Hoodlum Empire

Good evening, Commissioner.

- Oh, Commissioner. - Senators. Gentlemen.

This is Inspector Willard of our department.

- Senator Stephens. - Inspector.

Senator Blake. How are you? Senator Tower. How do you do.

The police department have been helpful to us, Inspector, Senator?

- This is Ralph Foster, chief counselor. - How do you do.

Here's the witness list, Senator.

There are 23 main witnesses on this list.

We've been able to serve subpoenas on 19 of them.

One of those served is Joe Gray.

There's nothing much on Gray, except in the back files.

We've got a lot on him, Inspector.

But I'm sorry to say that we have not been able to serve Nicholas Mancani.

He's still out of the country.

And he probably won't come back for a long time.

You pay, Frankie. Add 50 for gettin' up in the middle of the night.

Ok, Miss Williams.

They're in your office, sir.

Take that valise upstairs.

Hello, boys.

- We've been doing a little night work. - Oh, yeah? That's good.

- How you feeling, Charley? - He don't feel.

I'm worried about you being here. It's not safe.

Why not? What's the matter?

Every cop in the country's looking for you.

Nobody sees me. If you use a bat on them, they still don't see me.

- You don't see me now, either. - Honey, I see you. Here.

Suppose I'm asked by the senators to tell your whereabouts?

Tell them I'm still fishing. You've got to use a little imagination too.

Imagination in court is called perjury.

Well, look...

what are we all going to do, huh?

Join a Sunday school just cos some people ask questions?

- I think what... - Counselor, don't think.

You do what you get paid to do protect the interests of your client, Ok?

I was merely trying to do that.

Go upstairs and get us some breakfast. I'm starving.

I'll try at that fish you caught. Uh?

- Oh, Floyd... - Morning, Miss Williams.

Get the boss's breakfast. Then go back to bed. You look awful.

Yes, Miss Williams.

'Ah, you did a nice job on these books.

'You boys should get yourselves a couple of hours of sleep. '

You don't want to be sleepy when you're talking to the senators.

Charley, you've been getting a lot of bad publicity.

What's the matter? Why can't you forget what a tough guy you are?

Now, when you get on the stand, I want you to be nice to the senators.

Say you want to help them out. You want to tell them everything,

but you just don't remember. You're sorry your brains don't work.

They'll believe that, if they believe anything.

Be smart, Charley - act dumb.

When the senators put the finger on me, you lambed out.

Why did you come back now with all the head on, Nicky?

You worried about Joe?

Why?

Why should I be worried about Joe?

He wouldn't blow the whistle.

I'm not as sure of that as you are.

Or maybe you're worried too?

Ok.

I'm going to tell you why I'm here and I want you to remember it.

I came back to make sure that Joe won't be killed.

Unless, of course, it's...

absolutely necessary.

'Joe Gray has just come in. Joe is Nicky Mancani's nephew.'

It is believed that he is still 2nd in command of Mancani's gangster organization.

'This committee will now come to order.'

Is Mr Nicholas Mancani present?

Nicholas Mancani.

Senator Stephens? Yes, what is it?

I am Benjamin Lawton, attorney for Mr Mancani.

I want to tell the committee that we have had no success.

My office has not been able to contact Mr Mancani.

Your office advised us last week, Mr Lawton, that Mr Mancani was in Cuba.

He was in Cuba. We were told that he was on a fishing trip.

There is no radio on the boat he chartered.

Fishing? I sensed there might be something fishy about his trip to Cuba.

Enter Mr Lawton's statement on the record, please.

I'm sure that if my client knew of your desire to have him appear,

he'd be anxious to comply with the committee's request.

Will you call the next name, please?

Charles Pignatelli.

Raise right hand please. Do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

Sit down, Mr Pignatelli.

For the record, let it be said that the witness appeared with Attorney Ben Lawton.

- Your name is Charley Pignatalli? - Charles K Pignatelli.

Do you know Nicholas Mancani? Of course.

How long have you known him? All my life.

Do you know Joe Gray? Sure, I know Joe Gray.

