Chapter 14

           TheDonwasarealmanattheageoftwelve.Short,dark,slender,livinginthestrangeMoorish-lookingvillageofCorleoneinSicily,hehadbeenbornVitoAndolini,butwhenstrangemencametokillthesonofthemantheyhadmurdered,hismothersenttheyoungboytoAmericatostaywithfriends.AndinthenewlandhechangedhisnametoCorleonetopreservesometiewithhisnativevillage.Itwasoneofthefewgesturesofsentimenthewasevertomake.

           InSicilyattheturnofthecenturytheMafiawasthesecondgovernment,farmorepowerfulthantheofficialoneinRome.VitoCorleone’sfatherbecameinvolvedinafeudwithanothervillagerwhotookhiscasetotheMafia.ThefatherrefusedtoknuckleunderandinapublicquarrelkilledthelocalMafiachief.Aweeklaterhehimselfwasfounddead,hisbodytornapartbyluparablasts.AmonthafterthefuneralMafiagunmencameinquiringaftertheyoungboy,Vito.Theyhaddecidedthathewastooclosetomanhood,thathemighttry,toavengethedeathofhisfatherintheyearstocome.Thetwelve-year-oldVitowashiddenbyrelativesandshippedtoAmerica.TherehewasboardedwiththeAbbandandos,whosesonGencowaslatertobecomeConsiglieretohisDon.

           YoungVitowenttoworkintheAbbandandogrocerystoreonNinthAvenueinNewYork’sHell’sKitchen.AttheageofeighteenVitomarriedanItaliangirlfreshlyarrivedfromSicily,agirlofonlysixteenbutaskilledcook,agoodhousewife.