c. 1926. An Italian immigrant secures his American citizenship with three bottles of booze and a midnight meeting.
"After being here for almost two years, Papa decided to obtain citizenship, and inquired from an influential Italian-American how to go about it—but without having to go to classes to study American Civics and History. This person, whose identity my father vaguely referred to as a low-ranking Mafia member, arranged a midnight meeting with the judge who presided over the naturalizations in the courtroom. My father’s only instructions were to bring with him two quarts of the best liquor he could find, and to present them to the judge."
Marco's father secures his American citizenship, beginning the Italian-American phase of the Zaza family.