American variety show: The Godfather, the Peace Ambassador, what the heck?

Chapter 152 Accident
Luca knew all too well what was going to happen in Philadelphia.

After Gambino's death, the Bruno family, having lost its support, soon faced turmoil, with Angelo Bruno being assassinated and killed by a headshot.

Then a civil war broke out within the family, with various factions fighting fiercely. The level of turmoil was comparable to the civil war within the Colombo family. The position of the big boss changed hands one after another until the Federation finally intervened. By turning against the high-ranking officials to obtain intelligence, they managed to send many people to prison.

That's a story from Philadelphia, as for Russell...
In the original storyline, not long after "Hoffa" disappeared, this older brother was sentenced to prison for extortion.

Since the federal government couldn't find Hoffa's body or any evidence, and didn't know who killed him, they decided to target those who were close to Hoffa, especially the Mafia, since cracking down on the Mafia was always the right thing to do.

At that moment, Luca heard Russell talking about the casinos in Atlantic City, but he couldn't quite figure out what Russell was up to.
Russell said slowly, “The gambling industry in Atlantic City has only been developing for a few years and is not as developed as in Vegas. That’s why there are opportunities everywhere. Many Philadelphia loan shark gangs have flocked to Atlantic City because they know that there will be more and more gamblers there.”

Las Vegas and loan sharks are a perfect match.

Luca chimed in with a couple of comments, sharing his thoughts on Atlantic City—Atlantic City is just getting started, modeled after Las Vegas, and is vigorously developing tourism and gambling. It would be good for them to get involved now and secure some projects from the government; the Mafia can mold the city into whatever shape they want.

When it comes to this kind of infrastructure development, the Mafia is even more proactive than the federal government. Given the government's slow and inefficient pace, how long would it take for Las Vegas to develop? With the Mafia involved, it's much faster.

Look at Las Vegas, what a perfect example! They built a world-class gambling city in the middle of nowhere, in the desert, attracting global attention. It not only boosted the local economy but also influenced neighboring California and Los Angeles, contributing significantly to their GDP.

Atlantic City is projected to become the second-largest gambling city in the United States in the future.

Both of America's two largest gambling cities have deep ties to the Mafia.

Luca missed out on the development of Las Vegas, so he certainly can't afford to miss Atlantic City, which is poised to become one of the world's four major gambling cities. Moreover, openly obtaining a legal license to operate a gambling business is far better than secretly running a casino in New York.

However, funding is a huge problem for urban construction. Now that Hofa has been released from prison and joined a trade union, it is not as easy for him to get money from the pension fund as before.

But let's return to the topic of Hoffa.
Russell looked at Luca sitting opposite him and said, "Hoffa has recently said some things he shouldn't have said for his campaign, causing a lot of trouble for everyone. Luca, like you, I hope he will stop."

He was stating his position, but Luca could tell that Russell still preferred Hoffa to step down safely, and he didn't want anything to happen to Hoffa unless absolutely necessary.

Russell was ruthless, but he also valued friendship highly. Despite being a powerful businessman, he kept Frank, a lowly truck driver, under his wing, effectively winning him over. Crucially, Frank wasn't even Italian, yet he earned Russell's immense trust and respect.

Luca knew Russell's character well; he always used diplomacy first, then force.

“Hofa, like you, is an elder I respect.”

Luca laughed and said, "I understand him and respect his choice. Some people are born to pursue light and heat. I used to give lambs gold, but they still ran towards the butcher's knife. But if you give a lion a sliver of faith, it will dare to tear the iron cage apart. What will Hoffa do?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "We gave Hoffa many chances. No matter the outcome, we just hope he won't regret his choice."

Luca had long since given up on Hoffa. Threats and bribes were useless against him, and emotional appeals were also ineffective, because Luca would never side with Hoffa, just as Frank, who was on such good terms with Hoffa, knew where to stand.

Respect the fate of others.

Why not strengthen the bond between Frank and Russell instead of fighting that stubborn old man Hoffa?
The skills these two possess are almost all related to the mafia, which is a good fit for Luca.

Upon hearing Luca's words, Russell pondered for two seconds, his gaze towards Luca now showing a hint of understanding. At least the young man before him was currently displaying a rather mild attitude, and had even personally negotiated with Hoffa. As the other party said, he had given Hoffa a chance, and even now he still held the idea of ​​prioritizing peace.

Russell wondered how many more chances he would have to give Hoffa before the guy would realize his "mistake" and back down.
“Thank you for your understanding. Everyone wants peace,” Russell said softly. “I will keep an eye on this matter, and if it gets out of control, I will step in to put an end to this trouble.”

Luca smiled with satisfaction. It was still better to have Russell, one of his own in the Mafia, as they were easier to get along with and shared common interests and goals.

[Bond: Familiarity]

The two then discussed business collaborations.

This is just the beginning, and Luca is happy to be an ally of Russell on the committee.

Is the other person too old? Will they be able to stay together for long?
Luca thinks that sometimes this is actually a good thing.

When Frank relayed the message back, unsurprisingly, everyone was once again angered by Hofa's stubborn attitude.

Fat Tony immediately retorted, "That's his exact wording? He should remember that Joe Gallo, that bastard, used to be just as outspoken! You go and warn him about what happened to Joe Gallo, and hopefully he'll understand!"

Hoffa certainly understood, but he still went his own way.

Frank acted as a mouthpiece, shuttling back and forth between the two sides to convey their respective attitudes.

As Hoffa refused time and time again, the Mafia's patience gradually wore thin.

