The Mob, the Police & the Girl

The two guys in suits looked out of place on the street corner that bright Saturday morning in May. Most people in Flatbush saved suits like that for Sunday mass. She was ready to cross Nostrand Avenue by the Junction until she heard those words! "Kill the cop." If the traffic light was green, she'd miss the whole conversation. This was New York in 1968. New York City is the place of origin for organized crime in the United States. There are five families in the New York City outfit of La Cosa Nostra. The five families are Gambino, Genovese, Colombo, Bonanno, and Luchese. Every New Yorker knew of the families. Italians were either priests,nuns,cops or mafia. At least that's what the newspapers would have you believe.

Her name is Sophie, Sophie Rosa Ventura. She is 16 years old. Soso, a nickname her youngest brother called her, is a dark-skinned Italian- with brown eyes, long, loose wavy black hair. She wears it in a long single braid down her back like her mother. Sophie has a mouth on her from defending herself. Contrary to appearance, she is actually easygoing and rather shy, the youngest of five children. She loves dogs and has one named Wolf. She is a high school junior at Erasmus Hall High School. At 5 feet 9 inches tall, Sophie plays on the girl's basketball team. Sophie plays the piano and is an amateur detective. She lives at home in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. She eats pizza every day after school because she skips lunch. She cracks her knuckles when she is nervous. One of her brothers is a policeman with the 70th Precinct, and another drives a transit bus. Not only is she the youngest, but every policeman and transit worker in Brooklyn thinks they're her uncle or brothers.

Deep breath. Now or never. "Look around slowly like you're checking the traffic," Sophie thought. "The guy looks like a cop," the man in the grey suit said. "We'll put him in the car and take care of him. Make him think we'll do the deal." Her heart racing, Sophie knew every cop in the neighborhood. Sophie cracked her knuckles while she looked across the street. The only cop she recognized was her brother's friend Smith standing on the far corner. "Oh God, Oh God, I have to tell Smith, maybe he knows who the cop is."

Sophie walked directly across the street to Smith as he tried to avoid her. Sophie cracked her knuckles as the light went on in her head. The 'cop' was Smith. She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him. This was difficult since he needed to lose more than a few pounds. As she stood on her tippy toes to reach his ear, he said, "You can't be here Sophie. I am under cover." Sophie kissed him on the cheek, as she whispered in ear, "I know. Those two suits across the street said they were going to kill the cop. You're the only cop I see out here. Is that why you're wearing a suit?" Sophie pulled away to get a better look at Smith. "You look like a cop. Only the mob and cops wear suits out here. Do you see anyone else dressed like you?"

Smith was losing his patience with Sophie. He tried to push her on her way, but she wouldn't budge. "Don't look now, but you see those two suits standing by the light post across Nostrand Avenue, they're talking about killing you. I said don't look," as Smith turned his head. "OK, I am going to put my arms around you Sophie,and we're going to twirl around." "Twirl?" "Twirl!" "Ok twirl 180 degrees, they're right behind you." Oh, yeah I see them. Are there any more?" "We're going to have 'twirl' some more. Slow up. Let's do 90 degrees. No, one more 'twirl'. Twirl -Hmmm." "Do you see anything or anyone else Sophie?" "Yep there's a dark car, blue or black behind you with four guys, two in the front and two in the back." "Can you make out the license?" "Are you wearing a wire? You are wearing a wire! Well I hope the dumb captain can hear this. How could he leave you out here with no back up? How dumb is that! Doesn't he know about Murder, Inc.?" "Pleaseeeee, hush!" "Well I am not leaving you out here on the street corner. Let's move toward that store." Smith tried with all his might to get Sophie to leave, even calling her Soso. She wasn't having any of it, until she saw Mike show up, stopping in the doorway of the store next door. Mike said nothing, just shook his head and laughed. Smith was wearing a wire. Everyone at the station house heard Sophie laid the captain out. Sophie's brother Jimmy was on duty. He got a call from Central in the patrol car to get back to the captain's office....

Satisfied Smith was OK, Sophie continued on her way to meet up with her cousin Lotus downtown. The two girls from large families enjoyed spending time with each other. Most Saturdays they went to confession, then the movies at the Albee. After they went shopping at A&S or Martin's where they tried on hats. As Sophie walked back around the corner, she forgot about the car with the four mobsters. She was thinking, "can't wait to tell Lotus! She'll never believe me. Can't let my mother know. Wonder if Smith will call Jimmy? I bet Smith was wearing a wire."

