3. This book is dedicated to my wife Jeanne, the
marathon runner, care giver RN, blood donor,
volunteer and champion of many causes and my
biggest supporter.
This book is also dedicated to my great friend of
many years, Oscar Nominee actor Tom Berenger,
who has been a constant source of inspiration for me
since 1972. A man who showed me that ordinary
people can do extraordinary things.
4.
5. Luxurious cars, perfect women and recreational drugs do not sit at the
fringes of Anthony Pirilli’s life; they are his life. His Mob connections
brought him the money to make it all real. His Mob connections set the
stage to bring it all crashing down.
Cardinal Culpability is unlike any other novel we have encountered.
G. Daniel Pernell has taken a broad-stroke approach to story telling and
has produced a brief novel that is both concise in its execution and
abundant in its effect. In the tradition of Mickey Spillane, Mr. Pernell’s
whiskey-and-cigarette monologue sets a rapid pace from which the
reader is helpless to break free. In his first novel, and with a sterile yet
highly appealing approach to writing, he has sculpted the tale of the
rise and fall of the ambitious American male from meteoric success to
the ultimate corruption of power and its inevitable downfall.
Cardinal Culpability is not a quick read; it is a fast read. To say the
story compels you to run through the pages would not do it justice; we
enjoyed every aspect of the book, including the hours’ worth of
discussion it generated. It is devoid of extraneous information and
encourages you to keep up. Time is short here; if you don’t pay
attention, you’ll never see it coming.
Reviewed and highly recommended by S. Bond Herndon and
Heather Hyde-Herndon, co-authors of Into the Blue
6.
7. CHAPTER 1
It was a balmy southeastern afternoon and Anthony Pirilli has just
celebrated his fifteenth birthday in true Italian style. Four sets of aunts
and uncles, fourteen cousins, grandparents and twenty-five family
friends were in attendance. Visiting automobiles lined both sides of the
street in this predominantly Italian, suburban neighborhood. As guests
consumed dessert, Anthony’s grandfather announced that he and the
boy would be leaving the party.
“Come on, Anthony, Grandpa’s going to show you how to make
money!” Tony Pirilli was the boy’s namesake and had been successful
in the wholesale and retail liquor business. His two eldest sons had
taken over operation of the family business, a mom-and-pop liquor
store that had blossomed in the late 1970s and produced a substantial
living for its owners. Although never a certified member of the local
Mafia, Tony certainly knew them all and may have seen benefits of
their persuasion over the years.
Tony was a handsome man in his mid-sixties with only a touch of
gray, primarily in his sideburns. Not long before this day he and his
wife Anna Marie had celebrated their thirty-sixth wedding anniversary,
another family affair with many in attendance. Anna Marie was a
pleasant young grandmother and attractive in her own right. The only
time that her ordinarily pleasant demeanor appeared to fade centered
around any event that threatened the peaceful existence of the family.
Like the time her daughter-in-law threatened to leave eldest son Joey.
Joey’s wife Sarah, not of Italian descent, felt Anna Marie’s wrath
and—shall we say—stepped back in line.
Tony enjoyed owning Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham sedans and
would never consider owning one of those foreign jobs. “Let’s go,
Anthony, jump in the car with Grandpa,” Tony tells the boy as he pulls
a map from the glove box. As he skims through the classified used car
7
8. G. DANIEL PERNELL
ads in the paper he says, “Ah ha, here we go, boy, I got a good one!
Now you keep your eyes and ears on me when we see this guy, right?”
Anthony acknowledges and knows what to expect.
Bob Stone, an accountant, has advertised his 1979 Pontiac Firebird in
the newspaper. Because Bob takes good care of his belongings his car
is very clean, with average mileage. Tony and Anthony arrive at Bob’s
home at 3:45 P.M. on Saturday afternoon. Tony tells Bob that the boy
just had his fifteenth birthday and he wants to buy him a car. Bob
indicates he is asking $7,500 for his Firebird.
Tony reacts as though he is quite put out by the price. “Anthony, it’s
time to go.”
Anthony replies, “But Grandpa, I like it!”
Looking at Bob, Tony says, “Ah, now look at this. How did you
come up with that price?” Bob indicates that he researched the value
by calling dealerships and asking what it was worth. Tony replies,
“Those guys are thieves! They don’t want you to sell your car, that’s
why they told you it was worth so much. I’ll give you what it’s worth
right now in cash.”
Although Bob still believes his value is correct, he asks Tony how
much he will pay for the car. “I’ll give you $5,000 in cash right now.
Have you got the title?” Tony pulls the cash out of his pocket and
begins to count it out.
“Wait, I didn’t say I would take $5,000,” Bob exhorts.
Tony replies, “I got fifty-two hundred dollars here. You say yes your
car is sold, otherwise we’re leaving and you’ll wait till hell freezes over
to get more! Go on, Anthony, get in the car.”
Even though Bob feels that he is being taken advantage of, he
reluctantly agrees to sell the car to Tony for $5,200.
As Tony and the boy drive home he explains how he has just made
a lot of money. “That guy is stupid, Anthony. His car is worth $8,500.
Grandpa just made $3,300 off this dumb peckerwood!” The whole
truth of how much Grandpa will make when selling this car will be
explained to Anthony in detail. Tony now operates what has become
commonly known as a “BUY HERE—PAY HERE” used car lot.
Credit-deprived individuals are fed upon here, since they are unable to
buy a vehicle anywhere else. This car will be sold for $10,000 and
8
9. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
financed by Tony at a high rate of interest with a thousand dollars
down. If this individual fails to make even one payment on time, Tony
will repossess the car and sell it again.
By the time they arrive at home, Tony has explained to Anthony that
this car may actually make him $10,000 over what he has paid for it.
A total of $15,200. returned on a $5,200. investment. Anthony has had
his first lesson in economics, how to make it on both ends at the
expense of others.
That night at Berone’s Pizza Anthony told his friends how his grandpa
“ripped this guy off today.”
“It’s easy, that’s what I’m gonna do to make big money.”
9
10.
11. CHAPTER 2
Five years later, Anthony, now twenty years old, is the youngest
manager of luxury used cars in the city. The Jaguar-Audi dealership he
now works for is Jewish owned. He has learned much the past five
years working with his grandfather while finishing high school. The
year is 1987 and the market for cars is booming. His “street smart
degree” has shown him that people are easy to take advantage of and
he revels in excitement with each consumer conquest. His wardrobe
now consists of Armani suits, silk ties, starched cuffed shirts and $200
shoes. He is an attractive single man and now enjoys throwing his
money around entertaining. He’ll never be caught without at least
$1,000 in hundred-dollar bills in his pocket and begins to find young
ladies as sexual trophies. Of course, he must drive the nicest cars,
especially since he does not pay for them. Life is good, with only one
exception. He wants to own his own dealership and it must be
prestigious.
For the next ten years life for Anthony would be prosperous, glitzy and
fast track. As with many who could afford it, cocaine found a presence
in Anthony’s daily life. Parties with local celebrities and pro sports
icons became regular events. Now his spending habits had grown
enormous and with his new circle of influential friends would continue
to escalate. Then one day, as if a fantasy had come true, he discovered
that the owner of the area Mercedes-Benz dealership wanted to sell.
This, above all else, was meant for him and he would not be denied this
opportunity. But where would he come up with over a million bucks?
It was time to see Grandpa Tony.
“Grandpa” Anthony said, “this is what I have been waiting for all
my life. I need your help to raise the money.”
Tony loved his grandson more than any of the others. After all, he
11
12. G. DANIEL PERNELL
had groomed Anthony to arrive at this point. More than a million
dollars was a considerable sum of money, however, and some calls
would have to be made. “Let me see what I can do, Anthony.”
Tony had a casual relationship with “the boys” who met regularly
at Cerro’s Italian Restaurant. It was there that many deals were struck
and decisions made. It was there that Anthony would find financing for
his new Benz dealership.
It was a beautiful spring morning on May 14th 1997 when the doors to
Pirilli Imports, the new Mercedes franchise, opened for the first time.
A gala event that evening attended by many, including members of the
local media, pro-sports personalities, community business leaders,
bankers, lawyers and “the boys” kicked off Anthony’s new claim to
fame. Glorious, breathtaking luxury automobiles were on hand for all
to sample. This night Anthony would make his first sale at the new
facility.
Smooth at ninety, a luxuriously appointed SL 500. Dr. Donald
Spicer and Anthony pulled back into the dealership. “Twelve cylinders,
almost 400 horsepower, Doc, this is the most incredible car in the
world!” exclaimed Anthony.
“As well it should be for a hundred grand,” replied the doctor.
“I can only get five of these all year and this is the only black one.
You’ll be the only guy in town with one for the next sixty days. What
do you say, let’s put your name on it!” And it was done.
Now in business for himself, with a lot of help from “the boys”, he
managed to steal some of the best sales help away from the other “hi-
line” stores. The money was good; the facility amenities fabulous by
industry standards and Anthony now knew for sure that he had arrived.
He often thought to himself, How many 30-year-olds own a Mercedes
store?
For a time, as with many new things, all went well, but soon the
unraveling began. The parties, the cocaine, the late nights began to take
a toll. He started coming in later and later each day. He knew how to
sell cars and manage sales people, but he had never run such a large
operation. There were multiple departments, multiple managers for
each and many more employees. He wanted things done his way,
12
13. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
whether it made business sense or not. As a result, many of his key
management individuals either left fed up or he fired them. His
dealership became a revolving door for good talent. He had become
well known as a womanizer and would spend hours visiting with
attractive women in his office. He even hired a young lady with whom
he was involved to sell automobiles. A no-no in any business, the
consequences were predictable and caused much upheaval in the sales
department.
