In recent times, Danilo di Cassano has been said to have challenged Ace Vincente's rule and power. As friends, mercy and respect was extended over the years to keep the peace by Ace Vincente as advised by his right-hand man Rodrigo Sampha, a man formally in the military who had come home dejected from wars he that was not his to fight.
Sampha was well familiar to the rules of warfare and had skills special enough to catch the eyes of Ace Vincente. Ace, being a man of style and similar skill recruited him to make do his defenses against his enemies, both home and abroad. "What you do not see, is what is right in front of you" said Sampha, when he cut down Danilo di Cassano in the name of his master Ace Vincente. And as the war between Venice and Sicily concluded, men from Sicily moved over to Venice to swear allegiance to the undisputed king of the Italian mafia.
Those who loved him got love in return. The ordinary masses would get from time-to-time payment for their loyalty in terms of training for young men and job openings for them to keep home and body straight as they took on the weight of living. Young girls were given away to respectable homes and men of great names as brides to heal the wounds of war.
It was morning, and as Caputo and his men arrived the compound of Don Vicente, the cars lined up in great precisions, in formations as would be set by the military itself. Rodrigo Sampha stood a mere five foot, five inches tall with a voice that set him apart from every other man around. His bold conquering voice could tear a full-grown man apart if they had not seen him before he spoke. He was a lion of a man when his height was not put into consideration. 'The atomic ant' they called him.
Caputo, as usual came last, parking as formed and planned. He walked some good yards to meet his master. Caputo di Santiago had been trained to perfection by Rodrigo Sampha himself, hand in hand, and gun for gun. The two had a close connection, as friends and now brothers in arms in the house of Ace Vincente for whom they represented.
Both men share a warm embrace, kisses and a short laugh in whispers and distant smiles from all who saw them. "I heard about the Czechs," said Sampha who seemed like he had expected the happenings of the previous night to happen. "You were right all along. The Czechs were not to be trusted." The pair walked rightwards to the extreme where the first cars parked, "I am glad to see that you handled it well, Don Vincente had a few things to say about the way you handled things, your men, they speak very highly of you. good jobs do not go unnoticed here." Sampha said as he pat Caputo on his back. "Thank you, my good friend. Words like this from you make me feel appreciated and I want to do more."
"There will be enough time to do more Caputo. Show me what we have here."
As they reached the extreme of the wall where the first cars which arrived parked, the men who had transported the items carried them out, each to his own, holding them up no matter how heavy. They were in account, art, are art from Africa, Asia, the distant west, and Europe. Weapons lots and lots of weapons from Russia and the Czech Republic for the use of the mafia as ordered by don Vincente himself. Some of these, must have travelled halfway across the world to get here as don Vicente had contacts from all over the place serving and working according to his every command. Of course, those who were on his side got rewarded very handsomely, and we know what happened to those who did not. To him, there were only two sides. You were either on his side or on the other side, and the other side was the wrong answer there were no neutral places. "I will spit you away, those who are neither hot nor cold. There is no place for those who sit on the fence" Ace Vincente would say.
They carried and gathered the items in a grand hall were all the men who were involved in that specific operation all gathered as they waited for Ace Vincente's arrival.
Paulo was summoned to the front where everyone could see him. "Paulo," Caputo said, "You nearly costs us the operation last night. What is your defense?" it was like he had appeared in front of a court with a thousand men who all agreed that he was guilty. Him and his men stood there looking dejected and small, it was either they died, or they died. There were no negotiations to failure in Caputo's operations, and those who failed were punished to set an example. "Things got out of hand too quickly Capitano. There was very little we could have done." He said now on his knees begging for his life. "The margin for failure is a slim as the margin between life and death on these streets Paulo. You know this." He said as he walked away from them. "What are your names?"
"Paulo," said Paulo, "not you Paulo." Said Caputo very calmly. "Raspadori," "zugulini," "Mauro," "Paulo"
"Hmm, you have served your family well, and now they will be cared for by Don Vincente himself, as you have failed him, he will not fail them." The entire crowd watched as these men were about to be executed for their incompetence and just as the order was given at the cocking of the guns a soft voice broke the wind and came to the rescue of the men on the floor. "There will be no more bloodshed today." It was the voice of the man, the legend himself, the great Ace Vincente.