Page 14

“Okay, guys, rest up, get some food, and be ready to head back to the arena in three hours for the game.”
The guys head upstairs to their hotel rooms to order room service, shower, and nap while I head outside to meet my driver.
I’m using this away game in Florida to meet with a potential business partner. He has more demand than he can keep up with, but he needs more capital to make the product.
We need to expand to a new market since we are constantly fighting with Rossi and the Reapers.
I greet my driver, Mr. Eastly, before getting into the back seat of the fully blacked out car. Mr. Eastly is the personal driver of the Valentino family. He doesn’t speak as he drives me across town to the restaurant where the meeting will be taking place.
When we arrive, I am escorted inside the elegant seafood restaurant to a private room. We pass several patrons who eye me suspiciously. Two men in all black suits stand as Mr. Eastly and I approach.
I reach out to shake the older man’s hand before shaking the younger man’s hand.
“Mr. Marino?” The older man asks.
“Yes sir, but please call me Joey or Joseph.”
“Joey it is. I’m John Valentino, and this is my son, Nicholas.”
“Nick.” He corrects his father.
“It’s nice to meet you both.”
From the research I’ve done, John is the same age as Dad and Nicholas is a couple of years older than me.
The Valentinos dabble in everything. They have been convicted of drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling, money laundering, and protection racketeering.
John gestures to the table. “Shall we sit and eat while we discuss business?”
“That sounds great. I’m starving.”
Nicholas takes the seat next to his father. “So, how do you manage professional hockey and running your family business?”
He looked into my background the same way I looked into his and his family’s background.
“It’s tiring, but we have systems in place to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Plus, my father is always there to keep things running.”
John gives me a questioning look. “He doesn’t travel with the team?”
“He’s not an athletic trainer, reporter, or coaching staff, so there’s no point in him traveling with us. He has other businesses to run and, of course, acquire while I’m gone. Then I get to spend the next few days filling out all the paperwork.”
We share a laugh as the server brings us all a glass of ice water and a chef salad.
Needing to know more about their operation, I ask, “If you don’t mind, can you tell me a little more about what you guys have going on down here?”
The two men share a glance before John speaks. “You should know, we are new to Florida. Most of our businesses are in New York. The family still lives there and handles the day to day. Nick and I moved here in hopes of bringing businesses down here for my retirement.”
This is not what was discussed during the preliminary meeting over the phone. Dad would never have sent me out of the way to meet with someone who is just starting over.
“Do you have any businesses started down here? How established are you two in the community?” I try to keep my voice calm and respectful, but I need to know where they stand.
Nick grabs a folder from the table behind him. “We have this restaurant and two clubs. One is downtown and the other one is at the oceanfront. They are showing progress and are on track to be very profitable, but we aren’t there yet.”
I take the offered folder and flip through their financial sheets. Dad will want me to verify their numbers and make sure the profit/loss sheet is as accurate as it can be, but there’s something promising about starting in a new market.
John clears his throat. “We know it’s a lot to ask for a partnership with us, but we already have clients here begging for more. We have already discussed negotiations with the mayor and the police chief.”
I put the folder to the side and take another bite of my salad. I can look over their paperwork later tonight after the game. “How much product did you come down here with initially, and what were you selling?”