"I don't know." "I'm just saying... maybe this ain't the right time or place." "This guy, he's been spilling to the feds, right?" "They're probably giving him protection, right?" "Right." "House could be crawling with fed." "It's a risk." "It's a risk, he says." "Two years, we're looking for Greenie." "Every time our people got close, he caught the next bus." "Our chance is now." "Mr. Rothman, with all due respect, we just... think there's a better way to do this." "We could... tail him a few days." "Yeah, yeah, take a moment." "That's what we propose." "Here's my idea." "Now, I propose you two quit trying to dog this job, you chicken-shit weasels." "That is what I propose!" "Ohh, geez." "I think you broke it." "Let me take a look." "Now we know for sure." " Mr. Siegel, be reasonable." " Be reasonable?" "I will nail your tiny little prick to a burning building!" "How's that for reasonable?" "I asked for the best we got..." "What the hell?" "Something's got Siegel in a twist." "I will kick your ass so hard, you'll wear it as a hat!" "And you... the minute that fat shit steps out that door, you're gonna walk over there and put two rounds in his head." "You got me?" "Big as life." "You two frigging pansies watch and learn." "Benny, no." "No." "I'll do it." "You watching this?" "See how a man does it." "Benny!" "Start shooting." "Ben?" "Keep shooting." "Jasmine!" "You fat..." "Coup de grâce." "That's what the French call it." "We have to burn these... all of them, right now." "Are you stupid?" "Pictures?" "Is that what you see in here... just pictures?" "They are stacks of money and a new life, the one I always should've had." "Wise up and come along or get left behind." "Little Moe and Jerry Two-Tone." "They've looked better." "They're foot soldiers for the Siegel-Cohen mob." "They were." "You think it's mob against mob?" "You think Jack Dragna is making a move against Siegel?" "Dragna would never make a move this bold." "So you think this was in-house." "I think Moe and Jerry here did something their boss didn't like, and they got spanked." "Question is what." "What are they doing here?" "Why are you on our crime scene?" "Your crime scene?" "Two of our C.I.s get whacked, it makes it ours." "I think you're confused about the circumstances." "Chief?" "I was just explaining to these gentlemen that this is our crime scene." "And I was just explaining that Detective Morrison's unit took the call and responded first." "They interviewed witnesses, gathered information." " They were..." " Very good." "Jack, get what you need..." "Detective Morrison's men, interview notes, evidence." "Bill, a word." "You heard the man!" "Pony up!" "Nobody was trying to sandbag anybody." "It was an honest stumble." "Honest or not, it's across purposes, and I can't have it." "Now, look." "I let you put this little mob squad of yours together." "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Bill, so consider me flattered." "But I don't want your guys getting in the way of mine." "I had no idea you were grooming these men as informants." "The Geenburg hit?" "We had those two ready to swear Siegel himself pulled the trigger." "Now we're back to square one." "My guys take Siegel down, not yours." "It's just the way it is." "There's plenty of crime in L.A., Bill." "Go find some." "Gentlemen?" "Exit through the kitchen." "Avoid the reporters." "Fellas, where's Mike Hendry?" "Jasmine Fontaine's." "It's his shift on surveillance." "Anything there?" "She keeps a pretty regular schedule." "She goes to work." "She comes home." "That's it." "Well, let's pull that surveillance." "You're gonna need your manpower." "I know why Little Moe and Jerry Two-Tone got spanked." "They were willing to testify that Bugsy Siegel murdered Abe Geenburg, they were there that night." "Word is Siegel himself personally pulled the trigger." "***." "Where's Siegel?" "Vegas." "He goes a few times a week." "A guy at Burbank says his plane's due back tomorrow night." "Round up everyone." "Ask every question." "Beat every bush." "Anybody asks why, deny." "We're not backing down?" "Backing down?" "We're doubling down." "Those fools think they can take Bugsy Siegel?" "Too bad, 'cause you're gonna take him first." "All right." "To the right." "To the right!" "Just keep going!" "Dolan!" "What the hell?" "Do you got a special on lowlifes today?" "Hey, sarge, you get a deck of cards." "We'll get a game going." "All right." "Come on." "Keep walking." "And don't shit on my desk." "Why today, huh?" "Any other morning, fine." "I was drawing to an inside straight, and you schmucks come kick the door in!" "Enough on that." "Talk about Hecky Nash." "Somebody bumped him off a few nights ago, Baldwin Hills." "Poor son of a bitch." "Most people wouldn't be caught dead in Baldwin Hills, huh?" "He did." "Hey." "That was funny!" "Phil Holtz." "Somebody gave him both barrels at St. Vincent's the other night." "Blew him through the wall of a confession booth." "What do you say to that?" "I'm shocked." "I didn't know Phil was catholic." "Little Moe and Jerry Two-Tone." " Talk about them." " Italian joint." "Guy walks right over to their table and lets them have it." "I swear, I never been there." "Pastas