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Live by Night (2016)
In 1917, I signed up to
fight the Huns in France. Good men died all around me. And I saw no reason for it. The rules we lived by were lies. and they didn't apply to those who made them. I swore If I made it home, I would never follow orders again. I left a soldier. I came home an outlaw. I lived one robbery to the next. A good day was filled by sleep... and a good night spent running too hard to look back. I lived that life for 10 years. Until it caught up to me It all started with an inside man. The Albert White crew was playing a high stakes poker game. ...and our inside man left the back door open for us. Three, two, one. Where's the fuckin' money? You know whose fuckin' place this is? Give it. Well, you know whose fuckin' card game this is, you fuckin' dunce? You heard of Albert White? Keep talkin', dead brother! Miss, come here, come here. Do you want a drink to go with your robbery? No, just the money, put it in the bag.. In the bag, right here. What's your name? Emma Gould. What's yours? You gonna put a sock in my mouth? That's right. A sock? In my mouth? Never been used before and I wouldn't lie to you. - That's what all the liars say. - Open up. Great! Alright boys, Let's go! You got some balls. Slow down and stop driving like we did something. Relax. Made out pretty good. It was a nice hit. Yeah, it's all mine. Very funny. Look forward! Drive the car! Good afternoon, I'm Albert White. You must be Joe. - Coughlin. - Good to put a face to the name. This is Brandon Lumas...friend of mine How are you? You're too smart for the stuff you been pullin'. Nickel and dimin' with two dumb guineas. They're your friends but they're stupid and they're Whops And they won't live to see forty. Take your time. But you can't work on your own. Not in this town. Albert was rounding up the troops. They was a war going on over rum. - Dermott, go and have a word. - Albert White ran the Irish mob. ...and Maso Pescatore ran the Italians. It was tit for tat. The deadliest year in the history of Boston. White's gang set fire to rum trucks. And a guy on Maso's payroll went home with a girl no one had seen before. The winner...disorder mess. I wanted nothing to do with Albert White and his war. But I didn't have a choice. His girlfriend was my inside man. And I was in love with her. He'd kill her if she tried to leave him... and he'd kill us both, 10 times over if he found out we were together But we were in love and we were stupid.. And every time he was out of town, we were together. The fit was perfect. Mind if I join you? Sorry father, but I've been waiting for someone. No! Emma, this is my father, Tom Coughlin. Dad, this is my friend Emma Gould. Pleasure, Ms. Gould. Mind if I sit down? - Where are you from, Miss Gould? - Dorchester. No, I meant before. You're clearly Irish. On my mother's favor from Cork. - Really? What's her maiden name? - I don't know. - You don't know? - She died. She's dead, me mamso So, what is it you do? It's a really swank place this, isn't it? I know well how my son earns a living.. I can only assume that if you've come into contact with him, It was either during a crime... or in an establishment populated by rough characters. Are my questions making you feel uncomfortable? I don't know what you're on about. and to be honest, I don't really care. I'm on about you being the type of lassie who consorts with criminals. The fact that the criminal is my son isn't the issue. It is that my son is still my son. and I have feelings that cause me to question the wisdom of consorting with the type of woman.. who knowingly consorts with criminals. Did you follow all that? Enough, Dad. Enough, ok? My uncle mentioned a cop run his payroll, name of Coughlin. Is that you? This uncle would be your Uncle Robert? Who everyone knows as Bobo? The police officer you refer to is Elmer Conklin. He is stationed in Savin Hill. He collects shakedowns from illegal establishments such as Bobo's. I rarely get out of Dorchester. Still, as Deputy Superintendent, I'd be happy to take a greater interest in BoBo.. I need to powder. Was that necessary? I didn't start the fight, Joseph... ...so don't criticize me for how I finished it. I've been a police officer for 37 years and I've learned one thing above all. Do you know what it is? It's going to be another yarn from the old country? No. What you put out in the world will always come back to you. But never how you predict. I'm sure it doesn't. Unearned confidence of that about which one is ignorant, always has the brightest glow. I think I've heard enough. She's quite easy on the eyes. Yeah, she is. Apart from that, I fail to grasp what you see in her. She's from Dorchester? Well, that doesn't help. Her father's a pimp. Her uncle killed two men. I could overlook all that, Joseph, if she wasn't... She just doesn't pretend to be something she's not. Maybe she's just asleep. Thanks for stopping by. Maybe you should climb under his covers tonight. - What? - He looked at me like I'm trash! We're not people, We're just the Goulds from Dorchester. We tat the lace for your fuckin' carpets. Jesus. Don't fuckin' touch me! My whole life, I got the high hat and the icy mitt from people like your father. We're not less than you. - I never said you were.. - Oh, well, he did. Fuck him! Ok? I love you. You can glow so easy. It can be. - Come here. - I don't want to. Leave me. - I'm sorry. - I'm sorry..Let go. Spare two bits? Thanks a lot. Joe Coughlin. I Got an invitation. I gotta check you. Go ahead. Joseph? Joe Coughlin, yeah. Do you know who I am? I know enough to show up here when I'm asked.. My name is Maso Pescatore. I run the North End and liquor coming up from Florida. I'm the man with the power over mens' lives in my hand but the truth is... ...I'm just a simple wop from the old country. Today, my only true rival is Albert White. When that is no longer the case... we can see an end to the fighting that has plagued this town. Well, I got no beef with you. But I don't truck with gangsters. not even a sheik like you.. You do soup jobs and stickups, but you're not a gangster. - What does that make you? - I don't know. An outlaw, I guess. I just don't want any part of that life. How many things, good or bad, come to us whether we ask for them or not? For example, one of my men saw you with a young lady... Well, not so much a lady, but 'puttana moll'... whose date is Albert White. So, it no longer matters so much what you want. You're in this life and it can only end two ways. One. You get to Albert and put an end to him. Two. I tell Albert about the girl. and he gets to you first. Like I said, I ain't a gangster. I've done enough killin' in this life. If