What happened next escalated the conflict between the two sides to an irreparable point.

Hofakar secured loans for all of the family's projects.

The furniture mall that Luca is currently building has run into financial difficulties, forcing Luca to use his own money to continue the project.

Hoffa's actions utterly disappointed the Mafia, who believed he was beyond redemption. The committee then convened a meeting and secretly issued an execution order for Hoffa.

It's time to draw the sword.

Late June, Pittston.

Frank, who was still unaware of the matter, received a call from Russell and drove there alone. He met Russell and Luca sitting next to him in a restaurant.

Facing two powerful figures at the same time, Frank sat somewhat reservedly across the table.

Luca, holding his wine glass, spoke first: "Frank, do you know why we asked you to come here?"

Frank shook his head to indicate that he did not know.

Russell added, "We need you to go to Detroit."

Frank: "."

In an instant, he understood why they had suddenly come to him.

This meant he was being asked to go to Detroit and kill Hoffa. His expression instantly turned silent, and he sat motionless in his seat like a statue. Russell had always asked him to deliver fish to a certain place without hesitation, but this was the only exception.

He knew perfectly well why the Mafia wanted to kill Hoffa, and he was also aware of the inner struggle he was going through.

Judging from Frank's reaction, Luca knew exactly how troubled the guy was.

But this matter must be handled by Frank; no one else can do it.

Is it easy to make a move against someone you know? It was precisely because Frank and Hoffa were so close that he had to use killing to prove his true stance.

Russell reassured him, “Frank, I have to get you involved, otherwise you will never stand idly by. I know you, I know you won’t.”

Frank remained silent, his eyes weary.

Russell: "This matter has finally come to this point. In any case, he has to leave. I understand how you feel, I know, but there's nothing we can do. We've done everything we can to help him. You know, Luca has always been committed to maintaining peace, and you know Luca's past attitude. Everyone has done their best."

Frank looked up and glanced at Luca, who remained expressionless, while Luca simply looked at him calmly.

Frank lowered his gaze again.

Russell: "Hofa is too selfish. He brought this on himself, but he wants us to bear the consequences."

Frank remained silent, his mind drifting back to Hofa, and it seemed that his memories of his old friend were about to come to an end.

At this point, Luca spoke up, "Now I'll answer the previous question. The reason I let you take action was because the committee gave me face. Frank, you should have died here today because you got too close to him. Do you understand what I mean?"

Frank was slightly taken aback.

Luca: "You're okay now because you're my friend, and you're Russell's friend too."

Frank's expression immediately became very complicated.

It turns out that the Mafia wanted to eliminate not only Hoffa, but also him. Yes, he had indeed become too close to Hoffa over the years, their relationship was too good.

Luca continued, "I want to believe that you really tried to reconcile and that you really tried to persuade him, but he was stubborn and went his own way. He didn't consider your position in his actions, and he almost killed you."

Frank looked lost in thought, raised his eyes to stare at the ceiling above Luca's head, and remained silent for a few more seconds.

Russell sighed, “Frank, we are helping you now. You have no idea how much Luca said for you at the committee meeting. He vouched for you against everyone’s wishes and persuaded the other members. I’m sorry, Hoffa had no choice, and now you only have one choice, but this choice is one we fought for for you.”

Frank felt as if his body had been torn in two and then forcibly put back together.

He knew that what Luca and Russell said was true; the Mafia would indeed take him down with them, eliminating all of Hoffa's associates and influence.

Fortunately, I had another choice besides death, although this choice caused me immense pain.

At that moment, Frank clearly understood how deep he had fallen into the quagmire.

People in the arena involuntarily.

Frank left the restaurant alone.

Luca has already arranged the murder plan. All Frank needs to do is go to Detroit to cooperate and fire the crucial shot.

Luca, of course, had to keep a close eye on the execution and make sure to minimize its impact.

The Mafia shouldn't be blamed for this.

Luca had already sent Lyon there to gather intelligence and information about Detroit, partly to prepare for the assassination and partly for the sake of "Babby Marshall".

There's more than one rare card. Besides Marcel's brothers, the original storyline also involves the police station, which also has rare cards.

Bobby's mother was a well-known philanthropist in Detroit. Her shooting death attracted a lot of attention, but she is currently unharmed and doing well. If possible, Luca wouldn't mind wiping out the gang from the original storyline—just a black gang—early on.

While you're at it, go and visit the Detroit Mafia families and extend your reach there.

The Detroit Mafia families aren't doing so well. There are too many gangs in the city, especially Black gangs, which are quite powerful and threaten the survival of the Mafia.

—Detroit had a large influx of Black immigrants, and the city's police were notorious for racial discrimination, which angered many Black people, leading them to spontaneously form gangs to fight against the government and other white gangs.

It's much more chaotic than Harlem in New York.

Detroit and Chicago are two cities with some of the highest crime rates in the nation.

Soon, Luca received the intelligence sent back by Lyon, along with photos of those rare cards, and everything matched up perfectly.

However, when Luca saw one of the photos, his expression was very surprised, and he was stunned for a long time—it was a photo of a policeman, one of whom was a character from the original story of "Four Brothers." But in addition, Luca also found a rare policeman card from another story.

[Rare Card Discovered: Philip Ross]

[Philip: B]

[Source: Detroit]

[Skill: Forceful Law Enforcement]

[Bond: Strangers]

Looking at this lousy cop, Luca couldn't help but mutter "Fuck you," "What the hell? The Detroit black riots? Has this major event gotten mixed up in with them?"

That was one of the deadliest riots in American history!

(End of this chapter)