My Prized Needle and Thread
My Prized Needle and Thread (オレ自慢の針と糸, Ore Jiman no Hari to Ito) is a short story written by Yoshihito Okita starring Pesci and Prosciutto. It was announced in the December 2024 issue of Ultra Jump on November 19, 2024 and published in the Winter 2024 issue of JOJO magazine on December 18, 2024.[1]
Prosciutto and Pesci are assigned a mission to eliminate Ago, a gangster defying Passione by managing a brothel and secret drug routes behind Passione's back. When Pesci tears up Ago's prized suit jacket out of spite, Ago's brother Filo confronts Prosciutto, demanding their punishment.
Summary
Chapter 1
In a Sicilian winery, the Don of a local gang, Salute, interrogates Pesci who he is holding captive. The winery, serving as Salute's hideout, features an underground storage room lined with countless wine barrels. Salute presses the barrel of a shotgun against Pesci's nose, questioning him about the mysterious Boss of the Passione gang which Pesci is a member of. Salute doesn't believe Pesci when he claims not to know the identity of their leader, comparing it to a student not knowing their teacher's face. Sweating and crying, Pesci, shackled to a wall pipe, insists he knows nothing about the Boss. He clings to the hope that his teammates, particularly his "big bro" Prosciutto, will rescue him. However, his fear and helplessness grow as Salute fires the shotgun at nearby wine barrels. Salute grows impatient, mocking Pesci's desperation and demanding information about Passione's members and hideouts.
Pesci begins to stammer about his team, just as Salute continues to threaten him. Hidden in the shadows of the storage room, Prosciutto silently observes the scene, deeply disappointed in Pesci's failure. Prosciutto had once believed in Pesci's potential to grow into a capable gangster but now sees him as nothing more than a cowardly "mammone." Prosciutto reflects on Pesci's failure to eliminate Salute, his capture, and the potential risk he poses to the team by divulging critical information. A dry wind and a smoky haze then fills the storage room. Summoning his Stand, The Grateful Dead, Prosciutto declares his intent to eliminate Salute and clean up Pesci's mess himself.
Chapter 2
In Florence, central Italy, Prosciutto visits a luxury sartoria renowned for its bespoke Italian suits. English suits, which are rigid and robust, contrast with the Italian style, which prioritizes comfort and adaptability. Among Italian tailoring traditions, the Milanese suits from the north are structured, the Neapolitan suits from the south are light and casual, and the Florentine suits balance the two extremes.
Prosciutto, a regular patron of this boutique, tries on a nearly finished bespoke suit. The elderly tailor, referred to as a "maestro," crafted him a black jacket with sharp, contoured shoulders, sleek trousers, and excellent mobility. Satisfied with the comfort and craftsmanship, Prosciutto reflects on the importance of tailoring that balances structure and relaxation, praising the store's precision. As Prosciutto prepares to leave, he notices a calendar and murmurs about a specific jacket. The maestro explains that the white flannel jacket he left for repairs was picked up earlier by "the one with the green hair", referring to Pesci. Prosciutto is unsettled hearing that, but he dismisses the matter.
While exiting the fitting room, Prosciutto encounters a tall man examining himself in a suit in the mirror. The man critiques central Italy's tailoring and the store's off-the-rack suit, saying it has nice fabric but feels too restrictive; he believes that good suits feel like a "second skin." He removes the jacket to reveal a white flannel piece tailored in the Neapolitan tradition, with distinct asymmetrical stitching and irregular pick-stitched lapels. Prosciutto recognizes it immediately.
Now holding a pistol, the man addresses Prosciutto by name, revealing himself as Filo. He demands "Ago's jacket" and claims he's avenging his brother, who is about to have a funeral at noon. At Filo's signal, several armed men inside the boutique raise their weapons, all pointing at Prosciutto.