you want to tell your enemy some rumor you heard, go ahead. If I kill Albert White, someone's just going to jump up and take his place. And I'll be married to the Pescatore mob for the rest of my life. I stopped kissing rings a long time ago. Good afternoon. Do you think he told Albert? No, I'd be dead already. Christ! We could leave. Where would we go? Somewhere warm. My brother Danny lives in California. Where? I don't know. I haven't talked to him for ten years. He sent back a bunch of postcards sayin' he was doing stunts, trying to be a writer. God, I'd go to California. I don't know much about honest work, I gotta tell you. Well, who said anything about honest work? Good! We do what we want to do, go where we want to go. Sleep by day. I got a job in Lawrence on Saturday, then I'll be free. Free to leave? Yeah, free to leave. I have to see you-know-who on Saturday. Fuck you, no! That's the idea.. Oh, come on, what's the alternative? You want to wind up in the Charles? I'm supposed to meet him at the Statler on Saturday. Turns him on to see me when his wife's on his arm. After that, he's going to Detroit for a week. Will you clean yourself up and get to the Statler by 7? I think I can clean myself up and get to the Statler by 7. Shut up. The Lawrence Bank job, we got enough to get us to California on. It's true, that's what I was thinkin' about. Let's go! What are you doing? Start! Start! Look out! Look out! Get outa the way! Move! Get out of the fuckin' way! Fuck Come on! Come on! Go! Go! Go! Go! In the car. Go! I walked half a mile, stole a car in North Reading... and replaced it with a Dodge I found in Summerville. I came back to my childhood home and considered my options. The story was in all the Late Editions. The third dead cop was a trooper who pulled someone over near the state forest. It had to be Dion. Keep going! There's a Service Elevator up here. I can't believe you came! - Where was I going to go? - I don't know. - Waarheen? - It's not what people do. It's not what I do. Come on. Why you crying? - Because I love you. - Then smile. I can't. Come on. I'm sure as you die, you'll tell yourself you did it for love. No. you feel guilty about what you do... So you spend your life hoping someone will punish you for your sins. Well... - Here I am. - Joe, I'm so sorry! She's sorry, we're all fuckin' sorry.. - Take her out of here.. - You said you wouldn't kill him. - Albert, that was the deal! - Don't worry I would never have brought him here... I'm going to be humiliated by a whore? Someone close to me says some arsehole is puttin' a hole into my fuckin' head. You're lucky I didn't cut your tits off and throw you in the fuckin' dump. - Take her to the car, Donny. - No. Joe, I'm Sorry! Sorry! Ah, it's ok. You should be more worried about what I'm going to do to you. - Don't kill her. - What the fuck do you care? She just sold you down the the river.. Please. I wasn't honest. I said if she delivered you to us, I wouldn't kill you. But we both know I have to kill you, don't we, Joe. And then... I'm going to kill her too. Leave him, let's get out of here. So you're a cop killer now, Joseph? I didn't kill anybody. Looks like your friends were about to take you on the dead man's drive. Dad, they're going to kill her. Well, we won't kill you, Joseph... ...but some of my coworkers would like a word. Listen, Please. Dad. They're gonna kill her. She's in the car with Donnie Gishler! I don't know what his skull's made of but it isn't bone. In a coma two weeks. No cranial bleeding. No loss of memory or speech disability. His nose and half his ribs are broken. It'll be a long time before he doesn't see any blood in the bowl. Go on in. Dad, where is she? Did they find her? We followed her and Donnie Gishler. His car went off the road and into the ocean at 9:20. An officer from Beverly dove in lookin' for them. Ended up in the hospital for a week with hypothermia. She was Albert White's girl. She betrayed you. She did... And? I'm crazy about her. Crazy isn't love. I saw your marriage for 18 years. It wasn't love. No. No it wasn't. Anyway, she's gone. She's as dead as your mother, God rest her.. They caught up with Paolo in St. Albans, about 10 miles from the border. A number of officers gave chase. He was struck by at least 14 rounds. Low for a cop killer. What about Dion? It's possible he made the border. You were the child that was supposed to fix the distance between me and your mother. Were you aware of that? I was aware of the distance. People don't fix each other. They never become anything but what they've always been. All we get sometimes is a little luck. Do not waste your's pining for a dead girl. - You make your own luck. - Sometimes. Sometimes it makes you. If he pleads guilty... I can take the death penalty off the table. 3 years out, 20 probation. Three years? There are 3 dead police officers. And he didn't kill them. He may be the son of the Deputy Superintendent... but he will long know the inside of the Charlestown Prison. I promise you. Chief Inspector. I was demoted yesterday. Then we can leave unsaid the notion I was going to dispell for you. I have no illusions. I'm a practical man. The photograph is of a door to a row-house in Back Bay... where you have been keeping time with a young man of Mexican descent. If you move the location of your liaisons, I will know within the hour. Let me see what I can do. Seeing what you can do is of little interest to me. I plead guilty to abetting armed robbery... and was given 3 years and 4 months in the Charlestown prison. If my father had lived 2 more weeks... I could have said goodbye.. I got one guaranteed life. and I was going to live it. I would use Maso and his hatred for Albert to get me started. Funny, how things change. What happened to all the talk about not being a gangster? Now you come to me looking for a job. I got nothin' left. I don't want to be a gangster. But I'll work for one if I can get to Albert White. From what I heard in prison, you're still the man to see about that. We ran Albert White out of Boston like you heard. Now he's making a run to our rum operation in central Florida. He wants Tampa. It's true, I could use someone who is committed to putting an end to Mr. White. You found your man right here. Your duty would always have to be to the Pescatore Family first... then yourself second. Can you live with that? Sounds fair. I just need one guy, Dion Bartolo from my old crew... ...to help me go down there and set up. It's good to have someone you can trust. - It's hot down there. - I don't mind hot. You ain't never felt hot like this one. I spent some winters in Charlestown. I could use the change. Then get the narcotics running, starting in Tampa. Frank Ormino