Original subtitles

Sorry, turn it off.

Not so bad, would you find it better?

What do you mean, find it?

I built it myself.

You do very nice for me.

Yeah?

How much, Mike?

For you, not about it.

It goes in the pot.

You bring the money?

Sure you guys didn't bring me here for a stick-up?

Yeah.

You with the stick-ups.

Me?

I got it going.

Yeah.

Marty, fish the plates.

Come on.

Hi, Charlie.

Funny.

Famous Bugsy Sea, who got us the truck.

Thanks, Benny.

That's all right.

You don't, Mike.

I don't mind it here with us.

But I'll tell you, I don't want to hear any of this Bugsy business, okay?

You better be quiet.

Are you shooting already?

I sure am.

Here's my ship.

What kind of business we running here, you don't buy from a warehouse?

You busted.

You give me a couple of nights and I'll figure a way to break the place.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

It's a fun.

We own federal warehouse, Penny.

I know that, Mike.

It's not nice to bust a federal warehouse.

Try to make friends, not enemies.

Come on.

Money's on the table.

Every cent.

We own.

We worked hard for this.

We took risks for it.

Now let's grow up and face some facts.

First, nobody's looking for trouble.

If it happens, Penny, I'm going to need you.

But until then, I want you to keep your gun and your pants.

Well, Charlie, what I had in mind was to go shoot in there.

Now, when we get down to the real business, I'm

going to be out there on the point with Massaria.

Benny's going to be with me.

I know that's not for you, so you're going to get the rest of it together.

I'm not an errand boy, Charlie.

Michael, I didn't say that.

I'm saying you're smart, so you'd think for us.

I'll take care of us.

As soon as we get the alcohol, you're out of it.

I guess the firm's in business.

Let's find out.

What are we going to do for dinner?

We'll eat ice cream.

With what?

I don't know what's... What's this?

Where'd you get that?

Hey, Michael, come here.

Mr. Solar, your friends call me ten.

Take a seat.

I'm Charlie Luciano.

And how can we of Tammany Hall be of assistance to Charlie Luciano?

I don't need any assistance.

In good health, are you?

Employed.

No bone to pick with our governance of the great city of New York.

No complaints.

As a matter of fact, I'd like to make a political contribution.

For the welfare of the party.

There must be some little favor we can offer in return.

Now that you mentioned it, Tim, is this prohibition thing?

The noble experiment.

Heaven blessed those federal agents.

If it weren't for their alert and dedicated raids, wine and beer,

and Lord only knows what are the brew of the devil, would be

sold down the throats of America for the mere price of it.

I understand.

The president himself serves alcoholic beverages in the White House.

I don't know about the president.

My uncle told me he had some alcohol grain from the chemical business.

The government impounded it in one of its warehouses.

He'd like to get it back.

For that, my friend, your beloved uncle would require a permit to withdraw.

These permits, Charlie, can be obtained only from a prohibition enforcement official.

I thought you might have a suggestion.

I'll consult my friends.

Stay in touch.

And Charlie, Is a angelic man will make a gift and ask nothing in return.

Thank God for a touch of humanity.

Thank God.

What good is it?

What am I supposed to do with it?

It didn't even pay me for it.

Bang, right in that damn warehouse.

Almost a thousand gallons of hydrate alcohol, Mr. Ladsker.

You know what I can get for that in the street?

Not on the street, Mr. Lowers.

You own it, but the government locked it up.

It's an illegal substance.

Now I'm prepared to buy this from you.

Why?

Maybe it'll be worth something when this prohibition's over.

Don't hug your breath.

That's why I can't tell you very much.

I'm very serious about my juice.

It's an investment.

Who knows what will happen?

How much?

How much is it worth to you locked in a warehouse?

You're a Jew, aren't you?

Yes, I'm a Jew, Mr. Lowers.

I've got a lot of friends with Jews.

So long, Mr. Lowers.

Come on in the office.

Crow-hibition made Joe Masseria richer and stronger.

And he took the old country title, Coppoldie-Tootie Coffee.

Boss of all bosses.

But he had to do business with young men like Charles.

Who were Americans.

Masseria's old ways would collide with the ways of the young.

Well, man.

Come on in, Charlie.

Are you likely to introduce me to this nice young man?

Joe de Boss.

Mr. Masseria.

Luciano.

I know, see you a long, longer time.

Since the time he gets pinched by police.

We're both different people now, Mr. Masseria.

My sure.

You grow up.

We all grow up.

You know, look, Kasey?

We used to play baseball when we were kids.

We called him Three Finger Brown, like the pitcher.

Now, he learned that to use it just to want to finger now.

Bang, bang, bang.

Bang, bang.

You gonna shoot?

