First, let me explain to you my addiction: I love Joe Pesci's voice, dead bodies in trunks and linguine. I love the sound of Tommy guns, guys with the name Antonio and corrupt casinos and bootlegging organizations. I love the Mafia - as long as they're not after me, of course. The Mafioso has the ability to create the greatest, most classic, legendary movies ever. But they hide so well.

Every time I venture to my favorite video store in the Bismarck-Mandan area, I immediately make my way into the "drama" section and arrive at the G's. "Godfather," "Godfather," "Godfather." Of course, I already knew the fate of the 1977, Coppola-directed film starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. It was rented - again.

I stood there staring blankly at the movie case with Brando and his nameless cat on it and the empty space behind it. I imagined what had happened earlier that day - perhaps moments before: some undeserving, uncaring, insensitive twenty-something from Bismarck State College or some crazy place like that walked into the store and stole my favorite movie. And that was it - no murders over veal dinner, no countryside executions, no going to the mattresses, no police bribes.

But I still can't believe it. I go the counter - like I've done so many Friday nights before - and ask if they have it in. The familiar movie employee guy gives me the same hateful look that I've received more than twice and types whatever he types (actually, looking back on it, I think he started tapping on random keys or bidding on eBay a long time ago) into the computer and gives me the same "Nope, not in." Blast!

But then, out of the blue, he challenges me.

"We have 'Goodfellas' in, though …"

And we're off.

"No, I have 'Goodfellas' already," I say.

"Oh."

Silence. Does this man know whom he's messing with?

"Why don't you just go buy 'Godfather'?"

Dude. Dude. That's so wrong.

"I dunno." I mean, what exactly do you say to that? I'm supposed to answer this inane question while thinking about Sonny Corleone's tollbooth ambush.

He had me, and I couldn't get away from it. I had purchased so many gangster movies (and movies that are relatively gangster-like) - "Goodfellas," "Scarface," "Reservoir Dogs," blah-blah-blah. But not the Ultimate. Not the "Godfather" - why?

After I left the video store and went home and cried, I finally couldn't bear to stand it. I was going to spend $22.67 on a special edition "Godfather" DVD and be done with it. I did so, and in doing that I sealed my deal with the Mafia. Michael Corleone had me tightly grasped in his Italian fist.

I would never betray the family again - even though I'm not in it.

(Colin Cahill, a junior, is the entertainment editor for his school newspaper and plays guitar and sings in a teen band. He's even made money doing it.)