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Prologue

THE GODFATHERS

THERE WAS AN IMPROBABLE MURDER STORY told about the Wolf that had made its way into police lore and then spread quickly froton to New York to London and to Moscow No one knew if it was actually the Wolf But it was never officially disproved, and it was consistent with other outrageous incidents in the Russian gangster’s life

According to the story, the Wolf had gone to the high-security superht in early suht his way inside to ustino “Little Gus” Palu i patience Even so, he had been planning thiswith Little Gus Palumbo for nearly two years

He and Palu Unit of the prison, where the New York gangster had been incarcerated for seven years The purpose of the ement to unite the East Coast’s Palu one of the most powerful and ruthless cri like it had ever been attereed to the et inside Florence prison—and then ain

From the moment they met, the Russian was respectful of the sixty-six-year-old don He bowed his head slightly as they shook hands and almost appeared shy, contrary to his reputation

“There’s to be no physical contact,” the captain of the guards said from the intercom into the room His name was Larry Ladove and he was the one who had been paid 75,000 to arrange the

The Wolf ignored Captain Ladove “Under the circumstances, you look well,” he said to Little Gus “Very well indeed”

The Italian sht and hard “I exercise three times a day, every day I almost never have liquor, and not by choice I eat well, and not by choice either”

The Wolf smiled, then said, “It sounds like you don’t expect to be here for your full sentence”

Paluood bet Three life sentences served concurrently? The discipline’s in h The future? Who can know for sure about these things?”

“Who can know? One ti on the arctic circle I told a cop in Moscow, ‘I spent ti; you think you can scare me?’ What else do you do in here? Besides exercise and eat Healthy Choice?”

“I try to take care of my business back in New York Sometimes I play chess with a sick madman down the hall He used to be in the FBI”

“Kyle Craig,” said the Wolf “You think he’s crazy like they say?”

“Yeah, totally So tell est work? I a, in spite of these hu circumstances From what I’m told, you’re reckless Hands-on You involve yourself with even the smallest operations Extortion, prostitution Stolen cars? How can this work between us?”

The Wolf finally smiled, then shook his head “I am hands-on, as you say But I’m not reckless, not at all It’s all about the ? Let me tell you a secret that no one else knows This will surprise you and maybe prove my point”

The Wolf leaned forward He whispered his secret, and the Italian’s eyes suddenly widened with fear With stunning quickness, the Wolf grabbed Little Gus’s head He twisted it powerfully, and the gangster’s neck broke with a loud, clear snap

“Maybe I am a little reckless,” said the Wolf Then he turned to the cauards “Oh, I forgot, no touching”