No, I haven't had the pleasure.

At Zumburto Valenti, he's my friend and my protector.

Everybody's my friend.

Luciano got a proposition for us.

950 gallons, pure alcohol, straight out of a federal warehouse.

Now, who need?

Hey, for the people in Little Italy.

They make my stuff for me.

Mr. Masseria.

You're a very important man.

You inherited the power of Lupo, the wolf.

I'm very respectful of that.

My poor Lupo.

I put him in jail for a long, long time.

Maybe he can use your alcohol.

I don't need.

You're a competitor, Mr. Masseria.

A little man trying to be big men.

Mauro, Maranzano.

If people, they sell off their home brew a little here, a little there.

Pretty soon, there's not enough to go around.

This thing's just beginning.

Soon Arnold Rothstein's going to take his cut.

Mr. Masseria, I come to you because you're Joe the boss.

Now, you got an oversupply.

I'll go elsewhere.

Respectfully.

Now, what's your price?

How much you want?

Expensive.

But to what you respect, what kind of delivery, how long you take?

You days.

Or you sell tomorrow.

Or my good friend, Mr. Maranzano.

I saw where I want.

That's not nice.

That's the sum of mouth you got, kid.

I'm in business.

I got the best merchandise.

You like to play card?

Sure.

I play pinacle.

A friend of mine taught me, Mr. Goodman.

I like to play brisk.

You like to pinacle?

We compromised.

We'll play brisk.

Come on, you sit down.

We talk.

You good, the boy.

We negotiate.

You know how to play brisk.

I turn over card.

You beat him in a suit.

You call a brisk.

Brisk.

I thought you were saying I don't know how to play brisk.

Have a good teacher.

That's not nice.

You got a lot of nerve, Lasker.

You think I can hand you certificates of withdrawal like they have plums off a tree?

Them solvents said you might think of a way.

Yeah, well, he's Tammany.

I'm federal.

Emily?

Low certificates are locked in an office safe.

Here, I can't hear myself think.

You don't have to think, Mr. Fisk.

This will do you thinking for you.

You're offering me a bribe.

Just like that.

Just like that.

There'll be more once we get the certificates.

We take care of our friends.

I'm not your friend.

I'm not your kind.

I'm an honorable man.

I can see that.

Sorry for the trouble.

I never want to see you again.

Find your own way out, Mr. Lasker.

Hey, Stella, all these animals.

Which one do you think looks like me?

Like you?

Yeah.

It's a funny monkey.

But he's very cuddly.

Come on, you really think that looks like me?

I don't know.

Which one do you think looks like you?

All right.

Right there.

Oh, he's very dangerous.

Yeah.

The hunter.

Yeah.

No.

You can't kill me, the monkey face.

What?

What's so funny?

You still.

You and me.

Come on, sport.

National life sport, 950 gallons.

Certificate to withdrawal.

What are you guys trying to pull?

Something wrong?

It's a right way and a wrong way.

Next time, give us a couple of days' notice.

It's a little handled for you this time.

Bring it over to the loading area.

All right, that's 750.

Now, get that yawn down around here.

Oh, that dank down there.

That's it.

Come on, let's not take all of these.

I love this country.

I love it.

Deal's done, Joe.

Everything is here, just like you say.

But...

Why, uh...

Why I should to pay you, Luciano.

Why not just to take what you bring in me?

Now, how do you think I become a boss of all the boss?

I kill myself, a 33 man.

Who is it gonna stop me?

No, you and no you.

I guess I can live with that deal, Joe.

Are you sure you can?

Then he's gonna

blow your brains out.

Do you believe that, Mr. Mazarin?

Yes.

I'm gonna drop it to Gandhi.

I'm gonna drop it!

Take up Miss Luciano's money.

Put him in the box.

You kid.

I don't want your heart to hurt you.

I made it, Joe.

Why in all that?

You gotta get me left to move this, Joe.

All right, all right.

Forget about it.

We'll take a glass of wine.

Another time.

Then he'll take it.

That bug's a seagull, a crazy like a cockroach.

If he knows you, I'll put him into work for me.

I'll give him an easy job.

You forgot one.

Give it to him.

It'd be nice.

Like you forgot, Mr. Goodman.

It's a personal matter, Joe.

You said it.

You said it.

Luciano, turn it on the way!

Wait!

This, uh, good them in the business, or whatever.

That's between you and Valenti.

I think maybe you do me a favor.

I think it may be a double cross enemy behind my back with my enemy.

Isn't it important?

But, uh, some day, Luciano, I know you're gonna be an important man.

When did that time come?

I hope you'll remember your friend.

Joe de Boss.

I'll remember.

That's a promise.

Thank you.

