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

Chapter 184 Angel Investors

end of June.

SSR Club.

The meeting was held again, and many old acquaintances of the Mafia rushed to the scene, including Fat Tony, Russell and others, to discuss the Angelo family's cooperation with the Russians and their "profiteering alone".

This wasn't a big deal; the Angelo family had always operated in this way, living in a remote corner of the city. After "splitting" from the Patriaca family, Angelo became the landowner in Boston's North Side, where they were the only powerful gang, controlling nearly 80% of the underground business. The rest was divided up by other gangs of color.

The connection between that area and New York is not close; the two cities have always operated independently, unlike Philadelphia, which is closely linked to New York.

So as long as Angelo doesn't extend his claws, many on the committee have no objections.

However, this matter is not insignificant, because the other party, in collusion with the Russians, infringed upon Luka's monopoly business. Even though they are not in the same region, Luka viewed this as a provocation.

Even if the other party might not want to compete with Luca in markets outside of New England, Luca can find all sorts of excuses to crucify them as enemies.

"Their gasoline tax business has already been piloted in the North Side of Boston, and it is not dominated by the Angelo family. The real power behind the scenes is Pushkin and the Russian mafia. Gennaro is just one of the shareholders. He provides shell companies and wholesale licenses, etc., and helps the Russians to establish connections with Boston City Hall."

In the cigar room, Luca faced a group of Mafia executives and stated his opinion with certainty: "Pushkin and our Mafia Committee have no peace agreement. They are still developing in Boston, but market expansion is only a matter of time. Soon they will be able to penetrate south from Massachusetts into New York and New Jersey."

Due to certain rules established by the committee, while internal conflicts within Mafia families frequently occur, large-scale shootouts and struggles between families are extremely rare. If Luca were to propose a slogan like "annihilate the Angelo family," many people present would likely find it inappropriate, as it would not conform to the rules.

But if you label Pushkin as an enemy and portray the Angelo family as accomplices, many people in the room would find it much more agreeable.

Fat Tony stepped in to define the matter, saying, "The Angelo family did indeed do something wrong. Luca was the one who started the gasoline business, and he even invited Luca to participate. Everyone joined the committee, and internal members should prioritize working together on business, rather than seeking cooperation with outside gangs."

Russell also expressed his opinion, supporting Tony.

Now that the two have joined the group, their interests are intertwined, so they'll definitely have to stand with Luca against external threats. Furthermore, Angelo's initial agreement to negotiations followed by his last-minute reneging has infuriated Tony, making him lose face.

What Luca wants is their attitude and their support.

He intends to operate across districts, openly extending his reach into Boston. If the Angelo family then tries to "complain" through the committee, all of you here will vote for Luca.

The two families represented by Russell and Tony, as well as the Philadelphia family and the Detroit family, are all allies of Luca.

Angelo, that idiot, can't do anything to Luca, neither from a rule-based nor a moral standpoint.

After discussing the matter, everyone agreed that Luca could openly "compete" in Boston through the gasoline business, and they would help Luca block a series of objections from the committee.

Just to be on the safe side, Luca personally went to Long Island after the meeting and met with Gambino, the chairman of the committee.

What the old fox and the little fox talked about remains unknown to outsiders.

Paul, the Gambino family's second-in-command, overheard his boss saying something to Luca.

"Throw a piece of meat in Boston and let them bite it themselves."

The new year, 1998.

Boston, mid-January.

Inside a discreetly luxurious club, Gennaro Angelo was discussing with Slavia the results of the petrol tax business in the North District over the past month.

Unlike Luca, who initially tested the waters at a few gas stations, Gennaro and Slavi took a bold and decisive approach, "threatening" at least a third of the gas stations in the northern region: "From now on, with our gasoline, we guarantee you lower prices and higher profits than our competitors."

The core of the gasoline tax is to seize the market with low-priced gasoline. These gas station owners happily accepted the cooperation. With reduced costs, even if the price drops by a few cents, they can make more money. Why not?

Because they partnered with dozens or even hundreds of gas stations right from the start, even though they weren't very familiar with the business yet, Gennaro and Slavi still made eight figures in their first month.

"This business is incredibly profitable! It's even more lucrative than drugs, and with far less risk. The federal government's oversight in this area is far too lax!"

Slavie's eyes were almost red as he spoke. "That guy Pigeon has been doing this for two years, and the entire state of New York and New Jersey is his market. He's made at least billions of dollars! Damn it, he's made a fortune! We should have entered the fray a long time ago! If we expand across six or seven states in New England, we could easily make at least a billion dollars a year!"

He didn't realize his voice was trembling. So much money! Now, those oil tanker drivers delivering goods were more attractive to him than the naked prostitutes under his command.

Seeing his partner so excited, the old man Gennaro decided to remain calm.

The cooperation with the Russians has two advantages: firstly, Slavia has a more complete oil smuggling chain, and the cost and supply of raw materials are lower than in Luka, resulting in higher profits.
Secondly, Russians prefer large-scale business to regional gang warfare. Giving these bearded men a company is sufficient; unless absolutely necessary, these Russians won't participate in gang fights, and they have no interest in going out on the streets to sell drugs. They prefer the upstream supply chain.