runs Tampa. He's gonna decide he doesn't need the headache. - When's he gonna decide that? - 10 minutes after you get there. I see, so I gotta make you and me equal partners? No! Frank Ormino's an equal partner. But look what's gonna to happen to him. I guess I work cheap. Can you tolerate an Irishman in your crew? This is America. I've lived worse. I realized it's not enough to break the rules. You have to be strong enough to make your own. Joseph. - How ya doin'? - You! Look at you! - Hey, sorry about your father. - Yeah, sorry about your brother. Thank you, thank you. Listen, when Lefty Downer found me in Montreal told me the Pescatores wanted me to come work for them... I thought it was a straight bamboozle. Then I thought if anyone could charm the devil.. it's my old partner. - Look at this! - Holy shit! Would you look at this? - Here, after you. - Get the fuck outta here! I work for you now, Boss Joe Coughlin. Reach under the seat and you'll find a friend. Welcome to Ybor, The Harlem of Tampa. The gods built this place. What you're smellin' now is probably bolos or empanadas. The rest of Tampa leaves Ybor alone. As far as they're concerned we're a bunch of dirty Spics and Whops... And we can fuck off and do what we need to do as long as we leave them alone. You'd think we could all get along but it don't work out that way. The Italians and the Cubans keep to themselves. But the Cubans, they hate the Spaniards. And the Spaniards look at all Cubans like they're uppity Coons... who forgot their place since America freed them in '98. The Cubans and the Spanish, they look down on the Puerto Ricans... ...and everyone, I mean everyone, shits on the Dominicans. The Italians only respect you if you came off the boat. How you doing, Ladies? And the white people think anyone gives a shit what they think. You're a fuckin' piece of work. Port of Tampa! - Who is it? - Fireplace. Thanks, JT. No worries. There is a whole network of tunnels like this underneath the city. Who owns this warehouse? Frank Ormino did. What do you mean Ormino did? Ormino sprung a few leaks the other day. - That was quick. - Look at this over here. The best money can buy. You gotta keep it at 186 Fahrenheit. Yeah, these babies never lie. Try to keep people from dying when they drink your hootch. Made a lot of toilet booze in prison. Looks to me like you're missing two key ingredients. - Which are? - People and Molasace. - Yeah, we got a problem. - What? Our distributor... he's been comin' up empty. - What is it? - The boats have been sinkin'. - What's his name? - Gary L. Smith - Gary Ellsmith. - No. Gary L. Smith. It's a middle initial. I don't know, he wants people to use it. - It's a Southern thing. - Not just an asshole thing? Both! Thank you, Miss Roe. You must be Maso's new find. Well, I guess, somethin' like that. How ya doin'? So what brings you by? I've been asked to take over Frank Ormino's affairs. Hope that's not permanent! - No offense. - None taken. Why is that? Folks like dealing with who they know. And nobody knows you. I see. Well, what would you suggest? I have no ambitions for it but, to keep continuity... ...instead of doin' it for a term. Well, we're mostly concerned with why the last 3 supply runs were hit. Well, that's the Cubans. Then let's just go to a new supplier. It's not that simple. Why not? Well, because they're all paying tribute to the Suarez family. That's the Cubans that are all down in that club on 7th, right? We're going to need to talk to them soon. I'm afraid you don't understand how things are done here. I deal with Mr. Suarez and his sister. If you want, I'm sure we can arrange a table by tomorrow night, 9 o'clock. Great! Now, Gary L., tell me this. Do you work directly for Albert White? Or is there some intermediary, I should know about as well? - What? - We marked your bottles. - You what? - If you distilled it, we marked it. And all these runs that were supposedly lost at sea... somehow made their way into Albert White's speakeasies. Can you explain that? No, I don't understand. Dion drove me by your house on the way over here. You got a lovely place. You're gonna have to bag up all that shit and send it to wherever it is you're going. Where am I goin'? - Are you fuckin' her? - What? Who? - Miss Roe. - What? - He's fuckin' her! - Without question. - Definitely fuckin' her. - C'mon. Afternoon taste of Miss Roe? Sugar in the mornin', sugar in...whatever. I don't care what, who you fuck. Here's some tickets. This is the 11 o'clock Seaboard tonight. I don't care who you take with you but you gotta be on that train. Wait a minute! Wait a minute, gentlemen. Come on, a second here. Look, if you don't do the whole thing. I can bounce your head off the floor like a fuckin' bowling ball. But let's just make it easy. Put yourself on that train, Gary L Or we're gonna have to put you under it. Listen, I think...can we...? Oh, no...c'mon, fellas...gentlemen... Let's just sit and visit with each other. Is this... Mr. Cou...? Miss Roe. When did you mark the bottles? The fuck are you talking about? You been with me every second since I been here. You see me mark any bottles? No, that's how come I know it was bullshit Right. - Dion Bartolo. - Yes of course. This way please. Mr Esteban is waiting. Mr. Suarez, nice to see you. Let me introduce you to Joe Coughlin. - Pleasure to meet you, sir. - Pleasure. Have a drink. Thank you very much. I never agreed with the Spanish that the lighter rums were superior. Of course, we Cubans went along because of our obsession.. lighter is greater in all things.. Dion... Joseph... My sister, Graciela. Nice to meet you. - We've met. - My mistake. Of course, we've met. Yes, we have. How you doin'? Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you. God, this rum is incredible! It would be nice if we could sell it up North. When your country treats you like adults. Oh, I'd even be out of a job. Esteban took those. - The working people of Miami. - Very good! It is a hobby. Perhaps I photograph you someday, Mr. Coughlin? I don't know about that. The fewer pictures of me out there, the better. I'm with the Indians on that one. Speaking of captured souls... I am told that Mr Gary L. Smith was seen boarding a Seaboard Limited. with his wife in one Pullman and that puta maestra in the other. Well, you never know. Sometimes a change of scenery can do a man good. Is that why you're here in Ybor? A little change of scenery? I'm here in Ybor to distill and distribute the demon rum. A task which is made more difficult by your erratic import schedules. We don't control the tides. The tides would be fine if we were in Miami. We know nothing of the boats to Miami. Senor Famosa assures me the tides have been calm all summer. When