give me gas." "So, I'm here." "Why?" "I got nothing to tell ya." "Sure you do, Sol." "You're gonna tell us everything that you know... from the burning of Rome to the Lindbergh kidnapping." " I got an alibi for both." " Yeah, what about Hecky Nash," "Phil Holtz, Little Moe and Two-Tone?" "There's a lot of you getting bumped off this week, probably friends of yours." "That make you nervous?" "The only thing that makes me nervous is you clowns saying I know something I don't." "I got nothing for you about no rub-outs, no blackmails, no pictures, no nothing!" "Did he say pictures?" "Pictures of what?" "Connect these dots." "Bugsy Siegel murders Abe Geenburg." "Now, three weeks later," "Hecky Nash winds up dead trying to blackmail the mob." "If it's pictures..." "Could be the Greenberg hit." "Hecky said it'd bring down a top mob guy." "That'd do it." "We think Hecky's evidence is pictures." "We're betting it's the Geenburg hit." "Dig in." "Find out." "We don't need you to tell us about the pictures." "We know." "It was the Greenie hit." "This is not news to us." "We also know Bugsy Siegel... he pulled the trigger himself." "From the look on your face, so do you." "See how wrong you were?" "You know all kinds of things." "Now, with all these things that you know, we can place you as an accessory to the crime." "You see where we're going with this?" "No place good." "I'm done talking without a lawyer." "You think that he will shield your body, throw himself in front of the bullets?" "Bugsy's tying up loose ends." "He's killing all the witnesses." "You know it as well as we do." "Phil, Little Moe, Two-Tone, Hecky Nash!" "Who am I missing?" "Who was there that night?" "You and who else?" "I don't know nothing about Greenie getting whacked!" "I only heard about it after!" "From who?" "Which little birdie?" "Lawyer." "Now." "That's all I'm saying." "Okay, Sol." "We're gonna... we'll give you a few minutes to decide." "Decide?" "Decide what?" "Whether you want to cooperate with us... or take the fall with Bugsy when we nail him for murder." "You boys are mining gold in there." "Yeah, all right." "You're gonna lay off my suit." "Gentlemen, is there a reason why you're rounding up every mook in town?" "Start with Sol Lipsky." "We like him a lot for accessory." " Accessory to what?" " I'll let him tell you." "Hate to spoil the surprise." "Nice tie." "It's colorful." "I need to talk to you." "My side just found out that Hecky's evidence was pictures." "They're saying it might be the Greenie hit." "Was it?" "What pictures?" "What hit?" "You're on the wrong side of the fence to be asking me those questions." "I need to know how bad this is." "Ned, how much danger is she in?" "You're a detective." "Detect." "Better yet, ask your ex-wife." "Maybe she knows something." "Excuse me." "Look who just walked in." "Mr. Rothman has come in voluntarily today to answer any questions you might have." "I heard you boys were looking for me." "So, uh... so, who's conducting this interview?" "Interrogation's this way." "Go get him." "Hey, beautiful." "I know you think I'm some masher, but I'm not, Jasmine." "Yeah, I know you." "Heard all kinds of nice things about you from our mutual friend, Hecky." "I was about to grab a cup of Joe and a cig." "How 'bout it?" "Not interested." "Sure you are!" "Coffee and a doughnut, twice." "Yes, sir." " What's your game?" " No game." "Thought we should chat, since we both knew Hecky and all." "You sure you don't want any real breakfast?" "Some eggs?" "I love eggs." "I could live on eggs." "I hate eggs." "Get to the point." "Okay." "Me and Hecky were partners." "Thank you." "Partners?" "Yeah." "Who do you think tipped him off" "Greenie was gonna get hit?" "Of course, we didn't know who was gonna do the actual trigger job." "That was spur of the moment, came as a big surprise." "I don't know what you're talking about." "You see what you're doing?" "You're denying involvement, which is a lie." "When people lie to me..." "It makes me feel small, you know?" "Like a mouse." "Like a twitchy, little mouse with its foot in a trap." "I don't like to feel that way... trapped." "Me and Hecky had a deal." "I get half the money for those pictures you took." "And half of 10 grand is $5,000, and that's what I've got coming to me." "Too bad it's imaginary." "Hecky filled your head with crazy stories." "He was good at that." "Anyway, he's dead." "So is any deal you had." "Hecky said you were headstrong." "Didn't say you were stupid." "Look, I've had a lousy couple of days." "The cops are watching me." "You keep shadowing me, they'll be watching you." "I doubt you'd like that, but, hey, it's a free country." "Little Moe, Jerry Two-Tone... why don't you start there?" "I heard they got whacked last night." "Occupational hazard." "Where were you?" "At home, getting some trim." "Huh." "Girl got a name?" "Gentlemen don't kiss and tell." "If you press charges," "I'll give you a name, but only then." "No reason she should be harassed." "Anyway, alibi's solid." "You guys are barking up the wrong tree." "This was an outside hit." "Jack Dragna's behind it." "He'd love to muscle in on our business." "You've got a room full of Jews out