DRAGO, BENIAMINO ABELE

BENIAMINO A. DRAGO

23 | HETEROSEXUAL | BARTENDER | COLLEGE STUDENT | DAVE FRANCO

THE INTERVIEW

HELLO. THANKS FOR COMING IN TODAY. SHALL WE START WITH YOUR NAME?

"Hey! What are you writing down? I thought this was some simple, quick interview thing for a contest or something? Oh, right, you have to write something down, duh. Well I'm Ben, since more people don't like pronouncing my full name. Which is in fact Italian, yeah I know I'm that cool. It's Benamino Abele Drago. Though my initials are badass. Literally, BAD ass."

THAT'S A NICE NAME. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?

"For a living? Well I'm in college of course, you know gotta get a degree for something. At least something that may help me later in life. Which is why I'm majoring in Communications. Like you know since I'm really good at talking to people, probably another reason why I'm a bartender as well. So I get around pretty easily with talking to people. Besides how hard can communications be in the real world?"

INTERESTING. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?

"Woooooooo. For fun, that sounds kinky. Sorry I'm being immature of myself. I'm so sorry. But really it does sound like that. Would it be odd of me to announce to you I'm actually a big nerd, even if I don't really show it? Because well I'm a big nerd in a way. Not like one of those kids with the glasses and big buck teeth or anything. Because I'm not like that, as you can see. Well I love playing video games, I have a computer dedicated to just games, a Xbox 360 and Kinect Sensor. But yeah I'm like the hotspot for all things video games. Though I could always have more games to my collection, since my collection is huge. But I'm not saying how many games I have, or that will just be weird.

Another thing I like to do which is strange because I don't appear as if I actually do this or anything, but I like to fight. Like punching and hitting people in the face sort of thing. It's just something I know how to do really well. My uncle taught me to fight when I was younger and I have just kept up with it. Most of my friends like to joke around that I'm going to kick someone's ass until the middle of next year or next century just because I'm that good. Well I don't really know if I'm that good or not because I don't like to boast too much about it. Because one shouldn't really boast about their talents. It seems sort of rude and unnatural of something to know what your strengths are. And then they figure out what your weaknesses are. My uncle taught me that too."

WOULD YOU SAY THOSE ACTIVITIES REFLECT WHO YOU ARE?

"HAHAHA. You're serious? You really expect some of those activities to reflect who I am? Really? Well I'm a smart ass, I act immature at times, and I can be hot headed. Is that what you were looking for? Because that was the short terms of what I really am.

When around my family I am this lovely person, because I love my family with my entire life. They are the ones who shape you. They are there to support you with every decision you make in life, they will support you no matter what. And considering my family is huge, I take great pride in that. With my family and friends around I like to joke around a little bit, be that smart ass person that everyone seems to love at times. I play with my little cousins and make an effort for them to help me with my scheme of things to pull pranks on like my older brothers and sisters, my uncles and a few of my aunts. Some catch on to what I want them to do while others are still unsure about it. But it's about being the fun person here, I know how to have fun and give my cousins a good time when everyone gets together and just have fun and enjoy each others' company.

I tend to think of myself as rebellious at times, just because I like to think outside of box and do something new every once in a while. Like something I haven't even thought of doing in my life. It's not like I have entire time waiting for it to come to me, so I go to it. It's simple. I complete that item and check it off my list. I'm rebellious because I do the things no one ever wants to do, it's totally out of the norm for them so they don't even dare do it. So I like doing it in their place instead.

Also I would like to point out I'm not always good-natured either, I'm not lazy, and I don't like to be treated like shit. In the honest truth, I don't care to be talked down as if I'm the one who is the weaker of two people, the one who gets treated as if he it's not up on his game. Like when I fight I don't like to be considered the weaker one, but on the same page, the same level as the other person feels like. I like to be leveled with the other person. I also don't like the Irish. Just saying. Italians are mean ass people, but Sicilians are the worse and the Irish just don't clash with any of them. And considering where I stand, I think the Irish best get their asses moving. Since you know the Irish Mob has nothing on the Italian or Sicilian Mafias."

A COOL CAT LIKE YOU MUST HAVE A TON OF SUITORS FLOCKING TO YOU, HUH?

