Mr. Majestyk

-$3 worth. That's all you want? - Yeah.

And if you're not too busy, you can wipe the bugs off the windshield.

Bob Santos.

Ambrocio Verraras.

Luis Ortegas.

Have you picked melons before?

Luis? All his life.

- He was born in a melon field. - Okay.

Hey, Larry, what about me?

Roberto.

Vincent, we got 30. Do we need any more than that?

If he's got some who'll work for nothing.

Man, you're sure tight with the dollar. You squeeze it to death.

We're paying a $1.40 an hour, 10-hour day.

And don't you short-change them.

Hey, man, I take my percent. I don't need to cheat them.

Larry's going along. If he finds anybody hasn't slipped melons, they come back.

And for them, I don't pay.

Man, I never give you no bums.

- All these people are experts. - Yeah, I know.

$3.

$3. That's $4, and $5.

Hurry back and see us.

- Is there a key to the ladies' room? -It's broken. You can't use it.

What about the men's room?

It's broken, too. Both of them are broken.

We'll go in separately. The men come out, I go in.

You don't have to call the cops and say we're doing it.

I'll call them right now if you want me to. Now get out of here.

- Where do you go? - I'm warning you.

Maybe you never go? That's why you're so full of shit.

Hey.

I was the last one to use that men's room.

You saying I busted the toilet?

Listen, you know how many migrants stop in here?

These people get in there, take a bath, mess the place up, steal the toilet paper.

Let them use it.

I work for somebody. You understand?

Now my boss says no migrants use our restroom.

Not even if they buy gas.

You looking for work?

Well, we forgot our golf clubs, so we might as well.

You know something about melons?

Onions, lettuce, melons. We pick anything you got.

After you use the toilet.

First things first.

Since the toilets are broken

why don't you all come in here and use this?

Get out of here now. Every goddamn one of you.

You said somebody else owned the place.

What the hell do you care if they use the toilet or not?

Here. Don't take all day.

Those people your relatives?

Friends.

You been traveling with them long?

What are you trying to find out?

If I sleep with some of them?

Hell.

We go to different places.

We help organize the farm workers.

We also have to stop and work to pay our way.

You work for the union?

If I tell you yes, you don't hire us?

I don't care if you work for the union, you don't work for the union.

As long as you know melons.

Look, I've been in the fields most of my life.

- What's your name? - Nancy Chavez.

Not related to the other Chavez.

But I'll tell you something.

I was on the picket line with them during the grape strike.

I believe it.

- Is that yours? - Yes.

160 acres.

My second crop. If I don't make it this time...

This guy's already got a crew working.

What the hell are we supposed to do, go home?

Hey, I don't think I know you.

Bobby Kopas.

Come over from La Junta with some top-hand pickers.

I don't think I ever hired you before, either.

One thing I know for sure, I never will.

$1.20 an hour?

Save yourself some money, and they're already hard at it.

I don't hire winos who never slipped melons before.

I don't know. You hire a lot of Latins and no whites.

Looks like discrimination to me.

Get your people on the truck. Get off my land.

Them Latins buddies of yours?

Look, what do you care who works for you, as long as you get the job done, right?

I hire who I want.

Yeah, well, you see, you want me.

Only it ain't sunk into that thick brain of yours yet.

See, everything goes a lot easier

and a lot less trouble when you do business with me.

You understand what I'm talking about?

You make sounds like you're a mean little ass-kicker.

Only I ain't convinced.

You keep talking, I'm gonna take your head off.

Hey.

Leave the melons you've picked or messed up right there.

Pile in the truck and get out of here.

I know you need the work, and I know you want to work.

I already hired a crew.

The man made a mistake.

You came to the wrong place.

What're you gonna do now? You gonna shoot us?

Lady, I'm gonna talk to him, and this time he's gonna listen.

For $1.20 an hour, you gonna shoot people?

He threatened me, and all you people heard it.

Stay back, boy, I'm warning you.

Mean little ass-kicker like you, need a gun...

Put him in the car.

Like I said, the man made a mistake.

Pile into the truck.

Open up the trunk.

Open it.

Hey, buddy.

You want my opinion, you're in the wrong business.

- Majestyk? - Yeah.

Someone lodged a complaint against you. I got a warrant for your arrest.

Can you put your hands on the truck?

- Is this yours? - Yeah.

Okay, let's go.

What's happened? Hey!

If you can't afford to hire a lawyer one will be appointed

to represent you before any questioning, if you wish.

Do you understand these rights I've explained to you?

If you do, write "yes" here.

Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?

If you do, you write "yes" here.

Sign your name, address, city and state.

- Witness it, Ritchie. - Yes, sir.

My name is McAllen, Detective Lieutenant.

You understand your rights under the law?

I understand I should keep my mouth shut. That seems to be about it.

You can tell your side of it if you want.

Well, a man I never saw before tried to force me to use a crew I didn't want.

Complainant says he offered you a business proposition.

And instead of a simple "no thanks," you assaulted him with a shotgun.

It was his gun, not mine.

And he was trespassing.

Lieutenant.

Four years ago, he got one-to-five in California for assault. First offense.

Served nine months in Folsom.

You use a gun that time in California, too?

It was in a bar.

Guy hit me with a beer bottle.

Hey, Lieutenant.

Lieutenant, I got 160 acres of melons sitting out there.

I got to get them in.

Let me go see that they're picked

and I'll come back a few days later, okay?

If this was your first offense, how come they put you away?

See, this guy came to trial with a broken collarbone and a wired jaw

and some friends of his who testified that I started it.

And they said that I kicked his face in when he was unconscious.

Of course, you did no such thing?

I've been tried for it already, okay?

You married?

I was married for four years. My wife divorced me when I was in prison.

If I don't get those melons in this week, I lose the whole crop.

Hey, Lieutenant, I only need a few days.

That's all that's worrying you? Melons?

I think you better get a lawyer.

He'll go to court. Court'll set bond.

If you pay it, you can go pick all the melons you want.

Sure. I pay the bail, and I have no money left for a crew.

And I can't pick 160 acres by myself.

You should have thought of that earlier.

Lock him up.

Okay-

Hey, buddy, you going to eat that sausage?

You ain't gonna eat it, nobody is?

Help yourself.

No, I guess not.

Take one of those cigarettes though.

- I'll pay you back later. - Hey.

Want a smoke?

Yeah. It's all right. I got one.

Hey, don't you know who that is?

He's a TV star.

Man, that's Frank Renda.

Yeah, I saw him play the accordion on TV.

I said, Frank Renda.

He's a hit man.

You know what I'm saying?

He shoots people with a gun.

And you ask him is he gonna eat his sausage.

Cuff Renda.

All right, let's go.

Today, Frank Renda is being taken

to the county seat for pretrial examination on a charge of first-degree murder.

Renda, a familiar name in organized crime

has been arrested nine times without a conviction.

This time, apprehended by an off-duty police officer

who actually witnessed the murder outside a local bar.

It would appear Renda's luck has finally run out.

Hey, hey, come on.

What the hell?

This is Ron Malone with On The Spot News coming to you from Edna, Colorado.