Chapter 1

THE FAMILY

 

Our story brings us to northern New Jersey, and an old, once-little town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Creakwater was home to a growing community of hardworking, middle-class families. The growing in the community of Creakwater came a few years ago, after two big pharmaceutical companies got some farming land cheap and built new facilities in the area.

Outside it was a cold, blustery night in late November 1967. Woodruff Street, like most of Creakwater, was lined with moderate Cape Cod-style homes, which were built after the big war.

Inside one of the homes there was another late-night game of poker about to finish up. The empty beer cans were overflowing the garbage can and the ashtray was not doing much better.

Sitting in his usual spot, at the old wooden poker table in Bill Taylor’s back porch, was Vincenzo Rossi—or Vince, as his friends called him. Vince was down on his luck again but hoping to win the big pot of cash before him. He had two aces and was determined to stay in the game. Sitting next to Vince was Jim Lucas, who figured he was about square for the night and had a feeling shifty Bill had some good cards, so he folded out.

“Damn, it’s cold back here,” Bill yelled out to his wife Jane. “Sweetie, turn the damn heat up, please.”

The game went on and Bill liked his cards, so he sweetened the pot as much as he could. He had a familiar feeling: he knew Vince was half-drunk and wanting. He looked at his cards then over at Vince and slipped another twenty in the pot. “You in?” he asked.

Vince looked over at Jim and hesitated for a moment. “Yeah, I’m in,” he replied, as he anted up the pot.

Bill dealt out the last of the cards and could see he had won by the look on Vince’s face when he showed his cards. “Two aces. Damn it!”

“I got four jacks,” Bill replied with a smile, and swept the pot.

Jim stood up. “I don’t know about you guys, but that’s about it for me.”

Vince was angry. He needed the win. “Yeah, I’m out!” He looked over at Bill. “You lucky sucker! I’ll get you back next time.”

Bill smiled and tried to cool Vince off. “You’re right, my friend: luck it is. Your turn is coming.”

Vince and Jim headed out, while Bill sat and happily counted his money. It was another good three-hundred-dollar night.

Vince stepped outside into the cold, blustery night air and started his walk. Half-drunk, he stumbled down the street to his house. He had lost more than he could afford to again and was pissed off. Vince was forty-nine years old, small at five feet tall for a union carpenter, but had good hands and the skills his father taught him over the years. He could make a fair wage when work was available, but number one on his list of problems was his gambling.

Vince was married to Lucia. She was an attractive, petite and kind Italian woman, forty-five years of age, who came to America with her sister Maria after the war. Maria, the older of the sisters, married a soldier she met in Italy and now lived in upstate New York. Lucia and Vince had two children; Anna was fourteen years old, and Mario was ten.

Vince stepped inside the warmth of his home and found Lucia up, having a smoke in the kitchen. “How was your night?” she asked.

“My night?” Vince raised his voice. “It sucked!”

He grabbed the cigarette pack. “Only a few left! What about me? Where is my pack?”

And so, the screaming and cursing started in again. Lucia tried to calm him, but it was no use; he had to take it out on someone. And so, his shameful abuse continued.

In her bedroom, Anna had her hands over her ears, as she tried to block out the screaming and cursing of her selfish, bitter father. Finally, things quieted down and Anna drifted off, thinking about how much she loved her dear mother.

 

 

The following morning was a school day, and everyone was up having breakfast in the Rossi home. Anna had finished dressing for school and raced her brother to the kitchen. Anna was happy; her mom had made their favorite: pancakes and scrambled eggs. Lucia smiled as she watched her children eat and talk about school.

She was surprised when Mario finished before his sister. “Where is Dad?” he asked. “I want to show him my picture. I drew it in school.”

“He’s upstairs on the phone, and you know the rules when he is in his room,” Mom replied. “You can leave it and I will show him later.”

“No,” the little guy replied. “Maybe I will show him after school.” His mother could see that he was disappointed again. Sadly, Lucia knew Vince had a hard time paying attention to anyone but himself.

Off the kids went to catch the school bus, as Lucia held her coffee and watched them from the window. I pray he finds work today, she thought to herself. She sipped her coffee wondering what had happened to the kind, happy man she married years ago.

Knowing another argument was coming, Lucia had waited for the kids to leave before talking to Vince. She needed money for food, and Thanksgiving was coming at the end of the week.

Vince came downstairs and grabbed the keys for his truck.

“How did your call go?” Lucia asked.

“Okay. I have to go down to the union hall and wait,” Vince replied, as he grabbed his jacket by the front door.

“Oh, good. I’m going to need some food money,” Lucia asked. “I hear Shop-Rite has some nice turkey on sale.”

“What happened to the money I gave you last week?” Vince asked with a frown. “It’s always about money with you! I only have so much!”

It went on, the cursing and yelling, before finally Vince left Lucia with a twenty-dollar bill, for Thanksgiving dinner and food for the week.

Lucia lit up her last cigarette and took some comfort in the fact that he was gone for the day. She looked toward the kitchen. Let me see what I’ve got here, she said to herself, thinking of her mother and the way she managed things in Italy with little money; she would scrounge around, see what she had and buy only the basics. But Lucia was determined that her kids would have a nice Thanksgiving dinner.

That man, I’m so tired of him! How can he be so selfish? she thought. I need to find a job—get out of this place.

