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Murder, Inc. (1960)
What- Hey, wait.! | Wait.!
- May I help you? | - Why not? Who did you wanna see? I wanna see Lepke. | Tell him Reles is here. Abe Reles. - Is he expecting you? | - It won't come as no shock. - There's a Mr. Reles out here. | - This is a high-class place. What'd you expect, | a candy store? This is, uh-You know, this is | another league here. You know the garment industry? | That's a-That's a good front. Yeah. - What is it? Men's suits? | - Yeah, men's, men's, men's. Just to be left alone. | is that asking too much, Lep? To get rid of you. | To never see you again. To forget you took my business. | To put it out of my mind that you ruined me. Is that asking | too much, Lep? 'Cause your goons | smashed my business... is this something that | I have to spend a life hiding from? Joe, you talk too much. Listen, Lep. | Listen. Never- Never | will I open my mouth. I swear. I swear | on my children's lives. What's done, so it's done. | I want to wipe it out of my mind. You know what, Joe? You should thank your lucky stars | I'm so softhearted. Things could change. Isn't that a basic fact, Mendy? Sure. Now, suppose you takeJoe | out to the elevator... and tell him exactly | how it could change. Lep, please? Please? | I swear. I swear on my children, | not a word. Not a word. l- I swear, Lep. | Please, have a heart. Lep, please! - Mr. Reles? | - Yes. - Sorry to keep you waiting. | - Oh, that's, uh- that's all right. I was just, uh- | just readin' the jokes. - Um, this is Bug Workman. | - Pleased to make your acquaintance. You come in. Hey, hold my place, huh? So you're Reles, huh? Yeah. | Yeah, I'm Reles. Albert Anastasia tells me | you're a good man. Yeah. Well, | he oughta know. He says you made a good hit | the other morning when you got Venutti. Now you got the whole | Brownsville territory locked up. Doin' pretty good. I mean, | I got a couple of things goin' for me. Ah. Like what? Like slots, horse bets, | shylocking- Oh, please. Please. Look. We don't operate anymore | like during Prohibition. What does that mean? What you have in Brownsville... I have a hundred times over | in the garment district... Albert Anastasia has | on the docks in Brooklyn... and the Capone boys | have in Chicago. We're working now | like a combination. We can call on each other | for help like banks... like any sensible business. Now, we don't like | to hurt anybody. But sometimes, | things work out differently. That's where you and your | Brownsville operation come in. Because you guys | are so good at it... the Syndicate will use you. We'll give you the contract, | and you do the job. - Now, there's one thing- | - Excuse me for interrupting. l-l- I wanna ask you a question. I like what you say, and I like the idea | of working for you, the whole thing. But, uh, | what's it gonna come to? You get an annual retainer | equal to your Brownsville operation... plus a fee | for each contract. Oh. Well, that sounds interesting. | It's, uh- I'm pleased. | Now, no private jobs. You hit when we tell you to hit | and who we tell you to hit. In between, uh, | we just sit? If I tell you to sit, | you sit until you get boils. I, uh, think | we could work it out. Send Mendy in, please. Just to make sure you don't get boils, | I'm handing you your first contract. His name is Walter Sage. A noisy comedian. He owns a place | up in the Catskills. He also handles the slots | for the Syndicate. Suddenly, | he's a partner. A nickel for him, a nickel for us. Come in. Mendy, this is Abe Reles. - What do you say? | - Kid Twist? Yeah. I see you boys in Brooklyn | have been active. Oh, we like to keep busy. I'm giving Reles | the Sage contract. Uh-huh. From now on... you never come up here. You never call me here. Mendy is your contact. Everything through him. - You understand? | - Yeah. Mendy, get started. Well, uh, I guess | we're in business then, right? - What's all this about, Reles? | - I'll-I'll- He didn't give you | any trouble, did he? Joey? | He's a doll. That's very good. That's very funny. Funny boy. | Make me laugh, huh? Listen, Bug, uh, | go get a car, will ya? A good one. Good tires. You leave it | at the drop, and I'll pick you up there. So, uh, | where you been, Joe? - Around. | - Oh, yeah? 