Of course, the bootlegging business might still have some life left in it, but judging by the current situation, Al Capone is probably done for. Once he falls, the gangland power structure in the Great Lakes region is bound to be reshuffled, and that could be a perfect opportunity for Frederick to expand his business.
Truth be told, someone must already be running the hotel business in the Great Lakes area — and their boss is undoubtedly either Al Capone himself or one of his lieutenants. Wanting to muscle in on that territory means it's not enough to just know a few respectable folks.
You've got to deal with the underworld first — only then is it even possible!
Until this year, it probably wouldn't have been possible to bring down Al Capone, who ruled over the Italian mob. But now the federal government has stepped in, and there's no telling if one of his men will turn traitor. Once he topples, it'll be open season on carving up his "gangster empire."
Others might not know, but Niall is well aware: this jail stint is the beginning of the end for Al Capone's empire. The feds will dismantle it piece by piece — within a year and a half, sixty-nine of his core members will be imprisoned. Capone himself will be sentenced to a staggering 25,000 years, and his henchmen won't fare much better.
So very soon, the criminal landscape in the Great Lakes will be dramatically reshaped. The remaining Italian mobsters will regroup, while the previously crushed Irish gangs and local outfits will all join the feast, carving up the territory and raking in profits.
For Frederick, this may be the best opportunity he'll ever get to break into the hotel industry in the Great Lakes area. All he needs to do is identify a promising up-and-comer among the gangsters and back him. If it works, he'll gain a direct entry point into the region. If it fails, the worst-case scenario is a wasted investment, and he can just return to his modest business in Brook County.
For Frederick personally, the risk is minimal. Those gang members already scheming against one another are in dire need of money and support.
And with money, gangsters can make all kinds of impossible things happen.
Back in the room, after some brief thought, Niall carefully organized his words and made a suggestion to Frederick:"What did you think of that guy you met today?"
"That guy? Just a small fry sent out to network. He's got a boss behind him," Frederick said, pulling off his slippers and socks — the cleaning lady would be in to tidy up tomorrow.
"You know who?"
"Goes by the name Meyer Lansky, I've only met him once. My dad had some dealings with him. He was the one who sold us the booze back then. Yep, that's him."
"What kind of person is he?" Niall didn't know much about Meyer Lansky.
In fact, Meyer Lansky would, a few years down the road, become one of the major investors behind the rise of Las Vegas. Alongside a few other well-known mobsters, he helped build its initial prosperity. Several famous casinos and hotels were established and run by him.
Oh, and he was Jewish. Even though he was in the mob, he didn't fully commit to gangsterism. He mostly ran borderline legal businesses — and somehow, those operations only kept growing, generating immense wealth for the mob bosses backing him.
"He's a shrewd and extremely cautious Jew. Been in this line of work a long time and never left behind any incriminating evidence," Frederick reflected. He realized this Meyer Lansky was no ordinary figure.
"You think he has a future?" Niall asked, eyeing Frederick.
"You mean…?" Frederick instantly caught on — Niall was suggesting he invest in a gangster with potential, paving the way for his hotel business.
"Exactly what you're thinking."
"Isn't that a bit bold…" Frederick wasn't worried about breaking the law.
After all, their family already ran hotels and sold bootleg liquor — illegal ventures from the start. It wasn't about legality; the question was whether betting on a gangster now — with Capone only just arrested and his empire starting to crumble — was too risky. Jumping so quickly to invest in the next potential kingpin? That was gutsy.
"I'm just making a suggestion," Niall smiled.
Frederick, deep down, was never the type to be content living his life running a tiny inn in Brook County. He wanted to expand the family business and make real money. He was actively cultivating useful classmates, good at playing both sides — saying what people wanted to hear.
He also had his own judgment, could make decisions without hesitation. In many ways, he had the traits of someone destined for great things.
Now it was just a question of whether he had the courage to go all in.
"All right! I'll keep that in mind!" Frederick clearly had made up his mind, though the money was still in his father Barend's hands. He'd have to go home and convince the old man to cough it up.
"Then I wish you success — hahahahaha…" Niall believed Frederick could handle it.
The two didn't say much more and skipped the usual card game. They each took a bath and went to bed. There was nothing urgent the next day, and no news yet about the next delivery — they'd have to wait at the hotel.
Niall thought for a bit and decided to visit the University of Pittsburgh. Not because he wanted to soak in the academic atmosphere or admire the youthful charm of college life — he simply figured that with the economy in a depression and prices low, it might be the perfect time to get a degree.
A college diploma could serve as a key that opened many doors. Plus, prestigious universities had their own social circles. If he could get into one of those and make the right connections, it would help enormously with anything he wanted to do in the future. Of course, you had to prove yourself competent enough to be worth associating with.
So, since there was nothing else going on, scouting out the nearby university for future planning seemed like a good idea. Frederick, meanwhile, didn't care much for college. Not that he thought it was useless, but the kind of work he did wasn't exactly aboveboard.
Most college students these days were arrogant and self-important. It was unlikely they'd want to team up with someone like him. For all he knew, their families had solid industries waiting for them — what would they want with his shady setup?
Since recruiting college classmates seemed unlikely, to the pragmatically minded Frederick, going to university wasn't exactly a life necessity.
But he still supported Niall's decision to go — who knows, maybe Niall would make some useful friends there that he himself could benefit from down the line.