The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
82
Tom, I want you to stay inside the mall, too. Don’t take any chances. Mike, you be 
careful, though I don’t think. even Sollozzo would bring personal family into the war. 
Everybody would be against him then. But be careful. Tessio, you hold your people in 
reserve but have them nosing around the city. Clemenza, after you settle the Paulie 
Gatto thing, you move your men into the house and the mall to replace Tessio’s people. 
Tessio, you keep your men at the hospital, though. Tom, start negotiation over the 
phone or by messenger with Sollozzo and the Tattaglias the first thing in the morning. 
Mike, tomorrow you take a couple of Clemenza’s people and go to Luca’s house and 
wait for him to show up or find out where the hell he is. That crazy bastard might be 
going after Sollozzo right now if he’s heard the news. I can’t believe he’d ever go against 
his Don, no matter what the Turk offered him.” 
Hagen said reluctantly, “Maybe Mike shouldn’t get mixed up in this so directly.” 
“Right,” Sonny said. “Forget that, Mike. Anyway I need you on the phone here in the 
house, that’s more important.” 
Michael didn’t say anything. He felt awkward, almost ashamed, and he noticed 
Clemenza and Tessio with faces so carefully impassive that he was sure that they were 
hiding their contempt. He picked up the phone and dialed Luca Brasi’s number and kept 
the receiver to his ear as it rang and rang. 
Chapter 6
Peter Clemenza slept badly that night. In the morning he got up early and made his own 
breakfast of a glass of grappa, a thick slice of Genoa salami with a chunk of fresh Italian 
bread that was still delivered to his door as in the old days. Then he drank a great, plain 
china mug filled with hot coffee that had been lashed with anisette. But as he padded 
about the house in his old bathrobe and red felt slippers he pondered on the day’s work 
that lay ahead of him. Last night Sonny Corleone had made it very clear that Paulie 
Gatto was to be taken care of immediately. It had to be today. 
Clemenza was troubled. Not because Gatto had been his protege and had turned 
traitor. This did not reflect on the caporegime’s judgment. After all, Paulie’s background 
had been perfect. He came from a Sicilian family, he had grown up in the same 
neighborhood as the Corleone children, had indeed even gone to school with one of the 
sons. He had been brought up through each level in the proper manner. He had been 
tested and not found wanting. And then after he had “made his bones” he had received 
a good living from the Family, a percentage of an East Side “book” and a union payroll 

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