 

 

Vince drove his old but reliable Ford truck off the highway, and onto the main road leading to the union hall. He was hoping for work, and he’d got word a big job was starting at the airport. It would be a long drive every day, but the money was good. He pulled into the union hall parking lot and was happy to see his brother-in-law Sam getting out of his car.

Sam, a tall, heavy-set man was an Army Ranger during the war, and about as tough as they come. He worked his way up, becoming a successful contractor with a thriving construction business.

Time to kiss some ass, Vince said to himself, as he headed toward his sister Annette’s husband.

Sam grinned as he saw who was coming. Shit, it’s Vince.

“Hey, Sammy, you look good. How’s the family?” Vince said. “I heard there’s some work at the airport.”

“Yeah. Vince, I got a meeting and I’m late. Talk later.” With that said, Sam turned and quickly headed inside, with the sound of Vince rambling on behind him.

Vince went inside and signed in, then sat reading the newspaper with the other workers. Everyone was talking about the airport job. He turned to his friend Ralph Hugaro. “What we got at the track today?”

“I got the inside tip, my friend: number nineteen horse, win or place,” Ralph replied with a smile. “You in?”

Vince opened his wallet. “Yeah, here’s twenty and two bucks for you. We need a win.”

Inside the meeting room Sam was going over the prints, layout and timeframe for the airport job. He turned to his foreman Dirk Roos. “How many men we need to start on this one?”

Dirk hesitated for a moment. “I figure about two dozen men to get things moving and two heavy equipment operators.”

The union business agent Jerry Lango added, “We got a lot of hungry men out there; good workers, for sure.”

Sam lit up a smoke, thinking and looking over his paperwork. “Okay, Jerry, I will leave it to you and Dirk. But do me a personal favor: we give Vince another chance on this one.”

“Ah, damn it, Sam!” Jerry replied. “He does good work, but you know some of the guys don’t like him: his drinking, his big mouth. He’s trouble.”

Sam stayed quiet and Jerry could tell he was serious. “Okay, okay, boss, a favor is a favor. But I hope bigmouth keeps it shut.”

“Good, then it is done,” Sam replied. “Let’s get the ball rolling on this one right away.”

He turned to Dirk. “We’re taking a drive over to meet with the township for the airport area. I need to go over the permits and make sure of the dates for the inspection schedule.” Sam smiled, “Today is the day we get moving. There’s a lot of money to be made.”

The chatter started as Jerry walked out of the meeting and down the stars, into the union hall, where he stood before his workers. Vince could tell he had good news. Looks like we got the airport job, he thought.

“Airport job is a go.”

Everyone was cheering as Jerry looked at the happy faces. “Finish up what you’re working on or go home and get ready,” Jerry yelled out above the chatter. “Most of you will be getting a call.”

Jerry then pointed at Vince; “In my office.”

Vince made his way upstairs and sat in front of Jerry’s desk, trying to stay calm but wondering, What the hell is going on?

Jerry sipped his coffee. “Okay, Vince, Sam wants to give you a try. But no bullshit, no drinking and no lunchtime trips to the track. You do the work and keep your mouth shut and you’ll be okay.”

“Of course, of course! I’m gonna do some good work for the boss, you’ll see.”

Vince left and Jerry said to himself, we will see.

 

 

Back in Creakwater it was snowing hard, the wind picking up swirls of snow dust. Lucia read a letter from Maria, as she waited in her car at the bus stop. The car was an old Buick. Maria gave it to her years ago and it still ran fairly well. The two sisters wrote each other often. She was happy to hear her sister was doing well.

Lucia had also got some good news today: her friend Jane told her that she heard the school was looking for part-time help in the cafeteria, so she went there. And, to her surprise she got the job; she would be starting right after the holiday. She decided to keep that news from Vince for now; she didn’t need to hear his big mouth again.

The big, yellow bus came slowly along the snow-covered road and slowed to a stop. Lucia watched, smiling as the kids came out and started playing, making snowballs. It was good to see them happy and having fun.

With everyone on board, Lucia drove slowly on the slippery roads and pulled up in front of the house. She noticed Vince’s truck was in the driveway. I sure hope he has work, she thought to herself, as they headed for the door.

“Can I go out for a while, please, Mom?” Mario asked, looking across the street at his friends.

“Okay, okay. Come inside and change your clothes first—and only around the house,” his mom answered.

Lucia went in the kitchen and found Vince at the table, drinking whiskey and reading his newspaper.

“I got some work coming: big job down in Bergen County.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Lucia replied, feeling some relief. “I have news, too: Sam and Annette are coming at around six, for coffee and dessert after Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Really? My nosy sister Annette and big man Sam for dessert?” Vince replied, thinking, and now she’s gonna ask for more money.

“Don’t worry, apples are cheap,” Lucia replied. “I’ll make two apple pies. I should have enough eggs and flour to make do.”

“See you later, Mom,” Anna yelled out from the front door. The kids were excited, all bundled up and heading out to play in the snow.

Vince went upstairs and unlocked the door to his room—his selfish hoarding room, one might say. There was an expensive slate pool table which no one besides him was allowed to touch, and sitting on his desk were stacks of racetrack tickets, lottery tickets and books on his custom coin collection.

Vince sat in his leather chair, set his whiskey glass down and opened the desk drawer. He pulled out a big stack of silver dollars and went to work cleaning and restoring them. He sipped his whiskey, thinking, these babies are gonna bring me at least five hundred bucks.