Chapter 2: The aftermath:

Marci speaks again:

Dad was never much of a talker but he called me and told me he had just killed a man. I couldn't believe it. He told me that I needed to hold it together for my mother. She was in a state of panic and shock. He asked me to pick up my mother later at the police station. There was nothing else he could tell me now.

I was a mess. I called Grandpa and told him what Dad had said. I got hold of my brother Bob and he went to the police station with me. Mom did nothing but cry. She kept saying how stupid she was and it was all her fault.

A detective took me and Bob aside and told us what my father had said. The district attorney would be in to see what charges would be filed against my father.

I asked who was the man he was accused of killing and was told it was a mob boss' brother. His name was Lee Fazio. His brother was somewhat of the kingpin in the area. This brother was in charge of the trash haulers' industry and was presumed to be a drug king pin except they were never able to pin anything on him.

He had already gone to the district attorney and demanded the death penalty for the death of his brother. Luckily, he didn't have the District Attorney in his pocket.

We weren't able to see Dad before the trial. It went rather quickly. Mom had pretty much verified what Dad had said. She made a huge mistake and had sex with Lee Fazio. It wasn't her first time, but now she totally regretted it.

She told the District Attorney that Dad busted into the room and Lee reached for his gun. Before he could get a shot off Dad did knock it out of his hand. Dad didn't stop there as he picked up Lee Fazio and chocked him to death. It was the last time my Dad ever spoke to my mother.

Because of the breaking and entering he had to be charged with something. Dad's attorney said that Lee Fazio pulled a gun on him. Dad was protecting himself. It was self-defense.

The jury came back with guilty of involuntary manslaughter since Dad had never had or used a weapon other than his hands. He was sentenced to five years in the State penitentiary.

The Fazio family was outraged as they walked out of the courtroom. Romeo Fazio said it wasn't over, I heard him call mom just another cunt on his way out. Dad just looked over at Mom as he was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs. She was crying, as were the rest of us. He never spoke to her again. He told me he didn't want her coming to the prison. She would not be listed on the permitted visitors' list.

Someone in our family went to see Dad each month. He always told us to bring candy bars and cartons of cigarettes. I asked him if he took up smoking but he said it was for a few of the friends he had made.

Bob had asked Dad if his life was hard in prison and did he get in much trouble? He was told that he let people know he wasn't going to take their shit and after knocking a few guys around he was pretty much left alone, other than a few friends.

He said one time he was warned by a buddy that one man was going to shiv him in his kidney area at lunch time. He had beat up the guy pretty bad and the guy was in the hospital ward for two weeks. Dad put a book under his jumpsuit to protect his kidneys after that.

The criminal who Dad felt was hired by Romeo Fazio came up behind him and jammed the shiv into his kidney area but caught the book instead. Dad swung around with his elbow and broke the creep's jaw.

By then the guards were there and saw the shiv sticking out of the book. The creep had passed out but his jaw looked terrible. He was back in the hospital ward, with another ten years added to his sentence for attempted murder.

Dad said the man's jaw was never the same. He could hardly talk but stayed away from Dad. Something terrible happened shortly after the incident.

Mom would hardly talk to anyone. She did talk to me and Bob but it was always about what a wonderful man Dad was and how stupid she was. One day Bob and I were at school and when we got home Mom was dead, laying on her bed. Next to her were some kind of drugs. Her name wasn't even on the bottle.

We called the police and they sent a crime scene specialist for fingerprints and anything else they might find. They ruled it as a drug overdose and possible suicide. Bob and I cried and went to see Dad.

When he heard the story he had tears in his eyes. It was the first time we ever saw our Dad cry. He told us that Marsha was too strong-willed a woman to take her own life. He said someday the truth would come out.

After Mom's funeral we hardly ever saw our grandparents on Mom's side. For some reason they blamed Dad for Mom's death.

It was now three years later and Dad was up for early parole. Grandpa was there to let the Parole Board know Dad still had his job waiting for him. His apartments were also kept up so he had a place to live.

Other than the few run-ins when he first went to prison, he was considered a model prisoner and was released. We had a party for him at the house. We made sure that anything that belonged to Mom was now gone. We did keep pictures and a few keepsakes that we stored in the basement, that Dad might want later.

Dad had so many friends that came and saw him. Dad never spoke much but his friends and family knew he was thankful that they all were there. He asked me and Bob about school and we told him we both had degrees in Business Management. Right now we both worked helping Grandpa with the store.

It was funny how many law enforcement officers were dad's friends. Many have been his friends since high school. Dad did ask a couple of them about Romeo Fazio but they said he was still in operation. He had other people doing his dirty work. They hoped to catch him some day.

Dad and Grandpa had a meeting together. Grandpa said he wanted to open two new stores. He told Dad how good Bob and I were doing in the business. There was no way we could all make a good living at just the one store.

Grandpa called Bob and me in, and asked us if we really wanted to be in the independent grocery business. We both told him we did. That's when Dad told us that they were opening two new stores and we each would be managing one of them.

We were so excited. It was what we always wanted, to follow in our father's footsteps. Mom, bless her soul, could never understand it. I guess it was in our blood.

In the next year we found two locations and Grandpa and Dad were getting them ready. I was soon in my own store or at least managing it and Bob was managing his. All three stores were in a thirty-mile radius so we could see each other often.

Bob and I had to find other places to live, close to our stores. It was different having to pay rent but we were making good salaries now. One thing that I forgot to mention but Dad knew. I was engaged to a wonderful man who worked in law enforcement. Dad thought it was funny when I first told him. We would be getting married in October.

Bob was going with one of his new cashiers. They were going together but no dates were set yet. If it all worked out they were hoping for next year.

Things were going well for us now. One thing that Dad did was hire a few of the men he met in prison. At first we wondered about a few of them but Dad told us he trusted them. They all made mistakes and paid for them. They had families and needed a new start. If Dad trusted them, so would we.

He trained most of them as meat cutters. Dad was one of the best butchers around. He never lost his touch while in prison. I heard a few of the men tell Dad that they would never let him down. If he ever needed anything he could depend on them.

Grandpa was about ready to semi-retire, and Dad would be taking over the store management at our main store. Grandpa would just make rounds and come see us at the stores. We knew he could never completely leave his business.

Dad also said that our head bookkeeper would be retiring also. He told me to run an ad and get us a good bookkeeper. He would prefer one that could also be our accountant. Running our stores was too much for Bob or me to be accountant for the whole operation as well. The salary would depend on ability.