mafia boss luciano dramashorts

Here is a DramaShorts-style script about a young, ambitious Luciano, based on a popular piece of Mafia folklore regarding his strategic brilliance. Title: The Two Plates Character: Young Salvatore Luciano (early 20s) Setting: A low-lit Italian social club, 1920s. The air is thick with cigar smoke and the smell of cheap whiskey. [SCENE START] EXT. SOCIAL CLUB - NIGHT A group of Sicilian old-timers sit at a table, grumbling. They are the "Mustache Petes," the old guard. OLD MAN #1 (slamming a fist) The disrespect! The Irish pigs, the Jewish schmucks... they think they own this city! We speak Italian or we don't speak business! OLD MAN #2 Luciano wants to meet with them. To talk. To share our power. He is a disgrace to the old ways. The door opens. SALVATORE LUCIANO (Charlie) enters. He is sharp, dressed in a modern suit. He nods politely. LUCIANO (calmly) Gentlemen. I heard you were discussing my proposal. OLD MAN #1 (spits) Proposal? You want to break bread with our enemies! Luciano smiles. He takes a seat. He motions to a waiter, who brings over two plates. One is piled high with pasta. The other is empty. LUCIANO (picking up the pasta plate) This is the old way. You fight for this plate. You bleed for this plate. And you only share it with your cousins from Palermo. He slams the pasta plate down. He then picks up the empty plate. LUCIANO (coldly) This plate is empty. He looks around the room. The old men are confused. LUCIANO Right now, you are fighting over that plate you already have. But look at this one. It represents the whole country. The docks, the unions, the politicians. You cannot fill this plate with just pasta. He pushes the empty plate into the center of the table. LUCIANO What do you use to fill an empty plate, gentlemen? (beat) Dollars. And you cannot fill it with just Sicilians. You need the Irishman who runs the trucking. You need the Jew who runs the garment district. OLD MAN #2 (snarling) They are not our family! LUCIANO (leaning in, voice a whisper) No. They are business associates. (he stands up) You can stay in your little club, fighting over noodles. Or you can come with me, and we will build a commission. An organization. We will divide this empty plate together. And we will fill it until it breaks. He picks up the empty plate, holds it high. LUCIANO This is the future. The old world is dead. He turns and walks out. The old men stare at the abandoned pasta. OLD MAN #1 (grumbling) He speaks like an American. [FADE TO BLACK] TEXT ON SCREEN: Luciano went on to modernize the Mafia, creating "The Commission" and becoming the father of organized crime in America. [SCENE END]