Chapter 1.6

When Johnny Fontane appeared in the garden, Kay Adams recognized him

immediately. She was truly surprised. "You never told me your family knew Johnny

Fontane," she said. "Now I'm sure I'll marry you."

"Do you want to meet him?" Michael asked.

"Not now," Kay said. She sighed. "I was in love with him for three years. I used to come

down to New York whenever he sang at the Capitol and scream my head off. He was so

wonderful."

"We'll meet him later," Michael said.

When Johnny finished singing and vanished into the house with Don Corleone, Kay said

archly to Michael, "Don't tell me a big movie star like Johnny Fontane has to ask your

father for a favor?"

"He's my father's godson," Michael said. "And if it wasn't for my father he might not be a

big movie star today."

Kay Adams laughed with delight. "That sounds like another great story."

Michael shook his head "I can't tell that one," he said.

"Trust me," she said.

He told her. He told her without being funny. He told it without pride. He told it without

any sort of explanation except that eight years before his father had been more

impetuous, and because the matter concerned his godson, the Don considered it an

affair of personal honor.

The story was quickly told. Eight years ago Johnny Fontane had made an extraordinary

success singing with a popular dance band. He had become a top radio attraction.

Unfortunately the band leader, a well-known show business personality named Les

Halley, had signed Johnny to a five-year personal services contract. It was a common

show business practice. Les Halley could now loan Johnny out and pocket most of the

money.

Don Corleone entered the negotiations personally. He offered Les Halley twenty

thousand dollars to release Johnny Fontane from the personal services contract. Halley

offered to take only fifty percent of Johnny's earnings. Don Corleone was amused. He

dropped his offer from twenty thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars. The band leader,

obviously not a man of the world outside his beloved show business, completely missed

the significance of this lower offer. He refused.

The next day Don Corleone went to see the band leader personally. He brought with

him his two best friends, Genco Abbandando, who was his Consigliere, and Luca Brasi.

With no other witnesses Don Corleone persuaded Les Halley to sign a document giving

up all rights to all services from Johnny Fontane upon payment of a certified check to

the amount of ten thousand dollars. Don Corleone did this by putting a pistol to the

forehead of the band leader and assuring him with the utmost seriousness that either his

signature or his brains would rest on that document in exactly one minute. Les Halley

signed. Don Corleone pocketed his pistol and handed over the certified check.

The rest was history. Johnny Fontane went on to become the greatest singing sensation

in the country. He made Hollywood musicals that earned a fortune for his studio. His

records made millions of dollars. Then he divorced his childhood-sweetheart wife and

left his two children, to marry the most glamorous blond star in motion pictures. He soon

learned that she was a "whore." He drank, he gambled, he chased other women. He lost

his singing voice. His records stopped selling. The studio did not renew his contract.

And so now he had come back to his Godfather.

Kay said thoughtfully, "Are you sure you're not jealous of your father? Everything you've

told me about him shows him doing something for other people. He must be

goodhearted." She smiled wryly. "Of course his methods are not exactly constitutional."

Michael sighed. "I guess that's the way it sounds, but let me tell you this. You know

those Arctic explorers who leave caches of food scattered on the route to the North

Pole? Just in case they may need them someday? That's my father's favors. Someday

he'll be at each one of those people's houses and they had better come across."