there." "You should be talking to the Italians." "So they killed Phil Holtz, too?" "He bought it in a church, a catholic church." "Again, the wops." "You need me to tell you this?" "Got an alibi for that night?" "Sure, I do, and for Hecky Nash." "You want to talk about him?" "I'm so curious to know who bumped him, aren't you?" "Any ideas?" "Those who appreciate good comedy." "Round them up." "So you weren't a fan, huh?" "Of what... guy standing at a microphone, telling off-color jokes?" "The shock value of being crude?" "I don't go for that." "I think laughter should count for something." "Buster Keaton." "Man was a genius." "His physical comedy..." "that was a different realm." "But he also had so much heart." "Chaplin, too." "All heart." "They'd make you laugh your ass off, then turn you to tears on a dime." "The artistry of that... how do they do it?" "Do you ever wonder?" "And the boys, Stan and Ollie... my God!" "Two children trapped in grown men's bodies, trying to find their way in this world." "Such pathos." "These men, were they just clowns?" "No." "No." "No, no, no." "They were artists and poets." "Hecky Nash?" "Hecky Nash... was just a shabby, little, foul-mouthed jerk whose funniest punch line was getting whacked." "Whoever killed him did the world a favor." "I ever met the guy who did it, I'd shake his hand." "Witnesses are ready." "Joe, why don't you bring Mr. Rothman to lineup?" "I'm sorry." "I'm just..." "I'm just so unsettled." "Ma'am, you've had quite a shock." "Witnessing a double homicide... not an easy thing." "Thank you." "You've been very kind." "You think you're gonna be able to recognize the man who did the shooting?" "Yes." "Yes." "Absolutely." "I got a perfect look at him." "Carl, how 'bout it?" "Detective Teague, uh..." "Like I told you... whoever jumped me in that alley, all I saw was a fist flying at me." "Why don't you take a look anyway?" "You never know." "Yeah." "Sure, I will." "Yeah." "That's right." "You never know." "Anybody?" "Please speak up." "Sorry." "Ma'am." "Yes, that's him." "The man who shot the victims in the restaurant." "You sure?" "Yes." "Absolutely." "I'll never forget that horrible face, those dead eyes." "That's him right there." "Number three, step forward." "No, no." "Not him." "I..." "it's him, number four." "Number four." "That's him." "He's right there." "That's who killed those poor men." "I'll testify in court." "I'll testify." "I will testify... in court." "Take a look at this place, this beautiful place." "What I want you two to do is take it in." "Take a deep breath." "Do you smell it?" "Go on!" "Go on!" "Take a deep breath." "What do you smell?" "I don't know." "It smells like cow shit." "Guys, really?" "N... no imagination?" "Come on." "Breathe again." "Take it in." "I have to agree with "cow shit."" "Money!" "It smells like money!" "Come on." "Walk with me." "Cow shit now, maybe, but a city is going to be here someday... a great, vast, shining edifice, with neon reaching towards the sky, and with only one purpose... money, as far as the eye can see." "There's not a single law against gambling, and they've got counties here where whores are legal." "2,000 years, our people have been looking for the promised land, and this... is it!" "You got guys back east very nervous." "Nobody got into this deal to build another Atlantic city, Ben." "Please don't talk to me about Atlantic City." "A.C. is so dead, it should be embalmed." "That is the past." "This, right here... this is the future, and the flamingo is only the start, the first seed of what will be a mighty forest." "Every gambler's dollar in this country is up for grabs." "And guess where they're gonna bring it... right here!" "I need to count on you to make Meyer understand." "This takes patience, faith!" "It's a hard argument to make, Ben." "The flamingo's still bleeding red." "Not for long." "We have had some problems and some hiccups, but those problems are being solved." "Ray, Harvey, please, I beg of you." "Go back to New York." "Make Meyer a believer again." "Bring him out here!" "Let him see for himself!" "Jesus." "Will you please bring him over here?" "Come here." "Come here." "Do you have any idea how much you disappointed me?" "Oh, God." "Still, no excuse." "But come." "Let's take a little walk, all right?" "All right." "George raft, an old friend of mine since we were kids..." "Meyer, too." "We all came up together." "And he's gonna be plugged into every facet in Hollywood!" "Oh, God." "Now, you see, that's what you need with your gambling and your whores!" "World-class entertainment." "By next year, I'll have Frank Sinatra signed for a contract." "You tell Meyer that." "So, what the hell is that thing?" "It's a bug, something Eddy's been tinkering with." "Thinks Mickey Cohen's office at the clover could use one." "Siegel's always on the move." "He's hardly ever in one spot, except Mickey's, and he's there a lot." "Love to be a fly on that wall." "Well, that's the idea." "That's him!" "That horrible face, those dead eyes!" "Got an alibi?" "I love your idea of bugging Mickey's office." "Never mind the bug." "Where are the spaghetti witnesses?" " We cut them loose." " What?" " Why would we hold