CHAPTER 14
“Come, son.” Ottavio offered a warm smile to the teen standing in the doorway. “Please, take a seat. I have something for you. We also need to talk.”
Galen did as told. “Whoa, this looks… really cool,” he exclaimed in awe. “Sorry, I’ve never been here before, and everything seems so… I don’t know.” He paused, searching for the right words. “Overwhelming, but in a good way.”
“It left the same impression on me the first time I was allowed inside.” Ottavio inhaled sharply. “When my ancestors set foot on American soil in 1849, no one knew of them, so they decided the best way to attract potential business partners was to make a lasting first impression by inviting them here for discussions and negotiations.” He gestured around the room.
Galen nodded in understanding. “I bet they were intimidated, just as I am.” The kid giggled. “What are you waiting for? Let the negotiations begin.”
With trembling hands, Ottavio picked up an envelope from the desk and handed it to his son. “This is for you. Please open it and read what the documents inside say.”
Galen took the object, looking confused, but didn’t say anything. “Court decision, adoption certificate, birth certificate,” the kid murmured, frowning in concentration. “Wait a second,” he lifted his head and looked into his father’s eyes. “Who’s this Galeazzo Sforza guy?”
“You,” Ottavio answered in a thick, slightly shaky voice. “The night you were conceived, I told Deanna, your mom, that if I had a son, I’d name him after the founder of the Sforza dynasty. He was one of the ten novices, a kid just fifteen years old, chosen by Grand Master Jacques de Molay to safeguard the KnightsTemplar’s secrets, protect the knowledge they had accumulated over the centuries, and use the Order’s wealth to help people.”
“The Knights Templar?” Galen’s eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a loud gasp. “Your... I mean, our family is that old?”
Ottavio nodded with a smile. “Even older, but we started the count from 1119, the year Hugh of Payns founded this group of knights in Jerusalem, with the declared purpose of protecting pilgrims on their journey to the Holy Land. Among the members of the new order was young Giovanni Sforza.”
A frown of confusion creased Galen’s forehead. “If Giovanni was the first to join the order, why is Galeazzo considered the founder of the dynasty? Sorry if I’m asking too many questions, but I’m really curious to learn more about the people I come from.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, figlio mio,” Ottavio said, his gaze warm with affection. “Your questions make me very happy, and answering them is something I’ve dreamed of for quite a long time. Back to the topic, it’s because all the other Sforza men who became Knight Templars lived and died as monks, while Galeazzo left the monastic ranks, got married, and started a family.”
“Oh, I see now,” Galen nodded, pleased with the answer. “Back when I lived with my aunt’s family, those kids at school bragged about their families being the first to settle there, and I, who didn’t know much about my ancestors or where they came from, felt so... unimportant. Now I wish they were here, listening to you talk about the Sforza family’s history.”
His son’s words made Ottavio laugh softly. “I wish that, too. Did I mention you’re the fourth bearer of your name? I’m the second.” He fell silent and looked at the boy with affection.
“What’s wrong?” The heavy silence filling the room made Galen uneasy, and he shifted in the armchair. “Is it something I said? If so, I’m…”
“No, figlio mio,” Ottavio cut his son short, his tone firm yet gentle. “I just want to tell you something you must not forget. All your life, people around you have said over and over again that you are alone in the world and have no one by your side. That’s not true.” He inhaled sharply. “Even in the unlikely event that something bad happens to Ives and me, the family will always protect you.”
“The family? Do you mean Basile and the guards, or do I have any blood relatives besides you?” Galen asked his father, a confused look on his face.
“I’m talking about your uncles—my brother Martino and his husband Luca—and my cousin Baldassare, who is married to Elyan.” Ottavio swallowed hard a few times. “They and their children, your cousins, are related to you by blood. However, you’re part of a larger family by choice, one that will do anything to keep you out of harm’s way.”
In a solemn voice, Ottavio began to tell his son about the ten novices Grand Master de Molay selected as guardians of the Knights Templar’s legacy and how they fulfilled their duty for more than seven centuries. The families they founded through marriage became the foundation of one of the most powerful organizations in history, the Old-World Mafia.
Eyes wide and shining with interest, Galen listened intently to every word of Ottavio’s captivating story of friendship, loyalty, and courage. The man described the battles the members of the organizations waged on the ruins of the Order against tyranny and corruption within the Catholic Church and Europe’s royal houses.
The Old-World Mafia, Ottavio said, provided financial support to numerous organizations, more or less secret, that,in the middle of the 19th century, fought for the territorial and political unification of Italy. The movement those societies created was known as Risorgimento, and it made the dream of millions of Italians suffering under foreign rule come true.
Of course, not everything was smooth sailing in the history of the Old-World Mafia, Ottavio continued. Some of the people the members of the Grand Families believed to be friends betrayed them in exchange for economic and political advantages, so they fled their country to escape the Habsburg persecutions after the repression of the 1848 revolutionary movements.
However, the self-exile to the United States wasn’t the end of the Old-World Mafia; on the contrary, the Grand Families formed new alliances and partnerships with reputable businesspeople and also offered loans on favorable terms to Italian immigrants with promising business ideas but lacking the capital to realize them.
Just as they did in Europe, the Old-World Mafia built schools, funded the education of gifted children and teenagers, and financed hospitals, soup kitchens, and shelters for the homeless. They created jobs and made great efforts to keep their factories, plants, and other businesses running through the Great Depression, so people could continue putting food on the table for their families.
“And this, caro figlio mio, is the very abridged version of how the Old-World Mafia was created,” Ottavio concluded. “The Educator will tell you much more once the two of you meet and begin the lessons.”
“What lessons?” Galen asked, clearly curious. “And who’s this Educator guy? Is that a nickname?”
“No, it’s an honor bestowed on the one who teaches future Council members our laws and traditions.” Ottavio cleared his throat. “I may not hold a Council position, but I’m the head ofour house, and as my heir, you have the right to the same level of education.”
“Does the Old-World Mafia have its own legal system, with judges and all that?” Galen exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise. “How does it work? And what’s this Council you keep talking about? Who’s on it?”
“Curiosity and a thirst for knowledge are two qualities the Educator greatly values in his students and beyond.” Ottavio smiled. “I think the two of you will get along very well when you meet. That will be on Monday.”
“You mean, in three days?” Galen nearly shouted, his face lighting up with excitement. “This is so cool! I can’t wait!”
