The Joint Venture Synopsis         The Joint Venture is recommended reading for anyone visiting Torino and northern Italy in connection with the Winter Olympics.  See below (A Sense of Place) for all the places in Italy that are involved in the plot   It is 1980--during the 'bullet years' (anni di piombo) when Italy was beset by international terrorism.         Shots from an automatic rifle shatter the silence of a peaceful hillside in northern Italy, killing a young executive of Alfindustria, a giant Italian conglomerate. Shocked by the loss of his protégé, the Chairman of Alfindustria, Dario Alfieri, turns to his lifelong friend David Della Croce for help. David and his son Mark, attorneys in Boston, are plunged into a web of deadly intrigue and violence, where they face an unknown enemy with an unknown agenda, and do battle against a hired killer and a band of desperate terrorists.          All David knows is that the enemy is planning something important for November 28, just a few weeks away, but he has no idea what that might be. He thinks that there may be a link between the killing and some puzzling problems that have plagued a small joint venture between Alfindustria and a US company. The Joint Venture takes the reader on a whirlwind search for answers: to various places in northern Italy, to Rome, to Boston and to a small town in rural Illinois. The novel is not just about a terrorist plot, though.  It touches upon several other topics, e.g.   ·       a country in a deeply disturbing period, beset by international terrorism; ·       the legendary Alpini during their heroic stand on the Russian Front in World War 2, and the strong bonds of friendship among men who have faced danger and death together; ·      the emotional ties with one’s homeland and love of the mountains in northern Italy; ·       the relationship between an Italian father and his oldest son: the pride he feels in his son’s accomplishments and the frustration he experiences when the son – raised in a different culture – makes choices that the father finds difficult to understand; ·       coming of age in America as first generation Americans: Mark's friend Jim from a Sicilian working class family and Mark from the aristocracy in northern Italy; and I ·       corporate intrigue on an international level. . Suspense               The Joint Venture is all about suspense, and it begins with the opening line: All the cars were in place, waiting.  There must be more than two cars, because otherwise the author would have started with Both.  Why would the cars be in place, as if there were preassigned duties for them?  We don’t know.  And what were the cars waiting for?   As it turns out, an executive is about to be murdered.  The protagonists must find answers to the standard questions:   ·      Who is responsible? ·      Why are they doing this? ·      What is going to happen? ·      When will they strike? ·      Where will they strike next? ·      How will they strike?   Italian History               The Joint Venture is also historical fiction, because the plot takes place during a period when Italy was threatened by international terrorism.  An extended flashback to World War II and the Russian front shows the close relationship between the two principal characters, Dario, chairman of the giant Italian corporation Alfindustria, and David, attorney in Boston.               They had served together as officers in the fabled Alpini, or Alpine Corps, and faced death together on the Russian front.  In an extended flashback to that exciting era, David meets his future wife and rescues an OSS operative, which ultimately leads to his leaving Italy for the U.S. and his relationship with a Boston Mafia don.  That relationship makes it possible for David to regain the trail of a professional killer and help resolve the questions raised at the beginning of the book.   The Alpini   The Italian Alpine Corps was formed officially on October 15, 1872, but the Alpini can trace their origin all the way back to the time of Caesar Augustus, who decided to establish an Alpine legion and named it Julia.  Query whether Hannibal would ever have been able to cross the Alps if the Alpini had been there.  They have a motto: di qui non si passa, which means that their mission is to make sure that no one, no matter who, gets through them.    To understand the Alpini you have to understand the kind of people who come from the mountain areas.  Life there is harsh and it is the tough who manage to survive.  Even in the face of exhaustion, difficult duties, adversity and bad weather, these mountain people put their heads down and go forward.  They are attached to their mountains and valleys, which they learn to know and love from earliest childhood.  The Alpini are without fear or concern for their own welfare when it comes to doing what has to be done, and they have given a great account of themselves in the African desert as well as the frozen steppes of Russia.  They are expert skiers and marksmen – one tough breed.   According to the official history of the Alpine Corps, the Alpini were the brainchild of a young captain, Giuseppe Perrucchetti, who was teaching in a military school at Torino.  He proposed the idea of recruiting young men from the Alpine villages to serve as a first line of defense for the nearby Alpine passes.  He suggested dividing the entire Alpine zone into a series of different sections, each of which should comprise one or two valleys.  Troops recruited locally would provide the defensive unit for their own sector or district.  The commander of these troops would be in charge of the district as well as local defense.  His proposal took hold quickly, and it was he who christened them Alpini, because he thought the name had a certain cachet.   