mud, Paul.'
Joseph lifted out a Beretta with a five-load magazine and engraved barrel.
They slogged along, their valuable shotguns broken open to expose the breeches. Mickey Alo had an English handmade Purdy, the stock cut short for his pudgy arms. Ryan Bolt walked beside him, unarmed.
The dog Rex was still a puppy and in high spirits. He was snapping at the air and, barking with mischief, charging right and left, eyes happy, tongue lolling. Joseph Alo yelled at him and he cocked his head, a 'Whatsamatta guys?' look on his friendly face.
He was a Chesapeake, and beautiful-a rich, chocolate color with soft brown eyes.
'Fucking dog,' Joseph cursed under his breath. 'Gonna scare the ducks off. Get back here, Rex.'
The dog wagged his tail and trotted back.
'Dog's supposed to be trained. Hired a guy in Jersey City to come down here every day for three months.'
Rex looked up, puzzled. They tramped on through the damp yellow grass, sprinkled with the red and gold paint chips of autumn.
Paul moved across the marshy land, his borrowed rubber boots making slurpy sounds.
Then two ducks broke in front of them, flapping hard, rising at desperate angles, their long necks stretching. Joseph snapped shut his breech and started firing. One of the ducks went down, fluttering and spiraling. It hit with a rustle a hundred yards away. The other was still airborne. Paul had it in his sights, but he couldn't bear to shoot it and pulled off, aiming to the right just as the pudgy clown prince fired. . Two hundred thousand dollars' worth of English Purdys thundered in unison. Mickey got the second bird.
'Fetch, Rex,' Joseph commanded, and the dog headed off in the wrong direction.
'Back, Rex!' Joseph yelled as the confused dog turned and trotted back.
Joseph tried again. 'Fetch, Rex.'
The dog looked up at him, perplexed.
'Fetch, damn it!' Joseph was turning red with anger. He kicked the dog in the hind end and it squealed and took off, ran fifteen or twenty feet, then turned and looked back, his brown eyes puzzled.
'Fetch,' Joseph screamed, nearly out of control.
Rex bolted into the high grass. They could hear him crashing around, breaking reeds, barking.
'Your dog is worthless, Mickey,' Joseph said, trying to contain his anger.
'Pretty disappointing.' Mickey's black eyes were dancin g.
And then Rex came back, the duck hanging from his mouth. He dropped the bird proudly at Joseph's feet. Joseph picked it up. A deadly shadow crossed his face.
'Chewed the fucking duck. Broke all the bones! How we gonna eat this?' he yelled at the dog.
Rex stood there, panting happily. Joseph went wild with anger. He tried to kick the dog again, but Rex was too fast. He dodged Joseph's boot, and Joseph went down in muddy water.
Rex backed up, spread his front legs, and barked at the mobster, who was sitting on the ground, his clothing filling with brackish water. Rex kept backing up and barking.
Then, smoldering with hatred, Joseph yanked the Beretta up, aimed it at Rex, pulled back the hammer, and fired.
Rex flew backward, his shoulders and head instantly turned to red mist. . obliterated by the buckshot He landed on his side in the yellow grass, his feet reflexively running, going nowhere. *
Paul Arquefte felt like throwing up. He looked at Ryan, who had his hand to his mouth in absolute shock. Then Paul noticed that Mickey was smiling. The only two people who understood Rex's death were Joseph and his fifteen-year-old son. For some reason, Mickey thought it was funny.
They walked numbly back to the house, where Lucinda was waiting.
'Where's Rex?' she asked. Nobody answered. 'Daddy, where is he?'
'Rex didn't make it,' Mickey said. 'He accidentally got shot.'
She was halfway up the stairs before they could hear her wailing in grief.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
February 5, 1981
C. Wallace Litman, controlling stockholder in Litstar Industries, a holding company he established in the mid- sixties, announced today that he had acquired nearly ten percent of United Broadcasting Company. The TV network has been riding high in the ratings and is scheduled to broadcast the Summer Olympics in 1984. C. Wallace Litman said that Litstar has no plans to launch a full-scale takeover of the network.
DAILY VARIETY
September 10, 1992
An overlong Emmycast produced few surprises last night. The Mechanic swept up most of the dramatic Emmys as expected, winning in the Best Actor and Actress categories along with Best Drama. Series creator and executive producer Ryan Bolt accepted for the show, saying that he was overcome with gratitude. The Mechanic, which depicts the adventures of a simple, blue-collar garage mechanic, has been heralded as a breakthrough in dramatic television, touching on humanity and the depth of the human spirit. .
LAS VEGAS SUN
November 8, 1986
Head oF Vegas Organized Crime Unit quits
Solomon Kazorowski put in his papers for an early retirement Monday. Kazorowski, who had headed the Las Vegas Organized Crime Strike Force, was a legend in this city. He ran his elite group of crime busters from a deserted dress shop on Calvary Street and was noted for his tenacious pursuit of casino mob connections, specifically targeting alleged Jersey mobster Joseph Mo. Kazorowski, known in Las Vegas circles for his flamboyant Hawaiian shirts and reckless enthusiasm, was recently embarrassed by a bill at the Flamingo. He had allowed the casino to comp him for over five hundred dollars' worth of champagne and food. The resulting furor led to his resignation.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
March 9, 1982
A RICO prosecution of Anthony Colombo of New York was announced Friday by members of the U. S. Attorney's office in New York The alleged gang boss was indicted on counts of murder, attempted murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, postal theft, mail and wire find. The defendants included three sons of the late family boss Joseph Colombo. Twenty-two of the family's more active associates were included in the indictment. Sources close to the prosecution speculate that several of those indicted have made deals with the government to testify against Tony Colombo and his top lieutenants. *
THE NEW YORK TIMES
January 10, 1996
Veteran network TV news reporter Cole Harris was discharged from his post as correspondent for the UBC news division in New York The dismissal was apparently over Cole's refusal to drop a story on organized crime in American politics. The expose dealt with the undenvorld's attempts to influence politicians, with emphasis on Atlantic City's politica l t ies to hotel gambling and the Mafia. The documentary was scheduled to air on Sunday, January 9, and according to inside sources was pulled at the last minute. Steve Israel, head of UBC's news division, said that the documentary entitled 'Mob Voices' had been inconclusive and that UBC had elected not to air it for legal reasons.
MIAMI HERALD
Saturday, January 22, 1983
Meyer Lansky is dead at 80. His departure is cause for an odd sadness, not for Lansky, a gangster who had a long run and died in bed. But for the rest of us, because now it will be impossible to discover the full history of the United States in this century. The man who was born Maier Suchowljansky was crucial to that history, and he has
