Chapter Four:      Two Fairly Important Guys In The Trash Business

     They sat in the very small, very sparse office of the Old Man.  Just a wooden desk, one window which overlooked the garage, four chairs, two of which had just been taken out of the coffee room to accommodate the meeting about to take place.  Joseph sat next to the Old Man, sorta' behind, though not yet DIRECTLY behind the desk.  He watched as the Old Man's sorta' secretary walked in with two coffees, Joseph thinking, Christ, she's four hundred years old, look at those hairy assed legs, hey lady, they invented razor blades about a hundred years ago.

     "Grazie, Rosemarie."  The Old Man smiled.

     "Prego."  She finished placing the cups and with a small flatulation, which jolted Joseph, made the Old Man laugh, Rosemarie departed.

     Joseph took a sip of the hot, bitter coffee, what, this crap was made three days ago?  When I take over the coffee will be fresh, and maybe, what the Hell, an espresso machine, and sorry Rosemarie, you are toast.  How can I handle the stress of running these very big businesses, settle beefs and make money when I got this cave woman serving soured up coffee?

     The door to the office opened, and with Rosemarie leading the way, then tripping, the heel of her left shoe snapping off, the two fairly important guys in the trash business came in, shook hands with the Old Man, nodded to Joseph, which caused a slight steam up on his part. We'll see about that shit later he thought to himself.  All four watched as Rosemarie struggled to her feet, righted herself and more or less waddled, hopped out of the room as she released some additional methane.

     "How are you, Pete, Nunzio, all is well at home?"

     "Yeah, the dip shit wife is drivin' me fuckin looney, but she cooks up a storm, so I keep the beefs to a minimum."  The first fairly important guy in the trash business spoke, this being Pete.

     "Things are good, the fat cow, Angela, is knocked up again, so this time she better be cookin' up a fuckin' boy son, otherwise she's gonna' end up washin' dishes at the dinner in Hell.  Either way all is okay, and other than what we came up here to speak on."  Nunzio smiled, removed his trademark cheap cigar and lit up, the putrid smoke drifting across Pete, the Old Man and Joseph.

     "So, we got this problem."

     "Yeah, it's sorta' located in the part of town where we operate, but I can see the day when those national fucks expand all over the fuckin' place, leavin' us workin' stiffs beggin' for scraps."  Pete inhaled a lungful of stogie smoke, coughed and gave Nuzio the evil eye.

     Joseph stood, placed his coffe cup on the desk and walked to the window, opening it, waving away some of the stink and smoke from the two bit cigar dangling form Nunzio's fat fuckin' lips.

     "They got two salesmen runnin' around shovin' contracts under the noses of our customers and they're the first ones at any new work, how the fuck they know that is beyond me."  Nunzio, watching Joseph very carefully, thinking is this scum bag making fun of my cigar?

     The Old Man sat back thinking, trying to see a light in this darkness.  These national guys, they got a ton of fuckin' money, they can throw money and people at everything.  How do we beat that?

      "You fellas still got those two kids runnin' around, the head bangers?"  Joseph finished the horrible coffee, thinking I should toss this crap and Rosemarie out the fuckin' window.

     "Yeah, that one Nick and the fuckin' wack job they call Natch."  Pete thinkin', hey, maybe there is a way.

     "This is what I think.  Pop, listen.  Send those guys up here.  We talk for a while, then I hire them, both of them, make em' salesmen.  It's their job to rustle up new customers, stay on top of what's going on, and to generally make life fuckin' miserable for the salesmen from the other guys, those pricks with the big green fuckin' trucks.

     There followed a brief discussion, Nunzio wanted to make sure the two sales pukes they were hiring would sell not only for the Old Man's crew, but all the outfits.  The Old Man assured Nunzio and Pete that would be the case.

     Smiles all around, and very shortly all four were wrapped around some very large steaks and a very "in" steakhouse, which later would become notorious, with a few bottles of very nice wine.

     Two days later Nick and Natch were summoned to come up and sit with Joseph.