on to them?" " 'Cause I asked you to." ""Give me an hour." That's what I said." "I didn't hear you." "You mumbled." "Okay." "Why?" "I was running background checks." "That's why." " Credibility of witnesses." " And... ?" "Carl Steckler just got out of San Quentin." "A colorful life he has led." "Of greatest interest..." "He was Mickey Cohen's bagman." "Oh, Christ." "Nobody ever said his last name." "That's got to be Freddy's uncle." "Freddy Steckler's a bagman for Siegel and Cohen." "Well, at least now we know who pointed the hitter at Little Moe and Two-Tone." "Too bad somebody let him go." "Eddy, I swear I really never heard you say that." "Okay!" "You learn to open your ears, and you learn to open your mouth!" "Guys, nobody needs to jump off a bridge." "Carl walked out of here." "He thinks he pulled this off, right?" "The guy's probably at home right now." "He's drinking a beer." "Joe's probably right." "Mike, pat, get over there right now." "I'll put out an APB, get every blue suit in town scouring the weeds." "We'll bring him in and sweat him till he breaks." "Steckler knows who executed those men." "We get the busboy, we get the shooter." "We get the shooter... we get Siegel." "You know, they pulled all surveillance off you." "You were smart." "You went to work." "You came home." "Gave them no reason to keep watching." "Will it stay that way?" "We're scouring the city for a busboy, and that'll lead right to Siegel." "After that, you won't be on anyone's radar." "Great news." "Try to contain yourself." "Okay." "Guess I'll just go." "I'm still trying to figure it out... about Hecky." "You heard what happened." "Not all." "He comes to you." "Start there." "How does that happen?" "I found a note in my mailbox." "Said to come to bunny's, so I did." "And he walks in, just like that." "Imagine my surprise." "Of all the people he could've reached out to, why you?" "Guy needed a cop." "That I get, but somebody had to point him in your direction." "Might sound crazy, but at first," "I thought it was you." "Why would I do that?" "He needed help." "Thought you figured I'd step up for your sake, old times, whatever." " Look, I'm not saying it made sense." " It doesn't." "He goes to all this trouble." "He hires you." "He knows he's at risk, and then he goes up that hill alone, without the guy he's paying to protect him?" "I'll tell you what doesn't make sense." "A man says he loves a woman, and then he drags her into something that could get her killed." "I wasn't involved." "I told you that." "And you made that clear." "You know nothing." "Here's what I know." "Hecky Nash, he was many things, but a photographer?" "See, I don't think you want people asking these questions." "The wrong ones, they might start wondering who took Hecky's photos." "And while we're on the subject..." "What are you doing?" "What are you doing?" "The key to the locker at Union Station." "You think that's smart?" "You had that on you?" "It'll be safer with me." "Jesus, Joe." "You followed me?" "You're lucky I had the first shift." "Now, let's keep you lucky." "You don't have to admit anything to me." "You don't have to admit anything to anybody." "Next time you want to sell pictures, you stick to the tourists at the club." "It's Mickey Cohen." "Coming!" "Sorry for coming unannounced." "It's okay." "It's a surprise." "Nice place." "Cozy." "Came to ask you about pictures." "Yeah, pictures, like, from a camera?" "This Hecky blackmail business... latest I hear was pictures." "I've known Hecky my whole life." "Not once in all them years did I see him pick up a camera." "You?" "Now that you mention it, no." "You can see my frazzle." "You were closest to him the past year." "Did he spend time with anybody who could teach him that or hire a guy to do it for him?" "Could be anybody." "No, that's wrong." "These were special pictures, not like the kind of stuff that you take at the club." "You got a flash, all you do is press a button." "These were taken on a dark street, at night, and they still came out." "Now, this kind of thing would take actual skill." "Anybody?" "Maybe he met someone the past few months." "Like I said, we've been broken up." "Well, if you hear of anybody like that, you know to come to me, right?" "Sure." "Can I use your bathroom?" "Down the hall." "Hey, Sid." "What apartment?" "Triple 3." "Where is he?" "Washing his hands." " Yeah, he does that." " Mickey!" "A word." "Legs, how 'bout a glass of water, huh?" " A little ice?" " Sure thing." "The cops are on to the busboy." "We heard about it from our man inside." "And then Steckler himself calls me in a panic, says cops are all over the place." "He's asking for money." "He wants my help to disappear." "So help him... without the money." "Agreed." "I asked him to meet me in Griffith Park at the Merry-Go-Round." "It's nice and quiet, out of the way." "I got three guys already heading there." "I'm leaving to catch up but stopped to tell you so you can alibi." "You and Ben can't be anywhere near this." "He's still up in Vegas, but you got to get to clover right now and be seen in public, get your picture taken with the guests, you know?" "Sid reminded me that I have guests at the club." "I thank