Anthony had let his new empowerment go to his head. Streams of
people, many of Italian descent, would visit with him for hours on a
daily basis. It was so obvious that the sales people called him “The
Don” and coined his office the “Don’s Chamber”. He insisted that his
people generate high profits on vehicles sold, but would himself give
them away for little or no profit to friends, sports figures and those of
influence. When his best salesman made a casually suggestive
comment to a female customer away from the dealership he had the
sales manager fire him. The salesman’s response to the manager, “So
he wants to fire me for making a suggestive comment while he is
sleeping with every good-looking woman who buys a car here?”
13
14.
15. CHAPTER 3
G. David Banks, who was referred to as “G” by friends and colleagues
was a prominent attorney who represented corporate concerns by
defending their intellectual property rights and patents. For some time
prior to Anthony acquiring the Mercedes store G had been driving cars
with the star. He had recently purchased a luxurious 460 SEL model
from Anthony in a plum color called Almandine. His own attorney,
Bob Moran, had referred G to Anthony.
While visiting Anthony discovered that G owned a fifty-foot Sea
Ray yacht that he kept at Georgia’s Lake Lanier. G suggested that
Anthony join them on the yacht for a weekend and “Bring a friend!” A
plan was set. Friday morning of the week Anthony summoned the chief
lot attendant to his office. “Bobby, pull this black 500 off the
showroom. I want it filled with gas, waxed and spotless by noon. When
you are done park it at the front door and bring me the keys.” Anthony
picked up Trish at 12:30 and they were on their way to the lake.
Trish was Anthony’s age and breathtakingly beautiful. She had only
one flaw in Anthony’s eyes, she was a smoker. Although Anthony had
never smoked, his nightlife activities kept him constantly surrounded
by those that did. Visiting G on the yacht required the right girl and the
right car. He was confident in both. Upon arriving at the docks
Anthony was amazed at the millions of dollars worth of floating
fiberglass second homes. It was not that he did not know about it, he
just had not experienced it firsthand until now.
“Step aboard, folks,” said a young man securing ropes to the dock
“G is expecting you.” Anthony was in awe as his eyes gazed past the
aft cocktail deck into the richly appointed salon of this fabulous vessel.
He had always loved luxury automobiles and was rapidly finding a new
love.
“Anthony, welcome! And who do we have the pleasure of
15
16. G. DANIEL PERNELL
meeting?” states G while extending his hand to Trish.
Formalities aside, all settled on the aft deck to get better acquainted
over cocktails. G had just turned forty-nine and his wife Jean was his
second. An attractive thirty-seven-year-old former para-legal, they had
met five years prior at G’s law firm. Both were very bright, well
educated, and G was at the top of his game in the legal profession. Like
many other well-to-do execs and professionals, this was their
playground. A place where they could let their hair down and enjoy the
spoils of their wealth.
After an hour or so in port, G announced it was time to set sail.
Even though the yacht is not powered under sail, to “set sail” is a
common phrase among sail and power boaters alike. Anthony could
barely hold back his enthusiasm as the twin 440 horsepower CAT
diesel engines were fired up for the cruise. Jean showed Anthony and
Trish the private stateroom for their accommodation while on board.
It would prove to be an outstanding weekend of sunshine, fine
waterfront dining, cocktails and of course sex.
Monday morning arrived and following breakfast at the yacht club all
bid farewells until next time, which was already planned for two weeks
hence. Although he had originally planned to be at the dealership by
midday, Anthony found himself at another dealership shortly after
breakfast … the yacht dealership. Based on weekend discussions he
was aware that G had spent $850,000 for his yacht. He wondered how
he could possibly compete in that arena. He would soon find out.
Although $850,000 truly was out of reach, he learned that a person
could buy a beautiful yacht for $350,000, especially with twenty year
financing. And so it was that Anthony would wear a new moniker as
“Skipper”. It was a Carver Yacht of forty feet in length, which he
would aptly name “FATE”.
16
17. CHAPTER 4
The sales managers of both the new and used car departments were
friends of many years. Although much older than Anthony, the new car
manager, Pete Civinelli, was a good friend of his grandfather and had
been in the car business all of his working life. The used car manager,
Terry Gilbert, was a childhood friend who tagged along with Anthony
during his previous employment in the business.
Pete was an interesting character. Although he was never a “good
fella”, like Anthony’s grandfather he was associated with those who
were. More importantly, he had a distinct appearance, a stereotype if
you will of the “good fella” image. Unlike the young Anthony, whose
appearance gave him the material of which the term “hunk” was born,
Pete’s appearance gave customers an uneasy feeling. When working a
deal it was not uncommon for a customer to say something to the
salesman like, “That guy looks like a mobster.” He was gruff and
tough, but like all other managers couldn’t do a thing without
consulting Anthony. All managers who wanted to keep their jobs did
things Anthony’s way. He did, however, have a great sense of humor
and was a constant sense of entertainment for the sales staff. The
younger salesmen loved hearing his war stories about the car business
twenty years prior, although they could have used a few less
explicatives.
Terry Gilbert was different from Pete, in the sense that he was
younger and cockier. Being Anthony’s best friend, he felt less
vulnerable to the threat of being fired or ridiculed for his actions. In
addition, he “ran with” Anthony on a regular basis and was the
provider of the great white powder that they both partook of on a
regular basis.
Then there was Veronica, Anthony’s “girlfriend” on the sales staff.
A former fashion designer, Veronica was very classy and always
17
18. G. DANIEL PERNELL
looked like she belonged in this upscale environment. The problem was
that she couldn’t sell her way out of a paper bag. She insisted that
Anthony give her a job on the sales staff, and like so many things the
sales staff could not understand, it happened. She was, however, very
good at getting what she wanted.
Saturdays were the big game day for car sales. A typical Saturday
would start out with the sales meeting at 8:00 A.M. Pete was the
facilitator with absolutely no formal presentation skills. “Anthony is
pissed at all of you, except you, Veronica! Yesterday he told me that if
you guys don’t start selling more cars he is going to fire everybody,
including me! You fuckers aren’t going to cost me my fuckin’ job!
Now I’m going to go around this damn table and you’re going to tell
me how many cars you are going to sell today, and if it’s less than three
you can just go home!” Now there is a motivational speech for you.
Meeting over with everyone fired up for the big day. Terry Gilbert
makes the rounds to each salesperson’s office saying, “Don’t pay any
attention to Pete, Anthony busted his balls yesterday. Get fired up and
sell some of these used Beamers I’ve got, you can make a killing on
them.”
The car business is the car business no matter where you go. It is
you against them and them against you. You would expect a little
different treatment at a hi-line store and you get it. The salespeople are
more polished and in most cases able to deal with the “upscale” client.
However, they are not above employing any dirty trick to make more
money and certainly feel that it is their obligation to do so.
Anthony strolls in at noon and wants to know how many cars have
been sold. The answer does not please him. He is now under huge
pressure. His financiers want more performance and a bigger take of
the pie. Business has been slower recently, mismanagement on his part
has produced gaping wounds in his operation and he has lost a lot of
good talent. He is not willing to change his lifestyle and blames
everyone else for decreasing revenue.
It’s time to cook the books. Marjorie White is the Office Manager.
Her job is to make sure that all revenue is accounted for from all
departments and to oversee payroll, accounts receivable, accounts
payable, title processing and taxes. She has been nagging Anthony
18
19. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
endlessly, because the money is not there to pay the bills. They start
having regular meetings to go over what is owed and how to prioritize
them. Anthony tells her what to pay and what not to pay. Not unlike a
wife, she becomes increasingly frustrated at his cavalier attitude about
what she is dealing with among creditors. She is critical of
expenditures he makes for country club memberships, restaurant tabs
and other expenses she feels he should give up in light of the financial
pressures on the business.
19
20.
21. CHAPTER 5
Two weeks have passed since spending the weekend on “G’s” Sea Ray
and it is time to get together again. Anthony has rented a slip for his
new boat at the yacht club where “G’s” boat is moored. Once again,
Trish joins him and G takes them by water to pick up Anthony’s boat.
He must spend several hours of orientation and training to be
comfortable taking it the short distance to the yacht club. G has agreed
to spend time helping him learn to navigate the vessel. Anthony is in
seventh heaven while at the lake and the day-to-day pressures of the
dealership elude him. However, Monday comes too soon and he must
return for a meeting with Mercedes.
Time marches on and things get worse. Marjorie calls Anthony on the
intercom and says, “I have to see you now!”
He is in his office with a field rep from Mercedes-Benz. “I am with
Bill Courtney from Mercedes, I will have to get back to you.”
She replies, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to interrupt; however, it is
urgent that you see me as soon as possible.”
A surprised look on his face, Bill asks “Is there anything wrong?”
Anthony replies, “Everything is an emergency with Marge.”
They conclude their meeting and Anthony calls Marjorie to his
office. Upon arriving at his office she literally throws a clipboard on his
desk. “I can’t pay for these cars we traded for, what do you expect me
to do?”