you say Senor Famosa's name... so we worry you may overtake our supply routes.. No, I use Senor Famosa's name to reassure you... that from now on, you can work directly with me... and you can charge me a higher price.. What do we get in Return? You can get access to Ormino's cops and judges which we now control. And most them wouldn't do business with you otherwise because you're Cuban. And you want exclusive access to our Molasace? No. But you just can't sell to the white operation. Albert White is a paying customer. We have never had a problem with him. I know Albert White. I thought you might like to deal with someone who treats you like a human being. It is possible that this would bring bloodshed. This would definitely bring bloodshed. These are very favorable times. Albert White is what we get. The local sheriff wanted to see us. Apparently he was a custom down there to talk about how you really break the law... before you did it. - What kind of guy is the chief? He is a cop, so he is an asshole. Other than that, he's okay. What are you doing? Don't fuck with the guy's stuff. Sheriff will come in find some Diego going through his fucking pages. Hey this is Figgis right here. Please, sit down. I wouldn't insult you by asking the nature of your business. So you won't have to insult me by lying. Is it fair? Sounds fair to me. Is it true you're Police captain's Son? Yes, sir. - Did he served overseas? - France. Tell that to the Marines. Yes Sir, they told that to us. I was a soldier and then a US Marshall. I have killed seven men in my lifetime. Truth be told their faces horror me most nights. You Keep your business north of Second... South of 27th and East of Nebraska. You and I will have little in the way of discord. Sounds good. I know we live in a fallen world... But just because I breath corrupt air... Rub elbows with corrupt men... Never make the mistake of thinking that I am corruptible. I won't make that mistake. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were alone. It's alright, Loretta. This gentlemen were just leaving. Honey, your manners. Oh. Yes, father. Miss Loretta Figgis. Please to meet you, miss. I am Joe Coughlin. Dion Bartolo. Loretta is taking the train on a long journey today. He's going around. - California. - Is that right? She's gonna be a star in hollywood. - It's only a screen test, daddy. - No. A screen agent came here and picked out a few girls. - My brother's out there. - Your brother's In Hollywood? He's a stuntman on toes. Born of horses. Please to meet you, miss. Chief. Gentlemen. - You sure you don't want a banana? - No, I had some. You picked a fruit like this in Boston. Oh, I know. It looks good. - What? - There she is. Watch this. Here you go. Hello. Good afternoon. How are you? - I'm well. How are you? - Excellent. Do you...You and your brother come to any decision... Not yet, We are still considering Mr Coughlin. Yes, it would be quite a upheaval for us. - Alright, I understand. Of course - We don't make changes easily. Well There's all kinds of change. Where I was staying, we use'd to play chess a lot... this is the kind of change where you get your pawn to the end of the board... and it changes into a queen. It's not what you think about here. - Yes. I do play chess. - You do? My father taught me. Meanwhile you might do well to remember that the pawn, the king end up in the same box... at the end of the game. The end, not about the end. It's about when you playing the game. You hang me upside down light me on fire again. I will win while I'm playing. I have feeling you win most of the games you play. Not yet. But playing hard. Why don't you join me? Some people say that liquor is only a side business. Is that so? I heard rumors that you give most of your money away. A lot of it in Cuba. Anything that's foolish? Not foolish, Just not my cause, that's all. What is your cause? Distribution of Demon Rum. And no man should really want out another man's life. If you corner the Rum market, you'll be a king. I would still have to deal with Albert White. But how will you hold the power once you have it? You don't think I'm strong enough? I don't know if you're cruel enough. And if you are, that would be very sad. Powerful men don't have to be cruel. But they usually are. Tell me something, do you think there is such a thing as an noble man? I have nothing against an noble man. They just really look past Forty. My father died for Cuba. My mother died of a broken heart. He would often tell us "You can not truly live unless there is something for which you would die." Sounds like a good man He was. - We will never be lovers. - No? Why's that? We will not be lovers. We cornered the rum market and lived like kings Fast. Come on. Hurry up. Banks collapsed. Jobs dried up. Okay. Let's go. The Suarez-Coughlin partnership created a rare stability. We paid off Albert's guys in Central Florida to put down their guns. So when Albert wanted to hit us he had to use his Miami Crews. When they showed up, we bushwhacked them. Albert was living on the run in Miami... and there wasn't a spic in central and North Florida we didn't sell to. Put the shit out. Get on the floor. Get down. Get down. Get Down. This is what happen when Catholics trying to sell liquor down here. The guy's name is RD Pruitt. Well, we better go find him. - He is in the klan. - So what? So the five million other guys in this country. The klan has a lot of fucking Juice. They're immigrants with 4th graded education. Oh. They're gonna love you. A Catholic who works with coloreds and lives with Cuban. The bigger problem RD's brother in law. - Who is he? - Chief Figgis. Joe Coughlin. Don't shake hands with papist. No offense. None taken. Help if I tell you I haven't been to church in half of my life? Alright now. RD... Word is your cousin troubled down in Ybor. How's that? Well we hear you are stick enough places. I don't know a damn thing about that. I'm just playing with you. You all know that. RD. This is a businessman who has come here to do business. And I say yes that you do with him. That man is a bootlegger... and a fornicator with nigger. He needs to be tared and feathered. Not to be done business with. I'm just fine. You take a joke right? Sure, I would take a joke. Not when you become one, right? So you like the Parisian, right? And if I did? I might be able to cut you around 10% of the house stake. - You'd do that? - I wish. Well, I ought to be worth more than 10%. What were you thinking? - I was thinking 60. - 60%? The biggest club in town? - That's right. - For what exactly? My friends might look on you more kindly. - What friends? - 60%. - Son, I ain't giving you 60%. - I ain't your son. Ain't nobody's son. Save you father some embarrassment. - What you say? - 15%. - I will beat you to death. - Excuse me? That does sounds like a fair arrangement. - You going 20? - I think 15's pretty good... for a job you won't have to show up to work for. It's a fair deal... And I'm pleased to agree to it. - How do I pick up my cut? - Come by the Parisians. Second Tuesday, every month. 