you for your time." "Don't forget what I said, okay?" "Joe." "Joe." "Sid?" "Sid's on his way." "Who are you?" "Friends!" "Sid said to look after you till he gets here." "So... we'll wait." "You can wait with us... here in the car." "It's okay." "I'm fine." "Okay, pally." "Go that way." "Carl?" "Come on, now." "We'll make it quick." "It won't hurt." "You keep pissing us off..." "we'll make sure it ain't quick." "Carl." "Why you doing this, huh?" "Show yourself, you little son of a bitch!" "Where the hell are ya?" "!" "It's a crazy place to die, huh?" "Son of a bitch!" "You know what I said about "it won't hurt"?" "!" "I changed my mind!" "I'm gonna make it hurt plenty!" "You'll be begging me to die!" "Steckler!" "Joe Teague!" "Teague?" "!" "There's three of them, Teague!" "Stay down!" "You go back." "I'll close around from the other side." "All right." "Dewey!" "Dewey!" "Stay down." "Please." "Please don't." "Plea... se." "I may puke." "I was never good on rides." "My whole life, I gave them." "All my years, all my devotion." "And they'd do me like this." "Carl, what do you say?" "You gonna help us out?" "I know... who bumped Little Moe and Two-Tone." "I know, because I'm the one who dropped dime on them." "I fingered those boys for the shooter." "Sid Rothman." "That's who done it." "He killed them both." "So you just put me up on that stand." "You put me up there and see what happens." "Pilot, cut your engine." "Passenger, get out." "Hands where we can see them." "Benjamin Siegel." "That's right." "Who are you?" "What's the occasion?" "William Parker, L.A.P.D." "You're under arrest for the murder of Abe Greenberg." "What do you want?" "Put me in the electric chair?" "That the idea, Bill?" "This is California." "Here it's the gas chamber, Ben." "Cuff him." "Some career choice you're making." "You're gonna wind up looking very foolish over this." "We'll see." "Yeah, but you know what?" "I like gamblers." "So after I beat this rap, you should come to Vegas, play my tables, and you'll lose there, too." "Mr. Siegel is being held in connection with the slaying of mob informant Abraham Greenberg." "I can't say more at this time." "This investigation is ongoing." "Hey!" "Busboy's gonna testify." "They tried to kill him last night." "Now he knows who his friends are." "Your ride on the Merry-Go-Round made the papers." "Page 3." "Big deal." "It is a big deal, Joe." "You could've been killed." "Nah." "They don't hire guys that can shoot straight." "All gangsters have lazy eyes." "You seen the movies?" "Don't make light of this." "Who's that?" "Your bookie?" "Come on." "Chop-chop." "We got a witness to transfer." "I'm right behind you." "Jas, I got to go." "Don't brush me off." "I can't take you putting yourself at risk for me like this." "Just doing my job." "You know your problem?" "You can't take good news." "This busboy puts us one step closer to tearing down Siegel for good." "Jasmine, you're safe." "Only you would find fault in that." "I got to go." "Damn you, Joe." "I knew this crazy bastard was gonna put a foot wrong." "Just a matter of time." "Give us a minute, Mac." "Siegel's stepped in it now, didn't he?" "Now that he has, what's his is up for grabs, so we grab." "I like that, Mr. Dragna." "Siegel's boys have been puffed up too long." "Like to wipe that swagger off their face." " So we put a few in the morgue?" " No, no." "We just take them down a few pegs." "This is not a war." "This is a takeover." "I don't want Siegel's boys shooting back." "I want them working for us." "Understand?" "Now, keep our guys in line." "Make sure they stay on task." "You don't know how to follow orders." "I told you to back off Siegel, that he was mine." "I'll be taking disciplinary action." "Captain Parker's running a lot of goodwill with the press and the public this morning." "That's something you might wish to consider." "I'm not in this for any reason but results, chief." "You want the credit?" "It's yours." "Credit or blame?" "You jumped the gun, Bill." "You made a mistake that even a rookie wouldn't make." "You arrested a suspect without the facts to back you up." "I'll have the facts well in hand by the arraignment." "Oh, by noon tomorrow?" "Ah, you didn't know." "I can confirm that." "Siegel's hearing is tomorrow." " That's not possible." " For the average lowlife." "Siegel's got friends in high places." "You think they'll let him just rot in a cell while you get your ducks in a row?" "The thing about goodwill Turns on a dime." "The press and the public." "No, you take this one." "It's all yours." "And when it backfires, it won't be on me." "Give us a minute." "Of course, Mr. Mayor." "He's right." "Publicity is a two-edged sword." "Today, they use it to knight you." "Tomorrow, they'll use it to cut off your head." "Have you given them a reason, Bill?" "It appears I may have." "I've never heard of an arraignment expedited to this degree." "Can we get a delay?" "That's from judge Anders." "He plays golf with George raft." "I don't." "I'm just an elected official with no authority over the court." "I guess you've taken quite a gamble here." "It's funny." "That's what Siegel said." "If you want to make enemies, you should pick