Creature from the Haunted Sea

The most improbable event of the 20th century

occurred in Havana, Cuba.

The revolutionary victors marched in

and the national complexion changed completely.

They had been liberated.

The survivors of the old regime escaped as best they could.

Taking with them only a few meager effects

such as the Cuban treasure and other art objects.

It wasn't always easy to smuggle a loot out of Cuba

and so secret meetings were being held all over the island.

This story of robbery, double-cross, and murder

begins with just such a meeting.

Are you Renzo Capetto?

I am. Who are you?

Never mind who I am, it's the mission that counts.

Let's get on with it.

As an American gambler and gangster

you're above suspicion.

Of course you know that our government has been overthrown.

- You know, I heard that. - Shut up.

But not for long. We'll be back.

And if you think you have seen executions, now...oh, boy!

- Bravo! - Bravissimo!

Shut up.

But of course in order to finance a great revolution..

...it has been necessary for us to, uh

steal the Cuban treasure.

- Rob? - Shut up.

Let us proceed.

You're going to lose your casino.

so you will be leaving Cuba anyway.

You have a big yacht and you can leave any time you wish.

Such as immediately.

Therefore I'm going to entrust you a solemn trust.

Here we have one-fourth of the Cuban treasure.

Your group, General Tostada, Colonel Cabeza Grande

and a squad of men will proceed to Ciudad Trujillo.

There you'll wait for us to relieve you of the money.

One-fifth of which will be paid to you, do you understand?

I get the whole picture.

Now, you do the rest.

Senores.

General Tostada, Colonel Cabeza Grande, Senor Renzo Capetto..

My name's Happy Jack Monahan, glad to meet you, gen.

And now, the gold.

You two better get into the car.

General doesn't know any English, Senor Capetto.

I'll be his translator for you.

Now, it's time to go.

- Adios. - Adios.

I'll see you later, huh?

The first move and the great conspiracy had been made.

The Cuban treasury was now

in the general hands of Renzo Capetto.

The most trustworthy man ever to be deported from Sicily.

They thought they were smart.

But little did they know that I

Sparks Moran, was an American agent.

Luckily I had been able to work my way into the crew by posing

as a notorious gun machine burglar from Chicago.

My real name is XK150.

Hey, you, come on down here and help with this.

'How'd it go, boopsie?'

We had a harried little chase, but we got the stuff.

Crazy.

Hey, Colonel Grande, you can bring your men aboard.

What happens with all that mob?

I don't know.

I expected an officer or two

but it looks like we're gonna a little difficulty.

And you'll think of a way to remove them and grab that loot..

...cause you're my big, strong, swingin' brain.

You're sweet, baby.

Hi, sis.

Hi, baby doll.

- Did they scare you? - Ah, just a little.

Get ready to go.

Pete, take the wheel.

Jack, you and, uh, Clarks, uh, Sparks, get ready to cast-off.

Well, well, this is a beautiful night for sailing.

And so we left Cuba forever.

Sailing into the most astounding adventure

to be inflicted upon man.

And what a group we were.

The big cheese was Renzo Capetto.

Alias Capo Rozetto, alias Ratto Pazetti

alias Zeppo Sticcato alias Shirley Lamour.

At 15, he served his first stretch for rolling a drunk

in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria, new year's eve, 1934.

In 1940, he was involved in an unsuccessful attempt

to nominate Benito Mussolini for the Republican ticket.

During the war, he was rejected

by the navy, marines and the SS.

Now, deported, he's retained

his contacts with the syndicate

and is still regarded as a dangerous character.

Mary-Belle Monahan, alias Mary-Monahan Belle

alias Belle-Mary Monahan, alias Monahan-Mary Belle.

They say she was a gun moll just because Lucky Luciano

gave her a Rolls Royce every Christmas

and they can't really prove that she sneaked

into the Hollywood Bowl with a tommy gun

and rubbed off the convention of police chiefs in 1956.

All I know that she got nailed when she was pushing heroin

in the laundry room at the boys town.

But I'm willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

Especially when she's as crazy looking as Mary-Belle.

This is Happy Jack Monahan.

So called because he developed a muscle spasm in his cheeks

from watching too many Humphrey Bogart pictures.

Happy Jack's record is brief.

His only crimes having been committed after his sister

Mary-Belle talked Renzo into giving him a job.

Up until that time, Happy Jack had been a tennis bum.

Sleeping under the bleaches at forest hills

and mooching nickels in the BMT subway.

Since taking up with Renzo

he's become a well known dice loader and murderer.

The most obscure member of the dark quartet

is Pete Peterson Jr.

Son of Pete Peterson Sr.

Famed Wardville bird mimic.

Pete Jr. inherited his father's talent for animal imitations

but unfortunately, blew his brain out of whack

while imitating a whooping crane

at the Elks convention picnic in Osh Kosh in 1942.

Since then, anyone's been able to convince Pete of anything.

Renzo found him struggling along as a pickpocket

at Jones Beach and took him with him in his exile.

Since then, he's been Renzo's faithful servant.

Shining his shoes and rubbing out his enemies.

In return, Renzo permits him to imitate any animal

that comes into his head.

That, for instance, was the mating call

of a Himalayan yak.

There they are, my shipmates.

I didn't know where they were taking those

unsuspecting Cubans, but I knew they were taking.

And so with grim faces, we set our helm

against their perilous future.

Okay, now before I begin, has anyone anything to say?

Pete.

How about you, Jack? What do you think we should do?

- Give up? - Oh, now, honey.

Is that any way for Mary-Belle's big man to talk?

Now, look, we've got to get rid of at least half of these Cubans

without making the rest of them suspicious.

There used to be a Cuban fisherman

by the name of Hemmingway.

He got hooked on a sea monster..

...in these waters a couple of years ago.

And he was dragged for miles. Got a lot of publicity.

We're gonna show these boys the greatest sea monster

they ever saw in their lives.

'Jack, in my trunk, there are some garden rakes'

'used for weeding tomatoes.'

'You get them. and, and sharpen them like scalpels.'

Pete, you mix up a mess of olive oil and green ink

'and snag some seaweed from over the side.'

And, Jack, what are you gonna do?

- Sharpen up the garden rakes. - Good boy.

Pete, how about you?

Does he have to do that?

Alright, Jack, beat it.

We've had a good life together, haven't we, baby?

Um, you know it, boops.

Winters in Tijuana.

Summers in Cicero.

Remember that wonderful trip we took to Monte Carlo?

You mean the time we heisted all those $100 chips?

Sure.

I'll admit I couldn't really hear anything through that door

but I was sure they were up to no good.

I knew it was up to me to stop them.

Now we are off again to parts unknown.

It's like a second honeymoon.

You know something?

We ought to get married.

Now, don't be a drag, baby.

How much jack do you think is in that strongbox?

I don't know. There's plenty of Cuban sugar though.

What are we gonna do with all of it?

I don't know.

I always wanted to open up a home for the aged hoodlums.

Baby, you got a heart as big as all our dollars.

Our government agent lives in constant peril.