Chapter 27: Hardy’s Uniqueness

"Your boss?" Hardy asked, surprised.

"Yes, the true leader of the Jewish Gang and the master of the Los Angeles underground, one of the Mafia's founders—Mr. Benjamin Siegel, my boss," Fred said with respect.

When the Mafia expanded to Los Angeles, Fred was one of Siegel's trusted lieutenants. After the Jewish gang established itself, Siegel retreated behind the scenes, leaving Fred as the obvious leader.

"Benjamin Siegel."

Hardy recalled a movie he had seen, "A Generation of Lovers," which depicted Siegel's investment and development of Las Vegas. Siegel was a notorious mob boss and head of a hit squad. In the 1940s, he was sent to Los Angeles to take control of the territory. Through ruthless tactics, he established the Jewish gang as a dominant force in the city. Despite his success, Siegel chose to remain behind the scenes and left the management of the gang to Fred. He immersed himself in Hollywood's social scene and became romantically involved with several actresses, eventually falling for Virginia Hill. However, their venture into the Las Vegas casino business ended in failure, Siegel's death, and Hill's suicide.

As Hardy pondered this, the car arrived at a luxurious Beverly Hills manor. They drove through the garden and stopped in front of a grand three-story villa.

The butler led Fred and Hardy to an opulent office where Benjamin Siegel awaited.

"Fred, please have a seat," Siegel said with a smile, then turned to Hardy. "Is this the Hardy you mentioned?"

"Yes, Mr. Siegel, this is Hardy."

"Mr. Siegel!" Hardy greeted respectfully.

Siegel smiled and nodded. "A very impressive young man. Please, sit down." He poured whiskey for each of them.

Siegel was handsome with blue eyes and a polite demeanor, but Hardy knew he was a dangerous man with a history of extreme actions, including a plot to assassinate Mussolini.

Siegel was intrigued by Hardy. He had observed Hardy's actions during the recent robbery and was impressed by his efficiency and the quality of his team.

"You know, I was at the Spaniard's casino yesterday," Siegel remarked.

Hardy was slightly taken aback. "I'm sorry, Mr. Siegel, for disrupting your interest."

Siegel laughed. "I don't mind. Virginia was startled by the news. I had to calm her down for half the night."

"I saw everything you did yesterday. Quick, precise, and effective. Your team performed flawlessly without unnecessary violence. It was one of the best heists I've ever witnessed. Who are your men?"

"They are all my former comrades in arms," Hardy replied.

"That makes sense. After such a brutal war, only the best survived. And it's smart of you to reinforce your team after conflicts with other gangs."

"How much did you manage to steal?" Siegel asked.

"210,000 dollars," Hardy said.

"Quite a sum."

Fred looked at Siegel. "Boss, the gang's share is 63,000 dollars. This money hasn't been deposited yet, and no one else knows about it. How should we handle it?"

Siegel told Hardy to bring the money, and Fred was curious about his boss's intentions.

"Keep the money with me. I have a significant funding gap right now, so let's keep this confidential," Siegel said bluntly.

"Understood, boss," Fred responded.

"By the way, how is the investigation into the wine?" Siegel inquired.

Fred hesitated. "No update yet."

Siegel's expression grew serious. "I've asked a contact to clarify the situation with customs. The best outcome would be to pay the taxes and make the wines legally imported. The tax would be between 200,000 and 250,000 dollars. Do you think we should proceed with this batch?"

Fred hesitated. The high tax meant that even if the goods were returned, they would incur a loss. The gang's share of 15% would not cover the expenses, making it a losing proposition.

Siegel was disappointed by Fred's indecision. Fred had been chosen as the head of Los Angeles because of his obedience, but his development skills and resolve were lacking.

Siegel turned to Hardy. "Hardy, how would you handle this situation?"

Hardy considered the question. "I wouldn't opt to pay the taxes. If customs seizes the goods, it's a business failure. Paying the taxes and retrieving the goods wouldn't be profitable and would waste time. Instead, there's another approach we could try."

"Oh? What's that?" Siegel asked with interest.

Fred also looked at Hardy.

"We could replace the seized wine with a batch of empty bottles filled with inferior red wine. We'd pack and label the inferior wine as the original batch and then bribe customs officials to swap the goods."

"In customs records, only a batch of smuggled wine is mentioned, not whether it's genuine or not. Even if discovered, they wouldn't be held responsible."

Siegel's eyes lit up. Hardy's proposal was indeed clever. The seized wines were premium French red wines worth tens or hundreds of dollars per bottle, while the inferior wine was worth only a few cents. The difference in value was substantial.

Siegel was confident he could manage the customs officials with a bribe.

"You've come up with a very good idea. Fred, retrieve the receipts for the goods and prepare the fake wine. I'll contact Los Angeles Customs to see if we can make this work. If successful, we can recover most of the loss."

Siegel's admiration for Hardy grew. This young man was not only a skilled fighter but also possessed a sharp mind—a rare combination of talents.

"Hadi, are you interested in movies?" Siegel suddenly asked.

Hardy was taken aback by the change in topic. "Movies? I enjoy them."

Siegel smiled. "There's a party at my estate tomorrow night with many film industry professionals, agents, and high-society guests. You should come. And if you have a female companion, feel free to bring her."

Hardy wondered if this invitation was a reward or had a deeper meaning.

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