How long have you known him? Since he was a kid.

Are you in business with Nicholas Mancani?

I'm not in business with anyone.

I'm retired.

You have a large income, I believe.

I get along.

From what source do your earnings come?

Investments. What kind of investments?

Different kinds.

Are any of these investments legitimate?

I have advised my client not to answer because the inference is that

there may be activities of my client that are not legitimate.

There's no inference in this questions.

Weren't you and Mancani in the booze business during prohibition days?

We sold a little whiskey then, yes.

- A little? You sold it by the boat load, didn't you?

I don't remember exactly how much.

The truth is, that you and Mancani are still in illegal business, aren't you?

Businesses that are dirty and rotten.

And you use the same violent methods you practiced selling booze.

Isn't that right?

I told you, Senator. I'm a retired man.

Are Nicholas Mancani or Joe Gray investors with you in any of this businesses?

Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know.

Tell us what you know about Joe Gray's activities.

Well, I heard he had some partners, local fellas in Central City,

I think there some kids he met while he was in the army.

That's right.

We did get to know each other in the army.

But they weren't kids. They were men...

'real men.'

Flat out. Keep it down. Medic. Medic.

Dawson got it. Keep those ropes down.

Keep flat, Ted. Don't give them another crack at you.

It's Mike. Get down.

Sucker. Dead man over there? Yeah.

Take it easy, kid. We'll pick you up once it quietens down.

They're warming up, I think.

I thought the artillery would be up by now.

We don't need those slobs. Keep your ears tucked in.

Is the sergeant calling turn? Report and move on. Pleasure.

Be still.

It's all right. I'm a friend.

Is that you, Padre? Are you bad, Joe?

She knocked off that Kraut that tried to finish the job.

Comprende English?

Yes. You stay here. I'll get help.

I just want to say...

You mustn't. I just want to say thanks.

Your arm getting tired?

Any better, Joe? That must be good blood.

Maybe one of your friends back in the States gave it. Not a chance.

My friends don't give blood to anybody.

How's the pain now?

Ok, we'll fix that.

That oughta do it.

What are you doing here, Captain?

We got in from the road when we saw you hit that farmhouse.

Thought they had you guys stopped.

Nobody stops me and my mob, Captain. Never did, never will.

That machine gun made it look pretty bad.

Machine gun?

I knew about machine guns a long time before I saw this man's army.

You took quite a gamble.

Any kind of gamble you want, sucker.

Horses, sucker luck, blackjack, dice. You name it, we do it.

Just locking you in, kiddo.

Ok, Copper.

Don't forget we've got connections.

I'll break you if you don't keep your nose out it.

You putting the collar on me?

Fine pal you are.

Don't talk now.

I owe Silk.

You're lousy, Copper.

Stop rousing me.

Do you hear? Stop rousing me...

He's asleep now. He was delirious.

Maybe.

Baretti and Dawson got hit.

Bad? Dawson is.

Dawson was from your hometown, wasn't he? Most of them are.

Dawson's a member of my church back there.

That's the tough part of the national guard outfit -

you know your men, maybe even their wives and kinfolk.

Sometimes, I hope I don't have to go back and tell

them what happened to all these men we've lost.

Sorry, Simon. That's the wrong thing to say, I know.

Dawson and Baretti joined the Guard when they were boys.

Wanted to spend their summer vacations at the encampment.

To tell the truth, I joined when I started in politics - to get votes.

Gray here didn't join.

Guess he couldn't fix the draft board.

Sorry, Captain, but I don't believe that.

When a New York racketeer comes to you as a private first class

with a bunch of National Guard replacements...

you don't think that's the way he wanted it, do you?

The lieutenant's a good solider.

Well, maybe that's because he was used to this kind of fighting before he get in.

The captain will have to admit that he's earned his rank.

The captain?

Don't formalize it, Simon.

I admit he earned every promotion he got, in spite of me.

I suppose he'd say, he made his point the hard way.

I'm sorry, Simon.

All I meant to say was, politics and war... they make strange bedfellows.

Padre, we're leaving, sir.

Run him nice and easy, Tracey.