Our Thing

In the turbulent aftermath of World War I, Sicilian exile Salvatore Vitali arrives in 1920s New York City, seeking a new beginning-and a new throne. A man shaped by violence and bound by honor, Salvatore quietly begins building a criminal empire within the shadows of Brooklyn, working under the influential Carlo Mancini while cultivating loyalty among Sicilian immigrants. As Prohibition casts its long, profitable shadow, Salvatore steps into the bootlegging game, carving out territory through brutal efficiency and sharp strategy. A marriage to the elegant and enigmatic Rosa strengthens his social standing and deepens his resolve to create a legacy. But as his influence grows, so do the enemies: rival crews like the Russo and DeMarco families, the watchful Lombardis, and traitors within his own ranks. The streets of New York descend into bloodshed as Salvatore engages in a calculated war of attrition. Old alliances fracture. Friends become enemies. Briberies and executions abound. Each move Salvatore makes pushes him closer to the top... and to the edge of self-destruction. By 1929, Salvatore is no longer just a soldier or strategist. He is a Boss, a name spoken with reverence and fear. But his rise is not without cost. Trusted allies are buried. Innocents are caught in the crossfire. And within the Five Families, peace is always fleeting. As the first generation of the Vitali dynasty comes to power, a fragile ceasefire is brokered and territory divided. Salvatore stands victorious but haunted, a man who fought for power only to realize it demands everything in return. Blood and Empire is the explosive origin story of the Vitali crime family-a tale of ambition, loyalty, betrayal, and the steep price of becoming a king in a city that never sleeps.

In the aftermath of World War II, Joseph Vitali inherits the criminal empire forged by his father, Salvatore. Charismatic, ambitious, and brilliant, Joseph sees the postwar boom not only as a chance to consolidate power, but to elevate the Vitali name beyond the underworld. At first, his rise is seamless. Through clever alliances and a ruthless grip on labor unions, gambling dens, and political circles, Joseph positions the Vitalis as a dominant force in New York City's criminal hierarchy. But with success comes scrutiny. The other Four Families, the Lombardis, Navarras, Bianchis, and Morettis, watch closely and tensions begin to mount. Joseph's bold expansion into Cuban casinos and Manhattan nightlife draws attention from both enemies and federal agents. A series of betrayals, some public, others buried deep, begin to fracture his inner circle. A bombing claims the life of a trusted ally, and suspicions turn inward. Joseph's consigliere, Claudia Voss, and fixer Ruben Katz struggle to hold the family together while secrets boil just beneath the surface. Amidst the chaos, Joseph reconnects with Isabella Ferrara, an old flame harboring devastating truths, including a grand secret. Her return stirs personal conflict just as a violent war erupts between the Vitalis and the Navarras, ignited by the ambitions of Rafael Navarra and stoked by unseen hands. Ultimately, Joseph discovers that someone has manipulated events for years, pulling strings from the shadows to weaken the Vitalis. This revelation culminates in a brutal final offensive. But even in victory, Joseph is forced to reflect on the darkness he's embraced and the legacy he's shaping.

The Glass Tower is the sweeping third entry into the multi-generational crime saga Our Thing. Chronicling the rise and fall of Joseph Vitali Jr.-a man born into power, burdened by legacy, and ultimately undone by ambition. Set between 1969 and 1984, the novel follows Joseph's desperate attempts to modernize and expand the Vitali crime family empire, pushing it from the old streets of New York into the glittering chaos of Las Vegas. Haunted by the ghosts of his grandfather Salvatore and father Joseph Sr., Joseph Jr. aims to build something greater, culminating in the creation of the Glass Tower, a luxurious Vegas casino and symbol of his reign. But the price of progress is steep. Against the traditions of his predecessors, Joseph makes a secret deal that brings darkness to an empire that was always considered clean. The consequences are swift and brutal. New York operations begin to unravel, allies fall away, and rival families begin carving up what's left. As Joseph sacrifices loyalty and family in the name of survival, his relationships fracture: with his consigliere Angela, his wife Margaret, his brother Sam, and most of all, his sons. By the time his actions catch up with him, Joseph finds himself abandoned by all but a few. His empire is seized. His name tarnished. In the final chapters, a grown Joseph III, his oldest son, quietly begins mapping the pieces of what remains, while Joseph Jr. confronts the full weight of his legacy. A meditation on power, family, betrayal, and legacy, The Glass Tower is a tragic character study about what it costs to build something that outlives you¿ and the silence that follows when the world moves on.

Set between 1985 and 1999, Empire of Ashes follows the brutal and transformative journey of the Vitali crime family in the aftermath of their collapse. As Joseph Vitali Jr. sits behind bars on RICO charges, his eldest son, Joseph III, returns to New York with idealistic dreams of restoring the family name with integrity. But his vision is cut short when he is assassinated in a car bombing; a devastating blow that leaves the underworld certain the Vitalis are finished for good. They are wrong. Joseph's younger brother, Robert Vitali, just twenty years old, reluctantly steps into the shadows. Driven by loyalty, grief, and the understanding that no one with their name is ever safe, Robert begins to rebuild from the street level with a tight, fiercely loyal crew. With the reluctant blessing of his uncle Sam, Robert takes over rackets, earns respect, and forges powerful alliances, including a strategic and emotional bond with Donna Spinelli, daughter of Don Spinelli of a rising rival family. As the city's old order collapses in a storm of blood, betrayal, and shifting loyalties, Robert and his crew fight through wars against the Paladino and DeLuca outfits, surviving assassination attempts, family betrayals, and internal tests of loyalty. By the mid-1990s, with Donnie Spinelli now head of his family, the two allies lead a campaign that reshapes the Commission and re-establishes the Vitalis as one of the Five Families. But victory comes at a cost. Robert loses his sister, exiles his own blood, and must reckon with the ghosts of his brother, father, and the city they fought to reclaim. As the millennium approaches, he no longer runs or hides, he rules. Yet in a rapidly changing world, he knows the battles of tomorrow will look nothing like those of yesterday. The Blood That Remains is a story of family, power, loyalty, and the legacy carved by those willing to bleed for it.

Years after his father returned status to the family name, Anthony Vitali returns to New York to take his place as head of the Vitali crime family. At just 24, armed with a degree, a digital vision, and a loyal inner circle, he inherits not just a legacy, but the expectations of an empire. Anthony's plan is simple: modernize organized crime or let it die. Crypto-based finance, international laundering fronts, and elite-level influence define his rise. His crew-strategist Brian Burke, hacker Zach Iovino, charming operator Chris Iovino, and the quiet but deadly Dusty Vogler-help him fuse old-world power with cutting-edge strategy. But Anthony's bold transformation sparks immediate friction with The Five Families, especially the traditionalist factions led by Sofia Bianchi, Vincent Lombardi, and Marco Moretti. As tensions escalate, Anthony's every move is watched, from the streets of Brooklyn to the halls of city politics. Amid the chaos, he finds an unlikely connection with Bianka Ivanov, the daughter of a powerful foreign ally, further complicating an already dangerous game. Political leverage, cyberwarfare, and generational loyalty become weapons in a battle that pushes every line. Old alliances crack. New enemies rise. And as the balance of power tilts, Anthony must decide what kind of leader, and what kind of legacy, he's willing to forge. Code and Crowns is a sweeping crime saga of loyalty, ambition, and the brutal evolution of power in a city that never forgives weakness. From silent boardrooms to blood-stained streets, Anthony Vitali charts a dangerous new path through the modern underworld-one calculated move at a time. As the old world resists and the new world closes in, only one truth remains: To lead the future, he'll have to bury the past.