you should see me in a crown ;

giovanni ricci. owner of the enterprise casino conglomerate. roleplay blog

[valentina--ricci]

"Yeah well maybe you need to work on your delivery," she told him as she set her purse down and went to serve herself a drink. She knew better by now to think he just wanted to have dinner to ask her how she was doing. If he didn't hoard knowledge just to be in control, she would have actually asked if he had heard that she had just announced her new book. But she knew he didn't care. She was here because he wanted something from her. "If you were planning to be honest with him, you had to do it in pieces, not share and then immediately ask him to take someone out," she told him and filled her glass before pouring him a bit. "The girl who wrote the article is barely a journalist, Dad," she offered as she set his glass down and finally took a seat of her own. "The Tribune is hardly the New York Times. Shit, it's barely the Guardian."

[giovanniiricci]

"He was the one who asked me how I wanted to respond. I wasn't asking him to do the dirty work himself, I merely wanted him to arrange the meeting," Giovanni explained as though that made his request far more reasonable than Val made it seem. He looked at her, raising a brow. "No, but seeing as it's the only paper in town, the people here are going to read it. If it influences their decision come voting time, then we'll have spent all of the money on this campaign for nothing. Most of it can be dismissed as conjecture and hearsay, but the last thing we need is for her to start looking more closely at things and get some actual evidence."

[lorna-davidson]

Lorna knew that she couldn't avoid him forever but she also knew that he was likely to come to her. She knew him well enough still to know he couldn't help himself. But, finally seeing him standing there in the flesh he just looked...old. Older. Just like her but somehow in a way that felt distant. That felt like it was done in spite instead of hope. "Giovanni," she replied with a soft laugh, finishing up the paperwork on the counter before actually giving him her attention. "Consider my surprise when I heard you were trying to convince these people you should be their Mayor." There had been a time when he had been her greatest confidant. A true best friend. They would laugh over beers and share late night cigarettes when Beatrice had already passed out from their studying. Dreams they had. Dreams shared and spoken and hoped for. But she had seen too much, watched his kids grow, watched Beatrice struggle. There was too much distance now.

"I intend to stick around as long as it takes me to know my son," she told him, not trying to hide anything. She knew he'd just dig if she lied. She moved from behind the counter and stepped toward him to get closer. "You look old and tired, G." She paused, second guessed herself for a moment before speaking again. "You still like to listen to Phil Collins and drink red wine or have you moved onto scotch or whiskey like a sellout?" She glanced back at the studio. "It's got a record player and I just got a new bottle unless your little entourage really needs you. I know you were probably stopping by for a quick chat but..humor and old lady, would you?"

[giovanniiricci]

"It's working so far. Certainly helps I'm running practically unopposed." It's not like Giovanni really considered the former deputy mayor an actual threat to his candidacy, after all. He watched Lorna for a few moments, assessing if her offer was genuine. They had hardly spoken the last couple of years, but they had been best friends once upon a time. He could remember the times when a new single would release, and they would share in the moment of hearing it for the first time together. Phil Collins had always been one of his favorites -- and still was, though he'd hardly admit to it openly.

"I think they'll be fine without me for a little while. I can only show my face so many times before people start to get sick of me." He followed her towards the studio, taking it in. "How long after the news of Jeff's passing did you wait before coming back?" he asked, his words lacking any ounce of malice. He was curious more than anything what had sparked the desire to return so many years later.

[1anonyymous1]

me remembering when i was nice when i should have killed them

[televisiongifs]

Giancarlo Esposito as Leo Pap/Ray Vernon KALEIDOSCOPE (2023-) “Yellow” (1.01)

[giovanniiricci]

WHO: @valentina--ricci LOCATION: Giovanni's home

"Oh good, you're here. We've got a lot to go over before the primary," Giovanni remarked with barely a glance up from his paper. He had invited Valentina over for dinner at his home under the guise of a strategy meeting and it wasn't a complete lie. The article posted in the Tribune had troubled him more than he let on and the last thing he wanted was for it to affect the numbers at the polls in a few weeks. If Lorenzo wouldn't take care of it, then perhaps Valentina -- who had been vying for his affection and approval most of her life -- would oblige him. "I presume you read the article the Tribune was bold enough to publish on the front page. I have a solution, but Lorenzo..." He practically scoffed the name. "He was less than enthusiastic when I asked him to execute it."

