so Vinny comes into the club one time

I say what's new

he says it's good

a deal going down

on the other side of town

you really ought to

hear this.

 

I says you gotta tell me more

Vinny's calling the guy at the bar

comes over with scotches and rye

a celebration to match the mood

he draws a plan

on a serviette

a liquor store supplying

we don't know how much yet

but hear this.

 

The sons of Shamrock are muscling in

he says on his elbow, face gone red.

They need a lesson in territory

we gotta put 'em back to bed

I lean right back

on the office chair

take a slug of the whisky there

we better send Camillo down

to have a word with that Irish clown

who runs that joint

this is it..

and then we decide -

I point my finger

with the big gold ring

nuttin's ruled out

no goddam thing.

 

Apparently this boyo has

a chain of command that's

good and strong

with the stevedores,

they're overmanned

and the union goons

ain't gonna back down

so Camillo had better take back up

 

relax I say

don't give it away

we just have a word

no more than that

there may be meat for

all of us

and Vinny goes "sheesh"

I hate them micks.

 

Anyways, away goes Vinny

Camillo too with a coupla heavy boys

just to persuade them

make them an offer they can't defuse.

Maybe we can do this thing

the way the moustachioed Petes

would do back in 1932.

 

Now hear this:

Jesus H. my fuckin' team

wiped out in a mess of baseball bats

in a pool of blood     no thank you

no by your leave, nuttin'

and the cops are swarming

everyplace.

So back I go into Joe's next day

tell myself to lay down low

what next?

 

I guess them guys just had to go

that's business.

               -0-

 

      On the plane to Vegas I dream

      of casinos in the desert sands

      those micks just better

      pray to Mary

      but now it all seems so unreal

      as I watch the wings just

      start to dip

      and I check my list

      of Nevada contacts

      waiting in sedans below

      to shake my hands

      let's go,   let's go

      i'll say as the sun burns down the dunes

      where the wheels go round

      and the singer croons.