protecting

The Mafia was looking for a new man to make weekly collectionsfrom all the private businesses that they were 'protecting'.Feeling the heat from the police force, they decide to use a deafperson for this job: if he were to get caught, he wouldn't beable to communicate to the police what he was doing.
Well, on his first week, the deaf collector picks up over $40,000. He gets greedy, decides to keep the money and stashes it ina safe place. The Mafia soon realizes that their collection islate, and sends some of their hoods after the deaf collector. Thehoods find the deaf collector and ask him where the money is. Thedeaf collector can't communicate with them, so the Mafia dragsthe guy to a sign language interpreter.
The Mafia hood says to the interpreter, "Ask him whereda moneyis."
The interpreter signs, "Where's - the - money?"

The deaf man signs back, "I - don't - know - what - you're -talking - about."

The interpreter tells the hood, "He says he doesn't know whatyou're talking about".

The hood pulls out a .38 and places it in the ear of the deafcollector. "NOW ask him where the money is."

The interpreter signs, "Where - is - the - money?"

The deaf man signs back, "The - $40,000 - is - hidden - in - a -tree - stump - in - my - back- yard."

The interpreter says to the hood, "He says he still doesn't knowwhat you're talking about, and he doesn't think you have the gutsto pull the trigger."