CS: The Cappollas (Cont.)

The original mansion had only a few rooms in the basement: a wine cellar, a cellar for foods that aged nicely, along with a couple rooms for the detainment of threats, problems, and uninvited guests. The basement was the first of the three big steps of expansion that were started by Tony’s father, Vinny Cappolla. Vinny had a dream of creating a mansion so awe-inspiring that any guest that was invited from the other families and enemies would see it and gasp and bow before their might. He began to build the basement, knocking down walls to move some of the lesser needed rooms on ground level to the basement so that he could knock out the walls on the ground level and make a large gala area. He also began to redecorate everything in a baroque style so that he could fit his desires of creating a mansion reminiscent of the great castles of the European kings. He never finished his work, as he was gunned down while attending the opera, a death that he was warned of though he doubted its truth, as the opera had been too often used as a scene for the death of great men.

Tony had risen to power after he was killed, not holding with his foolish desires to have few bodyguards and being far more practical in his applications for the already fully paid remodelling session. He created a great tunnel that lead down to the beach and made sure that all that had built the tunnel ‘forgot’ about what they had done. Rooms for storage of weapons as well as surveillance were built and camera and alarm systems were run through the entire mansion so that an alarm could be raised easily. The main electrical generators were kept within the basement, allowing the building to continue to run even during a blackout or even if the other generator, which was left outside and around the back as a granter of false security to intruders, was destroyed. The basement was also expanded so that a network of small tunnels that wound and intertwined, Tony and his children being the only ones given the way in or out.

The ground level and upper floors were redecorated in honor of Tony’s father, though much of the upper floors were expanded so that the main office and Tony’s bedroom could be kept near the center and away from the windows. A pool was built outside and around back, so that ocean swimming was not necessary, for Tony was very wary of sniper attacks, especially from the Cubans, who were rumored to have hired militants. The pool was expansive, built with solid marble walls, floor, and a few beautiful statues, not the gaudy type that often decorated such lavish homes. The windows were allowed to stay where they were, though the glass was redone so that the windows facing the road were one-way windows and bulletproof glass replaced all the old window panes. Balconies were reinforced and guard detail was given top priority. The limousine was not rebuilt or redecorated, as Tony rarely left the house, remaining within and working his efforts through others.

As for the actual layout of the upper levels, Tony tried to live up to some of his father’s desires for grandeur. The main dining room, where the Cappolla family, along with their more valuable hired men, ate dinner almost every night, was possibly the most grandiose of the entire house. The great mahogany table, the edges carved with a floral design of roses and thorned vines reached almost the entire length of the forty foot long room. It was able to fit an easy forty people at the table, which was not a rare occasion. The chairs were decorated in a baroque manner, covered with satin, plush padding and carved with a similar floral headboard. A great fireplace roared up behind the head of the table, built with stone and mortar, a beautiful cast iron fireplace allowing a beautiful fire to rise up and light the room, though it was rarely lit. A grandfather clock of massive size, built with gold hands and with a hand-carved cherry wood body stood at the other end, where Tony could gauge the time. Great crystal chandeliers lit the room beautifully, white light pouring over everything, but softly. Along one wall, paintings of the dons, of beautiful Italian scenery, and of patriotic symbols filled each empty space, only ceasing where the door to the dining room and to the remainder of the house were placed. The other side had beautiful cabinets containing some of the finer valuables and relics that the Cappollas had gathered over the years, a few windows allowing the morning and evening light of the foyer to punctuate the room, all the windows still bulletproof. The foyer outside was large and had many seats, several small mood lanterns hung from the roof and also held on lantern poles just outside the railing. It was a vulnerable point, though the tree line had been fully restored by the groundskeeper so that it would be a blindshot for anyone who hoped to kill a Cappolla resting on the foyer.

The kitchen, bathrooms, and servants quarters, which were all kept on the first floor within the main building, as Tony held far more respect for the serving staff than most. He always said: “Respect the man who can kill you the quickest, quietest, and nastiest.” They were all kept absolutely perfect by his staff, as they prided the beautiful living quarters they had. The quarters themselves were decorated just like the rest of the house, with no second rate bedspreads or artwork. Nothing was too small a detail for any portion of the house. The kitchen, too, was meticulous as the hired chef was one who had been brought up through the culinary schools that taught more lessons in pride than cooking. Nonetheless, the chef, who was of course Italian, was a magnificent cook and it was often rumored that, while the Cappollas were so weak in most of their other assets, they were still threatened by the other families who desired their cook. The maids were fiercely loyal, as were the male servants, for they were paid handsomely and Tony treated them very well. What’s more, several of the female staff were quite fond of Tony for other, rather undiscussed, reasons. It was further overlooked by the fact that Tony was not a presence of attractive grace.