After the payoffs, all expenses we took 18, almost $19,000.

One week.

I don't believe it.

It's just for openers, Mikey.

Openers.

Openers nothing.

The cards ain't even dealt yet.

Mikey can't be this easy.

But you listen to him, he practically had to shoot his way out of Masseria's place.

He calls it easy.

Pudsy!

Pudsy!

Pudsy!

Everybody's on the rest.

Relax, Benny.

Benny.

Say a little excitement.

He works for Arnold Rothstein.

That's some nice, nervous habit you got with that thing.

Pretty soon they'll be calling you Bugsy.

You say it a couple of times, see how it feels.

Well, you're a big success, and the brain will like to meet you.

It won't need Mr. Seagull.

You can meet him when it's convenient.

Please thank Mr. Rothstein.

Tell him to be glad to talk with him tomorrow.

Don't know, I mean convenient for Mr. Rothstein.

That's gonna be in 20 minutes.

Benny.

Did you see a couple of low lights from downtown?

Never mind.

That's where we put it, Charlie, if we ever get it.

On the right side of the table.

I'm glad you admire my club, Mr. Lasker.

Seems to me there are three kinds of people in this world.

Those who never gamble, those who enjoy gambling, and those who own the tables.

The fact that you ran a two-bit crap game doesn't put us in the same category.

I also have interest in speakeasies and the distribution of alcohol products.

We enjoy about the same relationship there, too.

You see, you are not in the liquor business.

You don't sell the Masseria, you don't sell

the Maranzano, you don't sell the Waxie Gordon.

You don't sell to anyone.

I hope you understand that.

Because if not, Legg's diamond and his associates will explain it to you in a way

far more sincere than I care to demonstrate here in this office.

And it goes for your friend, Seagull, too.

Do I make myself understood?

You make it very clear, Mr. Rusty.

Good.

Good night, try.

Two of your joints got raided last week.

I don't run joints.

Michael's got a way to keep the federal agents out.

You're going to teach me now about the care and feeding of politicians.

You still get raided, Mr. Rusty.

They padlock your speakeasies, and that means they never open again.

Not for you, not for anybody.

You can make that work for you.

Now, set it up.

Arrange the rage on your own terms.

Let it go to court without enough evidence.

When the judge throws it out, you can apply for an

automatic injunction against that kind of harassment.

The authorities can never do it again.

They can never raid you again.

You got an injunction?

You got a license to sell all the liquor you want.

Did you figure that out?

He reads a lot, Mr. Rusty.

Yeah?

So do my lawyers.

Admittedly, they read different books.

Legs, give them some cigars.

Bang.

Legs have got a great sense of humor.

Local supplies are going to dry up.

I'm buying scotch from Canada.

What would you do with the scotch?

If I had it, I'd sell it.

Cut it with alcohol like Nasseri is wine.

I'd sell scotch uncut the best guarantee.

You're a damn fool.

You can cut it three times triple your profits who'd know the difference.

Is that the way you run your business, Mr. Rusty?

By cheating the people who trust you.

Thanks for your time.

And the cigar.

Luciana.

Jews and Italians have been fighting each other ever since they got off the boat.

You and your friend Lasker here seem to have worked that out.

I'm impressed.

I'd like you to try working for me.

My father's been a laborer all of his life, Mr. Rusty.

He hired out his body to anybody who'd buy it for a day's work.

I don't do that.

My own father was a cotton merchant.

When my life, uh, displeased him, he sat shiver for me as if I were dead.

There's a shipment of scotch coming down to the Canadian border.

You can buy it for $30,000.

Mr. Rusty, look, I happen to know you and your

friends made almost $20,000 on the Masseria deal.

I'll put up the extra $10,000.

I expect it back at 20% interest.

You both sell the scotch wherever you want.

I get 25% of the profits.

How did it deal?

Deal.

I enjoy meeting new people.

What do you think, Lakes?

Never mind.

Mission

control agents will have to ask you to get out, please.

What for?

Routine truck inspection.

You got any papers?

Yes, sir.

I got documents in the car.

Let's see them.

Be right back.

Rough night, huh, boys?

Yeah, rough night.

Come on out.

Here, I'll take it.

Jack, somebody else got the whiskey.

I'm out of the deal and you owe me $10,000.

Is that what you're telling me, Charlie?

Telling you what happened?

Oh, I didn't realize that's what you were telling me.

Well, I want it back.

You know, maybe you were high, Jack, then maybe you went into business for yourself.

But I want my $10,000 back.

I want the whole load back.

And I intend to get it back.

Would you have great comfort who you're going to get it back from?

People who took it.

Hey, Charlie, I don't want any smart answers.

Who took it?

You did.

You set us up.

