<div align="center">PROLOGUE</div><br/><strong>Part 1: The Family</strong><br/><br/><em>Chicago, over the years, has seen crime families rise, rule and be reduced to oblivion. The city has romanced men who lived by the gun and died by it, and continues to do so till the present day. No single family can lay claim to the city's throne, but they all know where they're placed along the food chain. And in the present day scheme of things, those sitting on the apex are the Calitris. Wizened old men in their drunken stupor in the city's bars murmur "There was Colosimo, then there was Capone. And now there is Calitri."<br/><br/>Lorenzo Calitri, the head of this family, rules over the gambling, liquor and hospitality business in the city and several cities close by. The family has its stakes in more than one casino on the Las Vegas strip and owns commercial properties throughout the Midwest and West coast. While some of this are legal "front" business, others have a long paper trail behind them that makes it impossible to trace them to the Calitris.<br/><br/>Of course the Calitris' real source of money - and power - are their "off the books" businesses, which Lorenzo manages with considerable help from his sister Lucrezia. Lorenzo is the mastermind behind perhaps the largest antique smuggling and black-marketing ring in the history of the US, and has his hands dipped into high stakes sports betting as well. And Lucrezia manages a high end escort service for Congressmen, sports stars and celebrities, &amp; can be frequently seen at parties introducing young cocaine snorting Hollywood starlets to the rich and the powerful. <br/><br/>It's only the siblings who get their hands dirty - while Lorenzo's son Leonardo (away studying in the UK) and Lorenzo's second wife Lacey Lynn (merely seven years older than her stepson) have never been introduced to this aspect of their family life. Also occupying a special place in Lorenzo's heart is Catherine Foggarty, a Chicago PD sergeant with whom Lorenzo had a long lasting affair, which got over a while back if rumors are to be believed.<br/><br/>The Calitris, by virtue of their businesses and their elite clientele, have earned access to the corridors of power. Under the graces of leading politicians and diplomats, this family has spread its tentacles far and wide, amassing more and more wealth by the day. Lorenzo plans to go  one step further - establishing foothold in politics. And perhaps his dream may come true when his son Leonardo completes his education in England and comes back home under his father's wings.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the Rossi's and the Peroni's - the two biggest rivals (in whatever small sense they can be called so) to the Calitris - lie forever in wait for a chance to strike a blow to the Calitri empire.<br/></em><br/><strong>Part 2 - The Mansion</strong><br/><br/>(http://www.eplans.com/content-images/common/plans/images/COR0/COR162/COR162-FRCO-PH-CO-LG.JPG)<br/><br/><em>The Calitri mansion is a symbol of opulence befitting the family's numero uno status in the city. The grey and white house is decorated to suit the finer tastes of Lucrezia, and those fortunate to have seen it from inside swear to the artistic perfection of the decor.<br/><br/>The main floor has Lorenzo's Oval Office to one side of the foyer at the entrance and the great hall, dining room, kitchen, an antique collection room and Lucrezia's office to the other. Past the great hall is the way to the swimming pool, spa and the clubhouse at the back.<br/>The lower floor houses the wine cellar and the cigar room.<br/><br/>The upper floor boasts of the master bedrooms and its bathrooms &amp; closets to the left, while three other bedrooms (with attached bathrooms) and a spare room lie to the right. A bridge over the great hall below connects the two sides on the upper level.<br/></em><br/>(http://www.eplans.com/content-images/common/plans/images/COR0/COR162/COR162-LVL1-LI-BL-LG.GIF)<br/><br/>(http://www.eplans.com/content-images/common/plans/images/COR0/COR162/COR162-LVL2-LI-BL-LG.GIF)<br/><br/>(http://www.eplans.com/content-images/common/plans/images/COR0/COR162/COR162-RE1-PH-CO-LG.JPG)<br/><br/><br/><strong>Part 3: The Tragedy</strong><br/><br/><em>(As published in one of the local papers)<br/><br/>Lorenzo Calitri, the eminent businessman with several hotels, bars and casinos to his name, was shot dead by unidentified assailants last night. He'd received multiple gunshot wounds to his chest, and one to his head, a Chicago PD spokesperson said. The incident took place about half a mile away from his residence. No eye-witnesses have come forward so far and the search is on for any clues which could help identify the perpetrators, according to the police.<br/><br/>Sources inside Chicago PD have suggested feud between some of the richest business families, and their ties to illegal activities, to be the reason behind the gruesome killing. Some of them expressed fear of backlash and even a spree of vendetta killings. Chicago PD is taking no chance whatsoever and has decided to pursue the investigation with utmost urgency.<br/><br/>Lorenzo Calitri was a close friend of the mayor, and his hotels often played host to several dignitaries of the state, of national and international stature. This heinous act against a citizen of such status has raised some serious questions about organized crime in the city, as well as law and order arrangements. <br/><br/>Lorenzo is survived by his wife Lacey Lynn - his second marriage after his first wife died sixteen years ago - his son, Leonardo, currently pursuing graduation in Political Sciences from an esteemed university in England, and his sister Lucrezia who helped him the running the various businesses the family was into as well as having a fashion boutique of her own. </em>