The Money - Or At Least Carmine's Explanation Of It

Carmine recognized the man who came into view from the hallway that served the private viewing booths, so he smiled at him and gave him a wink. The man returned the nod with a sheepish grin and departed The Gagootz.

“Is everyone who comes in from Jersey?” Vinny asked as he watched the man leaving the store.

“Almost all the men are,” Carmine replied slowly, mulling over the question. “Yep. Most definitely, they are from around here. Most of the dames, too. You know, bored housewives. Betrayed girl friends seeking a little ****.”

He paused to nod at another man who entered the store.

“Carmine! How’s it going?” This one actually spoke on his way to the booths. The burly Manager merely shrugged as a reply.

“But some of the cooze,” he returned to answering his nephew’s question, “Come from a across the river.”

The River, of course, being the Hudson.

“We get all kinds.” As he talked, he side-stepped over to the electronic cash register and began entering nonexistent transactions. “Manhattan society-dames slumming. Brooklyn co-eds having a wild weekend. Or accepting a dare. Babes from Queens who still live at home with their parents and don’t have husbands or boyfriends and are **** for some sexual fun. Even if it’s just sucking some anonymous cock.”

“How about just straight-up sluts?” Vinny asked, his eyes flashing.

“Hmmm. No. Those types usually shift over to prostitution,” his uncle answered.

“Maybe we should get a couple of hookers to work the booths and split their earnings?”

Carmine had to smile. He liked the kid’s thinking. “Yeah. But then we’d have to pay off the cops. Fight off solicitation charges. Listen to putas personal problems… They always have personal problems. Dramas in their lives.”

The big man shook his head.

“But I don’t understand, Uncle Carmine.” Vinny was totally confused. “If almost no one ever rents a video. If we are not getting kickbacks from the women. And… And membership in this so-called video exchange club is only twenty bucks….”

“Free for the ladies,” Carmine grinned. “Although officially we say it ain’t.”

“Then how does this place make any money?” he asked. Vinny’s big brown eyes looking up at him made Carmine think back to his nephew’s childhood and all the questions he asked then.

The grin on Carmine’s face spread into a wide, toothy, boyish smile. It was the smile that he had used all of his life to get out of trouble. Especially female trouble. Glancing down at his wristwatch, he said, “Funny you should ask that. Wait about thirty minutes and you will see.”