Original subtitles

Hiya, Gimpy.

Hey Bugsy, follow his word about delivery.

Drop this house, we'll double on his front stoop.

Pretty boy Dirks.

Bugsy Zoya.

Curley Castelli.

The Murphy Brothers.

They left their prints on the guns, the victims, and the times.

The prints of the men who terrorized New York in the 1920s.

That strange and nightmarish time.

Klepke Bookholder.

Nick Joseph.

Nick Joseph started out in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn as a bundle snatcher, pickpocket, and petty thief.

But before he was through, he chalked up 87 known murders to his personal credit.

None in anger. Executions for a price.

A cool, detached piece of business.

I can never forget, and I'll never stop regretting the night I had the chance to kill Joseph before he got the chance to make murder part of the free enterprise system.

I was on the line for 20 years. The gangster squad. Shock troops of the police department, city of New York.

My name is Bonnie Ruditsky.

Take it easy, will you?

Yeah, she keeps doing it.

What do you think you're doing?

Keep cool.

I'm taking her home with the Brownsville.

Fill me in.

Billie Norse is the name. Caught one on the chest. That's about the crop.

She say he'll doubt it?

I asked her, but I wouldn't even tell you what she said.

Drap dead.

How's it look for her, Doc?

She can get more help from a priest than she can from me.

Not bad, huh?

She's got no right to be breathing.

I'll make out a DOA. It'll save paperwork later on.

You heard the doc. You're checking out, kid. You want a priest?

You haven't got all day. Come on, make up your mind.

Joseph. Nick Joseph.

Joseph, shot you?

Yeah, Joseph.

Why?

He said I was holding out on him. I'd give him everything.

I held out a few bucks. Get me a priest.

You're all alike.

Max, get a stake. I'll pick up Joseph.

Nick!

Stop or I'll shoot!

Drop it, Nick!

Don't shoot. I didn't mean it. It went off. I didn't mean it.

My hand!

It just went off. I didn't mean it.

Billy North didn't die, but Joseph copped five years, his first big time in Sing Sing.

He was sprung in three and nine months.

Hey!

He's coming. He's coming. He's coming.

All right, don't get excited.

Quiet now, huh?

Hide. Hide.

Hey, Nick! How are you? Come on in.

Come on, boy. Come on.

Surprise!

Hey, Mickey boy! Welcome home!

Nice to see you.

You look great.

Hiya, Nick.

Hello, Rosalind.

Come on. We're going to have a party.

Look, we've got a cake. I've been sweating over a hot stove for you all day.

You're the only person in the world I'd do that for.

What about me?

I'm married to you. That's different.

Hey, Nick. We've got a surprise for you.

A welcome home present from us to you.

Hiya.

Pleased to meet you.

Hey, we've got a cake for you, too.

Yeah, we brought you a cake, Nick.

Yeah, read.

Welcome home, Nick.

Hey, this is, uh... this is very nice.

It was a...

It was a tough time to do, Nick.

Oh, no. I had it, uh... I had it made.

Whenever a new fish would come in, you know, he'd kick into me 50%.

50% of the world, they have cigarettes, packages.

By the time I left my, uh... drink up, honey.

By the time I left my cell block, I was running the whole place.

Yeah, Warden Laws was glad to see him go.

Figured six more months and Nick would have his job.

All right, let's get out of business, huh?

Think nobody else ever done any time?

Big changes since you took your fall, Nick.

No more chicken scratch.

We took over the Pitkin Avenue Protective Association.

You took over?

Well, uh, what happened to, uh, Little Mo and Big Mike?

Oh, prohibition, pal. They moved up in the Alky racket.

Yeah, they got a cooking plan over on Sutter Avenue.

Yeah, they hit the big money.

Did they hit?

So they let us take over the protection racket.

You know, no beefs. We got it worked out all legal-like.

Membership cards, two books, you know, and all like that.

Well, that sounds pretty good. Uh, where do I fit in?

All right, you're gonna be in charge of the membership committee.

Yeah, membership committee.

We got Starratoe Avenue all sold out, now we're gonna work on Pitkin Avenue.

You mean you, uh, you want me to hustle the shopkeepers up and down Pitkin, huh?

What's the matter? You don't like the job?

Because nobody's slugging you into it.

I figure you're lucky to get cut in at all.

That only because, uh, Curly and Dirk's push that we take care of you when you was sprung.

Understand?

Yeah, sure.

Come on, honey. Here with your spaghetti.

Joseph hustled the storekeepers up and down Pitkin Avenue.

He was a very efficient salesman.

And feeling the sense of immunity and power,

he developed bigger ideas, more reckless actions.

That's why me and my brother, we got a beef.

I still don't get it. What beef?

We're making more dough than we can spend.

A beef. What is this beef? A beef, beef.

