For my sons, Jimmy and Bill eight and seven who prefer King Kong...

The first law of every being, is to preserve itself and live. You sow hemlock, and expect to see ears of corn ripen Machiavelli...

Sam Vettori sat staring into Halsted Street. He was a big man, fat as a hog, with a dark, oily complexion, kinky black hair and a fat, aquiline face. In repose he had an air of lethargic good-nature, ...

Sam Vettori sat staring into Halsted Street. He was a big man, fat as a hog, with a dark, oily complexion, kinky black hair and a fat, aquiline face. In repose he had an air of lethargic good-nature, ...

Vettori was sitting in his little office on the main floor. On the other side of the wall the jazz band was playing, but he paid no attention. The noise of the jazz band was the same to him as the tic...

Otero lay looking out the window at the electric sign across the Street. Club P a l e r m o Dancing Snow was falling past the windows. Otero lay smoking a big twenty-five cent cigar and singing softly...

It was nearly two o’clock when Tony left his woman. A lake wind was blowing hard and the snow fell heavily past the street lights. Tony muffled himself in his overcoat and pulled his cap low. He felt ...

The little blonde check-girl helped Joe take off his big ulster, her hand lingering on his arm. He handed her a quarter. “Don’t go on a bat with that two-bits,” he said. “No, sir,” said the check-girl...

Rico was standing in front of his mirror, combing his hair with a little ivory pocket comb. Rico was vain of his hair. It was black and lustrous, combed straight back from his low forehead and arrange...

“Hear me,” said Rico, his face twitching, “he’s turned yellow. He’s turned yellow. What the hell you expect from a choir boy!” Otero said nothing but sat with his chair tipped back against the wall sm...

“Hear me,” said Rico, his face twitching, “he’s turned yellow. He’s turned yellow. What the hell you expect from a choir boy!” Otero said nothing but sat with his chair tipped back against the wall sm...

When they came in Vettori was standing in the middle of the room mopping his forehead with his big white silk handkerchief. Beads of sweat stood out all over his swarthy, fat face. Rico threw the sack...

Joe handed Rico a sheet of paper full of figures. Rico read: 9,331.75. “All right,” said Rico, “split it five ways and we’ll make up Scabby’s split between us.” Otero sat with his chair tipped back ag...

Rico went over to see Ma Magdalena, the fence. Her fruit store was still open and her son Arrigo was sitting half-asleep beside a pile of oranges. “Hello,” he said. “Where’s Ma?” asked Rico. Arrigo pu...

Tony hadn’t slept all night. He lay in the cold dark room, sweating. The covers felt as heavy as lead and from time to time he tossed them off, only to pull them over him again as the lake wind, strea...

Seal Skin couldn’t get Otero sober. She made him eat tomatoes and she gave him a cold bath, but nothing seemed to do him any good. He walked about the flat in his underclothes singing songs in Bastard...

Rico bought all the papers he could find and went up to his room to read them. He sat at his table, his hat tilted over his eyes, with a pair of scissors in his hand, cutting from the papers all the a...

Sam Vettori’s heavy, dark face looked puffy and his eyes were swollen. He hadn’t been sleeping well lately and he had been drinking whisky. As wine was his usual drink, the whisky indicated a state of...

Sam Vettori’s heavy, dark face looked puffy and his eyes were swollen. He hadn’t been sleeping well lately and he had been drinking whisky. As wine was his usual drink, the whisky indicated a state of...

About nine o’clock Carillo put his head in the door. Downstairs the jazz band had just started to play. “Well?” demanded Vettori, getting to his feet. “Blackie wants to see you,” said Carillo. “All ri...

Tony had always been of a rather easygoing nature and took things as they came. His emotions, it is true, were very unstable; with him anger was almost immediately followed by a grin, and depression l...

Vettori stared at Rico, who said nothing. “Crazy! Crazy!” said Blackie. “I tell him, be a man, be a man. But he say, I got to, I got to.” Rico hastily put on his overcoat. “Well, I guess that’s it,” s...

Joe and Olga were sitting in a quiet corner of a Gold Coast hotel dining-room. They were waiting for their dessert. Joe, comfortably full and inclined to be amiable, sat looking at Olga. She was the g...

When Rico came in, Seal Skin was sitting in a chair by the window and Otero was lying on the bed without his shirt, singing loudly. Rico walked over and put his hand on Seal Skin’s shoulder. “Listen,”...

There were many rumours in Little Italy about the passing of Sam Vettori. The full truth, of course, was only guessed at, but the simple facts were known. Sam Vettori’s star was setting, Rico’s was ri...

For three or four years Bat Carillo, once a third-rate light-heavyweight, had been the leader of one of Vettori’s gangs of hooligans. The members of this gang specialized in strong arm stuff and intim...

For three or four years Bat Carillo, once a third-rate light-heavyweight, had been the leader of one of Vettori’s gangs of hooligans. The members of this gang specialized in strong arm stuff and intim...

