If you keep in mind that the main character's RL person still lives, and that the the mob characters (Joe Pesci + Screen brother) were the Spilatro brothers out of the Chicago/St. Louis/Kansas City mob it really makes sense.
I grew up in Waukegan, IL and when I was a kid, hits were a once a week occurance.
Someone would end up dead in the trunk of a car set on fire in a forest preserve.
The manager would be shot mafia style in the parking lot of the only local "all nude" dancing club. (About 3 times a year)
People whould be shot in the back of the head and wash up on the shore of Lake Michigan. A childhood friend of mine "caught" one while fishing at the lake.
Pretty much all of these come back to the Spilatro character in the film.
He was the biggest "muscle" the Chicago (South Side up to Waukegan, Including Highland Park, and west out to Libertyville) mafia had. After he left for Las Vegas, the hits dropped off.
After he and his brother were "Hit" and buried in Indiana...there was a period of "down time". After 6 months, the hits started up again.
You'd be surprised the high profile and movie stars that showed up to the Spilatro Brothers funeral.
Some of the guys who killed them showed up too.
That's the life.
ROX