He tells her to calm down and close the door. Anthony tells Marjorie
that it is a temporary situation that will correct itself. Since this is not
her first trip around the block, having worked in dealerships for 18
years, she demands an explanation. He reluctantly confides in her that
“the boys” require a bigger piece of the action and that he must abide
by their wishes. He further instructs her not to pay off the cars and to
21
22. G. DANIEL PERNELL
bring him a current financial statement. He specifically wants to know
what receivables can be expected within two weeks. She leaves his
office very concerned and knowing that the only way she can avoid
paying off the cars is to lie to the financial institutions holding the
liens.
Now, just so we all know, Anthony has just asked Marjorie to assist
him in committing a federal crime. The term used in the industry and
by legal authorities is “Operating Out of Trust”. Other federal crimes
may accompany, such as “Defrauding a Lender” and “Consumer
Fraud”.
What happens when a dealership trades for your car and then does
not pay off the balance owed? First, and of most concern to the
consumer, is that although the dealership has obtained a payoff amount,
if they don’t pay it off the creditor has no idea that the car was traded.
If the payment does not happen within 30 days of the last payment due
date the consumer will have a 30-day late payment posted to the credit
bureaus. Ultimately, this brought down the house for Pirilli Imports.
In the meantime, Terry, the used car manager, like Anthony, is
accustomed to living large. Between cocaine and holding up the façade
with their friends and acquaintances neither can survive on less than
$25,000 a month. Now, what we failed to tell you earlier is that Terry
is a convicted felon who did time in the “Big House” on narcotics
dealing charges. Incarceration would have most likely kept most of us
from falling back into bad habits—however, not Terry. His appetite
had become so enormous that he figured out another way to get his
hands on more money.
The company could not afford to keep used cars that were not of
high-line label. They do not fit into the inventory profile and tie up
needed revenue to be reinvested in the right type of inventory. Since
Terry had been in the business for many years he knew a number of
wholesalers, or people that buy and sell cars from one dealer to the
next. A middleman, if you will, who agrees to buy a car from Dealer A
and sell it to Dealer B. Unknown to Anthony, Terry would sell a given
car for say $17,000 on the books of the company, however, with an
agreed sale price to the wholesaler of $20,000. The wholesaler would
then “kick back” $3,000 to Terry under the table.
After some time the walls came tumbling down on Terry. Anthony
22
23. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
discovered Terry’s activities, which of course he denied. Unfortunately
for Terry, Anthony had proof, which left him no choice but to fire him.
This troubled Anthony, as close as they were, but after all Terry was
stealing from him. Case closed.
Now that Terry is out, Anthony decides not to replace him. He and
Pete will handle Terry’s responsibilities, thereby reducing a manager’s
compensation. Upon reviewing the used car inventory he made a
devastating discovery. Not only had Terry sold unwanted cars to
wholesalers pocketing under-the-table kickbacks, he had also
purchased other cars from them with the same intention. Under this
scenario, Terry would instruct the office to issue a draft to the
wholesaler for say thirty thousand dollars. The wholesaler would then
kick back three or four thousand to Terry. The car was not worth the
extra money that Terry received, thus leaving Anthony with a stable of
used cars with which he was too heavily invested.
Anthony decided that the only way to offset this debacle was to get
it from the consumer on future trade-in transactions. He called a
meeting of the sales staff and informed them that the store was going
to try a new sales technique that would improve the salespersons’
incomes. “When I bid a customer’s car and put the ‘ACV’ (actual cash
value) on the bid slip I’m going to give you a lower number that I want
you to tell the customer is the bid amount. We are going to up our
grosses this way and I will pay you on the additional profit.”
One of the staff asks; “What if the customer wants to see the bid
slip?”
Anthony replies, “I will keep your bid books, so that you can tell
him that you don’t have it. I do not want this discussed outside this
room, and especially not with anyone in service. These guys get too
close to the customers and I don’t want this coming back on us.” And
so the stage was set to “steal” the previously lost profits from the future
customers.
23
24.
25. CHAPTER 6
The state Attorney General’s office had received two complaints from
consumers stating that over sixty days had passed and the dealership
had failed to produce titles to their new cars. Tom Williams is the chief
investigator to whom these complaints would find their way. Tom is a
bright, ambitious man in his late forties who has been with the A.G.’s
office for over ten years. In almost all cases such as these complaints,
fraudulent business operations are suspect, as the normal flow of
consumer paperwork is typically hassle free. In the event that the cases
do involve fraud, and more specifically a result of the dealership
operating out of trust, a whole host of state and federal charges would
be in the offing.
Tom assigns field agent Paul Werner to the case. “I can smell the
dirt on this one,” he tells Paul as he hands him the files. “Haven’t we
had previous complaints on this dealer?”
Paul peruses the files and replies, “Yes, but we didn’t pursue them,
because by the time we received the complaint files the dealer had
delivered titles.”
Tom peers over his reading glasses and tells Paul, “Well, I don’t
give a damn if they’ve delivered titles on these or not! They’re dirty
and I want you to go after ‘em. And keep me posted.”
Within several days Paul visits the dealership and is the recipient of a
well-executed dog and pony show put on by Anthony. He tells Paul
that the manufacturer had failed to provide the MSO or Manufacturer’s
Statement of Origin for the vehicles in question. He gives Paul copies
of fictitious correspondence from the dealership to the manufacturer
and then states that since the letters were sent the MSO’s have come in
and were in process of being sent to the customers.
Paul accepts the copies of correspondence and states, “It appears
25
26. G. DANIEL PERNELL
that you have done everything you could to resolve the problems. I
appreciate your time.”
Feeling as though he had dodged a bullet, Anthony tells Marge to
make sure that “dummy correspondence” exists in any file where title
has not been delivered within twenty days from the retail delivery date.
On Wednesday afternoon Paul sits down with Tom to apprise him of
his findings at the dealership. He explains his meeting with Anthony
and tells Tom that he doubts that he had been told the truth. He shows
Tom the copies of the correspondence that Anthony had given him.
“This guy is a rat, Paul. Take a couple of your people out there after
hours and get the VIN numbers off of fifteen new cars. Oh hell, get
another ten off of the used cars, too. This son of a bitch is going to
jail!”
Paul responds, “What do you want me to do with the VINs?”
“First, I want you to contact Mercedes-Benz and see if they validate
this correspondence. A dollar to a doughnut they say it’s bullshit. Then,
I want you to ask ‘em if they’ve provided the MSOs to the store for
these VINs. When they tell you they have, and they will, I want your
ass back in that store pronto. Make ‘em produce every file and if the
MSO is missing out of even one file or if you find more of this bullshit
letter crap, I’m gonna fry this bastard!”
The next evening Paul returns to Pirilli Motors with his crew and
obtains the VIN numbers as instructed by Tom.
26
27. CHAPTER 7
By now, Anthony is so enthralled with his new boating passion that he
can hardly wait for the weekend to arrive. This week he has decided to
leave for the lake on Thursday evening. He’ll be spending the weekend
with a new friend, Terri, whom he met at a party a few weeks prior.
Terri is a real estate agent whose friend Sheila has been seeing one of
Anthony’s close friends, Carmen Russo. This weekend Anthony will
host the trio aboard the yacht. Prior to picking up Terri he’ll stop at the
family liquor store where his order is packaged and waiting. Among
some of this weekend’s libations will be a bottle of cognac and several
bottles of Moët & Chandon and Dom Perignon. He is looking forward
to the first weekend that he will assume full captain’s duties in
operating the boat. His period of tutelage under G is officially complete
and he is confident in his abilities to command the craft. He and Terri
will spend Thursday night on board alone and will be joined by
Carmen and Sheila on Friday. Anthony is also excited to be with Terri,
who was one of only twelve women to appear partially clad for
Atlanta’s first ever “Girls of Atlanta” calendar.
The couple arrive at the docks at eight thirty P.M. It is a fabulous
star-studded evening with a temperature in the mid eighties. Reflecting
lights shimmer on the water’s surface while ripples rock the boat ever
so gently. Terri is thrilled as Anthony escorts her through the boat’s
below-deck accommodations. Next it was on to the aft deck for the
uncorking of the Dom. The two enjoyed conversing under the stars and
found themselves cracking open a second bottle when the first had
seemed to evaporate. They decided to step down to the boat’s swim
deck and dangle their legs in the water. It was most relaxing and
created the perfect ambiance for romance. A toast to themselves
preceded the first kiss, however, there was no delay in getting to the
second.
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28. G. DANIEL PERNELL
“Let’s take a swim,” suggested Anthony, when in an abrupt move
Terri stood, undressed and leapt into the water. She was beautiful, he
thought as he scurried to remove his clothes and join her.
After frolicking in the water and finishing their champagne it was
on to the shower. Although Anthony desired to join Terri as she bathed,
a $350,000 boat has only room for one in the shower. Fortunately, such
a yacht does lavish two bathrooms on its owners. The lighting in the
master stateroom was subdued as Anthony admired the contours of
Terri’s body and she, in turn explored his masculinity. After mutually
gratifying one another in the foreplay sense Anthony felt Terri’s inner
warmth encompass him. Small waves tapped gently on the hull of the
boat.
28
29. CHAPTER 8
Friday morning as Anthony and Terri prepare to get underway for the
day’s cruise, the last thing on his mind is that anything is developing
at the Attorney General’s office. Investigator Paul Werner calls his
boss, Chief Investigator Tom Williams. “Good morning, Tom.”
“Yeah, Paul, what’s up?”
“Have you got a few minutes to visit on the Pirilli Motors deal?”
“Yeah, come on up.”