7'o Clock. Pleasure, Mr. Coughlin. Irv. It sounds like we have a deal. The boy's dumb as a grape. I don't understand what Maso wants. Arrests are down 70%, revenues up 300%. I don't like it some kid sent down here like we need supervision. No, no. We don't need supervision. Digger want to look at the Casion options, check progress. That's all he's gonna reply back to the old man. It's real he'll make a big thing of it. Maso still gonna listen to what his son tells him about the style of the Casino. Don't worry about it.. - How did he get the name Digger? - Because he's a fucking dummy. All they let him do is dig ditches for the bodies. No shit! Yeah! That's great. I had come up with a plan to invest in a casino with stakeholders in Sarasota... The new Ritz development site. Ritz Hotel and Casino. - Top shelf. - Right to the casino. Absolute top level. Surely a rejoice experience whether you're gambling or not... For such a violent business it was populated with surprising number of guys... Who would just put their fluid on the table. Digger wasn't one of those guys. So this is it. Volstead Act won't last forever right? What we gon' do when the Probition ends? Gambling. We use the connections we put together and get it legalized. And we're the only ones in the place to run it. And this is it? Will be. Ritz Longboat Key. I set out with the other owners of Serasota last week. Why'd they let us? Because the can't get gambling legal... and they can't run a casino. The own the property, we run the casino. We strip the profits 50-50. Wait a minute. Do we have a magic stick to change in laws? I heard You got bingo legal. That's a step. That's a pre-requisite. Yes I know. The Pre-requisite. Your grandmother could come down. She should play in the church. Bingo. Look I get Bag Man to buy inspectors in Talahassee and Sarasota. I got guys going after Senetors and IRS agents who gamble. We can gamble legal. We are rich. Legit. For a long fucking hour. I talk of good game too. But I like you. He's very smart boy. Maso went crazy for the casino. He called every day for updates, like it was his idea. It was addressed to "Sir Joseph Coughlin, Niggafucker." Inside was a two word note. "Sixty percent." Same note. Same message. We are doing everything we can, but it's protected. Its roots here are too deep. Well, time to start digging. Good afternoon gentlemen. Virgil Beauregard. What can I do for you today? We hope you can talk some sense into RD Pruitt. Too many people ever had no success doing that. We would like you to try. - And what will the reason be? - His self-preservation. And he is to stop shooting in my clubs. Clubs? What kind of clubs? Great clubs? Because I belong to the Greater Tampa Rotary Club myself... and I don't recall ever seeing you. I come here to do piece of business with you and you wanna play fucking games? Is that what I wanna do? You're the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan around here. Congratulations. But do you think that we got where we are by letting some immigrant shit pick us and muscle us? If that's what you think we are, you are making a fatal miscalculation son. We are clerks, bankers... police officers, deputies and... We even got a judge. And if you're dare enough to fight us... We're gonna rain bloody hell fire down on you and all your loved ones. So you're threatening me with people who are more powerful than you? Exactly. What the fuck am I talking to you for? You've come to my home. I'll save you the trouble of calling me in. 75 witnesses. Not one who've come forward. Do you want a beer? - It's near beer. But it ain't bad - Love one. Thanks. I need RD, Chief. I'd expect you feel that way. You know what happens if you don't help me. No, I don't know. More bodies are gonna pile up. More articles like "Cigar City" slaughter are gonna get written. And the chief gonna get pushed out. - You too. - Maybe. 'The difference is when you get pushed out... Someone does it with a bullet to the back of your ear. I am not selling out my wife's brother. - I don't wanna to do this. - Do What? I don't wanna what you're making me do. I'm not making you do anything. Yeah, you are. - What? - She didn't make it to Hollywood. She just made it to Los Angeles. That's not right. We got her with a special doctor now. She's alright. What kind of doctor? The kind that gets people off Heroin, Irv. You do not ever call me by my Christian name. You will call me Chief Figgis... For whatever years or days remain in our acquaintance. - Are we clear? - I didn't do this to her. You just name me your price for telling me where my daughter is. She's in a clean, safe facility and I'm not gonna tell you where she is, until we. Until? RD, you are going to meet with this boy again. And that's the end of the discussion on the matter. Yes, it'll just be the two of us. Longboat Key... by the Ritz. Tonight at Ten. When do I get her location? As soon as I get out of this meeting alive. You do it yourself. What's that? If you're going to kill him be man enough to pull the trigger. Ain't no pride in having other people do what you're too weak to do yourself. In my experience doesn't take much to pull the trigger. Where is my brother in law? He didn't come. Boys, this one here is rat chicken. Take your eyes off that peashooter. I promise it will be in his hands. Not likely. You a man of your word? That's on who I give it to. So you ain't come alone like I ordered? Shit RD that'll spoil the fun. Where they at? This could be the biggest casino in the United States... When they end prohibition. They ain't gonna end prohibition in a God fearing country. Country's in a tank. Banks going on, the cities are bankrupt. Cause we got a communist president. Because we do not tax on liqueur. And that's why the states gonna change its laws to legalize gambling. And you could be part that. I don't wanna be a part of nothing with you. How much is he paying you? - Who? - Albert White. How much does he pay you to shoot up my Spics? Cause you're doing a hell of a job for him. Yeah, I took his Catholic money. Do you know why? Cause I'd done it for free. You are a pestilence. You and your nigger whore girlfriend and your dirty Diego friends. I'm gonna take the Parisians. Not 60%, the whole thing. I'm gonna take all your clubs. I'm gonna take everything you got. Might even go by your house... tear out a piece of that Nigger girl before