Page 304 of Niccolo

Buses would pull up on the grass and disgorge a bunch of tourists who would wander inside without anyone stopping them. The Colosseum was open 24 hours a day to whatever teenagers or vagrants decided to trespass. Graffiti and vandalism were rampant.

There was a half-hearted restoration project in the 1990s, but it was underfunded.

Then, in 2011, the city partnered with a billionaire – Diego Della Valle, whose family owns a shoe empire – to fund a $35 million restoration of the Colosseum.

The city and Della Valle shared a vision: to have the Colosseum be the international symbol of Rome, much like the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris, or the Hollywood sign is the symbol of Los Angeles.

If they succeeded, they believed that tourism would boom and the city’s profile would be elevated.

The project didn’t fully get off the ground until 2013 – but by 2016, the external façade had been cleaned and repaired for the first time since its construction in 72 AD. A second phase began in 2018 to renovate the subterranean network of tunnels and chambers that had originally been concealed beneath the floor of the arena.

The project succeeded. The Colosseum is truly the international symbol of Rome and generates over $1.4 billion a year for the city in tourism.

Not a bad return on investment.

In the wake of the Colosseum’s massive success story, the Severino family began to lean heavily on the government for funds to renovate their historic properties.

Using blackmail, extortion, and good old-fashioned bribery, they got it.

In the last ten years, the Severino family had truly come up in the world.

They had always been well-to-do…

But now they were within reach of the Widow of Venice.

The Severinos had used that wealth – and the prestige of their home, one of the oldest and most impressive cities in the world – to consolidate their power within theCosa Nostra.

They were connectors… facilitators… and arbitratorspar excellence.

And now we would be guests in their kingdom.

Don Severino had called allCosa Nostrafamilies together from across Italy…

And soon, they would meet to decide the fate of me, my brothers, and Fausto.

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After Sicily, we flew back to stay with the Widow in Venice. Before we left for Rome, there were a couple loose ends to tie up.

We sent Isabella and Ludavica via private car to Geneva, guarded by a couple of our foot soldiers. I figured the two women would be out of reach of Don Vicari in Switzerland, and they could sightsee while they waited for their passports from the Italian consulate.

Neither of them had ever registered for a government-issued ID; there was no need when you were imprisoned on a mafia don’s compound. So I also made a call to one of our bought-and-sold politicians in Florence to help expedite the process. Once the women got their papers, they would fly to the US with some money from our family to start a new future.

We said our goodbyes, with Caterina and Isabella tearfully hugging each other.

Valentino was uncharacteristically humble when he apologized to Isabella and Ludavica for all the danger he’d put them in.

“If you hadn’t, we probably wouldn’t be able to live our lives together, free and out in the open,” Isabella said happily as she squeezed her new wife’s hand.

It was a good reminder that my little brother was, deep down, a good man…

And that wonderful things could come out of the worst circumstances.

I just hoped I could remember that last part in the days to come.

After Isabella and Ludavica’s departure, the rest of us flew into Rome aboard another private jet provided by the Widow. Since Massimo and Lucia’s engagement, she had taken on the role of benefactor for our family, and we were delighted to have her on our side.

She was, however, insistent that they eventually have another wedding in Venice.

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