Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis

At twenty-six, Henry is living the good life. He and Karen drive brand-new Buick Rivieras and the closets of their rental home are filled with designer clothes, shoes, and jewelry. Karen does her grocery shopping in a mink coat, one of four furs she owns. Their home is filled with luxury items, but Henry's biggest luxury purchase is his girlfriend, Linda. Girlfriends are considered status symbols in the wiseguy world, for a man must earn enough to keep his wife and family and his girlfriend in luxurious surroundings.

Henry meets Linda in 1969 while he is out to dinner with Peter Vario, Paulie's son. Henry and Peter are taken with Linda and her friend, Veralynn, and the foursome begin dating regularly. Paulie worries about this turn of events because he is paranoid that Linda and Veralynn are undercover FBI agents seeking to...