[giovanniiricci]

WHO: @lorna-davidson LOCATION: PottHeads

Giovanni had been made aware of her presence in town many weeks ago, but with the primary for the mayoral race fast approaching, he hadn't had a time to make her aware he knew. He'd found himself downtown after meeting with a few of the business owners in the area and her storefront drew his attention. He excused himself from his entourage and made his way inside, a bell tinkling above the door. The shop was quaint enough, though wasn't exactly what he would've envisioned for Lorna's business venture, especially given the name. "Lorna," he greeted with a smile only she would be able to recognize as anything but friendly. "Consider my surprise when I heard you'd opened a store downtown. I assume this means you intend to stick around for a while, hm?"

[lorenzoriccis]

"That's not -- no, dad, the fact that you think she would be into any of this shit means you really don't know her at all." He tossed back, completely consumed with utter shock, disbelief. For so many years, his sister had been sidelined, placed on the backburner while he reveled in Giovanni's light-- in the Enterprise's light -- and all this time he'd assumed it was because he had something that she didn't. But now. as he stood in front of their father while he essentially laid out a confession, he realized exactly what that 'something' was; pure naivety.

He was a pawn. The only reason he'd been chosen was because he wasn't as smart, wasn't as headstrong, as dear Valentina.

The fact I have to tell you these things at all is proof enough to me that you're not capable of taking over once I'm gone. Lorenzo swallowed thickly, jaw set. For a man who's trademark was his quick wit, he couldn't for the life of him come up with any sort of rebuttal. Giovanni had a way of wrapping his hands around his vocal chords and squeezing them shut. "I --" His body felt like it was shutting down, a mixture of defiance and shame overtaking him, his next words barely above a whisper.

"I can't -- I don't want to hurt anybody."

[giovanniiricci]

Giovanni stared at his son for many long moments, allowing the silence between them to permeate the room. How had he been so wrong about his son's willingness to do anything so long as it kept him within Giovanni's good graces? It was another miscalculation on his part in a string of many over the past few months. He would need to re-evaluate his strategy, but first, he needed to tie up a few loose ends.

"What a disappointment you are," he began, his gaze never straying from his son's. "You don't deserve to bear the name of Ricci." Grabbing the paper, he opened it and raised it in front of him, emphasizing the wall he was putting between him and the boy before him. "Get out of my sight."

[sawyerdecker-deactivated2024112]

A scoff slipped from her lips at the mere mention of the Wells family. "Well, as riveting as this sounds, Mr. Ricci—and believe me, it is riveting," She stated sarcastically, leaning forward in her chair. "But you and I both know there's a rattlesnake in every deal, and well," she paused, flashing him a cold smile, "nothing quite fucks up a good deal like an attorney." With a dramatic sigh, she let her hands fall onto the table. "So, thank you for the oppurtunity, or whatever the fuck you want to call this." Motioning between the two of them with her finger. "But consider me not interested."

[giovanniiricci]

Masking his surprise at Sawyer declining his invitation, he offered up a pleasant enough smile, though anybody who knew him well enough would have seen the way it didn't reach his eyes and the calculation happening behind them. Nobody had ever refused his offer before, and a part of him wondered how he hadn't quite hit the mark in his attempt to sell her involvement with The Enterprise, but he couldn't dwell on it then. "Well, thank you for entertaining an old man like me. I will see myself out," he remarked as he stood, rebuttoning his suit jacket. "Be careful returning home, Miss Decker. Strange things happen on these streets after dark."

*// END

[lorenzoriccis]

"Um -- no? Sometimes it's, like, hereditary or whatever the word is." Not that he'd be able to come up with the correct term even if he wasn't bugging out, but that definitely contributed to it. His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute, quicker and more frantic than it even typically did when he was in the presence of his father. "So, what you're saying is she wouldn't be surprised by the headlines? Or would she think it's bullshit?" It was strange, the fact that Enzo felt bothered by the prospect of Val being more in the know about the dark, twisted secrets of the Enterprise than he -- even if it sickened him to comprehend

Swallowing thickly, Enzo shook his head. "There's no way she's going to want to meet with me. Are you kidding? The second I or someone else reaches out, she's going to go running to the hills." Shock was a hell of a drug, because even still as his stomach did backflips, he was preparing to take orders from Giovanni. "I --" Prove to me that you're still worthy of being my son. "-- I don't..." How the hell was he supposed to respond to that? "Dad, I'm -- I've always...I'm trying..."

[giovanniiricci]

"She wouldn't be surprised. In fact, I'm sure she'd congratulate me on some of it." Giovanni was well aware of how ruthless his daughter could be -- if only she were more focused on her own pursuits than trying to impress him. Then again, his son had the potential for greatness, but he continuously squandered it away on parties and whatever fun trend of the week he'd heard about on social media.