Paul proceeds to Tom’s office with his updated findings. “Knock,
knock,” says Paul.
“Hey, how are ya, Paul, come on in. What ya got for me?”
“Well, I got lucky. Pirilli wasn’t there, because he left early for a
long weekend at Lake Lanier, and get this, to spend the weekend on his
new yacht.”
Tom peers over his glasses, “What the mother fuck, how does this
guy have that kind of money? Wait a minute, how old is this guy?”
Paul glances into the file and replies, “Would you believe thirty-
five?”
“How does a guy thirty-five years old own a damn Benz dealership,
anyway? You know, I want you to fill me in on what you found, but I
want to hold up on taking action yet. I want to know more about this
Pirilli character. I want to know where the money came from to put
him in business and I want to know how it’s getting paid back. There
just might be some skimming going on here and some unreported
income. I’m sure the Feds would be interested in knowing who this guy
is in bed with, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” replies Paul, “and get this, that salesman who told me about
the yacht said it cost 350 thousand G’s.”
“Well, we’re gonna bust his ass before he gets a goddamned
helicopter! So, what did you find out on the VIN numbers?”
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30. G. DANIEL PERNELL
Paul responds, “It was exactly like you thought. First, Mercedes says
they’ve never seen these letters that he gave me. Secondly, they say
there have been no instances of delayed MSOs to the store.”
Tom points his finger at Paul, “I told you that son of bitch was dirty,
I just knew it. So, what did you find in their files?”
Paul pulls out additional copies of dummy correspondence and
states, “I got more of this garbage and get this, that salesman I told you
I was talking to said Pirilli just fired his used car manager for stealing
on under the table deals with wholesalers.”
Tom rubs his forehead, “Listen, I want you to find out who this used
car manager is and what his bio looks like. He just might be a little
pissed at Pirilli about now and who knows where that could take us?”
Paul replies, “Okay, Chief, I’m on it.”
“Hey Paul, you’re doing a great job, thanks!” says Tom as he gazes
out the window at the traffic below.
Paul walks out the door. “No sweat, Boss.”
Anthony and Terri arrive back in the city on Sunday evening. Both are
very tired as a result of too much party and plenty of sun exposure. In
addition, spending a lot of time on the water tends to affect one’s
equilibrium. The two exchange parting pleasantries and Anthony
begins his final ten miles home. This is the first time that he has been
alone since Thursday morning and he begins to think about the state of
the dealership. He starts to realize that by being gone as much as he has
he might be losing his grip on the financial affairs. Ironically, he
suddenly realizes that he failed to charge his cell phone all weekend.
He reaches over, picks it up and discovers it is completely discharged.
He then pulls his car charger from the glove box, plugs it in and turns
on the phone. The display indicates that there are multiple voicemail
messages.
Pete Civinelli, the sales manager, has left several urgent messages.
In addition, Marge has left him several messages also and informs him
of Paul Werner’s visit on Friday. He knows that he should call them
both at home, but he is just too exhausted. It will have to wait until
tomorrow.
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31. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
A Monday morning wake-up call from Pete comes early. “Anthony,
Jesus, where have you been? I’ve called everywhere trying to find you.
How come I couldn’t reach you on the cell phone? All hell is breaking
loose around here!”
Anthony interrupts Pete, “Okay Pete, calm down…. What is going
on?”
Pete, as mentioned earlier, has a gruff exterior; however, he is very
insecure and is constantly worried about losing his job. He begins to
tell Anthony his tale of woes. “You know that dentist we sold that
green 300E, Dr. Shields?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
Pete continues, “You remember we decided to put him in the one
with miles on it. Well, he came back in Friday and pitched a bitch. He
said the car he was buying only had ten miles on it and he wanted to
know why we delivered him one with thirteen hundred miles. I tried to
tell him it wouldn’t affect his warranty, but he got all pissed off then
and wanted out of the deal.”
Anthony was gritting his teeth, “Well, why didn’t you just tell him
it was a mistake and put him in the one he wanted?”
Pete insisted, “I tried that, but by then he was so mad he insisted on
backing out of the deal and getting his down payment back. Marge told
me there was no way she could do that and that’s why I was trying to
find you. This guy has already called that action news investigator guy
and says he’s going to the prosecutor. What was I supposed to do?”
“You were supposed to take control of the situation, damn it! That’s
why I pay you a hundred grand a year. What the hell, do I have to be
there every damn day! Get Marge on the phone.” While holding for
Marge, Anthony wonders what she’ll have to say about Paul Werner’s
visit.
“Hi Anthony, this is Marge, why didn’t you return my calls on the
weekend?”
“Damn it, Marge, my phone was dead, what’s the problem?”
Marge responds, “Well, that guy from the Attorney General’s office
showed up Friday and said he needed access to all the files.”
“How long was he there?”
“About two hours.”
“Did he ask about any particular cars or delivered units?”
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32. G. DANIEL PERNELL
“Yes, and he wanted copies of some of the MSOs.”
“Did you have those letters in the files that needed them?”
“Yes, and he wanted copies of those too. I think the shit’s about to
hit the fan around here. I suggest that you come in and at least settle
Pete down. The poor guy’s about to have a heart attack.”
“Okay, Marge, I’ll be there in an hour.”
Anthony arrived at Pirilli Imports at 9:15 AM, where Pete meets him
as he is getting out of the car and begins apologizing for the situation.
“Anthony, I’m sorry about this, but you can’t believe this peckerwood
goin’ off on me like a madman right in the showroom!”
“Well, do you blame the guy?” Anthony replies. “We tried to fuck
him and he caught us.”
As they walk through the showroom toward Anthony’s office he
tells Pete to bring him Dr. Shield’s phone number. He walks into his
office, sits down at his desk and calls Marge. “Marge, I’m here. Bring
in any files that that investigator wanted copies from, oh, and bring
current financials.” He begins to page through the stack of pink
message slips sitting on his desk. He notices four separate messages
from “the boys” representative Steve DeLuca, also known as Stevie.
Pete walks in with the file on Dr. Shields’ delivery.
“So, where is the car?” Anthony asks.
“He’s still driving it. He said when he gets his money back he’ll
bring the car. Actually, he said we could bring him his check and get
the car.”
Anthony slams his hand on the desk and says, “Well, that’s great,
we can’t get him to take it with thirteen hundred miles on it and now
we’re gonna get it back with twenty-five hundred fuckin’ miles! How
much money were we making on this deal?”
Pete states that the gross profit was eight thousand two hundred
dollars before paying the salesman thirty percent. “We got another
problem, though,” Pete tells Anthony. “We already sold his trade.”
Anthony keys some numbers into the calculator and asks, “What
wholesaler has it?”
Pete replies, “We retailed it to some lawyer chick.”
“Oh well, that’s just fuckin’ great!” says Anthony. “Leave me the
file and go see if we can sell some cars, and let’s have deals without
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33. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
hair on ‘em, damn it. Hey Pete, close my door.”
Anthony places a call to Dr. Shields as he notices Marge heading for
his office. He holds his hand up signaling five minutes through the
glass wall. “Doctor, this is Anthony Pirilli of Pirilli Imports, have you
got a few minutes?”
Dr. Shields responds, “If you’re calling to tell me you have my
check ready.”
“Doctor, I’m really sorry about this mess. I’m not sure why it
happened, but I want to make it right and want to earn your business.
What can I do to keep you as our customer?”
“Try being honest for starters. You guys tried to stick me with a
different car than I agreed to buy. That’s about as dishonest as it gets.”
“Once again, Doc, I don’t know why this happened, but I do not like
it myself one bit. Let me make this proposal. I’ll have the original car
you wanted to buy detailed and ready by noon today and I’ll give you
a check for three thousand dollars to boot for your troubles. You have
to admit, I’m trying hard here.”
Dr. Shields hesitates for a few seconds. “Well … I guess I’ll do that,
but I don’t want to deal with that Civinelli character.”
“That is no problem,” Anthony assures him. “I will personally be
available and I want to thank you for your courtesy. See you at noon?”
The doctor responds, “Yes, I’ll be there.”
One fire is out and now it is time to visit with Marge. She explains
that the cash flow has actually been improving, due in large part to
service and parts department revenues. They also have a large
insurance payment coming in today as the result of a hail storm that
damaged cars in inventory. It appears that with a strong sales month
they could be in a much-improved posture. Anthony tells Marge that
he is very concerned about the re-visit by Paul Werner. He wants to try
to clean up the outstanding sales and tells Marge that this is priority
and to use the insurance funds toward that purpose. At this point,
Anthony felt that at least if he got caught up by paying off the cars that
had been sold and traded for, he could potentially avoid further
concerns with investigators.
Now he must call Steve DeLuca and determine what “the boys”
have on their minds. “Hey Stevie, how are ya?”
“Okay, Anthony, what took so long to get back to me?”
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34. G. DANIEL PERNELL
“I was at the lake and I forgot to charge my phone, sorry about that.”
“Well, that is part of the reason that I called you. The guys heard
about your new boat, how much did that cost?”
“Well, Stevie, it’s not that bad, I got twenty-year financing, you
know?”
“Yeah, that’s good, Anthony, but you been telling us that business
was slow and then we hear you bought this boat. It just doesn’t add
up.”
“I know what you’re saying, Stevie, but things have been getting
better and I think we’ll be out of the woods before long. Tell ‘em
everything’s okay, would ya, Stevie?”