If he were to cooperate with Luca, that guy would definitely take the opportunity to expand his territory to Boston, which made Gennaro uneasy.

After considering many factors, Gennaro ultimately chose Slavoj rather than Luca.

The consequence of doing so would be offending Luca.

But it's still better than being invaded and devoured by Luca, right?
That kid looks like an ambitious fellow. The younger and higher a young man is, the more radical he is. He's not as steady as the older generation.

“Next, we will continue to expand northward, spreading throughout the New England region,” Gennaro said.

"And what about the south?" Slavie, having tasted success, made no attempt to hide his greed. "The South Side of Boston, and Providence. You still have connections with the Patriaca family, right? Drag them into the mess too." Genaro shook his head, deciding against getting involved with the Patriaca faction; relations were already increasingly strained. "North! We'd better not get involved in the south. I just want to do business, not cause gang warfare."

Slavi looked regretful. "I advise you to take it down. If you don't, Luca will get involved. Since the New Year, he has been frequently in contact with the Winter Mountain Gang and the Kirin Gang. His tanker truck will be driving into the South District sooner or later."

This is also what Gennaro is worried about. After Costello and the leader of the Keeling gang died, the South District has completely spiraled out of control. The Irish are now trying to create a new regional leader, and Luca is taking advantage of the chaos, doing who knows what he's up to.
Could it be that this kid can actually unite the Irish people?

Gennaro expressed his skepticism.

Luca threw a juicy piece of meat into the South District—the gasoline tax business.

This business, even more stable and extravagant than drugs, instantly sparked a conflict between the three major gangs. Each gang had numerous gas stations in their respective territories, and while they wanted to cooperate with Luca, they also didn't want their rivals to gain an advantage.

Because Luca only decided to cooperate with one of them, and promised to do business without invading their territory—these incredibly generous conditions were not a conspiracy at all; his intentions were blatantly written on his face: "You three hurry up and fight; whoever wins will be qualified to cooperate with me."

Luca: What I need is a stable and peaceful South District. How can we business people do business in peace when you're fighting every day? Why will customers come to the gas station? I can't possibly cooperate with each of you separately; that would be like the left hand fighting the right, and there would be internal price competition.
The consequence of this was that the three gangs fought even more fiercely. Luca's gasoline hadn't even reached the gas station before it spilled onto the fighting in the South District.

The fighting has now turned into real gunfire, with thick smoke billowing into the sky over the southern district. Street battles are frequent, with gunfire, car bombs, and arson used without restraint.

The French believed that the Killingham Gang or the Mullin Gang were responsible for Costello's death; while the White Hair blamed the death of the Killingham Gang leader on the other two major gangs; the various factions fought fiercely to avenge their leader.

Ultimately, there are only two possible outcomes: either the three major gangs suffer heavy losses and eventually shake hands and merge into one; or one of them destroys the other two and dominates the Southern District.

Boston police are overwhelmed with calls from citizens.

Among them, Colin Sullivan stood out, arresting many criminals on the spot with the help of intelligence provided by Luca.

But this doesn't solve the root of the problem.

Until the end of January, the younger brother of the Mullin gang leader was mistakenly killed, even though he was not a gang member. This led to a further escalation of the retaliatory melee between the three gangs, making it even more intense.

Meanwhile, Bai Mao secretly joined the Dongshan Gang and conspired with them to propose a "double-sided extermination plan." First, he assassinated high-ranking members of the Jilin Gang and disguised it as the work of the Mulin Gang. Then, he incited the remaining forces of the Jilin Gang to seek revenge against the Mulin Gang, thus inducing the two gangs to continue to waste manpower.

When the news reached Luca, he had just arrived at the entrance of Boston City Hall.

Colin again provided inside information over the phone: "White Hair is ostensibly a member of the Killing Gang, but he has actually betrayed them and joined the Winter Mountain Gang. He and the Frenchman are going to join forces to wipe out the influence of the other two major gangs."

Upon hearing this news, Luca knew that it was time for a "ceasefire" in this chaotic war.

The situation in the South District is about to change.

According to the original storyline, the era of the white-haired girl begins.

Luca smirked, but now he was in Boston.

Let's see whose era it really is!

"Okay, I'll handle the rest."

Luca hung up the phone and strode into the city hall.

I'm here to meet people and discuss business, of course.

Upon arriving at the front desk, Luca stated his identity and appointment: "Luca Greco, I'm looking for William Bulger."

Having made an appointment in advance, Luca met with the congressman without any problems.

[Rare Card Discovered: William Bulger]

[William: B]

[Source: Black Mass]

[Skill: Speaker of the House]

[Bond: Strangers]

William—Whitey's younger brother, the current senator, the future chairman, and the president of the University of Massachusetts!

On the surface, his political career was smooth sailing, and legally he was never caught having any connection with gang activities.

That's what makes him so remarkable.

But Luca would never believe that his rise to power was without the support of the white-haired man's campaign funds and underground forces.

Can Williams rise to power without the support of the South?
Now, Luca doesn't mind being an angel investor, investing in a "bright future".

(End of this chapter)