Chicago/October
Hearing his boss, Luis Ruiziano, announce the recovery of Felicia Giordano sent chills through Tom’s bones. He knew now it was simply a matter of time before she began her own investigation into who contacted the assassin and ordered the hit on her and her brother. He only had, maybe, a few weeks before he had to disappear.
Twenty years ago he escaped from being poisoned simply because he was a recovering alcoholic. Soon after, he and his wife moved to Chicago under the assumed names of Tom and Kathy Diasparra.
Both he and his wife were from mob families. Tom's father had been a soldier for the Costellino family, and Kathy's uncle, who raised her, was the head of one of the underground casinos owned by the same family. They met at one of the functions thrown by the families and instantly fell in love. They were part of this world, and knew the risks and rewards offered by this style of life. On more than one occasion they found themselves together at a safe house during one of the many wars that erupted between the different families.
After arriving in Chicago, Tom and Kathy began to plan. Tom joined a local crime family and began working his way up the ladder from the bottom of the organization, around the same time that the Giordano family took control over most of the U.S. outfit. He was readily accepted as he repeatedly proved himself to be both cunning and ruthless. His planning had paid off when just after five years in the organization he was moved to lieutenant in the Ruiziano crime family.
Now all his planning was in jeopardy. He knew if he rushed into anything it could cost him his life. He had to back off and rethink his strategy.
When he got home he could see by the look on Kathy's face she had already heard the news about Felicia Giordano's recovery.
"Tom, what are we going to do?" she asked him as he walked into the apartment.
"Nothing right now. We need to plan our escape without letting anyone know. I will return to work tomorrow just like any other day. I'll try to shift any suspicion towards some of the other men to buy us some time. In the meantime, you need to keep all this to yourself and tell no one about any plans to leave town. Our lives hang in the balance," Tom told her. She nodded, fully understanding the consequences.
"I know, honey, I was there too. Remember? I will never forget seeing our friends keel over, remembering how they looked as they gasped for air," she told him as tears rolled down her face.
"I know, honey. We just got to be extra careful now," he told her as he held her in his arms.
It was on July 11, 1964, when Kathy and Tom attended the funeral services of Bolnaldo Costellino, and then the breakfast at La Ristorante. Tom had always been quick to size up a situation and knew it was time to get out of town before the body count added one more. They didn't wait around for the police. In fact, they were already on their way out of town before the last ambulance left the scene. In those days he was a 2nd lieutenant in the Costellino crime family and known to all as Joseph Coleto.
When he arrived in Chicago he kept abreast of what happened back in New York. He ordered a copy of all of the New York papers. After a short spell it was evident the Giordano family had carried out the massacre at La Ristorante. Several months of investigation led to no arrests; it appeared the Giordano's had gotten away with it.
Both Kathy and Tom were outraged and swore to someday avenge the death of their friends. It was Kathy who suggested they use the knowledge Tom had about contacting the assassin; a risk Tom was willing to take. So that no one would be the wiser, Kathy was the one who managed to get into the office of Luis Ruiziano. She received the call from Theo Gresco at a time when the Chicago family was in New York attending a Giordano function. Except for one soldier who remained downstairs, completely unaware of the back entrance, there was no one in the building to stop Kathy from getting in and taking Theo’s call.
During her conversation with the assassin, she instructed him on when and at what time to make the hit. She was a bit angry when Theo advised her he would decide on when, where and at what time he would honor the contract. His voice gave her a very uneasy feeling, and her hand was trembling when she hung up the phone. She realized then and there that if this man ever found out he had been duped, he would stop at nothing to eliminate the voyager who entered his world.
Kathy had no way of knowing this single act had sealed her and Tom's fate.