He stared Lorenzo down, the frown prominent on his face. "The fact I have to tell you these things at all is proof enough to me that you're not capable of taking over once I'm gone," he sighed. "Miss Beaumont is not simply a journalist; she moonlights as an escort. Dante acquired her services by hiring her for an evening. Do the same, unless you want me to take matters into my own hands. Judging by your response to the news, my guess is you wouldn't want that, would you?"

[90912476-deactivated20210830]

[transjohnny]

Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring Better Call Saul

[lorenzoriccis]

Was he stupid, blind, or had he simply been in denial this entire time? Giovanni's ruthless nature had never been hidden -- perhaps in the eyes of the public he was a bit more agreeable, friendly, a man who gave back to his community and put all he had into his business, but Enzo had never been under the impression that his father was capable of more. Even as he stood there, slack-jawed and shaken as the man essentially drew out a criminal confession, he still couldn't believe it.

"Risk the livelihood of your -- dad, haven't you done just that? You could go to prison, our assets could be seized, our --" His arms reached over his head, hands interlocking behind his head as he attempted to comprehend what he was hearing. "So everything you've built...it's all resting on a pile of dead bodies? How -- what am I supposed to tell Val? What am I supposed to tell the press? What am...what am I supposed to..."

[giovanniiricci]

Giovanni observed his son silently. He'd always known the boy was soft, but he had hoped that giving him more to do within the organization would help to toughen him up, get him to be more competitive and cutthroat like his sister. How disappointing it was to find that his chosen heir to the family's fortune was so far from who Giovanni wanted him to be.

"Not everything, but isn't that how all kings come to their thrones?" Giovanni raised a brow. "Don't worry about your sister; she already knows sacrifices have to be made to stay on top. If a few deaths make you react like this, then the things others have done just to sit within my presence in that boardroom would frighten you." He picked up the paper again and searched for the author's name. "I want you to arrange a meeting with Miss Beaumont. I believe Dante kept a record of her contact information within his things. We have to know if she has any legitimate evidence or if she's only got the stories of these so-called sources of hers. If she's got nothing but hearsay, then we can easily dismiss the claims and go about our business." He glanced back towards the boy. "Prove to me that you're still worthy of being my son."

[sawyerdecker-deactivated2024112]

With her lips pursed in contemplation, she absorbed the man's words. Tonopah was no Vegas; it wasn’t a place people chose for vacations. Instead, they were born here and, more often than not, never found their way out. "She narrowed her eyes slightly, skepticism shading her tone. "I'm struggling to see why you'd need a criminal defense attorney for that."

[giovanniiricci]

"Both the Decker and Wells families have a longstanding history with Tonopah Valley, which means that you have local influence that I don't. Having your endorsement along with your expertise on legal matters would be a great asset for The Enterprise and allow us to sway more of the local population to buy into our mission." He offered a smile. "And some of the agreements we make along the way may not be entirely kosher. Being able to identify where we may have a blind spot before someone else does would be a great help."

[bobbyvasco-deactivated20240623]

“Don’t!” A sudden, desperate hand is raised in front of him. “Look at me like that already. Just let me finish.” It’s not a proposal. Bobby doesn’t want Gio’s money or anything, not when their families are so closely tied together and he’s trying to prove he can be successful all by himself. He just wants his wisdom. “Rent. A. Family. Rent-a-fam.” He draws an arc in the air with his hands, like he’s found the jackpot sitting at the end of a rainbow. “You don’t want to be alone for the holidays? Great, rent a family. Paid actors. Lookalikes.” He had arranged the same for himself a few years ago, and the idea to turn it into a business had only just hit him now. Looking up expectantly, he smiles, “Replace your bad memories with good ones.”

@giovanniiricci

[giovanniiricci]

Giovanni had somewhat of a soft spot for Bobby the way he did his own children, having known his family since he was a child. There were some things, however, that made him wonder how he had managed to get this far in life, and all of the hairbrained schemes he called business ideas covered most of the list. He allowed him to finish his pitch before clearing his throat. "While I would applaud the idea, I think what you're referring to is already a market covered by escorts," he explained. "You pay them for their time; however you choose to use it is up to you"

[lorenzoriccis]

He stayed quiet at Giovanni's initial admonishment, knowing his place when it came to arguing with the older man -- which was to say, he had no place at all -- but it was the second thing that caused him to take pause, to wonder if he heard him correctly. "What?" Brows knit together, and Enzo let out a scoff. "And it isn't true. That's -- that's my point. Right?" After all, while he knew how cold and ruthless Giovanni was, both in his personal life and in his business practices, there was no way he'd resort to something so criminal. In the strictest sense.

