Sicily is located in the south of Italy, across the Strait of Messina at the northeast end and facing the Apennine Peninsula. It occupies an important position in the Mediterranean commercial trade routes.
Therefore, when Luke came ashore from Palermo, he originally expected to encounter a fairly strict inspection.
The result was beyond his expectation. Luke, whose current identity was smuggler Vito Corleone, only used twenty boxes of cigarettes and some ham and bread to easily bribe the governor here and pass easily.
It can be seen that later generations said that the entire Italian army during World War II was corrupt from top to bottom. This is not unreasonable speculation.
After landing, Luke saw several tall men wearing caps and tattoos on their arms on the port pier, secretly looking at his group.
He walked over with a kind face and said in fluent Italian: "Do you know where the Brass Bell Tavern is?"
The benefits brought by the Superman template are not only the upgrade of strength and the strengthening of the body.
Speaking of learning talent and thinking ability, Luke has improved significantly.
I think the Superman who came to the set next door might be as good as Batman, who is known as the "Justice League brain trust", if he really thinks with his brain.
But maybe it's because of Batman that Superman is too lazy to use his brain.
Luke smiled, shook off these boring thoughts, and started talking to these tall men.
Before leaving, he had just briefly mastered Italian, and now he could speak a local dialect with a bit of a Sicilian dialect accent.
This is one of the reasons why the Howling Commandos were able to pass patrol warships many times along the way.
Later, many team members were convinced of Vito Corleone's identity.
Even though Luke told Dugan that he grew up in Brooklyn, the latter still remained skeptical, thinking that the young captain was most likely really from Sicily.
"Mr. Corleone?"
The leading man asked with a frown.
"You can call me Vito."
Luke said calmly.
After hearing the other party admitting his identity, these men, who were dressed similarly, quickly changed their attitudes and became respectful.
"Mr. Corleone, Boss Xhosa is waiting for you at the Brass Bell Tavern! The car is in front!"
Immediately, he waved, and three black cars drove over from outside the pier.
The man opened the car door and waited for Luke to get in.
The "Xhosa boss" they call him is the informant on the development of the Strategic Science Corps.
Luke gave the Howling Commandos a look, signaling them not to let their guard down, and then got into the car.
Soon, the convoy kicked up a cloud of dust and headed towards the Tongzhong Tavern.
Cosa Alessandro is the only remaining mafia leader in Sicily.
The Mafia, which would later become famous and even world-renowned, was not doing well at this time.
In 1925, after Mussolini gained absolute control over Italy, he delivered a massive national speech on the Mafia issue.
Through the loudspeaker, he vowed to all Italians to purify the air in society and crack down on crime and eliminate evil!
The cancer of the Mafia must be completely eradicated from Italy!
No one thought that Mussolini actually kept his word and began to severely crack down on the Mafia.
On one side, he directed the French military police to arrest nearly a thousand mafia members, and on the other side, he directly destroyed the opponent's lair.
And after being captured, a full-scale bloodbath was launched directly without even the basic trial process.
In the Fountain Square in Sicily, people were executed every day, and blood seeped into every floor tile and soil.
As a result, the mafia members died and escaped, either being arrested and imprisoned, or fleeing overseas.
As of now, Sicily is a "pure land" without black forces.
People no longer worry about gang harassment, but they have to endure the dictator's reign of terror.
However, it is worth mentioning that the Mafia, which was weakened in Italy, has risen again in the United States and regained its vitality.
It created a large amount of inexhaustible character material for future Hollywood gangster films.
Luke, who has been in contact with the Irish gangsters and the Italian mafia, knows this all too well.
Seeing the harsh living environment in Sicily and their hatred of Mussolini, many Mafia families simply sneaked into the arms of the Allies.
This was the case for Cosa-Alessandro, who was developed into an informant for the Strategic Science Corps.
Thirty minutes later, the car stopped at the door of the Tongzhong Tavern.
Several burly men with tattoos were guarding the door, and Luke was stopped when he got out of the car.
"Mr. Alessandro, are you going to let me go in alone? It doesn't seem very sincere."
Luke sneered.
The leading man looked a little ugly. He was silent for a moment and said: "The situation in Sicily is very tense. Mr. Corleone, please understand. Well, you can bring an entourage. Boss Xhosa is very cautious in doing things, and this is also for his sake." for safety reasons.”
"Since your attitude is so sincere, I have nothing more to say."
Luke took off his black woolen coat and handed it to Manelli behind him, indicating that he was not carrying a weapon.
Then, he stretched out his hand to beckon Dugan to follow.
