Capo di Tutto Capis
Two mobsters holed up, each in his own fastness,
Like Moran on the North Side and Capone
In the South. There’s the Bear who claims to own
The East, while the one who’s tame hoods address
As the Eagle, keeps the West Side firmly
In his grip through the protection racket
He runs. Each of them knows what to expect
Straying on the other’s territory,
But both harbour an insistent desire
To encroach, snatching at their rival’s patch,
Utterly careless, in the plans they hatch,
Of bloody casualties caught in their crossfire.
Each feels exalted on his lofty perch,
Loved by his people and blessed by his Church.
D. A.