If that torpedo of yours takes anything out of his pocket, it

better be a sandwich because Benny's going to make him eat it.

You and I are going to have an eating contest with Bugsy?

All right, legs.

Take Mr. Seagull downstairs, buy him a drink.

I stay with Charlie.

It's all right, Benny.

We'll work it out.

That's a lot of workin' out.

We gotta do, Charlie.

Where do you get off talkin' to me like that?

You know the road.

You know the time.

You know what we were hauling.

Look, let me put it this way, Mr. Ross team.

I've already been through the song and dance with Joe Masseria.

Either you give the whiskey back or I'm gonna take it back.

Wow.

The same way you took it from us.

Only I'm not gonna be so nice about it.

Don't.

Easy, easy.

Mr. Ross.

It's my tailor's business card.

Get yourself some new clothes.

I don't like my partners dressing like cheap gangsters.

See, Charlie, we had to get to know each other.

You know we had to feel each other out.

Now we know.

Now we begin.

If we're gonna be making money for each other, then

there's some things you're gonna have to learn.

I just taught you the first lesson.

This is a power business.

We never travel without power.

There's protection with muscle and protection with cash.

You gotta learn to use them both.

You use politics.

You use your hit.

You just got it all back.

All of it.

And no more games.

Not between you and me.

What's your name?

Vito Genovese.

Vito what?

Genovese.

You wanna work for us, Vito?

Don't you tell me what you want and I do it for Charlie Luciano.

What do you do best?

Serious work.

I believe you.

You know.

Louis Luppke.

Louis Bucalta.

Yeah, Bucalta.

What do you work, Luc?

I help out around the Gomit District.

You know, labor problems.

Who do you help?

Who's got the money?

Ever do any time, Lou?

No, a couple of years and sinks and that's all.

Gora Shapiro, I'm Luppke's friend.

Why are they calling you Gora?

I don't know.

They always called me that.

Luppke says you're the smartest man you ever met.

Get out of here.

I ain't that smart.

Get out of here.

Captain Reed.

Young Michael Laska.

Merry Christmas, Captain.

And Charlie and Ben and all of us.

Is it a tie?

It's like a tie.

Counted in good health.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Laska.

All right,

Laska, that's all for today.

Mr. Sullivan's a very busy man.

Try again next week, eh?

Not your stuff.

Hey, you're coming.

In the great lexicon of Tammany Hall, Charlie, politics

is lovingly defined as the art of the possible.

Tell me what's possible.

Money.

And votes.

Folds and money.

With enough of each, tell me what isn't possible.

Canadian Islands of St.

Pierre and Michelon was a well-established business.

The risk came in getting the whiskey onto

land from the rum rolls off the eastern shore.

But secret friends in the federal government had been made by the bootleggers.

All right, boys, come on.

Let's get that stuff unloaded fast.

Let's go!

Let's go!

We haven't got all day!

Mr. Siegel?

Yes, I'm Admiral Siegel.

The Coast Guard boys are doing a fine job.

I'm going to write the president about this.

Meantime, get those pharmaceuticals up here, Wayne.

You got it.

Vito, how you doing?

I needed your drink.

Yeah?

Help yourself.

There's no wine.

I still look like a funny monkey, still.

I don't know what you are, Ben.

I tell you, sometimes you really frighten me.

You read the wrong part of the paper.

Read about the houses for sale.

Read this one, Skye's name.

We're going to need it after we get married.

Yeah, who said I'd marry you?

You just said.

You're getting a taste of the power, Charlie.

I ain't got to learn how to use it.

Stay out of the wars.

Let the hoodlums fight.

Al Capone, Dini of Banyan.

They're killing each other in Chicago.

And not only killing each other in Chicago, they're killing all of us.

This teapot dome thing in Washington.

Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Interior,

selling the whole country out from Honduras.

People who's faith.

You know what the lesson is, Charlie?

Never reach too far.

Don't go before you're ready.

And stay out of the papers.

Just keep with your friends.

No fighting.

Just make money.

You like my new horse?

I don't know too much about racers.

It will.

How much do we sell?

We didn't sell anything real.

Bad girls.

Catch your breath.

I want to do it again from the top, okay?

What the

hell's the matter with you?

What's the matter with this?

I've been blown your head off.

Oh, hi.

Hi.

I'm Joy.

Joy, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Charlie Luciano.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Cleveland?

Yeah?

Mayfield Road Map came through.

Charlie, we're selling everywhere.

We're going to need more help, any.

I could have killed you.

What?

Let's do this.

Charlie Luciano, Michael Lasker, and Ben Siegel were hardened criminals.

They lived in a violent world.

Like the others in that world, they lived by the gun.

And by a cruelty that was some day to destroy them.