"You stay where you are and wait for me to come out."
Luke ordered.
Manelli nodded, holding the clothes in one hand and the suitcase with a submachine gun hidden in the other.
He was very sure that if this gang of mafiosi dared to play dirty, he and his team members could turn the Tongzhong Tavern upside down!
Luke walked into the pub, which was a gathering place for the mafia.
The thick round tables were filled with "family members".
Most of them are young and strong thugs. They are part of the "legion" and are responsible for using violence, fighting for or guarding territory.
Being watched closely by more than thirty strong men, and also a mafia that was rumored to be extremely cruel, if it were an ordinary person, his legs would have become weak and he would be unable to walk.
But Luke looked calm, walked steadily, and his aura was not weak at all.
"Mr. Corleone, welcome to your presence!"
The bearded man, who was clustered in the middle like stars over the moon, stood up to greet him.
He is Cosa Alessandro, who was originally a leader of the Mafia Camorra family and was not a big shot.
Later, the mafia was purged, and various families suffered heavy losses. Some party leaders were even executed in public.
Such iron-blooded methods and cold-blooded behavior have greatly intimidated gangsters.
The special background and special timing allowed Xhosa to succeed.
Taking advantage of the calm, he gathered a group of people around him in the name of the Camorra family and recruited many good players.
"I think since Xhosa is willing to see me, he knows what to do, right?"
Luke leaned back in his chair relaxedly and spoke calmly.
Cosa was not only an informant for the Strategic Science Corps, but also an internal agent for the Allied forces' landing in Sicily in the future.
In the original history, the American intelligence agency assigned a local Mafia leader, Salvatore Luciano, nicknamed "Lucky".
The other party is one of the big bosses in the New York underworld and has quite a status.
As for Italy, it was originally supposed to be Don Carlo, but now there is a slight change.
The Mafia in Sicily did play a significant role in the landing battle.
They provided various support to the Allied forces, delivered messages, distributed leaflets persuading surrender, etc.
Therefore, after the war, Don Carlo became the mayor of Villalba, while Salvatore Luciano was exempted from prison and his reputation greatly increased.
If Cosa Alessandro, who was sitting opposite, was sensible enough, Luke wouldn't mind giving him this opportunity.
"Understood! Understood! I am ready and waiting for instructions from the Allied Forces at any time."
Alessandro smiled ingratiatingly.
"I have found twenty well-trained gunmen! It's just that there are so many people lurking into the city of Rome, and it's a bit difficult to get a pass - time is too tight!"
Seeing Alessandro's troubled expression, Luke said expressionlessly: "That's a problem you have to solve! Xosa, if you can't do it with your ability, then I will find someone else. I listen He was happy to say that Don Carlo was thrown into prison by Mussolini.”
"Don Carlo is nothing! Sicily is ruled by the Xhosa boss, even the governor of Palermo..."
Before Alessandro could answer, the young man standing behind him stood up, as if he couldn't stand the contempt for his boss in Luke's words.
Luke squinted his eyes and looked up. The other person looked somewhat similar to Alessandro, and he might be a blood-related family member.
"What a great assist."
Luke was worried that he had no excuse to give the mafia leader a beating to test his determination to cooperate with the Allies.
"Elliot! Shut up!"
When Alessandro heard his nephew say this, he quickly slapped him in the face.
The young man in front of him was not someone he could afford to offend.
Mussolini has taught the Mafia a lesson. No matter how powerful the Mafia is, there is no room for resistance in the face of the state machinery.
This young man who calls himself "Vito Corleone" represents the American military and the Allies.
Once you offend the other party, your end will never be much better than if you offend Mussolini.
Bang!
However, when Alessandro's slap came into contact with his nephew's face, a sound echoed in the Brass Bell Tavern.
No one could see clearly when Luke got up or how he pushed the young man named Elio down on the table.
The skull seemed to be cracked, and blood flowed from the forehead and fell to the ground, making a "ticking" sound.
"Woo... Boss Xhosa! Uncle!"
Elio's head felt like a watermelon about to burst, and it would explode completely in the next moment.
He didn't know where that scary young man got his strength. The palms with his five fingers closed were like iron pliers, pressing tightly on the back of his head.
The severe pain and fear of death caused Elio's will to collapse instantly!
Tears couldn't help but flow out together with the blood, covering his entire face.
"Xhosa, tell me, what does the Mafia do to people who don't respect their friends enough?"
Luke slowly sat back in his seat, ignoring the tense atmosphere and completely ignoring the group of thugs with unkind expressions behind him. (End of chapter)