GUNNER

Omnio "King" Falcone, a handsome young criminal mastermind is the heir-apparent to Don "The Butcher" Falcone, the feared and powerful boss of Detroit’s reclusive Mafia faction, known simply as the “Syndicate.” As the last Falcone, King should have the right to his grandfather's criminal empire. But there is one problem. A big one. He is what is know in the Mafia as a “difetto,” meaning of not pure Sicilian blood. As a result, he's been ostracized by much of the Syndicate and even his own family! Many are jealous of his grandfather's preferential treatment and meteoric rise though the underworld ranks. Some want him dead! Others, including members of his own family, pretend to be his ally while plotting against him. Even worse, the Commission, a secret pantheon of Mafia bosses from all over the country, has named his Machiavellian uncle the new Boss, forcing Don Falcone to relinquish his throne.

 

But King is a brilliant tactician and plays the underworld as if it was a chess board, always thinking five moves ahead of his enemies. Even with the odds stacked against him, he rises through the Syndicate ranks, making powerful allies in legitimate business, government, and underworld. Many of the Syndicate's capos have grown to respect and fear him, for he commands a faithful crew of ambitious young wiseguys who have sworn their lives to him. 

 

After years of methodical planning and forming strategic alliances, King is on the brink of finally being accepted by both the Syndicate and Commission. They are even considering allowing him to take the oath of "Omertà," an ancient Sicilian ceremony that would make him virtually untouchable to his enemies. Everything is in place, and the chess pieces are aligned for his masterstroke checkmate, when a beautiful young Mafia princess named Contessa arrives into town from Sicily. Smitten, he decides he must have her as his own. Unfortunately, his arch nemesis—his nefarious cousin Anthony—has already laid claim to her. A war for her affection erupts, fracturing the Syndicate into two waring parties. Many of his once-allies jump ship and side against him, fearing he is far too outnumbered and outgunned to take on the likes of his cousin and uncle. When the smoke clears, King is left serving a life sentence in federal prison, while Anthony is elevated to "Sottocapo," Underboss, ranked second only to his father, Leoni, the Syndicate's new "Capo di tutti Capi," Boss of all Bosses. 

 

But Don Falcone is a crafty tactician himself. He has kept a favor on the books with a powerful Floridian senator for over five decades. And when he finally calls it in, King emerges from prison a free man, having received a rare presidential pardon. After being locked up for 8 years, he returns home with a plan to reclaim what has always been his family, his Famiglia. In prison, he made some powerful allies, Bosses from some of the country's other Mafia Families, particularly Bosses from New York. And they have pledged to support to him if he can help them regain a foothold in the Detroit casino industry. The city is shocked when he shows up out of nowhere and immediately begins rebuilding his crew. But nobody is more surprised than Contessa, the only woman he has ever loved. Read on and see what it takes… TO BE A KING