“I wish it was that easy, Anthony. I mean that’s good what you’re
telling me and all, but the other reason I called you is that sources are
telling us you’re under investigation by the Attorney General’s office.
What’s that all about?”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s an investigation, Stevie, I just think we had
a couple complaints about getting titles to people. It should blow over
soon.”
“They got people out asking questions about you. They’re trying to
find out who you’re in business with and that’s not good. I need you to
tell me that you got your books right and there is nothing in there tying
us to you.”
“Absolutely, I guarantee it, Stevie. We’re good to go.” Anthony
hangs up and wonders what is next.
34
35. CHAPTER 9
“Okay, folks, that’s it, meeting adjourned.” Tom Williams has just
concluded a staff meeting. “Paul, would you stick around?” The staff
exits the conference room and Tom visits with Paul for an update on
the Pirilli Imports investigation. Paul explains that finding a definitive
link between Pirilli and potential partners has not materialized yet. He
informs Tom that he has located Terry Gilbert and that he is operating
as a wholesaler. “Let’s get this Terry in here and have a talk, Paul.”
Paul replies, “No problem. By the way, the guy is on parole. He
spent three years at Leavenworth for pushing drugs.”
“Oh really?” says Tom. “Good, let’s get his butt in here right away.
This gives us some leverage to work with on this guy.”
Two days later in the same conference room we find Tom, Paul and
Terry Gilbert. Terry appears calm and not nervous. Tom takes his time
beginning the conversation while shuffling through papers. It is deathly
quiet for five minutes, which seems like twenty to Terry. “What are we
waiting for here? I’ve got things to do.”
Tom peers up at Terry over the top of his glasses and says, “Are you
still sellin’ drugs?”
Terry replies, “Why, what do you need?”
“Is that the way you want to play this, son? Cause if it is, you’ll be
here all day, you understand? Son, we know all about you and we’re
not impressed. You want to come out of this on the best side you can,
then I suggest you listen to me and answer my questions without any
bullshit. Capesh? We’re not here today to break your balls and throw
you back in the slammer; however, that remains an option if you don’t
want to work with me.”
Terry remarks, “Do I need to call an attorney?”
“Only if you’re not willing to work with us. I want to talk with you
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36. G. DANIEL PERNELL
about your past employer, Anthony Pirilli. We already know most of
what we need to incarcerate his ass, but we want a few more details for
clarification. Did you see the movie Training Day?”
“Yeah.” replies Terry.
“Okay then, you wanna go to jail or you wanna go home?”
“I get the picture,” Terry indicates.
“Okay, first question. How long did you work at Pirilli?”
“From when we opened until two months ago.”
“Did you work with Pirilli before that?”
“Yeah, at Steinberg Jag and Audi.”
“What did you do there?”
“Well, Anthony was the used car manager and I was assistant
manager. I desked deals when he wasn’t around and got the cars
detailed and shit.”
“Who owns that place?”
“Jerry Steinberg.”
“What was his story?”
I don’t know, he’s Jewish, ya know, he just made a lot of money.
That’s really all I know, he wasn’t around much. The G.M. was Harvey
Seidel and he’s the only one I saw much of.”
“So, let me ask you something. Pirilli has quite a reputation as a
ladies’ man, how about you?”
“I do all right.”
“Did you guys ever do the same girl at the same time?”
“What’s your point?”
“I guess I just want to know how good your friendship was?”
“I still consider him a friend.”
“Okay, let’s get back to Steinberg Jag. Did you guys ever take
money under the table over there? And hey, I already know why you
and Pirilli split the sheets.”
“You’re telling me that anything I say isn’t going to screw me
over?”
“As long as you come completely clean with me, you have nothing
to worry about, but if you fuck me around your address will be right
back there at Leavenworth.”
“How do I know that you have anything on me to do that?”
“Well, you don’t, but just think about a couple gals you hooked up
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37. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
with about a month ago. What was her name, Paul, Sherry?”
“I think that’s right Tom,” replied Paul.
“You do the math, as they say, and don’t think that I don’t have
more.”
At this point, Terry has been pretty well convinced that Tom has a
line on his activities. He decides that in his own best interest he had
best cooperate. “Okay, so what do you want to know?”
Tom asks, “Who is Pirilli’s money? Who put him in business?”
Terry became flushed. “I’ll tell you, but you have to guarantee me
that I’m not gonna get exposed on this.”
“Look,” says Tom, “nobody besides you, me and Paul here is gonna
know shit about this conversation. Just tell me who is involved and you
can go home.”
“I don’t know everybody beyond Stevie DeLuca, but I’m pretty sure
that he works for Phillip Castelano and Carmen Rinaldi.”
“So, if you had to guess, and I’m sure you know, they are pulling
money out of Pirilli’s operation, right?”
“Yeah, they’ve been hitting him pretty hard and it seems like it’s
never enough. Listen, I really don’t want to fuck Anthony over. I know
you think I would because he fired me, but I don’t. So, are you going
to work around him?”
“Listen Terry, I’d like to share in your enthusiasm for Pirilli, but the
guy fucked up and he’s gonna have to pay for it. Hell, I should be
putting your ass back in jail, it’s not like you’ve been a saint.”
Terry asks, “Okay, are we done then?”
“Just a couple more questions and you’re out of here. We know that
he’s not been paying off cars that they’ve been selling. What do you
know about that?”
“That’s true,” Terry explains, “but he’s not had a lot of choice
considering what DeLuca’s been demanding. They were literally hands
off until this year and then all of a sudden we couldn’t choke up
enough for ‘em.”
“So, let me get this straight, you’re his best friend, these guys are
hitting him hard and you decide to rip him off doing deals under the
table. Am I confused here?”
“Look, I tried to tell him how we could make things work, but he
wouldn’t listen to me. Stevie started calling me wanting to know shit
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38. G. DANIEL PERNELL
and I bluffed it with him. I decided that we were going down soon and
the money I made on those deals really wouldn’t matter in the end.”
“Okay, son, I got only one more question and you better be straight
with me. Is the old man involved?”
“You mean his grandpa?” replied Terry.
“Yeah, Tony Pirilli?”
“As far as I know, he had nothing to do with the store. He’s a good
guy, please don’t fuck with him.”
“Okay,” Tom says. “You’re out of here. For the record—this
conversation never happened unless you screw up and tell somebody.”
38
39. CHAPTER 10
Anthony is in his office trying to make numbers work when Pete
interrupts. “Anthony, do you know this guy Jerry Beam?”
“Yes, I know him. Is he here?”
“Yeah, he’s throwing your name around like he owns the place.
What do you want me to do?”
Anthony looks up from his desk. “Pete, God damn it, can you
handle anything anymore? I gotta tell ya, I’m starting to get pissed. So
okay, he’s throwing my name around. What does he want?”
“Well, he’s got a 740il that he thinks is made of gold. I bid it at
thirty-five grand and I think I’m all over it, but he’s telling Don that he
wants forty-five grand.”
“Okay, so you’re telling me that you’re all over it at thirty-five and
what, he wants to talk to me?”
“Yeah, for some fuckin’ reason he thinks you’ll see the light.”
“All right, look, I don’t want to get involved, so just tell him that
you talked to me and I said we’ll give him thirty-eight grand and a free
loaner car anytime he needs service. Pete, can you do this? I’m worried
about you lately. You’re the best damned salesman I ever met. Get it
done, would you?”
For the most part Anthony feels as though he has a handle on things.
Even though Pete is acting a little weak, he has taken over the used cars
and has not asked for additional compensation. Pete might be insecure,
but one thing he felt he could count on was his loyalty. This was true.
Pete would have gone to jail before telling anything he knew. Even
though Terry has been a friend with Anthony since childhood, the lack
of the Italian connection is clear. Terry will talk and Pete won’t and
that’s just the way it is.
This has been a long day. Anthony is tired and just wants to go
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40. G. DANIEL PERNELL
home and crash. As he throws a couple things in his briefcase the
receptionist tells him he has a call. “Listen, Stacey, just take a message,
okay?”
Stacey replies, “Are you sure you don’t want to take it? It’s G’s wife
Jean.”
He rubs his forehead and says, “Thanks Stacey, yeah, I’ll take it.”
“Anthony, how are you?” asks Jean.
As much as he wanted to say, ‘Life Sucks!’ he cordially responded,
“Jean, I’m good, how are you?”
“Excellent!” she says. “Say, listen, G and I are not going to be at the
lake this weekend. We’re going to Vegas and we want you and Terri to
join us. What do you say?”
Anthony was intrigued at the prospect of joining them in Vegas;
however, he really thought he would be best served staying around the
dealership this weekend. His confidence in Pete was waning and he just
thought that possibly the salespeople might try a little harder if they
knew he was around. “Jean, are you kidding? There is nothing I would
rather do than to spend the weekend with you and G in Vegas. Listen,
I’ve got a few challenges here that will prevent me from joining you,
but I’d sure like to make it happen sometime.”
“Anthony, I’ve got to tell you. G told me to call and invite you and
Terri and not take no for an answer. Listen, he’s very fond of you and
guess what?”
Anthony replies, “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Well, don’t be afraid, just be on time, G paid for your airline
tickets and your room at the MGM Grand.”
“Jean, I’m flattered. Are we talking about this weekend?”
“Absolutely, in fact, G’s secretary is going to fax you a complete
itinerary.”
Oh boy, it seems as though there is not much room to wiggle out.