I cut her throat. You ain't got this shit but you leavin' town, boy. You just forgot to pack your bags. Alright. Go ahead. Bring the car around. Alright, We'll get you to a doctor. It hurts. Yes, hurts but it's not gonna kill you. We shouldn't have show him the pictures. - What pictures? - Figgis. All we had to do to put this fucking guy down. Price was too high. - I can't think that you've shot me. - What? - I got him before he got a shot. - It wasn't me who shot you. It couldn't have been nobody else. Fasani was back there. It was Fasani who fucking shot you. No, Fasani was coming from back there. Fasani came over here. He came on this angle, like this, right here. I was over here. I got these motherfuckers. You hit me. Just get the fucking car. It's gonna be a great casino. Right? Albert had been paying RD on his own to come after us. But once we killed members of the Klan... the Klan took it personal. They came to finish me off at the hospital, but we had guards posted at the doors. When the Klan's men gave up and went home Dion had them followed. The subsequent string of beatings, bombings and murders... effectively put an end to the power of the KKK in Tampa. - How do you feel? - Good. You? Good. Irv's wife moved out and took their son with her. No one saw Loretta for the whole season. Can I take your name? You wanna get married? We are married aren't we? Graciela Isabella... I think I can't remember them all. Lunes, Martes... - I don't have that many names. - Wait. Graciela Coughlin. Best thing ever happened to that name. I bought buildings. We're married and just like that, now you bought some buildings? Yes, I bought three buildings by the Perez factory. What are you going to do with these buildings? I want to give shelter to abandoned women and children. It's important, Joe. What happened? Cuban politics for a cause? I fell in love with you. You restrict my mobility. Come here. I love you. After months of seclusion... Loretta emerged from home and declared that she would only wear white. A decision made for her by Jesus Christ. to whom she would now be with. Her show was a hit. And a vision of Tampa, cleansed of sin, didn't include a casino. What's the problem with this preacher? There's no problem with the preacher. Everything's gonna work out fine. Nothing can jeopardize our casino deal. - Absolutely, Maso. 100%. - Do what you need to. Look I'm gonna go down there. I'm gonna talk to her and... What needs to be done, will be done. Okay? Just make sure that the problem goes away. I don't want to hear about it. Alright. Thanks a lot... You do not need to listen to know me. Ask me anything you wanna know about my business. It's your business, not mine. I'll tell anything you wanna know. I came down here, it was all about getting revenge, making money. Now everything I do, every step I take, Is about You and Me and protecting our future. And that's what you need to understand. But if those steps make you, little by little someone else... then you will not be you anymore. You are you, except for all those bad things you did. You're almost you. I want the real you. You have me. Come here. You have me. Gambling destroys the spirit. - She's right. - Amen. One hears much...of personal liberty. But when you've seen the barbarity of man... and been treated to personal dosages... You see..It is simply the liberty for gambler. For the gambler to fritter away the gifts of God... - By using it for himself. - Amen. Personal liberty is the liberty... of a Murderer. A seducer. A wolf who wants to remain in a sheepfold. I ask you... How cheap is your virtue? - No. Not cheap. - Not at all. - How cheap is your virtue? - Not cheap. My virtue's always been pretty cheap. What virtue? And they seek to build a house of gambling on our waterfront. We act. God bless you. There is only one way to deal. With her around the casino gets voted down. The casino gets voted down. Me and you are on... I'll handle it. Okay? - Mr Coughlin. - Miss Figgis. Such a pleasure. Thanks so much for seeing us. Great show today. - You know my father. - Ah! Chief. And this is Mayweather. Mayweather is taking the good word and preaching it down south. - Pleasure, sir. - My Pleasure. That's good. They need to hear about this in Miami. Keep up the good work. I'm trying, sir. What can I do for you? I was hoping I could just have a word with you for a second. I was hoping to... talk a bit about the Ritz. My father says there once was a good man in you. I was nowhere near to part it. You do quite a lot for the people here. But we both know that your good work is medicated by your evil deeds. We do? You profit from the illegal addictions of others. Their weakness, sloth and lascivious behavior. But you can free yourself of that. I don't want to. Of course you do. Miss Figgis, you're a lovely woman. And your story is amazing. I'm not surprised that that the folks are up 3, 4 since you started here. More like 5 times. More booze has been drunk in the last ten years, than ever before. People don't wanna be told that they can't do it. The same could be said for fornication. People want it, but don't wanna be told they can't have it. No why should they? I'm sorry? If people want to fornicate, I see no reason to stop them. And if they wish to lie down with animals? Do they? I'm Sorry? The people wish to lie down with animals? Some do. And their sickness will spread if you have your way. Forgive me. I see no co-relation between alcohol and lying down with animals. There is a co-relation across all sin. It's all against the wishes of God, therefore all equally offensive. Let me apologize. I think we got off to the wrong foot here. I am just here to ask you if you would be amenable to omitting the Casino issue from your sermons. And in exchange we're gonna bring a business here. And business will create jobs... which will reduce the sinfulness that comes with poverty and idle hands. We would be want to contribute to the church. We would be want to build a few churches. If God rewrites the Bible to cast gambling as virtuous... I will refrain from speaking against it. But until then we don't get to pick our sins, Mr. Coughlin. I can't do it. What? It's gonna fuck up the whole deal. What do you mean, you can't do it? I don't know. No one touches her. That's a mistake. No shit. - Can we get you anything? - No We are okay. We know you men are busy and We don't want to waste your time. We are not going to invest in the casino at the Ritz. - Are you... sure about that? - I'm afraid so. The publicity is too much. One woman who preaches in a fucking tent? Yes, because the casino would represent only 2% of our total holdings. And we can't appear to be a company of Irish and Italian Catholics... turning