Chapter 3
About ten days earlier, Prosciutto and Pesci, members of La Squadra Esecuzioni in Passione, were tasked with eliminating Ago as part of a mission ordered by the Boss. Ago was the manager of a brothel. He was a hot-headed and ambitious gangster infamous in southern Italy alongside his sharp-witted elder brother, Filo, who was a godfather. While Filo submitted to Passione's dominance after his organization was subdued, Ago refused to live under their control, secretly expanding into prostitution, gambling, and drugs, which ultimately led to his death sentence from Passione. Bound by loyalty to the organization, Filo reluctantly abandoned his brother to his fate.
Inside the brothel, Prosciutto led Pesci up the stairs, explaining that Pesci's Stand, Beach Boy, would be crucial for neutralizing the enemies in Ago's room without missing hidden threats. However, Pesci was distracted and aroused by the moans he kept hearing, annoying Prosciutto. As Pesci peeked into a room to satisfy his curiosity, Prosciutto intervened directly by using The Grateful Dead to fill the brothel with its mist, aging the man and woman inside and preventing them from continuing their activities.
Arriving at Ago's room, Prosciutto kicked down the door to find several of Ago's men already incapacitated from old age. Using Beach Boy, Pesci disarmed Ago before he could shoot Prosciutto. Unlike his men, Ago was slightly resisting the aging effects. On the desk, Prosciutto noticed a glass of grappa chilled by ice, which dulled The Grateful Dead's powers. Accepting his fate, Ago acknowledged his reckless nature and expressed his final request. He wanted to remove his white flannel jacket, which was tailored in Naples as a matching set for him and his brother. Filo oversaw every detail of the tailoring, and since the jacket represented their bond, he didn't want to stain it with blood. Impressed by Ago's resolve and appreciating his suit, Prosciutto granted his request. As Ago surrendered, Prosciutto saw Pesci casually crunching on ice and ordered him to carry out the execution, believing it was time for him to prove himself.
Pesci's fear paralyzed him, causing him to drop a piece of ice, and Ago mocked his inexperience and cowardice. One of Ago's subordinates momentarily revived due to the ice sliding over to him, and fired a shot that wounded Pesci's shoulder. Ago seized the opportunity to grab another gun. Before he could act, Prosciutto executed him with the gun of Ago's subordinate, revealing that he also killed the subordinate by aging him again and stepping on his neck. Enraged by Ago's earlier taunts, Pesci vented his frustration by repeatedly kicking Ago's lifeless body and later directing his anger at Ago's cherished jacket. Using his own "needle and thread," he tore the garment apart with Beach Boy and stomped on it, mocking Ago that he destroyed the "needle and thread" memories Ago was so proud of. Furious and deeply disappointed, Prosciutto reprimanded Pesci for his actions.
Holding the torn jacket, Prosciutto reflected on Ago's resolve and the respect he had earned. Comparing the bond between Filo and Ago to his own relationship with Pesci, Prosciutto saw in his subordinate only failure and disgrace. With quiet disapproval, he left the room, carrying the damaged jacket. Realizing his mistake, Pesci chased after his big bro, calling out to him in desperation.
Chapter 4
In the reception room of the tailor's shop, Filo and his subordinates show Prosciutto a laptop with a security camera recording of Prosciutto and Pesci leaving the brothel with Ago's shredded jacket. While one of Filo's subordinates points a gun at Prosciutto's head, Filo mentions how he was acquainted with Salute, but Passione ended up killing him years ago. Filo pours grappa into a glass and toasts to his brother before accusing Pesci for disrespecting Ago's memory. Filo acknowledges that Ago's death was justified due to his betrayal of Passione, but he is furious over Pesci desecrating Ago's corpse as well as the jacket they had tailored together, considering it a "second death." Passione's Boss had showed Filo respect by offering him a choice between either keeping his organization or his brother, but now Passione's members betrayed that trust. He demands the jacket's return before Ago's funeral, giving them a chance to redeem themselves, or else he'll punish them.
