and pulls on some loaner gloves. He takes a few jabs at the pad, only to do so badly that the trainers swats him in frustration, knocking him to the mat.

This draws quite a crowd of onlookers from the rest of the gym, who come over to watch Kane’s “training” and shout helpful bits of often contradictory advice. Kane doesn’t fare much better, but he at least manages to connect with the pad more often than not.

Alfredo Albanese

Ron makes small talk with Albanese, confirming that he was, indeed in Central Park and that he did, indeed, see Gabriella. Ron also notes that Fredo has a splint on his ring finger. When asked about it, Fredo shrugs and says, “eh. Don’t know how I got it. Musta sprained it falling out of bed.” When asked if he has rings, Fredo says, “yeah, at home. Can’t be wearing them right now, though.”

Meanwhile, Vivian notices that two men who are undoubtedly some of Anne’s new muscle. One of them heads into the men’s room, while the other goes outside. She informs Ron and Kane of this once Kane is allowed to leave the ring.

Before Ron goes to check out the bathroom, he leans in and gives Albanese a friendly, Italian hug. Ron notices that Albanese flinches when he taps him in the ribs, which he finds interesting.

Under the pretense of “washing their hands” Ron and Kane enter the men’s room to track down Anne’s man and maybe shake him down for some information. Upon entering the restroom, Ron and Kane notice that the mirror above the sinks abruptly turns black and begins to swirl unpleasantly. While the two men struggle to make sense of this, Anne’s man leaps from his hiding place in one of the stalls, decks Kane, and nearly knocks him into the mirror.

A brief scuffle ensues. Kane and Ron soon get the upper hand, but not before ropy tentacles push themselves out of the mirror to seize them. Ron, seeing this, basically loses his shit and starts screaming for help. Vivian, who is outside, but who knows that she, a proper lady, cannot enter the men’s bathroom without causing a scandal, demands aid from the other mafiosi at Vitale’s.

A dozen made guys, angry that one of Anne’s men is causing problems on neutral ground, storm into the bathroom to teach him a lesson, only to be confronted by the horrifying monstrosity in the mirror. They scream and fall all over themselves as they try to escape the confines of the bathroom. The only one who manages to keep their head is the young gunsel who was previously doting on Vivian earlier. He sweeps up a small dumbbell, throws it at the mirror, and shatters it. This dispels whatever horrible magic is affecting it, causing the tentacles to vanish.

Hoo Boy!