Giovanni Fontaine, Lounge Singer

Gio Fontaine wasn't your typical Vegas crooner. He had the voice, smooth as melted butter on a sunburn, but had a kind of wild maverick energy that captivated his audience. You never knew if he was going belt out a ballad or start throwing out some impromptu scat music.

Tonight, nestled amidst the plush, cigarette scarred booths, Giovanni belted out a heart wrenching rendition of "My Funny Valentine" while a bead of sweat the size of a nickel trickled down his temple.

Across the dimly lit room, "Plump" Pino Agrapini, a two bit hood and loan shark with a face like a dropped cannoli, gave Gio the hardball stare. Gio owed the corpulent gangster a considerable sum for his bad bets and was well past Pino's period of forbearance, he'd come to collect, either hard currency or a pound of soft flesh.

By the time Gio hit the final note his heels were practically hitting the back door. Pino stood up with a grunt, he really hated it when they ran, he really hated exercise.