Prosciutto calmly admits that he brought the jacket to the tailor to get repaired out of respect for its craftsmanship, not for Ago. However, he claims that Pesci isn't a kid and it's not his business to know where he went with the jacket. Despite the gun pointed at him, Prosciutto's calm demeanor intimidates Filo. He notes the details of Prosciutto's suit, but believes that Prosciutto's confidence is just a bluff stemming from the "half-baked" tailoring of central Italy. Filo shifts his anger toward Pesci, denouncing him as an immature brat who acted out of spite and mocking him as a mammone incapable of growth.
Prosciutto's Stand unconsciously activates from Prosciutto's rage at Filo's words. The Grateful Dead ages Filo and his subordinates, causing each of them to collapse. Gasping for air and unaware of the aging process overtaking him, Filo questions why Prosciutto believes the jacket will return. Prosciutto thinks back to the day that occurred a few years ago in the Sicilian winery.
Chapter 5
As Salute threatened Pesci into revealing secrets about his team, Pesci used the "needle and thread" of Beach Boy to stitch his own mouth shut with his free hand, enduring excruciating pain. Despite his fear, Pesci declared his unwavering loyalty to his teammates and faith in Prosciutto, vowing to protect the team's secrets no matter the cost. Prosciutto had prepared to eliminate both Pesci and Salute using his Stand, but stopped when hearing Salute's confused shouts. Witnessing Pesci's self-sacrificial resolve to prove himself as a true gangster, Prosciutto was struck with shame for doubting his partner and withdrew his Stand.
Chapter 6
Prosciutto resolved never to abandon Pesci again after that day, swearing to guide and watch over his "younger brother" until Pesci grew to his full potential and achieved glory. Declaring that Pesci was the "needle and thread" he had chosen, Prosciutto dismisses Filo's insult, refusing to allow an outsider to their team to call Pesci a "mammone." Filo feels as if Prosciutto's demeanor transformed, and his tailored black suit seemed to exude his inner strength. While Filo relies on his clothing as a crutch to raise his own class, Prosciutto elevates the very class of his suit through his character. Overwhelmed by the difference between them, Filo admits that he had been the true "mammone" all along. Feeling terrified about the caliber of Passione's assassins and the unknowable strength of their Boss, Filo reaches for Prosciutto's untouched glass of liquor to soothe his parched throat.
A piece of ice is dropped into the drink, cooling the glass. Filo's aging reverts and he wonders if it was just a hallucination. At that moment, the clock strikes noon. Determined to settle the score, Filo stands up, aims his gun at Prosciutto, and declares his intent to deliver punishment for the missing jacket. However, Filo is interrupted by a subordinate who hands him a phone call from his wife. His wife happily reveals that Ago's jacket had been returned, beautifully intact, by the person who was looking after it. Hearing this, Filo collapses in tears of relief and gratitude.
Prosciutto lifts his glass and toasts to Pesci with pride, acknowledging his growth and trustworthiness. Taking a quiet sip, Prosciutto allows himself a moment of peace, soothed by the distant sound of a train whistle through the open window and the scent of a vineyard wafting into the room.
Appearances
Gallery
Ultra Jump November 2024 Preview
Cover for the story
Trivia
- The title of the story, "My Prized Needle and Thread" (オレ自慢の針と糸), is a layered pun in Japanese. The story primarily uses "Needle" (針) and "Thread" (糸) to refer to tailoring suits. However, the words also mean "Hook" and "Line" in Japanese, so it is used in connection with Pesci's Stand, Beach Boy.
- The names "Ago" and "Filo" are related to the title, respectively meaning "Needle" and "Thread" in Italian.
- Salute's name is a pun, as it is a term used similarly to "cheers" as a toast when drinking in Italy. In the story, Filo toasts to Ago and Prosciutto toasts to Pesci.
- The first sentence of the story references the title of Chapter 550: Beneath a Sky on the Verge of Falling.
References
- ↑ Vish (November 18, 2024), "Hazamada and Cool Shock B.T. Spin-Off Manga, Prosciutto/Pesci Story, and More in JOJO magazine 2024 WINTER", JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia.
