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n enemy overestimate your faults； unless it was to have a friend underestimate your virtues。
The caporegime； Clemenza； took； Sonny in hand and taught him how to shoot and to wield a garrot。 Sonny had no taste for the Italian rope； he was too Americanized。 He preferred the simple； direct； impersonal Anglo…Saxon gun； which saddened Clemenza。 But Sonny became a constant and wele panion to his father； driving his car； helping him in little details。 For the next two years he seemed like the usual son entering his father's business； not too bright； not too eager； content to hold down a soft job。
Meanwhile his boyhood chum and semiadopted brother Tom Hagen was going to college。 Fredo was still in high school； Michael； the youngest brother； was in grammar school； and baby sister Connie was a toddling girl of four。 The family had long since moved to an apartment house in the Bronx。 Don Corleone was considering buying a house in Long Island； but he wanted to fit this in with other plans he was formulating。
Vito Corleone was a man with vision。 All the great cities of America were being torn by underworld strife。 Guerrilla wars by the dozen flared up； ambitious hoodlums trying to carve themselves a bit of empire； men like Corleone himself were trying to keep their borders and rackets secure。 Don Corleone saw that the newspapers and government agencies were using these killings to get stricter and stricter laws； to use harsher police methods。 He foresaw that public indignation might even lead to a suspension of democratic procedures which could be fatal to him and his people。 His own empire； internally； was secure。 He decided to bring peace to all the warring factions in New York City and then in the nation。
He had no illusions about the dangerousness of his mission。 He spent the first year meeting with different chiefs of gangs in New York； laying the groundwork； sounding them out； proposing spheres of influence that would be honored by a loosely bound confederated council。 But there were too many factions； too many special interests that conflicted。 Agreement was impossible。 Like other great rulers and lawgivers in history Don Corteone decided that order and peace were impossible until the number of reigning states had been reduced to a manageable number。
There were five or six 〃Families〃 too powerful to eliminate。 But the rest； the neighborhood Black Hand terrorists； the free…lance shylocks； the strong…arm bookmakers operating without the proper； that is to say paid； protection of the legal authorities； would have to go。 And so he mounted what was in effect a colonial war against these people and threw all the resources of the Corleone organization against them。
The pacification of the New York area took three years and had some unexpected rewards。 At first it took the form of bad luck。 A group of mad…dog Irish stickup artists the Don had marked for extermination almost carried the day with sheer Emerald Isle élan。 By chance； and with suicidal bravery； one of these Irish gunmen pierced the Don's protective cordon and put a shot into his chest。 The assassin was immediately riddled with bullets but the damage was done。
However this gave Sanrtino Corleone his chance。 With his father out of action； Sonny took mand of a troop； his own regime； with the rank of caporegime； and like a young； untrumpeted Napoleon； showed a genius for city warfare。 He also showed a merciless ruthlessness； the lack of which had been Don Corleone's only fault as a conqueror。
From 1935 to 1937 Sonny Corleond made a reputation as the most cunning and relentless executioner the underworld had yet known。 Yet for sheer terror even he was eclipsed by the awesome man named Luca Brasi。
It was Brasi who went after the rest of the Irish gunmen and single…handedly wiped them out。 It was Brasi； operating alone when one of the six powerful families tried to interfere and bee the protector of the independents； who assassinated the head of the family as a warning。 Shortly after； the Don recovered from his wound and made peace with that particular family。
By 1937 peace and harmony reigned in New York City except for minor incidents； minor misunderstandings which were； of course； sometimes fatal。
As the rulers of ancient cities always kept an anxious eye on the barbarian tribes roving around their walls； so Don Corleone kept an eye on the affairs of the world outside his world。 He noted the ing of Hitler； the fall of Spain； Germany's strong…arming of Britain at Munich。 Unblinkered by that outside world； he saw clearly the ing global war and he understood the implications。 His own world would be more impregnable than before。 Not only that； fortunes could be made in time of war by alert； foresighted folk。 But to do so peace must reign in his domain while war raged in the world outside。
Don Corleone carried his message through the United States。 He conferred with patriots in Los Angeles； San Francisco； Cleveland； Chicago； Philadelphia； Miami； and Boston。 He was the underworld apostle of peace and； by ；1939； more successful than any Pope； he had achieved a working agreement amongst the most powerful underworld organizations in the country。 Like the Constitution of the United States this agreement respected fully the internal authority of each member in his state or city。 The agreement veered only spheres of influence and an agreement to enforce peace in the underworld。
And so when World War II broke out in 1939； when the United States； joined the conflict in 1941； the world of Don Vito Corleone was at peace； in order； fully prepared to reap the golden harvest on equal terms with all the other industries of a booming America。 The Corleone Family had a hand in supplying black…market OPA food stamps； gasoline stamps； even travel priorities。 It could help get war contracts and then help get black…market materials for those garment center clothing firms who were not given enough raw material because they did not have government contracts。 He could even get all the young men in his organization； those eligible for Army draft； excused from fighting in the foreign war。 He did this with the aid of doctors。 who advised what drugs had to be taken before physical examination； or by placing the men in draft…exempt positions in the war industries。
And so the Don could take pride in his rule。 His world was safe for those who had sworn loyalty to him； other men who believed in law and order were dying by the millions。 The only fly in the ointment was that his own son； Michael Corleone； refused to be helped； insisted on volunteering to serve his own country。 And to the Don's astonishment； so did a few of his other young men in the organization。 One of the men； trying to explain this to his caporegime； said； 〃This country has been good to me。〃 Upon this story being relayed to the Don he said angrily to the caporegime； 〃I have been good to him。〃 It might have gone badly for these people but； as he had excused his son Michael； so must he excuse other young men who so misunderstood their duty to their Don and to themselves。
At the end of World War II Don Corleone knew that again his world would have to cha