T Men

In our nation's capital is a branch of the government...

over a century and a half old,

established by President George Washington in 1789,

The United States Treasury Department.

We're going to take you inside and introduce you...

to the former chief coordinator of the law enforcement agencies...

of the Treasury Department,

Mr. Elmer Lincoln Irey.

I'm happy to have this chance to tell you about the work...

of the law enforcement agents of the Treasury Department.

There are 6 units of "shock troops"...

in the Treasury's striking force against crime.

These are: the Intelligence Unit, which tracks income tax violators;

The Customs Service, who with the Border Patrol fights smuggling;

the Narcotics Unit; the Secret Service...

which guards the President and ferrets out counterfeiters;

the Alcohol Tax Unit which uncovers bootleggers;

and the Coast Guard.

These are the six fingers of the Treasury Department fist.

That fist hits fair, but hard!

To give you an idea of how big a job they really do:

in one year, 64% of all prisoners in Federal penitentiaries...

were sent there by this group.

We are going to show you a composite case...

which will let you see how the agents work and how the units cooperate.

We call this the "Shanghai Paper" case.

It was broken just as we broke the Al Capone case.

Undercover work, such as was necessary in this case,

means "danger" and plenty of it!

The case started in Los Angeles in a district just off Santa Monica Blvd.

A Secret Service agent had arranged a meeting with an underworld informant.

The informer had promised to turn over a clean sample of the paper...

being used by a counterfeit gang.

This was the first break in a long and baffling case.

Having informed the Los Angeles Police of the killing...

the agent reported to the local Secret Service office in the Federal Building.

Thanks, Lieutenant.

Tough luck, Nesbitt.

Homicide says all they've got to go on is the 3.38 slugs from the body.

What do you know about the murdered guy?

Nothing much. He was a wino.

A skid row character named "Shorty. " A professional informer.

He was supposed to meet with me and give me a clean paper sample for $500.

He didn't quite make it.

Well, Nesbitt. I guess you're washed up. On this case, I mean.

Yeah, I was afraid of that.

If they knew this Shorty's movements, they probably knew yours too.

Maybe I was lucky, - You'll never know.

Smith got so far... a dead end, almost got killed.

Parker got a little farther, no dice.

You got the farthest of all. Still a dead end!

Like punching a featherbed!

We're too close to this whole thing. We can't see the woods for the trees.

Let Washington handle the overall strategy. They have the case reports.

I'll teletype them the latest.

Gregg's right!

It's no ordinary gang of counterfeiters. They don't usually go in for killings.

Their product has turned up all over the country.

Notice anything funny when you went through these?

Counterfeits are fair, photo-engraved.

Paper's excellent. Very good!

If we could just get a clean sample for lab analysis.

Go on.

The gang's cagey.

They use some of our own methods: surveillance, shadowing...

check backgrounds of anyone working for them.

That's the general picture.

A tough, tight outfit!

Another thing: this LA crowd makes both counterfeit money and revenue stamps.

Their phony liquor stamps have turned up mainly in Detroit.

The Vantucci mob is using them.

So they're back in business again?

I get it... there must be some tie-up between them.

This thing must be approached through Detroit.

You remember the Capone case? - Who doesn't?

We attacked through Brooklyn to win in Chicago.

Same thing here.

Detour to Detroit to crack a Los Angeles setup.

It'll have to be a "rope-in" job.

All undercover.

I'm trying to get a couple of agents into the Vantucci Mob in Detroit.

It's funny...

This will give the Vantucci's a little borrowed time.

The Alcohol Tax Unit was going to lower the boom on them next week.

But now we need Mr. Vantucci.

Let's find 2 agents with the ability to pass as mobsters...

and possibly some knowledge of Italian.

Men who've never worked in Detroit or Los Angeles.

Of the 2 agents Carson picked,

the first was recalled for the St. Louis office.

His file card read, "Dennis O'Brien. "

Born New York City.

Raised near Italian section, Mulberry St.

Agent for 9 years.

Broke the Mazaratti and Stevens cases.

Undercover once for 8 months, again for 3.

Unmarried.

Parents now living in Boston.

From the Indianapolis office, came Carson's other choice...

Anthony Genaro.

Born San Francisco.

Education: University of California.

Married Mary Bennett, 1947.

Speaks fluent Italian.

Agent for 2 years since discharge from Army.

So you go to Detroit cold.

Start at the bottom and work up step-by-step.

A fragment of fact here and there. Make your own picture of things.

There's nothing compulsory about this assignment.

You can turn it down without prejudice.

Did you hear anybody say anything? - No.

I don't stick other men's necks out.

Genaro, where's your wife?

She's visiting her mother in San Francisco.

Not so good.

I'll write and tell her... - No, don't tell her where you are.

Any questions? Anything not clear?

I guess not.

Contact us through our Detroit office. Good luck!

In Detroit at the main library on Woodward Avenue...

agents O'Brien and Genaro started the first phase of their investigation.

Their problem was to become Detroiters.

Detroiters of a special class.

Criminals...

with a complete knowledge of the history of local crime.

This meant days and weeks of tedious work...

of digging up little-known facts...

which they must be prepared to use.

Gathering background history on local mobs...

past and present.

Laying a careful groundwork for their undercover identities...

picking out items from old newspaper files...

weighing and sifting them.

Making careful notes.

Memorizing those notes.

Hi. - Hi.

You're liable to get eyestrain.

I haven't been able to focus straight for days.

What's new with you?

Got a lot of notes from Police files...

and dope I picked up in bars. - Good.

I've been reading these old news stories on the Mob, back to Prohibition.

There used to be an outfit here in Detroit called the River Gang.

Saw that in the Police files.

They've all been wiped out or put in jail.

We might use them for our pedigree.

That's taking a chance. They may have friends around.

I know.

We got to risk it. We've got to give ourselves some type of background.

At last, they were ready.

They met on Belle Isle to quiz each other for the most important...

exam of their lives.

They had to know all the answers!

Failure to do so would mean a bad grade later on...

in the shape of a bullet or an icepick.

You know about Carlo Vantucci?

Carlo Vantucci, younger brother of Luigi. 41 years old...

arrested 1939 for concealed weapons. Dismissed.

Served year and a day 1940-41 for State liquor violation.

The River Gang?

The River Gang...

Jerry Riley, taken for a ride.

Bo McKenna, died in prison.

Lou Perenti, murdered with icepicks.

Big Bill Schumack, huh...

Schumack... went insane.

The Russian, killed in auto accident in New York City.

Not many of the River Gang left, huh?

Just us two.

This is a nice suit.

Hope the taxpayers can afford it.

I know I couldn't on my salary.

My wife would like this. She's always trying to get me to dress up.

Don't forget... you're not married!

You've been divorced for reasons of duty.

I hope Uncle appreciates it.

What'll we do with our old stuff?

Let's send it back to Carson. He'll get a kick out of it!

By the way... I don't believe I met you.

My name's Galvante. Tony Galvante.

Nice to know you, Galvante.

My name's Harrigan.

Vannie, the boys in my cellblock used to call me.

Mr. Galvante... - Mr. Harrigan...

As their opening wedge in a planned campaign...

Agents O'Brien and Genaro picked the Forinzi Hotel.

A rundown hideout for criminals.

The owner, Pasquale, was well-known to the Detroit Police...

for his questionable activities.

The agents were counting heavily on their new identities.

And on Tony's ability to speak Italian...

Jones?

Smith? Not Smith!

I bought the name from a guy down the street. He was broke.

I understand.

You have no suitcase, so please...

Eight bucks.

Room 201.

Upstairs.

Give me the two bucks!