abstract
| - The Spolanos are a notorious mafia family, whose name has occasionally come up during investigations by Castle and Beckett, although they have so far merely encountered minor gang members or associates, rather than actually facing the family directly. "A Death in the Family" The Spolanos hire a hit man to track down Jimmy "the Rat" Moran, who had turned into a federal witness against them. Protected by the US Attorney and the FBI, the Spolanos' killer first took out Doctor Joshua Leeds, the plastic surgeon who had altered Moran's appearance, and then later made an attempt on Moran himself. When Castle and Beckett uncovered the hit man, she turned state's evidence as well. "He's Dead, She's Dead" Investigating the murder of a crime-solving psychic, Castle and Beckett interview Albert "the Blade" Moreno, a former enforcer for the Spolano crime family. Moreno had retired from crime a rich man, but had gone bankrupt when he took his psychic's investment advice. Moreno explained that she had said that the investment would bring him true happiness, and it did. While liquidating his assets due to the bankruptcy, he re-connected with his high school sweetheart, now a real estate agent. The two had rekindled their romance, and couldn't have been happier. "Slice of Death" After a body is found in a pizza parlor, suspicion turns briefly on Authentic Nick, the restaurant's owner. A rival pizzeria owner claims that "Nick" (whose real name is Ralph Carbone) is a money laundering operation for the Spolano family. Ralph acknowledges that (an unnamed Spolano) is his second cousin once removed, but that he sees the man about once every five years at Thanksgiving, and declares that he has no involvement with organized crime.
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