The three volume history of the Alpine Corps is full of heroics during the hundred-plus years since it was founded, but for me the defining example of what the Alpini represent is the stand they made on the Russian Front.      Four Alpini divisions were on their way to the Caucasus but were diverted on orders from Mussolini and found themselves along the Don River.  Hitler had persuaded Il Duce to send troops to relieve some German units.  The Alpini ended up forming the northern end of the Italian 8th Army position.  Since men from the same town or valley served together, if their unit were destroyed the town or valley would lose most of its youth.  That did not happen much in mountain or forest warfare, but the steppes of Russia were another matter.   On December 16, 1942, the Russian counter-offensive began, and the full weight of Soviet military might along the Don River moved directly at the positions held by the Alpini.  For five weeks, the Alpini beat off the attack, refusing to budge despite terrific casualties.  They did not move back until they were ordered to retreat.  By that time their situation was critical, however, because they were all alone on the front.  To the north of them, the Hungarians had not been in position for several days, and to the south, the Italian regulars and the German Group Hollidt had been pushed back far to the west.  The Alpini were close to being encircled.   Three of the four divisions received faulty information and fell into the hands of the Russians.  One division, the Tridentina, pressed rapidly to the west, with a few light skirmishes on the way, until it reached Nikolajewka.  From there, the way to freedom led straight into the strongest part of the Russian position: a well-fortified hilltop emplacement overlooking a broad valley that the Alpini would have to cross.  Alpini General Reverberi made a bold decision.  He began what would appear to be a full-scale frontal attack across the valley, where he knew that his men would meet deadly artillery fire, but also sent a strong force to the north, with the idea of surprising the Soviet flank.  After several bloody hours, during which some units suffered ninety percent casualties crossing the valley, the flanking force charged against the Russians.  General Reverberi leaped on a truck and shouted “Tridentina, avanti!” (Forward, men of Tridentina!).    When the Alpini charged across the valley, the Russian line wavered and then broke into a general rout.  The Alpini swept through the high-ground emplacement, seizing arms and equipment left behind by the retreating defenders, and were able to make their way safely to the west.   Of the 57,000 Alpini sent to the Russian Front, only 16,000 made it back to Italy in 1943.   After WW II, the Russians expressed great respect for the Alpini, saying that they were the only army they hadn’t really conquered.     Terrorism The Joint Venture is set in 1980, during the period that Italians refer to as gli anni di piombo (the bullet years), when kneecapping and murder of business executives were a constant threat.  Corporations instituted extensive security procedures to protect their employees from such international terrorist organizations as the Red Brigade.  The plot of our book involves a terrorism plot aimed at a small joint venture of the giant corporation Alfindustria. We would like to tell you more about our book and terrorism but that might spoil the suspense.     Autopsies, Poisons and Clues            Forensic medicine is important in The Joint Venture.  David visits a small town in rural Illinois to find out what happened to the company's chief engineer, who was found dead in his bed there, apparently the victim of a heart attack.  He encounters resistence from the local coroner, who is reluctant to discuss the case with David.  David presses for more information but the coroner is adamant that the engineer’s death was due to natural causes.   David finally arranges to meet with Karen Lewis, the forensic pathologist who was present at the autopsy, and with her help learns that the engineer had actually been murdered.              While writing this portion of his novel, the author consulted with the Cook County Medical Examiner's office and also drew upon autopsies he himself had witnessed.                Dr. Bruce P. Levy, Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Tennessee, sent us the following comments on our book:        "The chapters of the book involving death investigation and medical examiners are of particular interest to me.  It is obvious that Mr. Visconti has personal knowledge of the real world of death investigation.  The professional conflict between Louis Adamslee, the Dupre Country Coroner, Dr. Ben Samuels, the pathologist and Dr. Karen Lewis, the forensic pathologist, is very familiar to those of us working in coroner-based systems.  I can personally identify with Dr. Lewis' striving to reach the truth, even in the face of opposition from superiors.  Her search for the truth is a tribute to forensic pathologists.        "It is also clear that Mr. Visconti has personal experience with the work of medical examiners from his accurate and detailed descriptions of medical examiner offices and the performance of the autopsy.  The forensic examinations conducted in the United States and Italy within his book reflect the real life work of forensic pathologists.  The cause of death of the victim in his story, hidden injections with a difficult to detect poison, reminds me of an actual assassination when ricin was injected through a needle hidden in an umbrella.  You can't get more real than this.        "In summary, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery story in the fashion of Robert Ludlum.  Forensic pathologists should be pleased by the accurate and favorable way our profession is portrayed."     A Sense of Place   The Joint Venture is for lovers of Italy.  