| Author | Elmore Leonard |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Crime/Contemporary |
| Publisher | Delacorte |
Publication date | 1993 |
| Publication place |  United States |
| Media type | Hard cover |
| Pages | 265 |
| ISBN | 0385332904 |
Pronto is a crime novel written by Elmore Leonard. Leonard introduces three main characters and gets them moving against each other. Harry is constantly reminiscing about World War II. Tommy carries a picture of the old crime boss Frank Costello in his wallet. Raylan is a detecitve cowboy. In addition, the inclusion of the Ezra Pound stories add more spice to the understanding of Harry and his reasons for retiring to Rapallo,Italy.
Plot summary
editHarry Arno, an over the hills Miami bookmaker quietly lives the good life with his girlfriend, Joyce Patton. Harry skimmed for years from his corpulent mob boss, Jimmy 'Cap' Capotorto and managed to salt away nearly a cool million in a Swiss bank account toward his retirement. Harry wants to retire and move to Rapallo, Italy, dreaming of living an idyllic existence with Joyce in a villa by the sea. In Rapallo he once briefly talked to the poet, Ezra Pound when Harry was in the army and Pound was incarcerated.
Now the Justice Department wants Jimmy Cap so they set up Harry to give information about Cap's activities by putting out the word about his skimming activities. The Justice Department figures that Jimmy Cap will try to have Harry killed, which will force Harry to ask for witness protection and turn evidence against Jimmy Cap. Jimmy sends Harry a message in the form of low-life hit man Earl Crowe but Harry is faster with a gun.
Harry skips his bond and the baby sitting U. S. Marshall Raylan Givens. For the second time since they first met six years ago when Raylan was escorting Harry to a court date in Chicago and Harry gave him the slip in the Atlanta airport. Harry makes a nostalgic dash for Rapallo. Holed up in a picaresque Italian resort Harry is soon pursued by his ex-stripper girlfriend Joyce. Raylan comes over since he is an old West kind of marshal, the kind who always gets his man, so bringing Harry in this time is kind of a point of honor thing and an attempt to clean his blemished record. In addition, ‘the Zip’, another mob affiliate, wants to take over Harry's action, so he tells Cap that he'll take out Harry in Italy. If Harry ends up dead, the Zip gets to take over the bookie operation, which is going to mean a lot more money. The Zip who shows his macho stuff back in his homeland and endlessly humiliates ‘Stronzo’ Nicky Testa demonstrates his penchant for violence with a cold bloodied murder. Consequently, Harry has so many people following him that the small village of Rapallo becomes inundated with U. S. mobsters and federal agents. To the aid of Harry comes Robert Gee, a former French foreign legionnaire who helps him defend the villa against all the trigger-happy mobsters. During all of these events, the sixty-six year old Harry starts drinking seriously again which causes the situation to deteriorate even faster. Harry is in real danger of losing his life, as are several of the other players…
Characters in Pronto
edit- Harry Arno – 60 year old bookie
- Joyce Patton – Harry's girlfriend and former topless dancer
- Robert Gee – Harry's Italian aid and former French foreign legionnairy
- Buck Torres – Detroit homicide detective
- Raylan Givens – U.S. Marshall
- Jimmy "Cap" Capotorto – Detroit wiseguy
- Earl Crowe – Detroit hitman
- Tommy Bitoniti – Tommy Bucks – Zip – Detroit wiseguy and Jimmy Cap's main enforcer
- Nicky Testa – Jimmy Cap's assistant
- Fabrizio – Italian wiseguy
- Nicky – Italian wiseguy
- Benno – Italian wiseguy