someone less formidable than our chief of police." "And don't ever again put me in a position of having to choose sides." "I can't be playing favorites." "Understood." "Pride and hubris, Bill." "They brought down greater men." "You've got till noon tomorrow." "Those ducks you need to get in a row?" "I'd get quacking." "Sid Rothman... he's killed more people than the plague." "If you spot him, you do not take him alone." "You call for backup." "That's right." "No dead heroes, just good police work." "Well, you know what you can do with this, right?" "You all know we got Bugsy Siegel on the hook for murder." "Sid Rothman is the glue that makes it stick." "We find him, we decapitate the mob in Los Angeles." "These are no small stakes, gentlemen." "Days like this are why we wear the badge." "Now let's get out there and close a door on these bastards." "How'd it go upstairs?" "We got 26 hours to find Sid Rothman and get him to flip on Bugsy Siegel, or this whole thing blows up in our faces." "My face." "***" "Now just go big for the win." "Yeah, I got it." "That's $20 on Indian Brave in the fourth at 5 to 1." "Okay, a late-bet limit starts at 10 bucks." "I don't make the freakin' rules, my friend." "Scratch your bets, name your filly." "They changed the jockey, and the track's all muddy." "You tell me." "Be lively, now." "We're a minute from post time." "I want to place a bet." "Who sent you?" "Jack Dragna." "I bet 100 to 1 this joint's out of business before the next race." "Takers?" "You can't just come busting in here like that!" "This is a protected operation!" "Protected." "Oh, by Bugsy Siegel?" "All these radios, you ain't heard the news?" "Siegel's going away for murder." "Get that yellow-belly out here." "Come on!" "Jesus." "Pissed himself." "This place is closed." "From now on, you take your business up the street to Mr. Dragna's." "You know the place." "Except for you." "Nobody pisses themself in Mr. Dragna's." " You understand?" " Yeah." "Cut that shit out!" "That man ain't done nothing to you!" "A mouthy moolie." "Want to mouth off some more?" "Grab him." "You feeling protected?" "There's a thrilling second, and they're off!" "Sammy, whoa." "Whoa!" "Sammy, Sammy..." "You're gonna kill the guy." "Jasmine!" "Can you do this?" "Not in heels." " Hey, how's your mom feeling?" " Better." "Stevie keeps waking her up in the middle of the night, that pooper." "He cries all the time for no reason." "Mm." "Babies do that." "Hey!" "You want to play checkers tonight?" "We could listen to "Ozzie and Harriet."" "I'd love it, but I may have to work." "I'll let you know." "Okay, but only if you want to." "Mama says I can't be a pest." "Your boyfriend was here." "I don't have a boyfriend." "He said he was." "Tall guy, big shoulders, broken nose?" "He was littler." "Bowler hat, kind of creepy?" "Yeah." "But he's gone now?" "If I'm willing to spill that much of my own blood to get your attention, imagine how much of yours I'm willing to spill." "I told you, I don't have any money." "Mr. Stax." "Always a pleasure." "Likewise, big." "Is the lady in?" "Claire, honey." "Some luck, if you please." "Just a taste." "Thank you my dear." "I know you're in here." "How?" "'Cause your tie is so loud." "And I know your brand by smell." "You gonna share?" "I know it's a gift from the boss and all, but, really, that tie is an eyesore." "Yeah, but I score points when I wear it." "I should pick one out for you." "What's stopping you?" "I'd hate to disappoint the boss." "He's got bigger worries right now." "A murder charge will do that." "Where does that leave us, the people who work for him?" "That's why I came." "To reassure you." "Nothing changes." "You keep things going here till Ben beats this thing." "Until then, Mickey's in charge." "Mickey?" "I know he comes off like a clown at times." "It's... taken me some getting used to, I admit, but the more I know him..." "All of Ben's operations are safe and snug." "That's the message." "There's a firm hand on the tiller." "I suppose one could always use a firm hand on the tiller." "Talk me into it." " Hello?" " It's Mickey." " Ned there yet?" " Yes, he's here." "Mickey." "Dragna's crew just busted up smooth Watson's place on Central Avenue." "They what?" "Dragna's got wrecking crews kicking in doors all over town." "They hit four of our places in the past five minutes." "Now, you tell Claire to boost up her security there right now, bar the doors, load you some guns." "Safe and snug, huh?" "Hey, you hear me?" "I hear you, Mickey." "I'm gonna have to call you back." "Go!" "Hands up!" "Get over to the wall." "Come on!" "Ladies and gents," "I invite you to patronize another fine gambling house right here in Hollywoodland." "My associate there will be passing out business cards." "Your chips will happily be accepted there while this establishment is closed for renovations." "Boys, start renovating." "Don't." "Hey, everybody, stop!" "Ace!" "Go!" "Hold it, hold it!" "Stax, what are you doing here?" " I work with these people." " You?" "Well, same thing." "What, you know this guy?" "No, genius, we're complete strangers." "Don't go hitting lawyers!" "Sooner or later, you're gonna need one!" "You got a sec?" "Stand