white Protestant girls into drug addicts. People I work for are gonna be very upset about this. We aren't men to be muscled or coned. We are an institution. We can't be bribed or bullied... because I simply represent the vested interest of a board of governors. We are the landed white, gentry in this country... and we have no plans to curve off a strip of this country... which we have gone to great pains to break and colonize... and hand it over to Catholics, Jews, darkies or Diegos. It's just bigger, better racket. That's all. Keeping money in your hands and out of the hands of people like us. All those people... the negro, on whose back you went to great pains to break this country... and the immigrants who came over here with nothing... and worked their fingers to the fucking... I believed when you told them they could get ahead. And one day, I may not live to see it. They're gonna figure it out. But I tell you what, I would hate to fucking be you. Standing between those people and what they deserve. Good luck to you. Would have been a hell of a casino. You'll get another chance. Things swing back around. Not all things. They announced it on the radio, just when we got back. President elector Roosevelt promised to sign the Cullen-Harrison Act... immediately he was elected, effectively ending prohibition. - Hello, Miss Figgis. - Mr Coughlin. May I? - Yeah. - Just for a minute. You're looking very well. I see, You're not wearing white. It's almost white. - Would you like Menu? - Thank you very much. Care to pour a cup of coffee, please? Thank you. Why does my father hate you so much? I'm a crook. He is the chief of police. That's how it goes, I guess. No, he liked you. He said you were the mayor of Ybor. So He said? What did you do? To him? We had photographs. And you showed them to him. I showed him two. How many did you have? All of them. We are all going to hell. I don't think you are going to hell. You know what I learned... ...since I have been trusting my soul out to God? What? This is heaven... Right Here. We are in it now. And how come it looks like hell? Because we fucked it all up. After my trials... I slept in the bed of my childhood. I felt certain again. I missed that. I don't know if there is a God. But I hope there is. And I hope he is kind. Wouldn't that be so well? Yes it would be. You seem not to disappear. Do you have a secret? No, no secrets. I have my wife. That's enough. But what if you lose her? What are you going to do now? You mean? You stopped me, stopped the casino. Law couldn't do it. The people couldn't do it. The Klan couldn't do it. You did it. - I didn't get rid off the alcohol. - No, that was too big. But you stopped gambling and before you came along it was a lock. - I did do that, didn't I? - Yes you did. What's your father gonna do? Sitting in his chair, I guess. Blind with rage that men touched his daughter, the way he used to touch his wife. And worse. He goes around the house whispering one word over and over. What word? Repent. Repent, repent. Give him some time. Maybe he'll come out of it. We heard from Boston. All three trucks made it up there fine. Same payoff as last week. So, there's no problem. Very good. And Loretta Figgis cut her own throat yesterday. What? Yeah, she did it in her home in the chief's bed they say. Thought I would give it to her. I couldn't do that. I guess some things are meant to be. She could have done it three months earlier and done ourselves like a favor. Well, too late. (DEATH OF A MADONNA) You blame yourself? She went out West as so many other girls do. And she was preyed upon. Not by you. Well, or by men like me. Men who get the booze. They get the girls, get the drugs. One hand washes the other. We are not our brother's keeper. In fact it is an insult to our brother to believe we are. Look at these people. If this man dies of in drunkenness... is it our fault? When did you take this picture? A month ago. Are you sure? I took this picture myself. A month and three days ago. Why? Because that woman died in 1927. There has never been anyone like you in my life. One day I'm going to be good enough for you. - You sure it's her? - You tell me. - You told Graciela? - Of course I told her. Jesus Christ. What? You wouldn't tell your woman? No, I don't tell him shit. But you're more of a nance to me. What did you say? "Look sorry, Hon, that girl was bent out of shape over for years, she is not dead. She's in Miami." "Don't make a big fucking thing out of it." When do you go home? Going where? What do you mean where? You found out this girl who used to be towards your mouth. When you are going? I'll go after this thing with Maso. Good. Give you something to live for. What does that mean? Him and his guys are talking over half of the train to get down here. That's a big fucking Entourage. Nah. Bullshit. I ain't worrying about it. No percentage in killing us. We do $ 11.5 million a year from rum alone in this fucking cop town. What's he gonna kill us for? All we do is send him bags of money up to his mansion and he fuck in the huts. - I don't like the Signs. - What fucking signs? We lost the casino, we never moved our narcotics... And you are a Irish in a world where there ain't much of a shortage in guinies. You are walking into a building where he bought up every room. I can't hide a weapon. Nothing. You're going in blind and we'll be outside. Is that enough signs for you? I need you to do something for me. I need you to go stay in Miami for just a little while. How long is "a little while"? I don't know. Not too long. I'm not gonna have your address. I wish you give it to Dion. When the time comes, he will tell me where you are, and I'll come get you. So you can find out if you are as cruel as you need to be? I guess so. Joseph. Even if you win today's battle, there is so much violence in what you do. I love you. Gino, where are you living now? Two kids. "Mugghiera, casa." Whole thing. - Got any? - Not for me. There is never a right time. This way. How are you, my son? Fine. Fausto, see if Dion needs anything. - How've you been? - Good. You? - More good days than bad. - Right. This is the filly who fucked up the whole casino thing? Yeah, That's her. Why didn't you clip her then? - Too much blow-back. - That's not it. You're not a killer, Joseph. You are a bandit in a suit. That's why you didn't kill that "puttana pazza." You know how much money this place was doing when I got here? - And what's doing it now? - But that's all rum. You neglected the girls and the narcotics. I went after the rum because it was most profitable. And I added four houses in my time here. Yeah, but you could've added more. - Maso, Look... - Mr. Pescatore. I ran Ybor. I ran Tampa. - Do you ever have a