To Kill the Duke (34 page)

Getting Trotsky Number Seven turned out to be the easy part.

“What do we do with him?” Ivan asked Alexei.

“We probably should have put more thought into this before we pulled it off,” Alexei said. “I guess we keep him in Hollywood and put him to work for us. After all, we will be running a production company.”

“Toughski shitski. We’re in America, we can do whatever we want,” replied Ivan.

“First he needs a new name,” Alexei said.

“Agreed,” Ivan said as he grabbed a phone book.

“You’re making a call for a name?” Alexei asked his partner.

Ivan playfully conked the phone book on Alexei’s head. “In here will be his new name,” Ivan said as he pointed at Trotsky Number Seven.

Ivan opened the phone book and started tossing out names — “How about Bryan Ladd?”

“People will think he’s Alan Ladd’s brother,” Alexei said.

Trotsky Number Seven shook his head to the name Bryan Ladd.

Ivan rifled his fingers through some more pages. He looked down at the columns of names and fixed his eyes on Charles Odum. “Charles Odum sound okay?” he asked his two companions.

“Everyone will make fun of that name,” Alexei said with a wave of his hand.

“How do you mean?” Ivan asked.

“Hey Charles, how much did you ‘owe em to get that last name?” Alexei said.

“I have had enough people make fun of my name,” Trotsky Number Seven added.

“You guys are tough. Where did you learn that people can be so cruel?” Ivan asked Alexei.

“The playground, my friend. In my neighborhood, making fun of people’s names was the first thing you learned on the playground,” Alexei said.

Ivan suddenly threw the telephone book up in the air. He hoped it would land on a page where both Alexei and Trotsky Number Seven would find a name they could agree on. Ivan didn’t care which name they picked. He had no problem with Bryan Ladd or Charles Odum — whoever they were in real life. He just wanted to use one of their names to rename his friend.

The big telephone book landed with a thud face down. Ivan bent over to pick it up. He immediately saw that he was on the page that began with the letters ‘Ru’. He handed the book to Trotsky Number Seven. Alexei came over to Trotsky Number Seven and they started looking at the names on the page. A few times Alexei pointed to a name and Trotsky Number Seven shook his head. Suddenly, they were both smiling.

“We found a new name for our friend,” Alexei announced to Ivan.

“Well…?” Ivan began.

“You tell him,” Alexei urged Trotsky Number Seven.

“I will now be known as Barney Rumberg,” the former Trotsky Number Seven told Ivan.

“Great. I love it!” Ivan shouted. “And it’s Jewish too. That will make a certain someone roll over in his grave.”

“Maybe it’s German and NOT Jewish.” Alexei said.

“Maybe its French,” Ivan found himself saying.

“It sure is easy to see who has influenced you with his cooking,” the former Trotsky Number Seven said.

“In more ways than his cooking,” Alexei said.

“Barney Rumberg, let us go out and have a drink to your new name,” Ivan said.

“Toughski shitski,” Barney said with a big smile on his face.

Seven Zeros Productions
had a lot of growing pains in trying to make movies. So did Ivan and Alexei when it came time to carry out their mission.

“At times it’s hard for me to realize that the only thing we have accomplished that means anything is getting Barney out of Russia and into a trade,” Ivan said as he got up and walked around his office after a long day of not only going over a budget to make a movie, but putting together their first attempt to kill the Duke.

“It was easy to get him the job after he learned the job,” Alexei said.

“I didn’t think he would adapt so quickly,” Ivan said.

“It sure helped that he’s working for us,” Alexei said with a laugh.

“He does his job well,” Ivan said.

“The only guy in Hollywood who is listed as a second-unit director and just fills out time cards,” Alexei said.

“It’s better than his previous job,” Ivan said.

Alexei nodded in agreement.

“Big shots like us need to take care of little shots like him,” Ivan said.

“We are learning well… I think,” Alexei said. “By the way, what is a second-unit director’s job anyway?”

“Someone was asleep in class. The second-unit director is in charge of filming the stunt scenes, because the stunt scenes rarely involve the real actors of the film,” lectured Ivan.

“Shouldn’t the second-unit director have a background in stunts?” Alexei asked.

“No. The stunt coordinator takes care of all that,” Ivan said.

“That is why
our
second-unit director can fill out time sheets,” Alexei said.

“Now, you’re learning well,” Ivan said.

“Getting better at puns, too. You know we get a lot of earthquakes out here,” Alexei said.

“That’s not a pun,” Ivan said.

“I know. But do you know what the best store is to be in during an earthquake?” Alexei asked his partner.

Ivan shook his head no.

“A stationary store,” Alexei said with a laugh.

“That’s a
bad
pun,” Ivan said.

“Let’s take a break from getting the movie started and talk about our
real
mission,” a very serious Alexei suddenly said.

“You have also learned quickly to shift gears,” Ivan said.

“You noticed? I guess it comes from driving that sports car you bought me,” Alexei joked.

“Proceed,” Ivan said.

“In a few minutes, we are meeting Johnny Stompanato,” began Alexei.

“The American gangster?” guessed Ivan.

“No, the Russian gangster! Of course the American gangster,” Alexei responded sarcastically. “Get your coat, I’ll drive.”