'Cause, uh, | you've been kind of scarce. It's not because | you owe me money? - You're gonna get it. | - Oh, yeah, sure. I mean, I know that. I know I'll get it. | What'd you borrow, 300? When was that? | That was in, uh- Oh, I don't know, Joe. You know, | it's been two months. I paid back 180. Yeah, but, uh, | that's only the interest. You see, there's | five more weeks interest... plus the principal is, | uh, $600. You know, Joe, uh... another month, uh, | you're gonna be in for over 1,000. Well, what am I gonna do? | I lost that job singing with the band. Then I got married. You know the girl- Eadie. | She used to live on Sullivan Street. You know, her folks | came from Europe. Eadie- | Oh, the refugee? Yeah, yeah, I remember. | Yeah. Three days in the country, and they're | walkin' around like a princess there. With the blond hair | to the neck. Well, she got sick... and then I had a pile of hospital bills, | and I had to pay 'em. You see, Joe, | I don't know what to tell ya. I mean, I can see | you got problems. I don't know. I'll tell you what | I'll do with you, Joe. Yeah. Maybe we'll work | something out, a deal. We forget the money, all right? | We'll wipe out the whole debt. Everything what you owe, | that's done. Clean. Finished. Right? But in return, | you gotta do me a favor. Uh, you used to work | in the, uh, Borscht Belt. - Ajoint named Ribbon Lodge? | - Yeah. I did a couple of weeks | there last summer. Yeah, that's what they tell me. | They tell me you was very good there. Did you know the owner, a fella named, uh, | Walter Sage? A comic? Well, you and me, we go up there, | we pay him a visit. Yeah? That's all. Well, what do I do | to clean up the debt? - That's it. That's the deal. | - What do you want with Sage? - Well, we got a little business thing. | - What kind? My kind. Yeah? Hey, where you goin', Joe? | Where you goin', Joe? Hey, Joey, where you goin'? | Hey, where are you runnin'? - Joe, we ain't finished talking. | - Well, I'm finished talking. | Sage is a friend of mine. All right, | he's a friend of yours. He's good to his mother. | He raises poodles. | But that's something else. That's different. Listen. | Hey, come here. Hey. Sit down. Now, look, Joe. Listen. All we're gonna do | is work him over. That's all. I mean, what's a little | schlammin' between friends? I guarantee you my word, | the worst he gets is a fat lip. No dice. | I don't want any part of it. Okay, Joe. Let's talk about this here. That $600 that | was due yesterday- You're gonna get it. I know I'll get it, | so give it to me. - Look, Reles, as soon as I get it- | - No, you look! Don't you understand? I don't wanna have | to work you over. I like ya. | I'm lookin' to help ya. You must be some kind | of jerk or somethin'. What do you think? I gotta | come to you for the Sagejob? There's nobody else? I know other guys. | But I wanna do you a favor. But if you don't do it, | somebody else will. So, uh, you know, | this way... you don't do yourself no favor, | you don't do Sage no favor. You don't say? | Well, I never- Yeah, that's what you said | the last time. But I don't believe ya anyway. | Oh, come on, now- Stop that. - What do you say, Joe? | - Hey! - Go ahead. You can tear | out the page yourself. | - What's the matter with you? - You lousy crud.! | - Go ahead, rip it out. Let me out ofhere.! | What are you, some kind of nut? What's the matter with you, ya lousy crumb? | Who do you think you are- - Hi. | - Hi, Joey. - Hi. | - Well, hi. What you been doing? - Nothing. | - Is that what you call it? - What's wrong with my dancing? | - Well, you know what they say. Love is blind. | No, I like your dancing. Well, as long as I dance | better than you sing. And my old man can beat up | your old man. So what? - So kiss me. | - Hey, come here. - You know something? | - What? - I'm lucky. | - Yeah, I think you are. Why? 'Cause you can kiss | better than you dance. - Whoo! | - Wait'll I get you home. Joey, come here. Come on. Wait. I got good news for ya. I just remembered, | I got wonderful news for all of ya. You ready? The Depression | is practically over. This afternoon, I saw a guy in the bread line | with an electric toaster under his arm. And another news item today said that a | W.P.A. worker fell down and broke his neck. "Really?" | Yeah. "What happened?" | Funny you should ask. It seems that the termites | ate his shovel out from under him. Oh, there's so many things goin' on, | but we have to get our show under way... and we have a wonderful | show planned for you. I'm sorry this isn't it, but we're gonna do | our best with our lovely chorus of 50. A few of'em are a little younger. | But we have a- One dancer? I've heard of budgets, | but this is ridiculous. We've only got one dancer, folks, | but she is a beaut. I know. She dresses | in the room next to mine. I think the walls in the joint are made of iron | or somethin'. You oughta see my knife. - But she's gonna come out here | and dance her little head off. I'll take what's left. How about it, folks? | A nice, big, wonderful welcome... for a very talented and pretty young lady, | Miss Kay Patrick. Boy, if that dancer had any talent, | it must be in her grandmother's name. You know, Joey, it's- Hey, come to think of it, | what are you doin' around here? And what's this bit | of sneakin' around backstage? - I'd