Distracted as she rehashed the last 30 minutes in her head, Sophie didn't notice the big guy in the double-breasted pin stripe get out of the car. First time she saw him, he was showing her the biggest gun she'd ever seen. With a thick Italian accent, he told her to get in the car. Sophie hugged the building as visions of being found floating in the East River ran through her head. Looking around she saw no one she knew. She did know she wasn't getting in that car. "No thanks, I'm walking." "I insist!" "No not going to happen. Do I have stupid stamped on my forehead? Get in a car with four ugly guys! I don't -think-so!" "You know I have a gun?" "Well go shoot yourself." "Ok, Ok, that guy you were talking with, what's his name?" As he talked the man tried to move closer to Sophie. Close enough to grab her arm. Sophie did defensive moves. She side stepped and swung her huge handbag. "You're in my personal space. Back up." "So what's the guy's name? Is he you boyfriend?" "Back up! You touch me; you're dead." "Backing up... what's his name?" "Name's Smith and he's not my boyfriend, he's married." "Smith(laughing) that 's what he told you? What's your name, Jones?" "How'd you know? Have we met before?"

"You shouldn't crack your knuckles." Sophie rolled her eyes. "Where is everyone? Can't a find cop when you need one. Wait until I tell Jimmy we need more cops on the street." Sophie was so deep in thought. Just then a man passed. Sophie jumped towards him..."Hi, how you doing? Look could you do me a favor? I know you're on your way somewhere, but if you see a working phone could you call the cops. Just tell them there's a young girl out here being held captive by a guy with a gun." Turning to the man in the pin striped suit, "Show him your gun. Show him your gun!" The poor frightened stranger seeing the gun throws his hands up. "He's not going to shoot you, are you?" Mr. Pin stripe obediently shakes his head no. "See could you just call for me? You can go now," with a wave of her hand, "Go make the call. Tell them I'm at the Junction where Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues cross. Go!" The man's feet were like he was walking on water, they never touched the sidewalk.

The guys in the car get the mobster's attention. "Sal you can't let her tell everyone you got a gun!" "What you gonna shoot everybody in Flatbush?" "Sal right, do you mind if I call you Sal? Sal could a guy from this neighborhood, come into your neighborhood and try picking up girls using a gun. What makes you think you can come here and do it? Hope you got a good retirement plan. You guys are dropping like flies if you don't mind me saying. How would your mother feel if she knew what you were doing?" "My sweet mother, she wanted me to be a priest." "Right Sal, Salvatore right, you should come to confession with me." An angry voice from the car, "Christ, don't tell her your name! Don't tell her our names! Get her in the car-now!"

Sophie's looking around for a miracle. Maybe an angel will come down from heaven, and save her. "Sure hope that guy found a phone-hope he made the call," Sophie's thoughts racing through her mind. "So Sal, you make good money in this business? Hope you got a good health plan?" "I keep my money close to me. I keep it in the mattress," Sal volunteered, "don't trust banks." "So you don't pay taxes if it's in the mattress. Better hope the IRS doesn't hear. That's tax evasion."

Just then a car pulled up and doubled parked. The car actually blocked the mob's car. As the driver jumped out, Sophie recognized Joey from the precinct. Thank God the angels have arrived. As they made eye contact Sophie wanted to let him know there was a gun pointed at her. So she just told him, "Hey you may not want to park there." Joey looked shocked, but played along. "I am just going to run in the store over here. I won't be a minute." "No, Sophie continued, "you see those guys in the car. They have guns. And this guy over here- he has a gun. I don't want him to shoot you."

"Ok Sal that's it," a voice from the driver's seat yells. Hey you stupid, move that car! You can't control that girl? She's telling everyone we got guns. Let's get out of here before someone calls the cops for real."
Sal jumped in the car as Joey pulled his car up. The mob car pulled off to shrieking brakes and burning rubber. Sophie thought her legs were going to give out. She fell against the building, eyes closed when she felt someone come up next to her. She automatically took an attack stance as Joey quickly ID himself. "It's me Sophie. You Ok?" It's Ok they're gone. You did good! We got it all on tape."

Sophie didn't know, care or understand what Joey was saying. It was Saturday and all she wanted to do was go to the movies like always. "Lotus is going to be sooo mad at me. I'm going to have to treat her to ice cream," Sophie thought. "Can I go? I missed the bus. Now I have to take the IRT."
The Sunday Times front page story announce "the arrest of four men with mob connections during a routine traffic stop in Brooklyn. The men were acting suspicious. When searched the men were found to be carrying unregistered firearms."

Police played the tape for Sal, the tape on which he confessed to tax evasion. There was a search warrant issued for his house. Millions of dollars were found in the mattresses. They told him the 'girl' was the undercover cop. Sophie didn't know the very building she used for support when her legs were collapsing, was the police stakeout. She was under surveillance the whole time.

Sal made a deal, served six months on the weapons charge, and became a police informer.