Chicago/October
Most crime families met the news of Felicia's recovery as a sigh of relief. However, for crime boss Luis Ruiziano, a combination of both relief and fear overwhelmed him.
"Holy shit, she's alive. What are the odds of her beating this rap?" he commented to the others in the room.
"What are we going to do boss?" asked his brother Dennis.
"Hey, we ain’t got nothing to be afraid of. We didn't do anything wrong. We come clean; tell her what we know. She is smart; she'll see we had nothing to do with it. She'll know what to do," he responded, actually believing what he was saying.
Luis Ruiziano was the head of one of the biggest Chicago crime syndicates ever to hold power. A status bestowed upon him by the Giordano Family, who wanted nothing to do with Chicago. By supplying both the muscle and finances, Mr. Ruiziano attained the position of capo rather quickly. His loyalty was tested and proven on several occasions, earning the trust of both Felicia and Fabio, as well as other members of the family. As a result, he was allowed to keep most of his profits from illegal gambling, prostitution, and the numbers racket with only a small percentage reverting to the Giordano Family. It was the same arrangement made between most of the crime families operating in the United States. They all had a stake in the success of the Giordano's since their influence on public officials and those that enforced the law spanned across the entire United States, and they were unprecedented by any other organization. Additionally, their ability to gather intelligence against any organization, or person, was envied by all.
Most of the families rallied behind Leo Russo when the news of Fabio's death and the attempted murder of Felicia hit the airways. As Leo Russo and his sons, Encino and Jimmy, took the reins of leadership, many families sent soldiers in support of the Giordano family while Felicia lay in the hospital. Other members of the Giordano family quickly moved up the ranks to fill any voids left by the loss of Fabio Giordano.
Luis Ruiziano knew when Miss Giordano returned to her position, she would launch an investigation into the murder of her brother and the attempt on her life. However, he had already advised Leo Russo to let him know when Felicia would be able to talk to him; he had valuable information on the identity of the assassin.
Two and a half months after Fabio and Felicia Giordano had been shot, Luis Ruiziano received a call on the special phone. This phone had been set as a means to contact the assassin they knew as Nick Costello.
Surprised to hear the phone ring, Luis Ruiziano answered with some hesitation. "Hello, who is this?" he asked.
"Where is my money?" the voice on the other side asked.
"What are you talking about? What money?" asked Ruiziano.
"I'm not going to ask you again! The money better be there before the end of tomorrow?" the voice insisted.
"Wait! What are you talking about?" Ruiziano asked, now realizing with alarm who was on the other end of the phone.
There was hesitation on the other end.
"The money for taking out the Giordanos," was the response Ruiziano heard.
"What! Are you out of your fucking mind? I never authorized a hit on the Giordanos. I swear I didn't," Ruiziano was now shouting into the phone.
Remembering to whom he was talking, Ruiziano calmed down. "Mister, I swear I didn't order a hit on the Giordanos," Ruiziano now said in a steady voice.
Again, there was silence on the other end of the phone, then, "Someone ordered the hit from this phone. I found the papers in the agreed locations and half the money," the voice said.
"I swear I didn't order the hit, but I promise you I will look into the matter. I have no reason to want the Giordanos dead. I swear it," Luis Ruiziano told him.
Once again the phone went silent, and then in a cold and chilling voice Luis Ruiziano heard, "I am going to assume you are telling me the truth. So I am going away for a while. It might be several weeks or several months, but when next I call, you had better have a satisfactory answer for me." The phone went dead as Luis Ruiziano heard him hang up.
Ruiziano immediately launched an investigation into how someone in his own organization could have ordered a hit on Fabio and Felicia Giordano, and who it was. Only a few men had access to his office and the information on how to contact the assassin. He had no way of knowing when the hit was ordered, making it virtually impossible to find the culprit. After a few weeks, he was still unable to determine who could have issued the order, and with the recovery of Miss Giordano, his time had run out.