The gang gave a banquet for Rico in one of Sam Vettori’s big back rooms. The table was fifteen feet long and was covered by a fine white cloth. Red, green and white streamers hung from the chandeliers...

When the meal was over, the Big Boy asked Rico to make a speech. There was a prolonged clamour. Rico got up. “All right,” he said, “if you birds want me to make a speech, here you are: I want to thank...

The sound of the pianola woke Rico. He sat up and looked at his wrist watch. It was two o’clock in the afternoon. He had slept twelve hours. Rico lived at a tension. His nervous system was geared up t...

Rico found the door of his apartment unlocked. Before entering he unbuttoned his overcoat and took out his automatic. Only one person had a key to his apartment except himself: Otero. If Otero wasn’t ...

DeVoss was standing in the lobby when Rico came in. DeVoss looked him over thoroughly, positive that he was out of his element in an atmosphere as exclusive as that of The Bronze Peacock. Not that Ric...

There were quite a few wise boys in Little Italy who thought that Rico’s sensational rise was a fluke. The matter was talked about a good deal and he was unfavourably compared with Nig Po and Monk de ...

There were quite a few wise boys in Little Italy who thought that Rico’s sensational rise was a fluke. The matter was talked about a good deal and he was unfavourably compared with Nig Po and Monk de ...

Blondy Belle lolled back in her chair and put her fat hands on the table. Rico sat opposite her with his hat tilted over his eyes. “Well,” said Blondy Belle, “I guess that’s it, ain’t it, Rico?” Rico ...

When the doorman saw Rico get out of the automobile, he stood stunned, then, pulling himself together, he made an attempt to run. But Pepi crossed the pavement in two strides, grabbed him by the colla...

The next day in the society column of one of the Chicago papers there appeared a small item, which read: “Mr. Arnold Worch, of the North Side, has just left for Detroit where he intends to spend the s...

Otero helped Rico out of his coat, then, while Rico doused his face at the washstand, he sat down, tipped back his chair and rolled himself a cigarette. “You better lay down, Rico, and get some rest,”...

Rico felt small and unimportant in the Big Boy’s apartment. He was intensely self-centred and as a rule surroundings made no impression on him. But he had never seen anything like this before. He sat ...

Rico felt small and unimportant in the Big Boy’s apartment. He was intensely self-centred and as a rule surroundings made no impression on him. But he had never seen anything like this before. He sat ...

Olga was only partly dressed when Joe burst in on her. She looked at him, startled. “My Lord,” she said, “what makes you so pale, Joe?” “Got any liquor?” demanded Joe. Olga opened a drawer and handed ...

Willoughby passed the cigarettes and they all left the table. Joe went back to the lounge, Olga sat in one of the armchairs, and Willoughby pulled up an ottoman and sat facing her. Willoughby hesitate...

Joe awoke from a doze and turned to look out the window. Still dark. He couldn’t have been asleep long. Wasn’t it ever going to get light! He got up and walked to the front of his cell. It wouldn’t be...

Sam Vettori sat half-dozing in an armchair watching a crap game. It was about eleven o’clock in the morning and most of the blinds were still down. All the wheels were covered and the chairs were pile...

The Killer knocked at Rico’s door, but got no response. He knocked again and again, then, getting impatient, he put his shoulder to the door and flung it open. No Rico. The Killer stood in the hall, w...

Ma Magdalena let him in at the alley door. “Well, Rico,” she said; “got yourself in a nice fix, didn’t you?” Rico grinned. “Yeah,” he said, “who told you?” “The bulls were here and searched the place....

It was dark when Rico reached the outskirts of Hammond. He drove into a field, took the licence plates off and buried them, and got out of his jumpers. Then he took some clean waste from the tool box ...

It was dark when Rico reached the outskirts of Hammond. He drove into a field, took the licence plates off and buried them, and got out of his jumpers. Then he took some clean waste from the tool box ...

Rico went up the alley at the side of Sansotta’s place and knocked at the back door. It was a long time before somebody came and took a look at him through the shutter. A voice with a marked Italian a...

Night after night Rico lay awake looking at the arc light outside his window. His mind was filled with resentment and he went over and over the incidents which had led to his fall. Now it was too late...

Rico was acutely conscious of his position. A lonely Youngstown yegg in a hostile city without friends or influence. Yeah, funny! Just a no-account yap in a burg like Hammond and not four months ago h...

The dope-runner dropped Rico at the edge of town. It was about five o’clock in the morning and still dark. A heavy fog had come in from Lake Erie and a damp, cold wind was blowing. Rico walked up and ...

Under Rico’s guidance Chiggi’s gang prospered. Chicago Red, impressed by Rico’s reputation, carried out his orders and never argued; Chiggi also. And Chiggi’s men were influenced by the attitude of th...