“Thanks, Jean, you are very persuasive. We’ll plan to see you. I’ll look
for the fax. Tell G hello and thanks.”
Friday morning rolls around and believe it or not Anthony is the first
person to arrive at Pirilli Imports. It is not that he intended it that way,
it is more in the fact that he is having trouble sleeping lately. If he is
not having difficulty falling asleep then he has managed to get to sleep
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41. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
and is awakened by nightmares. His nightmares of late have been both
frightening and realistic. He has had dreams of being in prison for all
of his misdeeds. He has also dreamt of never making it to prison when
Stevie shows up with several associates.
He takes a walk around the store, past the sales offices through the
service department and around the building eyeballing the vehicles and
how they are lined up. At precisely 8:20 AM Pete Civinelli comes
through the door. Even the music system is off and one could almost
hear a pin drop.
“Pete,” Anthony hollers, “give me your first five minutes.”
Pete has to go to the little boy’s room after drinking two cups of
Starbuck’s on the way in. He is surprised that Anthony is there so early
and begins to think that he is about to be fired. While taking care of his
business he is thinking about how he will defend his position. He joins
Anthony expecting the axe to fall.
“Pete, I have to be gone this weekend. I really wanted to be around
here to put some heat on these salesmen to get some cars sold. I want
to have a sales meeting this morning instead of tomorrow. I’m gonna
allude to the idea that I am going to be here so these guys don’t lay
down on us. Did you run those ads that are supposed to start today?”
Pete indicates that he did. Anthony continues, “Pete, I know I’ve given
you some shit lately, but you know there’s a lot of pressure on and
frankly I’m running scared and I think you ought to be too. I don’t want
to let any deals get away from us starting today. I mean even, if we’re
only gonna make a grand, let’s roll the son of a bitch, okay?”
“Whatever you say, Anthony, we can do it.”
“All right, I have to leave at 1:00 PM so let’s have this meeting with
the guys at 10:30. At least we know that Veronica will be here by then.
I want everybody in this meeting, no exceptions. If somebody is with
a customer, I want you to talk to the customer and tell him or her that
we’re having a special meeting that won’t last long. Let them know it
will mean substantial savings for them and ask them to have a cup of
coffee and be patient. Pete, don’t let ‘em walk, and I’ll see everybody
in the conference room at 10:30 sharp.”
Anthony is going to control this meeting from start to finish. He wants
it to be upbeat; however, the goal is a significant impact on sales.
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42. G. DANIEL PERNELL
“Good morning everyone,” Anthony begins. “Hey Gary, where did you
get that tie, the circus? I’m just kidding. If it makes you feel good,
more power to you. Okay, you guys know we usually have our sales
meeting on Saturday, so this is unusual. I’m gonna do my best to
convince you that starting today you’re gonna double your sales and
make some serious money. First, I know there are some rumors flying
around here that we have problems. Pete, as far as I know you’ve all
gotten your paychecks on time, right?”
“Absolutely!” replies Pete.
Anthony continues, “We don’t have any problems that we can’t
handle and they are being resolved as we speak. So, do yourself a favor
and just concentrate on selling cars, okay?
“Second, I know you’ve been making more money since we started
holding back on bids. Don, you picked up an extra three grand this
month so far, right?”
“Yeah,” Don acknowledges.
“Okay, here is the deal. Pete has some great ads running starting
today. He’s gonna pass them out to you now. This place should be
crawling with people and I expect the phones to ring off the wall.
You’re gonna think I lost my mind when you see these ad prices and
our competition is going to think so too. Don’t worry about what
you’re gonna make, because I’m gonna pay a minimum of six hundred
bucks on every deal. What you have to do is work smart and ask for
commitments. It’s not gonna do us a lot of good if we take a long time
with these customers. Get ‘em landed on a car and ask ‘em to buy it.
Nothing changes on trades, we can still hold back on the bids,
especially at these prices. If somebody walks out of here and buys a car
up the street it’s because they ran into a salesman there and not here!
The key here again is don’t waste a lot of time making friends out of
these people. Ask for the order, get the deal and then get another one.
Everybody with me? That’s right, nod your heads up and down, not
sideways.” He chuckles.
“All right, lastly, I haven’t even told Pete about this, but here is the
deal. You can all make big money this weekend starting today. On
Monday I’m gonna give twenty-five hundred in cash, not a check, but
twenty-five crispy one-hundred dollar bills to the person with the most
units sold by noon. So, you have from the time you walk out of here
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43. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
today until noon on Monday for your deals to count. Now, one last
thing. How many ways are there to ask ‘em to buy? Plenty right? You
know my favorite—‘Go for it!’ So, let’s go for it! Good luck!”
43
44.
45. CHAPTER 11
The plane landed in Las Vegas at 2:30 PM. After gathering their
luggage Anthony and Terri noticed a man holding a sign bearing the
name “Pirilli”. It turns out that G had arranged a private limousine for
the short trip to the MGM Grand. On the way to the hotel they enjoyed
the magnum of champagne awaiting them in the vehicle. It was already
shaping up to be a long evening. The limo driver informed them that
they would be G’s guests for dinner at the lower level steak house at
the Bellagio. He indicated that he would pick them up at 4:45 PM.
After check-in the bellman introduced them to the spectacular suite that
G had arranged for them. Another magnum of champagne appeared on
the living room coffee table along with a note. “See you at 5:00!”
What to do with roughly an hour and a half? Terri made the decision
easy as she began slipping out of her clothes. “I’m heading for the hot
tub,” she said while removing pieces of clothing along the way. “Will
I be alone?” she hinted. Anthony grabbed the champagne and the
glasses and followed the garment trail. After fifteen minutes or so in
the tub sipping their champagne and caressing one another Terri stood
up and stepped out. She stood at the vanity as Anthony approached her
from behind. They smiled at each other in the mirror as Terri leaned
down and rest her forearms on the countertop. As she spread her feet
apart she felt Anthony’s hands caress her buttocks. She could feel her
own moistness building in anticipation as his hardness began fondling
her genital area. Once again, their eyes would connect in the mirror just
as penetration occurred. Anthony saw himself in the mirror as Terri
lowered her head during intercourse.
His mind was suddenly struck with the events that had occurred
involving Paul Werner’s visit to the dealership. He rapidly lost his
erection and withdrew himself from Terri.
“What’s wrong, Anthony?” she asked.
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46. G. DANIEL PERNELL
“I don’t know, I’m sorry. It doesn’t have anything to do with you.
I’ve got a lot going on at work. I guess we should probably get ready
for dinner.”
“Okay. I’ll just be a few minutes in the shower,” she states.
Anthony lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was the
first time that he had literally been stricken with a panic attack. He told
himself not to panic, but his physiological self wasn’t buying in, and
probably with good reason. What if they knew more than he thought?
What if it went deeper than just the complaints he knew about? Why
did Paul come back to the store while he was at the lake? Did Terry
Gilbert go to the authorities after he got fired? Surely not, not with his
skeletons. It was then that he realized it was just not knowing that had
taken him over. It certainly would not be good if they knew about
DeLuca and “the boys”. No, that would not be good, in deed.
The driver assisted Terri as she exited the limo at the Bellagio. It is a
beautiful hotel and the water jets in the lake out front dance with
perfection to the crooning of the “Chairman”, Frank Sinatra, in an
awesome water and light show. Downstairs the Maître d’ escorts the
two to the table where Jean and G are sampling their glasses of Merlot.
“Anthony, Terri, you made it,” exclaims G. After both respond
Anthony shakes G’s hand and thanks him for the incredible
accommodations. “My pleasure, we’re just glad you could make it.”
states G as he waves at the waiter. “Shawn, please get our friends a
drink.” Terri asks Jean if they knew the waiter, to which she replied
that this was one of G’s favorite haunts and that the food and service
were superb.
46
47. CHAPTER 12
It was indeed a long night and most did not see a pillow before 3:00
AM. Although Anthony is not much of a golfer, G insists that he round
out the foursome the next day. And though he was not looking forward
to playing, ironically he found it most enjoyable and relaxing.
However, when he teed up for the eighteenth hole it happened again.
Another panic attack, just as it had happened the previous day. It
occurred without warning and a warm flush came over him. He picked
up his ball and walked back to the cart.
“Are you okay?” asked G.
“I really think I’m done, G,” replied Anthony.
G responded with, “Yeah, that’s okay. You probably just need a
good Bloody.”
After their round the guys hung out for a while at the clubhouse,
where a couple of Bloody Marys really did do wonders for Anthony’s
condition.
“I’ll bet that’s the first Bloody you’ve had made with Clamato mix,
huh?” asked G.
“Yeah, I’ve always had the traditional mixes. These are great!”
stated Anthony.
G ordered two more as Anthony resigns himself to another long
evening of cocktails and whatever.
As they sit and chat, out of nowhere Anthony says, “I think I might
be in some big trouble, G.”
G laughs and says, “Awe, don’t worry, I’m not gonna drag you back
out on the links.”
Anthony laughs along for a minute and then states, “No, G, I’m
serious. I’ve got some big problems.”
“Okay, what’s up? Did you buy some bad tech stocks or what?”
Anthony tells G that he thinks he is being investigated by the
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48. G. DANIEL PERNELL
Attorney General’s office.
“Are you talking state or federal?” asks G. He tells G it is the state,
but the Feds could get involved also. “Is this a tax thing, Anthony?”
