“Is it true, Gemma?” Charles, who wasfloored too, asked her. “The deathpenalty is on the table?”
Gemma was Sal Gabrini’s wife. And as the wife of a mob boss herself, shewas accustomed to being the bearer of bad news. But even she was stumped for words. But she nodded. “The federalgovernment has determined that the crimes alleged are considered capitaloffenses,” she said. “So yes, the deathpenalty is on the table.”
That put a pin in theirballoons. All except Mick. He was still firm. “No deal,” he said again.
Roz wasn’t so quick to agree with himthat time. “But what if they find himguilty?” she asked the lawyers. “Then itwould be more than on the table, wouldn’t it? They would absolutely ask for Death, wouldn’t they?”
“Not necessarily, Mrs. Sinatra,” Bosaid.
“Don’t not necessarily her!”Charles fired back. “You tell her thetruth. They would have just convictedMick the Tick Sinatra in what’s sure to be the trial of the century in the mobworld. They’ll have him exactly wherethey’ve always wanted him. Why wouldn’tthey ask for Death?”
It was absolutely true, and everybodyin that room knew it too. But onlyGemma, on the legal team, had the balls to speak up. “Yes, Roz,” she said. “If Uncle Mick is found guilty, they will, inall likelihood, ask for Death.”
A chill filled the already chilly room,and everybody seemed to deflate and lean back. Until Bo received a call, answered it, and then quickly ended thecall. He looked at Mick.
“What is it?” Roz asked him.
“They picked up Teddy,” Bo said, andeverybody gasped.
“What do you mean picked him up?”Charles asked.
“He’s been arrested, sir,” Boexplained.
“They’re putting the squeeze on him,”said Sal.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rozasked.
“They will lock him up and throw awaythe key, too,” Bo said, “if he doesn’t snitch on his father. They want him to turn on Mick.”
More deflation and chill in theroom. They didn’t think they could bearany more bad news. “Dear Lord,” Jenaysaid for everybody.
But Roz was looking at Bo. “How many years are they talking about givingTeddy? What do you mean by throw awaythe key?” she asked him, although intellectually she already knew.
“He’ll be subject to the samepunishment as your husband,” Bo answered her.
Roz’s heart dropped. Not Teddy too!
“Unless,” Bo continued, “Teddy ratsout your husband. Then, in allprobability, he’ll walk.”
“And Uncle Mick will fry,” Sal saidbluntly.
But Charles and Roz looked atMick. He was the only person in thatroom who wasn’t in an uproar. “What areyou thinking, Michello?” Charles asked his beloved brother.
Mick looked at the lawyers. “Send Teddy word,” he said. “Tell him to save himself. Tell him I order him to testify against me,and save himself.”
They all understood why Mick wassacrificing himself for his son. Everyfamily member in that room would have done the same thing. But damn!
“What about you, Uncle Mick?” Tommyasked. “Sal was crude, but he wasright. If Teddy turns evidence againstyou, he’ll walk. But you’re getconvicted. And we’ve already discussedwhat that would mean.”
“I know that, Thomas,” Micksaid. “You don’t think I know thatshit? I know what I’m facing. But I’ll be facing it, not my son. Not ever!” Mick looked at Gemma. “I wantyou, Gemma, to get the word to Teddy, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir,” Gemma said.
“I want you to tell him that he’dbetter save himself or I’ll kill his ass. And he knows I don’t mince words.”
Gemma swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said.
Then Mick looked at the lawyers. “And as for the rest of you,” he said as hestood up, “your asses better make certain I beat this rap. I’m paying millions for yourrepresentation. You’ll rue the day youwere born if you don’t earn every penny.” Then he reached for Roz’s hand.
She took his hand, stood up too, andthey made their way to the family room. To be with their children.
Everybody else still appeared to be in shock after Mick and Roz left.
But Charles was looking at Bo. “It’s going to be the trial of the century,”he said to the lead attorney. “You’dbetter be Johnnie Cochran. And mybrother, my beloved baby brother,” he said, his voice cracking, “better beOJ.” Then he got up, with Jenay, andleft the room too.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Calling it the trial of the centurywould not have been an overstatement. Mediafrom around the world clogged up the federal court building in downtownPhiladelphia right alongside the America press, as they broadcast nightly whatwas happening inside that courtroom.
At first, all was going well. Mick sat at the defense table flanked by histeam of lawyers, while Roz and the family sat behind him in the gallery. They all looked like regular professionalbusiness people. But every time theagents and prosecutors looked their way, they snorted. Business people their ass!
But even Roz was upbeat by how lamethe prosecution’s case-in-chief was going. She even leaned over to Charles and whispered if he had paid theprosecutors to fumble the ball.
Charles smiled. “Seems that way to me too,” he said. “But nope. They just aren’t very good,” he said happily.
And it continued to be that way aswitness after witness gave accounts contrary to what they had said at theirDepositions, and each of them were contradicting the other one, and all of themwere pointing so many fingers at various dead mobsters that it became a regularfreak show. The press was taking theprosecution team to task with their brutal commentary, and their case againstMick quickly became a public embarrassment. The lead prosecutor and his team were in panic mode. The Sinatras and Gabrinis loved it!
But they still knew they had a majorproblem. Because the press saw ittoo. Despite the prosecution’s fumbles,the jury seemed to remain on their side. The jury still seemed convinced that the brooding man with the sleepyeye and the slick black hair at the defense table, was guilty as sin. He projected the air of a vicious mob bosseven without doing anything but sitting there. Mick, by just being himself, was their biggest problem. And that was what kept the family on edge.
But everything changed on daytwenty-six of the trial. The leadprosecutor, U.S. Attorney Alan Cunningham, stood up and announced thegovernment’s next witness. “Thegovernment calls
