Son of the Mob
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Son of the Mob is a book written by Canadian author Gordon Korman in 2002. Although the book is relatively easy to read, it is intended for readers 12 years and up. Korman has also written a sequel titled Son of the Mob 2: Hollywood Hustle.
Characters
- Vince Luca: a 17 year old son of the "mob boss," determined to remain out of his father's business.
- Anthony Luca: "Honest Abe", the mob boss of New York City.
- Mrs. Luca: Anthony's wife, a renowned homemaker whose involvement in the family business is unclear.
- The Uncles: various associates of Anthony Luca, these include "Uncle Bignose," "Uncle Uncle," "Uncle Pampers" and others.
- Jimmy Rat: a local loser who owes money to Anthony Luca and some of the uncles
- Ed Mishkin: another local loser who's in debt to Anthony Luca and some of the uncles
- Kendra Bightly: Vince's girlfriend and the daughter of the FBI agent investigating Anthony Luca.
- Alex Tarkanian: Vince's best friend; whiny, annoying, cold-hearted.
- Ray Francione: an undercover FBI agent in Anthony Luca's mob.
Plot summary
Vince Luca is 17 and the son of the head of the New York mob. Vince doesn't want to be part of his fathers job -- a wish that is (for the most part) respected. Things get more complicated when he realizes that his new girlfriend, Kendra Bightly, is the daughter of the FBI agent (agent "bite me" as Vince's father calls him) trying to send Vince's father to jail.
Vince gets more mixed up in his father's business when he is approached with a tale of woe by local loser "Jimmy Rat." It seems that Jimmy Rat has a severe gambling debt, and some of Vince's "uncles" are planning to break his fingers in order as encouragement to pay the debt. Vince ends up loaning Jimmy a small amount of money, thinking that all will be well when he is paid back.
It turns out that Jimmy has a friend who also owes money -- a debt he is willing to pay by "pulling the plug" on his great grand aunt in order to get his inheritance. Vince feels that he has no choice but to help him as well. Unfortunately, Kendra's father shows Kendra pictures of Vince with the two mobsters. Shortly after words, Kendra breaks up with Vince, thinking that he is a mafia loan shark. To make matters worse, Vince realizes that the two losers are borrowing money in order to pay back a man who is working for his father, making a never ending money circle in which his father gets richer and richer and the men get poorer and poorer. He confronts his father, and the two have a falling out.
At length, Vince realizes that one of his "uncles" is an FBI informant. He confronts the uncle, giving him his personal guarantee that he will not be pursued if he joins the witness protection program. In gratitude, the uncle explains the situation to Kendra, causing them to resume their relationship. After an explosive argument, Vince's father cannot help but by impressed by Vince's bold action in finding the mole and rescuing Jimmy Rat, and their relationship returns to normal as well.
References
Author's Website Jacket Summary & Excerpt Retrieved 17 Jan 2010