Entertainer meets mobster live at The Sunset Room

Just read a story about some musicians in Mexico who were killed because they quit too early!  As a musician this hit close to home if you'll pardon the pun.  It reminds me of a time I was playing a new gig at a piano bar and a guy, a large dour looking guy, sits down and mumbles 'you know any Italian songs'? He pronounced the 'I' long, as in 'eye'. I didn't understand him, so he repeats it. I said I didn't know any.  He didn't like that. So he tells me to buy him a beer, to which I said, most people buy the entertainer a beer.  He stares at me.  Something about him reminded me of Luca Brasi from The Godfather, but I didn't know how close I was.  He then asks if I knew 'Green Green Grass of Home' and I didn't but by that time I felt I should at least fake it. It passed, somewhat, I only knew the first verse.  This went on for a while and I noticed that whenever he spoke, the regulars sitting at the piano all went silent. Most peculiar. I took my break, walked in the dim cigarette infused light, past the red vinyl tables, over to the walnut bar where some old guys with young blonds sat nursing martinis and asked the bartender Frank who this guy was that everybody seemed scared of.  "Oh", he says, "That's Tony Gambino, he comes down to LA every few months to do business and always comes in here. Be careful, he's connected". "Connected?" I say, "as in Gambino connected"?  "As in".  

   So my break's over and as I'm climbing up the riser, Mr Gambino, still sitting there hovering over his Budweiser,  tells me to give him my tip money- I had a giant snifter full of cash- some fives, a ten and a lot of ones. ..... Well I don't know if it was the drinks I'd had, or the mood I was in, or what I'd seen on TV as to how you must act in prison towards thugs, but to my amazement I said right off, "No. That's MY money, I earned it and NOBODY takes my tips".  EVERYONE went completely quiet and stared at their drinks. I was silently cussing myself out when he says, "Comon outside, I want to show you something."  Now the way he talked sounded just like Pauli Walnuts or any wise guy you would see on any mob show. Of course I made up some excuse that I had to start playing and he insisted and finally I said ok, knowing that that was probably going to be my last walk on this earth. So we went outside and he shows me his Rolls and asks me what I think. I said its very impressive. And he says in a voice that sounded like his mouth was filled with marbles, "nobody's ever talked to me like that. You got balls kid. How would you like to go to work for me?  Be my driver?"  I was stunned.  I told him I really couldn't.  He asked me how much they were paying me and when I told him he laughed and said that was peanuts, etc.  I finally told him I did it for the love, not the money, and he respected that. We went back inside and he bought ME a beer!  And I played him another butchered version of 'Green Green Grass of Home'.  True story.  

Comments

[Cari Branning]

Holy cow, when did this happen? Remember when we were in Cancun and a man ran into the little roadside restaurant we were at, with a machine gun? Everyone hit the floor and turned their tables sideways to act as a shield, but we were too stupid or American and just sat there. Then the federalies ran in with more machine guns and took the guy away.

[John]

I sure dj remember! NowdYs they would kidnap you and cut your head off!! :)