But then, as he continued to speak, Enzo could feel his heart start to sink deeper and deeper, a pit forming in his stomach. "Dad, I --" He could hardly believe what he was hearing. "I just thought, I thought you were a good business man. A hard ass, yeah, but...I don't -- dad, I don't understand." Enzo swallowed thickly, shaking his head. "What are you saying"

[giovanniiricci]

There was a part of him that was satisfied by his son's shock. Even with him insisting the boy take over the business after Giovanni retired and his apparent lack of desire to do so, his surprise highlighted the fact that Giovanni had done his job well of insulating his children from the worst of it.

He laced his fingers together, placing his hands atop the table. "People rarely step aside quietly when they have something you want. And then there are those who stick their nose into business that does not concern them. Should I allow them to risk the livelihood of my family by giving that information to people who could take it all away?" He watched him closely. "I'm sure you remember Finnegan's son, Roman. Did you know the reason he came back was only to use our resources for his own personal vendetta? He wanted to find out if we were behind his sister's murder, and I suppose in a roundabout way we were by nature of Dante being a terrible shot, but she was never the intended target. I just had to be patient and let the detective's siblings discover the identity of his attempted murderer and they took care of the rest. We'll call it killing two birds with one stone -- no pun intended." He chuckled. "At least it got the both of them out of my hair once and for all."

[sawyerdecker-deactivated2024112]

Sawyer reclined in her chair, her hands interlocked across her chest as she focused sharply on the man. His compliment briefly coaxed a ghost of a smirk onto her face, but it faded as swiftly as it had surfaced. "And what exactly are your operations?" she retorted, her eyebrow arching subtly in challenge.

[giovanniiricci]

"Land acquisition, with the ultimate goal of expanding our chain of casinos and resorts into more of the world." Was that not the case for every business? At least, that was his belief. Giovanni just happened to be more willing to get his hands dirty to accomplish that. "We have a handful already within Vegas, but considering Tonopah Valley's proximity to both the city and the Hoover Dam, it seemed like an opportune place for expansion. We've already got the casino -- Two Kings Casino, owned by my business partner's sons -- but I think the town deserves more love. Convincing the locals will require more work, I fear, as change tends to scare people. The resort would bring more people and therefore higher revenue for all the business owners, perhaps even more opportunity for those who already live here. It would be a great addition to the landscape of Tonopah Valley. Wouldn't you agree?"

[lorenzoriccis]

"Yeah -- no, I know. I'm sorry." Enzo stood up a bit straighter, thumb absentmindedly rubbing against the smooth, unperturbed texture of the newspaper as it sat under his arm. There weren't many things that made the youngest Ricci nervous, able to navigate even the muddiest or most treacherous of waters with his quick-wit and a pearly-white grin. However, when it came to dealing with his father on more sensitive matters, Enzo started to resemble dog with a tail between his legs. "This just wasn't something that could wait."

Clearing his throat, Enzo held the paper in both hands. "Have you seen the latest copy of the tribune?" he asked, waiting for the other's permission to approach. "It's, uh -- well, some nobody decided to do a pretty...comprehensive hit piece on us. On you." A scoff fell from his lips, and he shook his head. "I mean, it's all bullshit. It's slander -- or libel, whichever one is worse. We could sue her ass into the ground for some of the stuff she's claiming. Like, murder? Yeah, right -- maybe she should stick to listening to those stupid ass crime podcasts instead of making up little stories to start a damn witch hunt. You know?"

[giovanniiricci]

Giovanni's eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued, and he waved his son forward and reached out his hand to take the paper from him. He quietly read over the article, careful not to show his reactions on his face, though he listened to the incredulity Enzo shared on his behalf. "You think you would've learned the difference between slander and libel given your level of education," he remarked beneath his breath, "and it's only libel if it isn't true."

Folding the paper, he set it down onto the table. "I must give her credit for her bravado, but we'll see if she's as willing to say this directly to my face when the opportunity presents itself." He turned his gaze back to meet Enzo's, pointer finger pressed down into the image of his face on the cover of the Tribune. To an extent, he had kept Lorenzo out of the dirtier side of the business for plausible deniability's sake, but it seemed his hand was now being forced. "Lorenzo, to get to where I am, you must squash the competition. Sometimes that requires being the one to make the calls that others won't. How else did you think I'd managed to make this life for our family?"