THE FAMILY

Woods Palmer (The Banker 1968; p. 529) is back again, showing signs of considerable depreciation. Now heading up America's biggest bank, Ubco, he finds himself questioning the value of the dollar as prosperity symbol. Ah life, ""what is it all about?"" The Family knows and have been handling their interests pretty well. In fact they're considering a legitimate little merger with Ubco. Grandpa is Mr. Biglioto, who operates from a hidden sanctuary, letting his son Big Vinnie handle public relations. But Big Vinnie had arranged an unfortunate political marriage -- his daughter to Ben Fischetti, one of the new, watered-down Sicilians with ""no maschiezza, no viri."" This follows several meandering operations which include the planned demise of a faggot designer's business; a surpassingly unbelievable blackmail attempt (can you imagine sticking up the Mafia?) by a greedy Jew and of course, corporate capers. Equally meandering but much more specifically detailed are the sex lives of the characters. Palmer's prim and proper wife finds true sexual bliss with a Negro Greenwich Village Art instructor, for one thing, and the high climax of the book comes with a Mafia-inspired, staged orgy that ends in murder. Attsa'not nice. Attsa'sa big bore. Bad Family planning.