Oh, look, I keep telling you, and you keep saying, what's a beef? What's a beef?

Eh, you don't make any sense. You talk like you was bugged.

Yeah, that's it. See that? The guy talks like he was bugged.

Hey, all right, all right, cool off.

See that? See that? He's bugged, huh? See the way he jumps?

Now, let's get this straight, in a business-like way.

Your figure is that we're pushing too hard, right?

No. No, we're not pushing too hard.

He's pushing too hard.

He's going after the laundries, the cleaning plants, the sweat shops.

He's gonna get us all schlopped.

Look, we had a nice fat racket going for us.

A few small storekeepers, yeah, yeah, but it all added up.

But he's going after bigger men.

They got better connections.

Look, all we need, all we need, just one of these guys to sign a complaint,

and we got a 10-year extortion rap on our backs.

What's the matter, Happy? You getting cold feet?

Go ahead, Dirk, you just keep talking to me like that.

Nuts. You ain't got the guts to kill it cold.

Hey, come on, babe. Come on. Sit down. Relax.

Come on.

You through?

Huh? You through?

Because while all this nothing has been going on, I've been thinking.

I've been thinking that we have been dealing in chicken scratch.

I mean the tailors, the groceries, and with candy stores.

Even the laundries.

It is petty, petty, petty lost.

Now look, we are going to add a new association to our list.

It's going to be the Pitkin Avenue Bookmakers Protective Association.

The bookies. He's flipped, I tell you. You see what I mean?

The bookies.

I don't know, Nick. The bookies, they're pretty hard guys.

They don't frighten easy. We got to have a lot of trouble with them.

Maybe we'll have trouble with the first one. That's all.

I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what.

I hit one. Just one.

Then if it's too tough, I'll do whatever you decide. How's that?

Huh?

Okay, Nick. You want to take a shot at it? Okay.

Only one thing. We got to keep the association out of it. You know what I mean?

Right. I'll go with you.

No, no, no, no. I want Muffy to come with me.

What?

I want both Muffys to come with me.

Hey, we're bugged.

It's bugged, I tell you.

We're against it.

Against it?

It and you, right down the line. So why should we go with you?

Because you are against it. Because I want the report to the boys to come from you.

They know you're not going to give me a better part of it.

Look, you don't have to worry about a thing. I'll do all the talking.

I'll take all the risk. You don't have to say a word.

I would just like very much to have you both there with me.

You'd do better, Nick. Take my grandmother with you.

All right, Nick. We'll go with you.

Remember one thing. You're holding this sack yourself.

Sure.

Number seven. That's right, seven.

Laying off 2,200.

500 straight, 750 place, 950 show.

Read it back to me.

Yeah, that's right.

Got hit in Tijuana. Fourth race.

Number nine. Think it was a boat ride.

Yeah. Call you back.

Mr. Wells?

I'm relaxing. What do you want?

I'm Nick Joseph.

So?

Well, I would like to talk over a little business with you.

It's past post. Track's closed. Goodbye.

You don't understand. I don't want to make a bet.

You see, I'm your partner. I took a vote with myself, and I'm in your book for 25%.

Why, you...

Listen, punk, you better walk out of here.

I'm gonna chop your legs off.

Trouble only with the first one.

I told you. I told you all night.

Tell me again.

All right.

On your feet, punk.

I did not shoot Wells.

I didn't know who Wells is. Now, would I shoot someone who didn't know who Wells was?

I don't know.

I did not shoot Wells. I didn't know who Wells is. Now, would I shoot somebody I don't even know?

What's the matter? You all of a sudden polite?

It ain't polite to shoot somebody you don't know?

Look, I was with friends all night.

I had dinner with them. When I come home, I find you there waiting for me. You bring me here. That's all.

How were the friends?

Well, look, I really can't tell you that because I don't want to get my friends in trouble.

I mean, I can't mention their names unless they give me permission.

That ain't no use, Barney. Better give the punk a break. He spits in your face.

This is no petty larceny fault, Joseph. You're nibbling at the chair.

Why don't you let me break him in two, huh?

And I'm only going to go around with you once more. Do you understand?

I did not shoot Wells.

Yep. Yeah, I know you're here with a red, huh, counselor?

For Nick Joseph.

Signed by Judge Brennan.

Actually, Ruditsky, it would have been a throwout.

My client was having dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Dirks at their apartment at the time the victim was shot.

Right?

He sure was.

Uh, where if I go now, Detective Ruditsky?

You tell me something. How much dough you got in your kick right now?

I'll make book that ain't over 20 bucks.

You see this here?

I carry that around just for tips.

And the books on Saratoga Avenue, they're falling into line.

I just asked them if they want to talk to you about it.

What do you think we do about checking up on their take?

Oh, we get copies of their win and lose sheets. Bugsy will get them every night.

