Moristo

The shadowy international cartel, founded by Franco D. Umberto with the sole purpose of destroying Bottesini (during his lifetime) and blotting out his fame (in the years since his death). It is also implicated in the deaths of several of his sister Angela, his wife Madame Fiorentini, his good friend Carlo Arpesani, and his first teacher, Luigi Rossi. It briefly owned Bottesini's bow.

The origin of the name Moristo is unknown. It could be a corruption of the Italian morosita (delinquency), which would be appropriate, as the organization never pays its debts. On another hand, it may stem from the presumed name of Umberto's personal demon, Moristopheles.

The cartel's wealth has come largely from selling ammunition and military secrets to both sides in war. It played this game so skillfully during the risorgimento that even though it largely supported reactionary powers, two of the united Italy's kings in the following years were forced to take the name Umberto. Not mere coincidence. Werner von Braun was in all likelihood a Moristo agent.

Other known Moristo ventures

For several decades, Moristo gathered French Bows and "recycled" them into wood pulp for paper. It is not known whether this was a money-making or purely tactical operation.

Moristo's involvement has also been traced to the following organizations:

The Italian Futurists
Ivory exports
The Worldwide Mafia
A manufacturer of brown shirts

Moristo and the International Society of Bassists

While the ISB claims to represent all Bassists, it is riddled at all levels with Umbertian ideology. Members of the International Bottesini Society are advised to be cautious when working with members of the ISB.

Moristo and American politics

A little-known sub-provision of the 1994 Republican Contract With America (encrypted and not available to the public), is called the "Stamp Out Bottesini Initiative." It is a series of proposed draconian laws that would make it a felony to publish, research, or perform Bottesini's music. (U.S. citizens: If you attempt to contact your Representative about this, he or she will deny all knowledge.)

See MTIC Press.

"We all must learn where to place our fingers."