The author is very familiar with the places involved in the plot, and he describes them as they existed in 1980.  He wanted readers who know these places to recognize them instantly or, if he/she had never been there, be able to picture them easily.  Here is a list of some of those places: The Malpensa air terminal and the drive to Torino - this is the drive that the author made on his many business trips to Torino. The Principi - the author stayed there during the several years when he visited Torino on business. Walking around Torino - the author often walked around town, and what David saw on his walk is precisely what the author saw when he took that same walk. Walking on the Montcalieri road and the footpath along the Po - the footpath described is just as it actually was in 1980. Val d'Aosta - the author made many trips from Torino toward the mountains and Courmayeur. Val di Gressoney - the author took careful notes when he drove there to find a good place for the castle described in the book.  That castle is real, but is not located in Val di Gressoney.  The author transplanted it there.   Vilpiano, the valley of the Valtellina and other places on David's route - the author drove there. Rome - the author visited Rome many times, and in particular took notes on Ambruzzo's law office (an actual office, but used fictitiously).  He walked along Via Condotti and the Spanish Steps, and actually climbed La Scala Santa on his knees so that he would be able to describe Jim's experience there. Milano and the Duomo. Venice. Villa Sassi and the small trattoria near the hotel - these are real places.  The trattoria is not named, but it was there in 1980 and was one of the author's favorites for a quiet meal. Other places in the book that the author either visited or had personal acquaintance with: Boston Common (the author lived for a time at Portsmouth, RI and visited Boston for background). Boston police department outdoor range - the author visited there and spoke with the rangemaster. Cornell - the author was a student there. Cornwall Bridge, Connecticutt - this is the author's favorite stop on the Appalachian Trail. Fillmore and the drive from Indianapolis - the author made that drive, and then created the town to fit the plot. The Don's home - the place is fictional, but it would be typical of what one would see in the estate area north of Boston. Chicago and Jim's home in Lake Forest - the author lived in Lake Forest. Reviews and Comments     Here some of  the reviews and endorsements we have received for The Joint Venture:    Midwest Book Review contributed the following rave (five-star) review for Amazon.com:         The Joint Venture by Gilbert D. Visconti is the author’s debut novel about international intrigue.  Italy struggles with international terrorism, and a pair of Boston attorneys become drawn into a deadly web of ruthless figures and desperate killers.  A terrible puzzle must be solved, and quickly, before time runs out for the population at large in this exciting and action-packed read.  The Joint Venture is an attention engaging and highly recommended read from first page to last, as well as documenting Gilbert Visconti as a writer of considerable literary skill and a master storyteller.   Another reviewer in Amazon.com wrote:         If you enjoy Ken Follett’s character development and location descriptions and Tom Clancy’s precision, you’ll love Visconti’s style.  He blends the present day with a historical foundation and you’ll enjoy every word.  Trust me!   We just received the following comments on The Joint Venture from retired USMC General Anthony Zinni:         I thought it was an exciting and interesting read.  The writing was superb, with history and time blended into a great story.   Brigadier General Claudio Graziano, Military Attaché to the Italian Embassy, Washington, DC (also an Alpine Corps vet):       It was quite a pleasant surprise to turn the pages of the book The Joint Venture... a volume that recounts the lives of characters who, at one point or other in their lives, have each donned the Alpine Hat. But it is also a story which, when the action moves to Italy, takes place in my homeland, in the area between Piedmont and Val d’Aosta. These are places that belong to me, in which I spent my youth and later where I commanded Alpine units from platoons to regiments....       The pages of the book unfold a not-so-distant past, the memory of alpine battles and tragedies of a corps, clearly tracing the ties that form a profound bond that unite a people, the Italian people.       It is a book one reads in one sitting, in which the characters begin to take shape little by little as you read, and then become so real, it seems you have known them forever. Then the plot thickens; the memories intertwine; and the paths of the protagonists cross, turning towards an ending that is unexpected up till the very end. Looking back, however, one sees it was the only ending possible.       I am certain that those who read this book, besides enjoying the passionate story, will have the opportunity to come to know a truly unexpected slice of Italian reality. This is a world few people know and a world not for beginners but for initiates – the Alpini. Note: The above is an excerpt from the General's preface to the book.   Prof. Anthony Caputi, Cornell University, and author of Loving Easy and Storm & Son:     I liked the book a lot. It’s crisply and elegantly written, it’s impressively structured, ingenious and complex, yet it never backs the reader into a despair of mastering the detail or finding a clarity, it’s consistently tense and taut, and it progresses with an admirable and continuously mounting pressure. In other words, it’s a tight, extremely exciting thriller-mystery which I think the author should be proud of.... ...the author’s knowledge of corporate structures and procedures lends great authority to this crucial matter, though of course his writing is a major contribution to its presentation. Italy, too, he uses to good purpose in the overlay of personal conflicts and loyalties which it enables him to ground into the narrative; those touches help him to a kind of thickening and seriousness in the inevitable melodramatic excitement.     