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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN THE BODY

BODY OF MARINO TEENAGER PULLED FROM LAKE MICHIGAN

A BODY FOUND IN LAKE MICHIGAN has been identified as Sara Marino, the nineteen-year-old daughter of rumoured Mafia boss and tabloid regular Donata Marino (formerly of the now-defunct Genovese crime family).

Authorities arrived on the scene yesterday morning, after being alerted by a local fisherman who came across the body at the edge of the lake just after 8 a.m.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, the cause of death is currently under investigation. It is not believed to have been accidental.

A family spokesman confirmed the loss to reporters yesterday evening, saying, ‘We are deeply saddened to lose our beloved Sara. She was a creative and compassionate individual with a bright future ahead of her. We will stop at nothing to determine the events leading up to her death.’

The statement comes less than a week after the infamous Eden nightclub brawl, where a member of a rival Sicilian mob, Calvino Falcone, lost his life. Donata Marino, the club’s owner, was taken into custody but was later released without charge. CCTV footage from the event was unavailable due to a systems malfunction in the nightclub. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Neither family has been forthcoming with statements. The FBI have pointed to the murder of convicted murderer Rico Falcone at Stateville Correctional Center earlier today as a possible sign of Marino retribution, raising further suspicion that a war is brewing in the criminal underworld.

The Marino crime family, known colloquially as the Black Hand Mob, is among the five largest Mafia families in Chicago. The hostility between the Falcones and the Marinos was famously brought to public attention during the Chicago crime spree of 1987, which was marked by the Falcone murder of Don Vincenzo Marino, boss of the Marino family, and his wife Linda Harris in their family home. Their sons, Vince Jr and Antony, disappeared after the attack. Over the course of the feud, many Falcones and Marinos lost their lives, while just three arrests were made. The blood war was reignited several years later with the suspected Marino murder of Don Gianluca Falcone outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Though recent times have seen a tradition of peace between Chicago’s foremost criminal families, the events of this week point to the resurgence of their violent rivalry.

Sara Marino was the youngest of five children. Her brothers include Marco, Libero and Franco Marino, who is currently serving life in prison for murder. Her sister, Zola Marino, was recently released from prison after serving a six-year sentence for manslaughter. Sara was active on the Eden club scene and had recently deferred a course to study music at the University of Chicago. She did not have a criminal record.

Funeral details have not been released.