problem? - You did more than that. You ran the whole coast. You boxed out Albert. Put him in a little bish corner in Miami. I've been through the books. You made as a force down here. And now what? No Irish need of life? What can I be? What I fucking tell you to be. Before you get a fucking pop in your mouth. Mick. You can be conciliere. You teach Digger the ropes. Meet people. Teach him to fish. But you need to take a haircut. What kind of a haircut? Digger gets your take. Look, Mr Pescatore. I think it's a fabulous idea. Digger comes out here takes over. We'll run Florida. We'll take over Cuba. But my take's gotta stay somewhere nearer it is. And there is no power in being crew-boss to shake it down long showman. You ever think maybe that's the point, smart-guy. You need me. I built this. We could use you. But I'm sensing a lack of gratitude. So am I. You work for me, not the spics of niggers you hang out with. If I tell you to clean the shit out of my toilet, Guess what you do? I can kill your cunt girlfriend and burn your house to amber, if I feel like it. So do want to be crew boss or clean the shit out of my toilet? I'm accepting applications for both. I guess it's crew boss. That's my boy. You want a dinner tonight? We have a few night spots set aside. You know, Joseph, what I like about Albert White? What? Is that he knows Tampa too. Which means nobody needs you, dumb fuck. My fortune's have changed a little bit. Me and Maso we patched things off. Turns out when you blew the casino deal, He looked to me to help his son. And that was just the start. You need to trust the people you work with. We don't get into this game to play second. To back the rumble horse. That's it. You thought you would be eating tomorrow looking at the fucking sun. Think again. Take your last look because you die now. Wait. Albert, I have something you want to see. Something that if you do not see, you regret your whole life. You would never forgive yourself. - She is dead. - She look dead to you? Where is she? She's in the fucking picture, Albert. Where is she? I would love to tell you, I'd love walking out of here more. That's an old one. You just folded up an old one. That's what I thought too. Look at... the guy in the corner with the newspaper. That was last month. So you tell me, or I'll put you in the fucking ground. I loved her too, Albert. Like you loved that woman? Yeah. She a nigger or a spic? She's both. Nee. Where the fuck are they? Why don't you ask Albert? He knows Tampa. Do you know why all the molasace and rum that come into Florida... comes through Tampa, Maso? - The tunnels. - What tunnels? The ones running underneath this neighborhood. That's how they get the booze in. That's where my men are right now. Your guys there, standing around, guarding the front door... but that ain't where we are coming. We coming for you, Maso. But we're coming from below. Go. Go. Go. - You cleared the room? - Everything. The whole floor. Seppe, go get another look. Boss, they spotted Coughlin downstairs. - He even get a scratch? - A cut on the head. I don't suppose you can wait for him to die of blood poisoning. I don't think we got that kind of time. It's a hard thing for a man... to have a son this stupid. All clear, boss. I want you to cover the door and the stairs... Like Roman fucking Centaurians. Pour me one. Will you? - Where were you hiding? - Hiding? When Seppe cleared the room? He's sitting right here. I asked him if he wanted to work for someone who will be alive tomorrow. That's all it took? That, and you wanted to put a fucking dance like Digger in charge. We had a good thing going here, and you fucked it all up in one day. You know how many people died here because of your simple wop bullshit? Maybe someday you'll have a son, and you will understand. What will I understand? How is my son? Your son is dead now. They would have killed every last one of us hunted us down, you know that. They did not expect to see old age. Neither do I. I had this whole thing I was gonna set up before I killed them. Too late. Alright. I don't wanna see anyone else getting killed today. Hey you guys wanna die? No, Mr Coughlin. Well who wants to go back up to Boston. Go ahead. But if any one wants to stay down here, when the sun is warm and the girls are pretty... We got jobs for you. But I'm finished. You want the boss, go to him. He runs things now. Any confusion on that? Good. Graciela. Hey, let's go. We got this fucking mess. Dion ran the crew for eight years, and he was right. He did not see the old age. Say what you have to say. Say what? You had the record thought you just make the best of it? - No. - Then what? What happened, Emma? Once the cops tried to chased me... I said to the driver that the only way to get away was to drive off the bridge... - but he would not listen. - So? So I shot him. We went into the water, I swam out, ran to the nearest house. He was a fisherman. Oh he was happy to take me in. you didn't wanna reach me? If I put my head out they would have killed me. I didn't owe you. I mourned you for years. Why do not you tell me how bad I'm supposed to feel for you? Maybe if I had a police chief father from a nice part of Ireland... but I just had to make too. Did you ever love me? We had a laugh Joe. Yeah. Sure there were moments, but you had to make it something it wasn't. Which was what? A lie. You know we are not God's children. We are not fairy tale people in a true love book. We dance like motherfuckers so the grass can't grow under foot. I'm free, Joseph. If you wanna come by now, you got an open invitation. We always had a lot of laughs. I don't wanna be free. No, Come on. That's all we ever wanted. That's what you wanted, and now you got it. Goodbye, Emma. We built Graciela's casitas for abandoned women and children... who needed a place to stay. We named our son after my father. But he was thoughtful, kind like his mother. Repent. Repent. Repent. Repent. Is that for me? Come here, sweetheart. Repent. - Tomas. - Repent. Repent. Repent. Repent. Are you alright? Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. On Saturdays I take my son to the shows. Two tickets for Riders of the Eastern Ridge. Some little German guy is making trouble overseas. I don't believe they will fight another war though. No percentage. My son loved the show. It was about an honest sheriff in a dirty town. All he could talk about was getting his own badge when he grew up. That's my brother. That was my brother's name. That's your uncle. In the afternoon we fish for red-fins. One day my son asked me "Where is heaven in the sky?" I told him what Loretta told to me. This is heaven right here. We are in it now. |
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