"Oh my lawdy!" Mina gushed admiring the superstar before her. "I never thought I'd meet THE Lou Farabutto!"

"Lou Farabutto?!" Winona asked, her purple eyeshadow bedecked eyes rose. "Who is he?"

Trudy happily bounded to the short italian man. "Only the hero of all video game nerds! The actor who voiced Hario from the Super Hario Bros!"

"Ah," Winona said. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm a goth, not a nerd. Wrong clique."

Mina's eyes twinkled even brighter than the arcade machines. "What are you doing here, Lou? You're world famous, why are you in some cruddy old shop selling arcade machines?"

Lou took a deep breath and sighed. "It'sa long story, pisanos. And I have-a no time to tell it."

Trudy removed a styrofoam cup of soda from Lou's counter and began to slurp it. "Isn't there gonna be a Super Hario Bros Movie coming out this fall? Are you gonna be in it...?"

For once, the normally happy go-lucky Lou Farabutto grimaced under his mustache. "Can I a-help you girls with anything? Eef not, you will hafta a-hit the road!"

"Oh yes," Mina said, snapping to attention. "Sorry I was super-starstruck! You were the voice of my childhood! We came to ask...do you know anything about the whereabouts of a boy named Chet Cody?"

Lou pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes, darkening them. "Why do you ask? Who are-a you guys?"

"Well," Winona said with a stern face. "I happen to be his girlfriend and I don't know if he was involved in some shady Italian family business!"

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"No," Lou said bluntly. "He does not-a work in the family business..Mama wouldn't allow it!"

"Speaking of this particular business," Mina started with a sly expression. "It wouldn't happen to be a front?"

"A front?" Lou asked innocently. "Fora what?"

"You know," Mina said, looking around with a smile on his face. "A front that you're frontin' for a...USED GAMING MAFIA?!"

Lou, who had been wearing white velvet gloves with black lines on them, snarled. He removed them nonchalantly. "Ita looks like I'ma gonna hafta take the nice guy gloves off! You know too mush-room about this business!"

He whistled with his fingers and suddenly, a group of much scarier plumbers emerged from every door and window. They all wore similar hats with a U on them Strange mustaches curled and swirled from beneath their noses. They snickered with mean looks in their eyes, clutching plumber's wrenches and hammers in their hands.

Mina, Winona and Trudy turned to run, but the scoundrels quickly headed them off at the exit.

As his minions lined the front aisle, Lou strolled casually down it. "I shoulda been more careful," he said. "If a bunch of no-good goombas like you three know who I am."

"Aren't you Lou Farabutto?" Mina asked nervously.

"Yes," Lou answered. "I was a famous voice actor beloved by all pisanos and princesses, but that is all in my past-a. For now, I am the Gamefather!"

Mina didn't gasp. She had a feeling deep in her gut that he was, but she didn't want to believe it.

"So you did kidnap my Chet?" Winona exclaimed.

"No comment," Lou said, and he whipped an enormous monkey wrench out of his pocket. "But since you three know too much already, I hope you aren't alfredo of getting your knee caps busted!"

Two hulking plumbers restrained the girls. "Please..." Mina cried. "My knees are pasty, knobby and awkward already. They're gonna look even more strange all busted up."

She looked to Trudy and Winona. "At least you can see your knee caps, Mina!" Trudy sobbed deeply.

Winona was quiet, more silent than the grave. "I'm sorry Chet," she muttered. "We were so close to saving you, but it seems it's game over for us!"

"I am-a sorry too ladies!" Lou exclaimed, raising his wrench. "But your boyfriend is in another castle! I'll see you in Mozzahella!"