down." "Ace says hold on a sec." "Your boss, Dragna's, making a big move, I hear." "Sure." "With your man Bugsy in the slammer, it's a green light." "Like this?" "Really?" "It's what Dragna wants." "Your boss is not a clever man... no offense." "Will you take some advice?" "You're not in charge here." "Of course not." "I've surrendered." "Still, the advice is free." "You're scaring the hell out of these people." "What good is that?" "They're not gangsters." "Look at them." "They're a bunch of dentists." "You think they're gonna stroll up the street and give you their business after you scared them half to death, pointing guns at them?" "You make sense." "Point them at me." "I work for Siegel." "It's understood." "You can let these people walk out." "Turns into a nice floor show they'll talk about later." "We all save face." "I talk to your staff?" "Sure." "Nothing to worry about here." "Big, you stand down." "The boss will know you did all you could." "Same goes for the rest of the staff." "Just let these gentlemen do what they came here to do." "What they're not gonna do is hurt anybody." "That's right." "Except him." "Anybody tries anything, Siegel's boy gets it." "I know you'd all feel bad if something were to happen to me, so please cooperate." "Make sure you grab a business card on your way out." "You guys on a break?" "Keep at it." "It's better they break the furniture than people." "Safe house." "What's so safe about it?" "Well, nobody knows you're here." "Let's start with that." "Have you seen this man?" "Yeah, I seen him." " You have?" "Where?" " In a movie." "He slept in a coffin and drank blood." "Funny." "You won't last 10 minutes in jail." "Here, you'll have four men guarding you around the clock." "Drapes and blinds always shut." "Let's keep the uniforms inside." "Don't want the neighbors seeing cops." "Get iron security bars in all the windows." "That's good." "Except that one." "That window's a weak spot." "Nail it shut." "Nice." "Nice." "Nice." "17 ft, 6 inches." "So we just drill down through the ceiling?" "Next to this electrical junction here." "Because Mickey Cohen is blind, he never sees the microphone above his head." "The electrical junction is where the ceiling light is." "The mike goes into the light." "That's why he doesn't notice." "But wouldn't that depend on the ceiling light?" "Yes, it would, Professor." "That's why we're glad it's a frosted-glass globe." "And you know this 'cause you've been in his office so many times." "I know this because of purchase orders." "City records, electrical permits... it's all there." "All you have to do is check." "Of course, that takes patience, brains..." "Eh." "Screw that." "27'3"... "X" marks the spot." "Taking bets on this?" "Drill." "Dragna... that prick." "The minute your back was turned, he hit us every which way." "I know, I know." "Blake's been filling me in." "You don't sound all that exercised over this." " I thought you'd pop your cork." " Why would I, Mickey?" "I got a secret weapon Dragna doesn't know about." "I got you." "Sir." "Now, why do you think Dragna suddenly grew a set of balls?" "Me he's scared of." "You he doesn't think about." "He underestimates you, Mickey." "Now, what do you do when somebody throws a punch?" "You punch back." "You make it sting so he thinks twice next time." "That's right." "So while I'm in here, I need you to be my face on the outside." "Use your judgment." "Do what you got to do." "I got to go." "I'm about to lose the call." "Nobody said I couldn't use the phone." "I'm saying it." " Actually, you have no right." " Excuse me?" "By court order, our client is entitled to certain amenities while he's in custody." "That's quite a list." "I ask that phone access be reinstated." "If not, we'll file a complaint with the judge." "To hell with the phone, the judge, and you." "You got a lot bigger problems than a phone, Ben." "You're telling me." "By the time it got here, the soup was cold." "Now, what's on your mind, Bill?" "This is Lloyd Reese with the city attorney." "I'm here to discuss his case." "Let me guess... you've got Sid Rothman in custody and he's decided to testify against me and my only hope is to fall to my knees and confess." "Good guess." "Good bluff." "Two things wrong with it, though." "Sid is too smart to get caught and too loyal to ever squeal." "Nice try." "Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do." "Yeah, well, we were pitching pennies down on Lafayette Street, lower east side, when we were 5." "Sid even stepped in front of a knife for me, got sliced from his groin to his throat." "You can't imagine the blood." "Took over 100 stitches and more than a year for him to walk right again." "So between the two of us," "I think I might know Sid a little bit better than you." "And Sid knows that I would lay down my life for him." "So even if the gas chamber were thrown in and I had to make a choice between believing you or trusting Sid, sorry, Bill, you lose." "I'll see you in court tomorrow." "We'll see who loses then." "Oh, I'll recognize you." "You'll be the guy with the shiny badge and his dick in his hands." "And guess where my dick's gonna be." "Hey, Stax." "Bunny's pissed." "Soon