"You're too nice, I didn't believe you were that into me, I'm surprised. To be honest I don't really know if I have suitors. The only suitors I will take can't be Irish. Sorry Irish blood just ruins the blood in my family. It's tainted and it's not really good. You would know when you see my family. But yeah like I said I'm sure if I express my self somewhere in the open I sure to get some ladies on my arms.

I love the ladies trust me. It's something that my brother is a little jealous of, because I can get them with ease and he just tries his best to just get one girl hooked and I can get a lot of them. But I don't advertise that I'm that easy to get though. Because I can get the ladies just fine, but getting a relationship well that's a little harder to do. I don't know why it just is."

COOL BEANS. THEY SAY YOUR FAMILY SHAPES WHO YOU ARE. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURS?

"COOL BEANS IS RIGHT! My family does shape who I am because have you seen my family? It's huge, multiple generations, and loads of cousins, uncles, and aunties. My family is a major part of my life, and I love when we have big dinners together. It's the best time to have fun and to get wasted. It's even more fun when we visit family that actually lives in Italy. Because they know how to party and it's a blast to be apart of. As it is my mama and dad are big influences for me. They actually do help me with some of the decisions I do make in my life because they do mean something to me. They help with the littlest of things and provide the trivial information that may mean little to someone else, but mean the most to me. And I like that. I have a few older brothers and sisters, but one brother does mean the most to me just because I like to mess around with a lot. He's an important person to me and I just like to say I will risk my life for his. That's how important he is to me. Even if I'm the youngest child in the family."

AND YOUR LIFE? TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PAST. I'M EAGER TO HEAR.

"My past, shouldn't be something so eager to be heard about. Just saying, since it does get a little gruesome I guess. I don't know if it really is that gruesome, but it sure as hell sounds like it. Well I'm the youngest in my immediate family, but not the youngest in the bigger half of the family. I have seven brothers and sisters. Yeah I know we are a huge family so it makes us all really close to one another. Like seriously, we are all close to one another that we have each other's back no matter what the other person does. It's no joke. That's why I take my family over my friends. I'm sorry but blood is thicker than water and it's the damn truth.

So well I guess I should probably mention this, but my father is in the Mafia. And I'm dead serious. The effing Mafia. And even though he's not the head, my grandfather is and he's one bad ass, no pun intended, if you catch my drift. But that's makes my uncles and father and pretty much the goons, well not really the goons of the operation, but like the higher ups to collect the cash and all that crap. I'm more like the goons, you know since I'm like the younger generation, I can fight I can get what I want and need out people, but I also have a way of doing it that the others don't really know about. I actually ask nicely for it. It goes both ways really well for people. That's why I offer to go and get it all because people seem to like me, I have a bright ahead, I can get things down quick and easy. But there are other times when force is needed and a good punch is needed to hand over what's ours.

I should also mention that since we are Italian and Sicilian, we don't care for the Irish. We have an understanding that the Irish pollute our town and our area. They are just bad for business and to be honest we just don't get along. I can't really stand them to begin with, I don't know what's up with them, but they act as if they have a potato shoved up their ass too far up that they can't poop it out. But that's my way of thinking about it.

But my grandfather keeps telling me that I have a bright future ahead and that one day I will have what it takes to run the Mafia once people are gone, but until then I guess it's me roaming the streets and collecting what's owed to us."

WHAT ABOUT A SECRET? EVERYONE HAS A SECRET.

"YOU'RE JOKING RIGHT? You really think I would share something to you? Yeah I know this is an interview to some contest thing, but I didn't think it was going to get this personal or anything. But you know since I have family from Italy, and we are a big bunch and you know how it is there in Italy, well I guess you don't because you're not from there. Haha, well I make myself laugh, but yeah I'm in the mafia. You know like the Italian and Sicilian Mafia. But to be honest I'm not stating with one I'm in because I like to keep that a secret, can't give you everything when I lose all my tricks up my sleeve, then it's no fun to play any games. Haha, games. "

ALRIGHT. TIME'S ALMOST UP. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DREAMS. QUICK!

"Well considering I did mention I was in college and majoring in Communications and that I am a bartender, I don't really know what sort of dreams I really have to be honest. Just that I want to have a big family some day and to be able to take care of them like my own parents have taken care of me and my siblings."

AND THAT'S A WRAP. IT WAS NICE GETTING TO KNOW YOU.

"Just in case this does get entered, just don't go interviewing anyone who is Irish, they have a bad reputation for being potato eaters. HAHA, if you know what I mean!"

BEHIND THE MASK

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