Johnny Stompanato had everything that an American gangster was supposed to have, especially a gangster in Hollywood. He had fought in World War II in the Pacific as a Marine. After the war, he was all over the world working hard jobs and even converted to Islam, because he married a Turkish woman. At some point, he returned to the Midwest without his wife and new-found religion. After a series of some more odd and tough jobs, he migrated to Hollywood, where his Marine toughness, classic Italian good looks, muscular physique and the ability to look, listen and not talk got him introduced to Mickey Cohen.

Mickey Cohen was in charge of the West Coast syndicate. He had been a loyal foot solider to everyone from Al Capone in Chicago to Meyer Lansky in Florida. It was Lansky who sent Cohen from Cleveland to Hollywood to be Siegel’s bodyguard. When Siegel was whacked, Cohen took over the helm of the West Coast. Cohen’s rival was Jack Dragna. Their mob wars rocked Hollywood. When one is fighting a war… even a crime war…there is a need for soldiers. Johnny Stompanato had wartime experience and became one of Cohen’s foot soldiers.

Stompanato also was a ladies’ man. So when not helping Mickey Cohen, he was dating Lana Turner. Lana Turner was a big-time Hollywood actress who had worked with John Wayne.

“It couldn’t have worked out any better,” Alexei said to Ivan as they drove to meet Stompanato.

“Is that his real name… Stompanato?” Ivan asked.

“I think so. I don’t think he changed it if that’s what you mean,” Alexei said. “His nickname is ‘Johnny Stomp.’”

“I guess that’s why he’s going to be an ally. These American gangsters are really predictable with their names,” Ivan said.

“How do you mean?” Alexei asked.

“They all have either an ‘ie’ or a ‘y’ at the end of their first names. Here we are going to see Johnny who works for Mickey…,” Ivan was cut off by Alexei before he could finish.

“Who took over from Bugsy,” Alexei added.

“Look at the men you read about in the papers. Paulie, Ralphie, Tommy. It never stops with these guys,” Ivan said.

“I wonder if, when the gangsters are old, they will still go by these childish names,” Alexei said.

“They probably will. As I said, the American Mafia is so predictable… down to the vowels in their names,” Ivan said.

“That’s one thing we’ll never have to worry about in Russia,” Alexei suddenly said.

“First names that end in vowels?” Ivan asked.

“A mafia!” shouted Alexei.

“That’s true. Small, black-market operators, but no Russian mafia will ever come to power as long as Mr. Zavert gives the orders and Boris does his job,” Ivan said.

“Did I tell you how I met Stompanato?” Alexei said, changing the subject.

Ivan shook his head no.

“As we both know, you have been busy setting up
Seven Zeros Productions
while I have been busy getting to know the ins and outs of underground Hollywood, so we can make the right contacts to successfully carry out our mission. I learned that the best place to meet people like Stompanato is at a place called
The Coconut Grove
,” Alexei said.

“And, that’s where we are headed now?” Ivan asked.

“Correct. At first glance the place doesn’t look like much, but don’t judge a book by its cover,” Alexei said.

“I have learned that many times over,” Ivan said.

“Once, I was pulling into the parking lot and I see this one guy fighting off three others. The loner is getting his shots in, but it’s clear that the three are going to put him down, which they do very shortly. I am just standing there watching, when the three start kicking the one all over the place. Just as I’m about to take a step towards the brutality, I hear a voice call out from the shadows,” Alexei said. “‘Why don’t you guys guys pick on someone your own size?’” Alexei said that the voice said. “And, it was in a very manly tone.”

“Had to be your man,” Ivan said.

“You guess well. He stepped into the dimly lit parking lot and immediately took a step towards the three men, who for the moment stopped kicking the man they had just knocked out. They stepped toward the man with the deep voice, Johnny Stompanato, and I found myself quietly maneuvering closer to all four of them. Stompanato just threw himself on top of the three bullies, who were clearly not expecting that, and with the surprise, Johnny landed some good blows. But one against three can only do so much. Two against three, when one of those two is me, is another story, but it got me very close to Johnny because I knocked the other three out before Johnny knew someone was there to help him,” Alexei snorted.

“So you helped the gangster kick the crap out of the three and the both of you went inside to celebrate,” Ivan said.

“I didn’t know you read minds, too?” Alexei said sarcastically.

“I don’t. It was an easy plot to figure out. Why did the fight happen in the first place?” Ivan asked.

“I never found out. Stompanato was out in the back alley taking a piss, because the line to go to the bathroom in the bar was too long for him, and he came across the fight. The first thing he said to me was ‘I hate seeing three on one, unless it’s three broads on me.’”

“I’m beginning to really like this guy and I haven’t even met him yet,” Ivan said.

“You’ll like him, but
never
trust him. He’s a thug, a goon, an extortion artist. The lowest rung on the hoodlum ladder. But he’s screwing
Lana Turner and can help make our mission a success if we use him right,” Alexei said.

“So, what’s the plan?” Ivan asked.

“Just follow my lead,” Alexei said as he pulled their red Cadillac into the parking lot of
The Coconut Grove
.

“This is
your
territory, so of course I’ll follow your lead,” Ivan said.

“Just like I follow
yours
at
Seven Zeros
,” Alexei said.

“We are a good team, are we not?” Ivan stated as they entered the tavern.

Alexei nodded and led the way to Johnny Stompanato’s table. Alexei had been in the bar so many times researching him that he knew exactly at what table Johnny held court.

It was at the far end of the bar. Stompanato sat with his back to the wall, so he could watch everyone in the bar.