Dr. Luigi Monga, Professor of French and Italian, Vanderbilt University:      Mr. Visconti immediately engages his reader with his intense portrayal of international high finance and its intrique, combined with poignant flashbacks to the strife of the operations of World War II.  He gives an unerring re-creation of the sounds and flavors of Italian life during the 'anni di piombo' (the bullet years) -- one of the darkest periods in recent Italian history.   Ronald C. Wolf, expert on international joint ventures and author Effective Joint Venture Management:  The Joint Venture by Gilbert D. Visconti introduces us to the intrigues and motives behind a scheme to obtain control of an international alliance between an American company and a powerful, Italian industrial corporation. A series of assassinations compels a father and son, both attorneys from Boston and of Italian descent, to travel to Italy to unravel the reasons and confront the culprit.   Written in a taut and terse style, with a complex and suspenseful plot, The Joint Venture is a tour de force of revelations and contains enough romance to hold us spellbound.   From the stark frozen Russian steppes, to the beautiful Alpine district of Northern Italy, from Boston to rural America, we follow the steps of two courageous attorneys in their determined search to detect the criminal and prevent another murder. Past friendships forged through adventures as young men permit them to call upon a diverse network of contacts in Italy, culminating in a dramatic conclusion to a masterfully written story.   Paul Rosetti, Editor, Italian Tribune: In The Joint Venture, Mr. Visconti combines the intrigue of the modern suspense thriller with the information of an Italian historical novel.  With his deft use of character development and interesting geographical locales, Mr. Visconti brings to life a disturbing, yet fascinating, era of Italian history.  A worthy addition to any Italo-phile's collection.   Marco Pittaluga, Retired senior executive, Fiat SpA, and one-time board member of Fiat's joint venture with a large American corporation (in a letter to the author):       I was deeply moved by your book, your letter, in brief by your idea of remembering Italy, your Italian friends, the Italian mountains with such a highly enjoyable book... I could not put it down till the very end -  Bravo!  I never enjoyed a book like yours since Dr. Zhivago!    Ken Ticonderoga  Editor, Today’s Books      Gives The Joint Venture  !!!!Exceptional rating .         ’Best reads’ may be considered titles rated Must Read or Exceptional, which represent the top ten percent of new books published and distributed in America each year.  Titles so selected are the most reviewable new books that should be of interest to the news media in terms of criticism and reportage.     Prof. Orazio Tanelli, Founder and Editor, Il Ponte Italo-Americano:          We were very pleased that the author pays much attention to the city’s attractive spots, the beautiful Italian landscape and the majestic Alps’ skyline.  He praises the Alpini and the Italian Resistance during World War II, revealing a deep knowledge of the geography and history of Italy.     Nancy L. Jones, MD, Deputy Medical Examiner, Cook County, Illinois:        Mr. Kenton, thanks again for sending along this riveting thriller which kept me turning pages from the first chapter to the last.  The story line ranges from the privation of the second world war in winter to present day luxurious castles of some of Italy's richest families.  It touches on the lives of fighting men in war, and the men and women involved in the war of international business.  The novel contains romance, intrigue and elements of forensic science and poison detection.  A great read, with well written characters and story development.  Hopefully, this is but the first effort by this author.       Dr. Dona de Sanctis, Editor,  Italian America:        All too few people outside of Italy know about the crack Alpine troops from northern Italy.  Their legendary fortitude and bravery make them especially beloved and admired by Italians up and down the peninsula.  Now, thanks to The Joint Venture, people all over the world will learn about this branch of the Italian military in a context that is riveting and exciting.     Michael A. Acquaviva, Associate Editor of Unione:        The Italian military is often maligned in literary, film and historical works primarily because of its poor performance during World War II when they initially fought on the side of the Nazis against the allies.  The Italians conscripted into Mussolini’s army were generally used as fodder by the Germans and had no real stomach in that war against America, fighting against their own relatives so to speak since the heavy migration by Italians to America established generational ties .   The Joint Venture, by Gilbert Visconti, not only highlights the courage and fighting ability of the Italian Alpine Troops during the latter part of World War II, but also extracts several characters who are drafted into the plot 37 years later.  While this is not a book about the Italian army, 1943 action scenes establish the integrity of this fighting force.        What complicates this novel is the time element...[b]ut Visconti makes it work and the solid adventure could easily be turned into an Italian James Bond movie with all the required action, high-level plotting, and beautiful and courageous women .