Hey, I got something to say.

Look, you always got something to say. Maybe like less work.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Maybe like less work.

Hey, you a Nick Joseph?

Yeah.

Huffke wants to see you. Come on.

Huffke wants to see me?

Yeah.

What for? I didn't do nothing. What does Huffke want to see me for?

He didn't say.

You mean he wants to see me in his office in New York?

That's what he says.

You tell him I'll be in Lepke's office tomorrow.

Now?

Now. What do you mean now?

Look, we ain't got all day to stand around here barbering. Get your hat.

Hey, Curly, you come with me.

No.

Lepke says bring Joseph alone. That's all.

You sure?

Yeah.

What time is it now?

It's still ten o'clock.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'm hungry.

We gotta wait.

For what?

Word from Nick.

You know what happened. One of the bookies got a word to Lepke.

You know baby Lepke only wants to talk to Nick about it.

Yeah, that's it.

Lepke's gonna beg Nick to be a good boy and not bother his friends.

Lepke ain't big in the words department.

Hey, Nick?

Nick!

Hey! Come on, tell us what's the score. What happened to you?

Come on, tell us, will ya?

Boys, I just came...

from a very, very important meet.

There was Lepke himself...

and Gura...

and Waxey.

Waxey Gordon?

Yeah.

Boys, we are now in a new business.

I just made a contract to service the Lepke-Gura combination in New York...

and Waxey's mob up in the Bronx.

What kind of service?

Well, anybody gets in Lepke's way...

or Waxey's way...

they're gonna call us...

and we hit.

Piecework.

Here's our first piece...

of piecework.

Five G's.

Tomorrow night...

a little itch.

Bronx.

The big combinations learned it was efficient to hire Nick...

to do their trigger work on the opposition.

Hey, Sam.

Canary.

You better go, Curly. Nick's waiting for you.

I'll take care of the stiff.

I'll be next.

Hot dirt, stop!

You got him, Max.

Not on an attempt, either.

Wasn't that, huh?

That is dirt.

Who is it?

It's me, Rose.

I gotta talk to you, Nick.

Yeah, well, look, Rose, I'm...

I'm getting dressed. I got an important appointment, you know.

Look, I'll only take a minute, Nick.

All right, come here.

What is it?

Look, Tom's been up there for three months, Nick.

Yeah, so?

So, what's it gonna be?

Hey, Rosie, what do you mean, what's it gonna be?

You know, they're trying to break him, but they can't.

He'll never talk.

What's he got to talk about?

What about?

You know what, Nick.

Now, look, Rosie.

I don't like nobody coming to me with threats.

No, no, no threats.

Now, look, he's got nothing to talk about. Nothing.

And if he sends you to me with any kind of type of threats,

we got ways of taking care of him no matter where he is.

You know what I mean?

Look, Nick, Tommy didn't send me.

Look, he don't even know I come here.

I swear he don't.

Well, what are you coming here for, huh?

I need help.

I ain't got a dime.

Oh, Rosie, what do I look like, Salvation Army?

I'm gonna have a kid, Nick.

Oh, congratulations.

In six months, I'm gonna have a kid.

Oh, Rosie, what is it?

You want a job, huh?

I'll put you to work.

So I know you got enough to worry about, Tommy,

but it's been three months.

I ain't got nobody to turn to.

And when I went to Nick, I begged him for help.

I told him we were having a kid,

but he told me to hit the pavement.

Scrooge!

Scrooge! Let me out of here!

Lurks talked all right.

Joseph and Curly were arrested.

Joseph offered to cop out,

name the combinations he did jobs for.

We put them in a hotel for safekeeping.

The mobs were trying to kill Joseph

before he could testify in court.

Boys, did we have you in there?

And at exactly 10.27,

Happy Maffy was pronounced dead by the prison doctor.

He was followed to the electric chair

seven minutes later by his brother, Willie.

We return you now to Vincent Lopez and his music.

You know what's a good thing those guys burned?

Public menace.

You got a piece of news for your, Nick?

The DA wants some more?

Listen, you tell him I'm ready to go in that hole up your schmint.

No, the DA doesn't want any more.

The DA doesn't want anything.

What do you mean?

The DA decided he doesn't need your testimony.

Now, wait a minute.

We made a deal.

I cop out, I get 10 to 20.

We made a deal.

No deal, Nick.

We got all we need from Dirks,

so you won't have to do 10 to 20.

You'll only have to do two weeks in the death house.

Nick, tell me.

How much dough have you got in your kick?

You know, I'm not going to burn me.

Get up.

Nick, stop. You can't do that.

Nick, what are you doing?

I am not going to burn her.

I am not going to burn her.

Nick, maybe a chance.

A chance.

Nick, stop.

What are you doing?

Nick!

Nick!

Nick!

You