Anthony goes on to explain that taxes might be an issue, but he
thinks it is something else right now. “You see, we’ve had serious cash
flow problems for a while, and well, I did some things I shouldn’t have
to keep the business afloat.”
G asks, “Okay, can you give me some examples?”
Anthony explains in detail the situation which led to not paying off
cars, which in turn led to the company operating out of trust. He
detailed how his cars are financed with his bank on what is referred to
as a “Floorplan Agreement” and that they are to be paid off when they
are sold. He further told G about the MSO titles that are required to be
given to the purchasers shortly after delivery and how that had become
a problem.
“Okay, so what you’re telling me is that you have waited the full
thirty days to provide your customers with the MSO and they only have
thirty days to register the vehicles?”
“Not exactly,” replies Anthony, “we’ve actually stretched out to
ninety days in some cases.”
G responds, “I don’t get it. How do you get away with that, aren’t
customers screaming because they can’t register their cars?” Anthony
explains how they have blamed it on the manufacturer not getting them
the MSO, which of course is not true. At times they have given
customers additional thirty-day permits for their cars even though it is
not legal to do so. He has reimbursed customers for late registration
charges.
“All right, I understand what’s going on and that it’s not on the up
and up, but if people are tolerating it, where are you in this serious
trouble?”
Anthony tells G that not everyone is tolerant and that complaints
have been made to the A.G.’s office. He further explains the first visit
by Paul Werner and that he thought he had satisfied them with his
explanation. He tells G that he is trying to get caught up on the
outstanding deliveries, but that while he was at the lake the investigator
came back to the dealership. “Marge tells me he went through all of the
files and made a substantial number of copies. I’m afraid that they have
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49. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
figured it out.”
“Okay, Anthony, I think you’re telling me this because you want me
to help you. Am I right?”
Anthony replies, “Well, yeah, I really don’t know what to do.”
“Have you consulted Moran about this?”
“No, it would freak him out and it’s not his area.”
G tells Anthony that it is not his area either, but that he will get Brad
Wright in his firm involved. He further tells Anthony that he must fully
disclose everything to Brad. Anthony acknowledges affirmatively.
“Brad’s a good man, it’ll be all right. Let’s deal with it as soon as we
get back and in the meantime let’s have a good time while we’re here.”
Anthony agrees and somehow, as if an anvil had been lifted from
him, he felt like he had been absolved of his crimes. Once again, life
was good and by God he and Terri would spend the next twenty-four
hours in Vegas having a great time. And so it was, even sex was no
longer a problem.
49
50.
51. CHAPTER 13
The return flight was comfortable and arrived home in time for
Anthony to get a good night’s rest. He had not talked to Pete, and
believe it or not Pete had not tried to reach him. Anthony was anxious
to get into the store Monday morning and tally up the weekend sales
results.
Upon arriving, once again Pete met him at the car door. He hoped
it would be good this time and it was. Pete was excited. The store had
had its best weekend for sales in nearly two years. In addition, they
potentially had three more deals that would finalize by noon. Anthony
sent Pete to the bank to get twenty-five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills
for the noon sales award.
Anthony settled into his office after touching base with each
salesperson and congratulating them on their great weekend
performance. He began shuffling through his messages and noticed that
G had already called about setting up a meeting with Brad Wright. This
was good, as he now knew for sure that G was in his corner. There was
also a message from Stevie that was check marked “urgent”. Since
there had been a delay in responding to him previously he decided it
best to make that his first call. The official books of the business did
not reflect the payments to “the boys”. This meant that the books had
to be cooked in such a manner as to create departmental expenses that
never existed. Anthony hoped Stevie wasn’t looking for another
increase.
“Stevie, it’s Anthony. How are ya?”
“Yeah, hold on,” Stevie replied as he cleared his office of the people
he had been visiting with. “Anthony, we got a shit storm brewing!”
“What do you mean?” Anthony queried.
“You remember our last conversation? I told you we heard you were
under investigation. Well, it’s a fact and it looks like your buddy Terry
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52. G. DANIEL PERNELL
is right in the middle of it laying down for ‘em. I don’t have to tell you
that Phil and Carmen don’t like this a bit. Are you sure your phones are
clean?”
“Well, hell, I don’t know, Stevie, based on what you’re telling me.”
“Call me right back on my cell phone and call from your cell
phone,” Stevie commands.
“Yeah, Stevie, it’s me, Anthony.”
Stevie responds, “Here’s the deal. I don’t think we can let Gilbert
fuck us up, you understand?”
“Look, Stevie, I just don’t believe he would do that.”
“Anthony, you ever hear of a guy named Tom Williams?”
“No, should I have?”
“He’s the Chief Investigator in the A.G.’s office and he’s a hard-
nosed prick. Your buddy Terry spent two hours with him and the word
is they’re planning to bust you.”
“Stevie, with all due respect, where do you get this information?”
“Look, Anthony, that don’t matter. Phil and Carmen pay me a lot of
money to keep this kind of shit from happening.”
“So, what are they supposed to be busting me for?”
Stevie raises his voice in response, “What am I, some sort of fuckin’
crystal ball? I don’t know what they got on you, but again I’m telling
you that Phil wants Gilbert out of the picture. I’m just telling you so
you don’t go ballistic and do something stupid if something happens to
him. You hear me?”
“Okay, Stevie, I understand.”
“We’ll talk later, Anthony, okay?”
“Yeah, Stevie, yeah.”
Oh, for God’s sake, Anthony thought, what is happening? He is by
no means a good boy himself, but he has never been associated with
murder. Even though he and Terry had had a falling out, they’ve been
friends since they were kids. Anthony makes a call to G and sets up his
meeting with Brad. He then calls Terry Gilbert. “Terry, it’s Anthony.”
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Terry replies.
“Where are you right now?”
“I’m just up the street from you bidding a car.”
“Well, I’m telling you, get over here as soon as you’re done. It’s
important!”
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53. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
“I didn’t know I was still taking orders from you?”
“Hey, you dumb peckerwood! This is no joke, I just got off the
phone with Stevie. You’d best get here ASAP!”
Terry arrives at Pirilli Imports twenty minutes later. Don Radcliffe, the
top salesman, greets him as he enters the store. “Hey Terry, good to see
you back. Are you and the ‘Don’ gonna patch things up? We could use
you back!”
Terry replies, “Hey Don, yeah, you never know. Is he in his office?”
“I think so, hell, I can’t see around those trees he’s got in front of his
office.”
Terry sits down with Anthony, who picks up the phone and tells the
receptionist to hold his calls. He gets up and closes the door. “Well,
Terry, thanks to you this conversation may not be private.”
“Okay, so what does that mean?” Terry asks.
“Hey, I’m not the dumb fuck talking to the law! All I can say is that
Stevie DeLuca thinks you spilled your guts and I can’t convince him
otherwise. You know where I’m going with this?”
Terry asks, “So what does he want to do, kill me?”
“What do you think, Terry?”
“Anthony, I didn’t do shit. They hauled me in, I didn’t call them.
Can we call Stevie, I can explain everything to him?”
“Honestly, Terry, I think that would be a bad idea. Phil has already
told him what he wants. What you need to do is drop everything, get in
your car and get out of town. If I were you I wouldn’t even go home
first. Have you got money?”
“A couple grand,” says Terry.
“That’s not gonna last. Here, take this credit card, but don’t get
busted using it. I will continue to try and defuse them, but in the
meantime I’m telling you, get the hell out of here, and don’t go to
friends or relatives. You hear me?”
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54.
55. CHAPTER 14
Tuesday afternoon finds Tom Williams and Paul Werner consulting on
the Pirilli case. “I’m ready to call a grand jury up, Paul. You think we
got enough for that at this point?”
Paul responds, “Yeah. Say, I know we don’t need him, but Terry
Gilbert is off the radar screen. You think the wise guys got a clue that
he talked to us?”
“They probably did, damn it! We can’t keep a secret around this
place to save our own lives. I hope he’s got a good hiding place, ‘cause
if he don’t….”
Several weeks later a grand jury is convened. The evidence is sufficient
enough to hand down indictments. In the meantime Anthony has had
several meetings with Brad Wright; however, Wright feels confident
that prosecutors have a solid case. He advises Anthony that under the
best-case scenario he will spend a minimum of seven years on state
charges.
Meanwhile, one investigation spawns others. The Feds have been
apprised of potential unreported income and withholding shortfalls.
The state is also looking at sales tax issues. Somehow, the news media
has discovered that something is up and are calling Anthony and
showing up at the dealership. At this point, G has even decided it best
to distance himself from Anthony.
Anthony is all but despondent. Sales are up and he is down. His
panic attacks have resurfaced and with more regularity. Every day he
wonders if Terry is still alive. He is no longer returning Stevie’s calls,
which could certainly result in personal harm. He has become very
concerned about the well-being of his grandfather Tony.
He’ll have lunch with Tony tomorrow and then go to the lake. There
is little he can do to prevent the inevitable from happening and he just
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56. G. DANIEL PERNELL
has to get away.
“Anthony, marone me, what the hell happened to you?” Tony asks.
“Everything, Grandpa, everything. Have you heard from Steve
DeLuca?”
Tony responds, “Yeah, he called me today. He wants to know if I
seen ya, and why you didn’t call him back. You gotta call him,
Anthony, you know that!”
“I’m worried about you, Grandpa, very worried.”
“Anthony, don’t worry about me. I was a kid with Carmen and Phil,
they won’t bother me. They will leave you alone too, if they know that
you aren’t gonna hurt ‘em, but you gotta call Stevie or they’re gonna
push the panic button.”
