Page 173 of Marcello

Luciano was not impressed with my viewing habits.

During a visit for Sunday dinner, he saw me watching The Summer I Turned Pretty on the family TV.

“Why the hell are you watching that crap?” he asked derisively.

Luciano was kind of an asshole. The days of him being sweet to me were long past.

Without looking away from the screen, I answered, “It’s not crap.”

“Looks like crap to me. You should watch something good for a change.”

“And what’s good,” I asked in a flat voice as I continued to watch Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah.

“The Godfather. Best goddamn movie ever made.”

“I’ll put it on my list,” I said sarcastically.

He just scoffed and walked out, probably muttering under his breath about Kids these days…

But after finishing the Season 1 finale, I didn’t particularly want to start Season 2 right away. I thought Belly was kind of annoying, to be honest. (I would’ve killed to be in that girl’s situation – two hot boys?! PICK ONE!)

So, yeah. I wanted something new as a palate cleanser.

I remembered what Luciano had said, and I decided to give The Godfather a look. Mostly because I wanted to hate it so I could ridicule him at the next family dinner.

Instead, I was transfixed.

First, because it took place in the United States, which I desperately wanted to visit.

Second, because even though it was American, it was also unquestionably Italian.

Third, because it was like I used a time machine to step back into a bygone era.

And fourth, because it was all eerily familiar.

A father with a secretive business…

A mansion with a guarded gate…

And a household full of men with guns.

There was also the fact that all the men in the movie wore suits, as did the dozens of men who worked for Papa.

Okay, yes, I know The Godfather took place in the 1940s and 50s, when everybody wore suits, but still – the similarity was striking.

But the biggest red flag was the characters.

Don Corleone, the head of the family, was played by Marlon Brando.

All the ‘bodyguards’ in the house called Papa ‘Don Amato.’

When I was six years old, I asked him why. He said it meant ‘lord’ and was just a sign of respect.

I figured we lived in a castle, so it made sense.

I didn’t know it was also the title for a mafia boss.

Sonny Corleone, played by James Caan, got brutally killed by the family’s enemies…