[Ten years ago.]

[The Bronx – New York.]

[Our view is from inside the trunk of a car, the trunk lid lifted.]

[Two men stand there; their faces obscured by the trunk lid itself.]

“Welcome to the family, kid.”

[The kid scoffs.]

Blackhand Moretti:  “I am the fuckin’ family, Vinnie.”

[Vinnie chuckles.]

“Your pop would be proud. He wanted you to take that first rung of the ladder and here you are. Let’s get this mook in the river.”

[Three years ago.]

[Don Moretti sits behind a large table, smoking a cigarette.]

“Your boy is climbin’ the ladder fast, Don Moretti. He’s makin’ a name for himself on the streets.”

[Don smiles.]

“He take out Russo and the boys?”

“Take em out? He obliterated their entire operation, boss.”

[One Year Ago.]

[The same room. The Don looking at the camera.]

“You gotta get the fuck outta here kid. They’re after you. The Blackhand is the number one fuckin’ target for the pigs.”

Blackhand Moretti: “But pop, I did everythin’ you told me to do.”

[Don gets up, walks around the table and puts his hand on the shoulder of a man we can’t see, but understand to be Blackhand.]

“You did, kid. You did. You climbed the ladder all the way to the top, but if you don’t know when to get off, the whole fuckin’ thing will topple over. Head to Molvania – you’ll be safe there whilst the heat dies down.”

[Present Day.]

[Moretti sits at the top of a ladder in the middle of an empty ring.]

Blackhand Moretti: “Rung by rung.”

[He looks down.]

Blackhand Moretti: “I climbed the ladder rung by rung. I did everything that was asked of me. If someone needed takin’ out, I did it. If bodies needed putting in the ground, I took care of it.

My pop told me that to climb to the top of our organisation, I needed to make a name for myself.”

[He scoffs angrily.]

Blackhand Moretti: “And yet here I am. I’ve climbed the ladder of success once before. I know exactly what it fuckin’ takes. I know how much blood it costs and I know that if you don’t take what belongs to you when you reach the top, it’ll be ripped out from underneath you.

That’s what you fuckin’ mooks wanna do to me…. again.

I’ve been climbin’ the ladder in OSW since I stepped foot through the door and now I’m at the pinnacle, my pop says you either gotta jump off before it topples or take what the fuck you want.

I stepped off once before cause I knew I wasn’t ready to be the Don. I wasn’t ready to lead the family instead of my pop and had I stayed, that ladder would’ve toppled. The whole family would’ve ended up behind bars.”

[He pushes himself to stand atop the ladder.]

Blackhand Moretti: “But that was then…. and this? This is now.”

[He reaches up into the air.]

Blackhand Moretti: “I’m ready to lead the OSW family.”

[His voice intensifies.]

Blackhand Moretti: “And none of you mooks will topple this fuckin’ ladder before I take what’s mine.”