as you can, get over there and cool him out." "We'll talk later." "Sorry for my timing." "I've had calmer days." "Thanks for meeting here." "I'm surprised to get your message." "What's it about?" "Leslie Shermer." "I've heard the name." "Why have you?" "Is that blood?" "His." "His idea of making a point." ""Money, bitch"?" "He and Hecky were partners." "He wants his cut... $5,000." "He thinks I've got it." "I know he's one of Ben's." "I was hoping you could put a leash on him." "I think this dog is rabid." "Why not take it to Joe?" "He'd handle this off the books." "And get him in deeper?" "He was dodging bullets last night." "He's done enough." "Too much." "Good for you." "I can't get in deeper, either... with Joe." "Closed that door a long time ago." "Thought of opening it again." "Hurts too much." "You ever think about telling him that?" "Talk about it?" "Oh, he talks now?" "He's not the same guy now as when we got back." "His edges aren't so frayed these days." "And I'm happy for him." "He deserves some peace." "It's a long road... coming home." "He needed some time." "You didn't." "Nobody came back from the war the way they went in, unbroken." "Some guys are just better at faking it, like me." "Joe... he had it worse than most." "What happened on Guadalcanal?" "What did he bring home with him?" "All of it." "One thing I'm sure he never told you." "The men in our platoon that made it back alive..." "Joe's the only reason we did." "Not a man would've made it off that island if not for him." "It's not my story to tell." "It's his." "Maybe he will someday." "It's not a debt." "No strings." "You get this Shermer off your back." " Everyone's happy." " I can't take that." "You can, and you will." "It's a gift, from me to you." "'Cause I remember you both when it was better." "Thank you." "Yeah." "What are you hearing?" "Radio's on, and it's the fight." "Louis just tagged Jersey Joe." "Grab the reel." "Don't turn around." "Talk quiet." "I have the money." "It's in my purse." "Just take it." "$5,000?" "Mm." "Thing is, since our last chat, a little bird sang in my ear." "Doesn't matter whom." "Just a guy looking for a taste himself." "He tells me the deal wasn't for 10 grand." "It was for $50,000." "That's right $50,000." "Hecky was looking to screw me from the start." "So now I want the whole whack... all 50k." "I don't have that money." "I had to beg for the $5,000." "But I have something worth $50,000." "The pictures and the negatives, they're in a locker." "We'll go there right now." "I don't have the key." "Joe does." "The cop?" "I can get it." "I'll need a few days." "Down payment." "You've got 24 hours to get the key from your cop and cough up the rest." "We have a problem." "Notice..." "I didn't say, "I have a problem."" "I said "we."" "Smooth Watson." "Life was taken this morning by one of Dragna's." "Bunny, I'm so sorry." "Tomorrow morning, my community will walk through these doors, they will listen to the eulogy delivered by the good reverend, who will say many nice things about the deceased, most of them true." "But their eyes will be on me, watching my every gesture, trying to read my thoughts." "Right now, the women are pouring their anger into their men's ears." "The men are listening and wondering how much ammo to stockpile." " Nobody wants a war." " Yet here we are." "A white man's squabble has taken a black man's life." "The people in this community don't much care if it's Dragna or Siegel holding the bat that crushed smooth Watson's skull." "The fact that I do business with both of these white men makes me responsible." "What do you suggest?" "A summit." "Get both sides to sit down, hash it out." "This pot's boiling now." " Can't wait till Ben's out of jail." " You won't have to." "Mickey Cohen has Ben's proxy." "We could do it here." "You'd be neutral territory." "What do you say, boys?" "Feeling Swiss?" "You think you can pull that off?" "Them coming down here would show some respect, humility." "Qualities famously lacking in both Jack Dragna and Mickey Cohen." "I can't speak for Dragna, but Mickey might surprise you." "There's more to him than meets the eye." "You wouldn't think it, but Mickey Cohen can actually be a very reasonable man." "You garlic-eating son of a bitch!" "Here." "Here, have a banana instead, huh?" "What?" "You don't like bananas?" "You work for the banana king of L.A. you'll hurt his feelings." "Stucky, peel me another one." "I think bananas are disgusting." "They make me want to puke." "Sammy thimble, right?" "You caused us a lot of trouble with bunny today, trouble we don't need." "What do you do when you get really mad?" "Throw a pie in somebody's face?" "No, no, no, no, no." "Find me a nice green one." "Don't peel it." "What are you doing?" "!" "What are you doing?" "!" "I'm showing you how to have a banana a different way." "Be glad your boss don't distribute pineapples." "Boys." "This thing will blow you in half." "I speak from experience." "Pistol out." "Left hand, two fingers, slow." "You don't want me nervous." "Slide it over here." "You're crazy coming here." "Got every cop in town looking for you." "Look, I don't know what's on your mind...." "We'll get to that."