Tony pleads one more time to do so and tells Anthony that his
grandmother, Anna Marie, is worried sick about him. Anthony assures
Tony that he will call Stevie.
Later that day Anthony keeps his promise to Tony and places a call to
Stevie. He is not certain how the conversation will go, but he has to try
to diffuse their concerns.
“Anthony, I’m in a hot seat here. You did call me on your cell
phone, right?”
“Yeah, Stevie, I’m on the cell.”
“Look, when you don’t call me I got nothin’ to tell Phil. We got heat
all over and I hear there’s more comin’ from the Feds. I told ya this guy
Williams was a prick and now ya know. So, what the fuck do you want
me to tell Phil?”
“Stevie, just tell ‘em not to worry. The books are clean and I’m
certainly not gonna say anything.”
“What about your bookkeeper?”
“She knows she can’t say anything.”
“So, what if she does?”
“I don’t know, Stevie, what do you want me to say? Just like I told
you that Terry won’t talk, she won’t either.”
“Well, Anthony, you can be sure that Terry won’t talk and I suggest
that you tell that to this Marge.”
“Oh man, what are you telling me, Stevie?”
“You know, Anthony, I don’t have to spell it out for you.”
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57. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
“Stevie, you know my grandpa doesn’t know shit about the business
or how we’re doing business together, you know that, right?”
“Anthony, nobody’s gonna fuck with Tony. Him and Phil go way
back. Don’t worry.”
The conversation comes to a close and Anthony places his face in
his hands. He knew they would find Terry and his fate was sealed. He
actually begins weeping and finds it difficult to restrain himself. After
several minutes he regains his composure. He begins to wonder, am I
next? What about Marge? He calls her and asks her to come see him.
“Marge, we’re in trouble. I just got off the phone with Steve
DeLuca. He wanted to make sure that regardless of what happens, you
will never mention their involvement here.”
Marge replies, “Well, surely you told him not to worry about me.
Shit, I know who they are.”
“I know, Marge, and I don’t want to scare you, but Terry’s gone.”
“What do you mean he’s gone? Are you saying they killed him?”
“I’m not saying anything except that he is gone for good, okay?”
“Jesus Christ, how did I ever get into this mess? I knew I should
have left a long time ago! Are you saying they’re going to kill me
next?”
“Marge, here is what I am saying. Here is Stevie’s cell phone
number. Call him and tell him yourself that they have nothing to worry
about. Now listen, if you do this I think you’ll be okay. Just go to your
office, close the door and make sure you call him on your cell phone.
One more thing. Be calm and talk to him with assurance and don’t let
him think that you are scared. He’ll be more likely to have confidence
in what you say. Okay?”
“Okay. Shit, I don’t believe this.”
“Marge, calm down and don’t call him until you have!”
“All right, Anthony, okay.”
Next, Anthony calls Pete to his office. “Pete, listen, I’m gonna get
out of here for a few days. The shit is getting deep and I just gotta get
away from it.”
Pete replies, “That’s cool, Anthony, I got ya covered.”
“Pete, you go way back with my grandpa and Carmen and Phil.
Stevie says they’re nervous and they got to Terry.”
“Are you saying they iced him?”
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58. G. DANIEL PERNELL
“Yeah, do you think I’m next?”
“No way! Tony is family, no way! Stevie didn’t say nothin’ like
that, right?”
“No, but I don’t know if I can believe him.”
“Anthony, I’m tellin’ ya, there’s no way, no fuckin’ way, man!”
“All right, Pete, do me a favor and keep things in order around here.
I’m gonna go to the boat and I’ll have my cell with me. Don’t have
anybody call me or mention where I’m at, and listen, tell the these guys
not to talk to any damn reporters, okay Pete?”
“No sweat, Anthony. Be safe, man, you’re blood and you’re gonna
be fine.”
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59. CHAPTER 15
Anthony has been at the lake for three days. He is by himself and since
it is mid-week the docks are pretty well deserted. He has been drinking
heavily and sleeps until mid-morning daily. Today it is warm and
muggy with afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast. He musters up a
cup of coffee and steps out onto the aft deck. There is little activity on
the water, but enough to generate some small waves that gently rock
the boat. Anthony clutches his coffee cup and stares across at G’s Sea
Ray. He muses how that is where it all started for him at the lake and
that led to him sitting on the back of his own yacht. He then thinks
about the irony of his boat’s name “FATE”. What is his fate, he
wonders. It can’t be good. His attorneys have all but assured him that
he will go to jail and this is before the results of further investigations.
Is Pete right about “the boys”? Is he, in fact, blood and is Tony’s
relationship strong enough that they would risk letting him off the
hook? What would prison be like? Terry had told him about
Leavenworth. Awe Christ, he thought, they killed Terry. Why wouldn’t
they kill me, hell Terry only knew a fraction of what I know.
Thursday evening as the sun set over the water Anthony is extremely
depressed. He has been drinking Bloody Marys since 2:00 PM and it
is now 8:00 PM. It is very warm and muggy, however the marine air-
conditioning system of the yacht provides a comfortable environment.
He has not been eating much these past few days, which happens often
to people who are binge drinking. At 10:00 PM he is out of Bloody
Mary mix and mixes his vodka with lemonade. He sits back on the
leather sofa in the salon and drifts off to sleep with his drink in his
hand.
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60. G. DANIEL PERNELL
Friday evening, activity picks up considerably on the docks. The
boaters are arriving with their weekend crews and coolers stocked with
party favorites. Ben Irwin owns the forty-two-foot Viking yacht docked
next to Anthony’s boat. After boarding his boat and bringing weekend
supplies aboard he smells exhaust vapors. He looks around and notices
that the generator is running on Anthony’s Carver. This is most
unusual, because generators are used while the boat is navigating to
power the various systems including the air conditioning. However,
when “in port” they are turned off and replaced by “shore power”
consisting of large yellow extension cords known as shore power cords.
In fact, it is quite dangerous for boats to sit idle in enclosed space with
a generator operating due to the risk of carbon monoxide buildup in
and around the vessel.
Boaters are, in themselves, a tightly knit group. Even if one does not
know another, there is rarely hesitation to lend a hand or to assist a
stranded boater. Ben mentions to his wife that something does not
appear right on Anthony’s boat and suggests that he is going to check
it out. Upon boarding and looking into the salon through the sliding
glass doors he sees Anthony on the sofa. It appears as though he is
asleep, so Ben knocks on the glass. Anthony fails to move, so Ben
continues to knock and yells out Anthony’s name.
When a few minutes have passed, he becomes quite concerned and
attempts to open the door. He discovers that it is not locked and
proceeds to enter the salon. He is immediately overwhelmed himself
by carbon monoxide fumes. Holding his hand over his mouth he
reaches out to Anthony with his other hand. He finds that Anthony’s
lifeless body is cold and stiff. Assuming the worst, he steps outside to
the aft deck for oxygen, fresh air. After a few moments Ben steps back
into the cabin, locates the generator switch and turns it off. He checks
the body once again to confirm his suspicions. Yes, it is true, Anthony
is deceased.
The local authorities removed Anthony’s lifeless body from his yacht.
As a matter of routine, investigators searched and examined the vessel
for foul play. The conclusion was that somebody killed Anthony,
possibly himself. The facts were that he or someone else had plugged
the engine compartment exhaust vents and started the generator,
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61. CARDINAL CULPABILITY
causing the carbon monoxide fumes to back up into the boat’s interior.
Whether Anthony died by his own hand or not will never be known,
at least not by most. As we know, Terry did not die by his own hand,
nor did Marge, who met an untimely end the day after Anthony’s body
was discovered.
Although Stevie attended Anthony’s service, neither Phil nor
Carmen were present. In a moment outside the funeral home Stevie
assured Tony that the deepest regrets were extended by both, who
unfortunately were out of town. Tony accepted the condolences
graciously; however, he suspected that they chose not to be present.
Over the coming months Tony made an unusually high number of
visits to Cerro’s Restaurant. It was almost six months to the day since
Anthony had been laid to rest that Tony made his final visit. Carmen,
Phil and Stevie were dining with their wives as Tony approached their
table. He withdrew a handgun from his pocket and without a word fired
a fatal shot at Carmen. Phil and Stevie hit the floor as their wives
screamed hysterically. Tony walked around the table and fired two
shots into Phil’s back. Inadvertently he had turned his own back on
Stevie, who grabbed a steak knife from the table. As Tony turned to
face his final victim he himself became the final victim.
Phil would survive, however paralyzed from the waist down.
Tom Williams would comment to Paul Werner, “We got more than
we bargained for in the end.”
G and Jean would be reminded of their relationship with Anthony
every time they stepped onto the dock.
Terri had fallen in love with Anthony and would torment in
depression for some time.
Pete still wasn’t sure if Anthony had taken his own life or not, but
he knew that Terry and Marge certainly did not. He lived a guarded
existence until his death by natural causes.
Anthony’s employees now worked in various other dealerships
where the topic of conversation often came around to the events at
Pirilli Imports.
Mercedes signed another franchisee to promote their products at a
new location. Luxury car buyers throughout the city demanded viewing
the MSO at the time of purchase.
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62. G. DANIEL PERNELL
Lastly, Anna Marie Pirilli mourned the deaths of both her husband
and grandson and spent much of her time visiting their gravesites.
For everyone else, life moved on.
*
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