like to talk to you. | - Come on, Joey. All right, I'm here. | Talk to me. - I'd like to talk private to you. | - You know I can't talk private. We got a show goin' on. | I gotta hang around here. Can we go in your office? I don't know. You- Boy, you look like this is | a serious thing with you. It is. Well, I'm your friend. | Okay, come on. Let's go. You know, my office | is way across the alley over there. Gee, why do you pick | a time like this to- I don't know- It's right over here. | I don't understand why... if you've got something to ask me, | you can't ask me... when we got plenty of time | instead of- - Joey? Hey! | - Hi, Walter. - Hi. | - How ya been? - I'm all right. | - It's nice seein' ya. Okay. Hey. Hey, Joey. Listen, you wanna | get a laugh? Guess who popped up? Your friend, that comic, | uh, Walter Sage. Yeah, he popped right up | out of the lake. What do you think | of that? Uh, "Despite the numerous | punctures in the body... and the heavy slot machine | used as a weight... the body did not lose its buoyancy | and rose to the surface." See, with a bum like that, you | gotta be a doctor, or else he floats. - You swore you were | only gonna rough him up. | - Well, that's all we did. But, you see, the man was in | delicate health. He couldn't take it. He couldn't take an ice pick | in the gut, huh? - Shut up. | - Why? Why did you kill him? He had bad breath. | Now, you listen to me. This is it. From this, | you take no walks. Stay in line, | keep your mouth shut... or you get killed... and the wife too. Huh? - Eadie? | - That's right- Eadie. Huh? | That's the whole story. Listen, uh, where is Eadie? | You know, I haven't seen her... seven, eight years, | must be longer. - Nice girl. A little tall. | - Come on. Let's go. You know, at one time- | Take it easy, will ya? | What's the rush? I just wanna talk to her, | say hello. Will ya come on? Hey. Hey, you remember me? | Abe Reles. You remember. Kid Twist. - The fella with the | chocolate twist candies. | - What is he doing here? Nothin'. Nothin'. I just come up to say | congratulations, that's all. Joey's a friend of mine, | and I'd like to congratulate you. Come on, Reles. | Let's go, huh? Come on. Sure. | Nice talkin' to you. - That's a nice girl. | She hasn't changed much. | - Joey! - What kind of business are you mixed up in? | - No kind of business, honey. - Please tell me! I want to know! | - What's all the excitement here? - I just came up to pay a friendly visit. | - Get out of here! Take it easy, Eadie. | Just take it easy. - What's your problem? | - What do you have to do with Joey? What are you worried | so much aboutJoey for? - He's a big man. He's a citizen. | - And you're scum! Now, wait a minute. | You know, you got a big mouth. - Come on, will you, Reles? | - No, no, no. She's got a big mouth. I told you to get out! What are you, | some kind of nut? Who are you? What are you? | What do you think, you're a princess? Can't talk English, | you're tellin'me to get out. No. This is Brownsville. | And you know what? It stinks, but I own it. And around here, | nobody tells me what to do. Now, you get smart, go back in the bedroom | and do something with yourself. - Fix your hair or somethin'! | - That's my wife you're talkin' to! - Yeah? So what? | - So what? So this ain't Brownsville. This is my house and it's my wife, | and don't you forget it, you hear? - Nah, I won't forget it. | - Let's go, now. Yeah. You know what? | I ain't even mad. I'm gonna tell you | somethin' about women. I never met one that didn't need a rap | on the head, and pretty often. - How are you, Mrs. Corsi? | - Well, how should I be? How about | a strawberry malted with- Hey! - Two scoops of ice cream. | - You want an egg? Uh, why not? Mrs. Corsi, I was up | the block a little while | ago checkin'with your neighbors. Lace it with rat poison. Let me go! Sorry I dirtied | your dishes. That's all right. I've been lookin' for Reles. | Has he been here? This look like a hotel? | You think I keep a register? - Just asking. | - Stop asking. Every cop with a big nose end up in | Staten Island shootin' Indians, ain't it so? - It could happen. | - "It could happen." Sure it can happen. So mind your business | and don't ask questions. - I got a job to do. | - Ajob. Sure. | You gotta do a job. Here's a pencil. | Go write tickets. Go ask the others | who got stores. Ask Albrazzio, | the shoemaker. Ask Albrazzio what happened to him | when the cops came. They said... "Don't pay protection, Albrazzio. | We protect you." So Albrazzio, | the dumb idiot... he doesn't pay. Two days later, he's in the hospital, | every bone in his body broken. And Levey the tailor. First come the cops, | next come the Mob. So they pour acid on every suit | he's got hanging in his shop. They smash his machine | right in open daylight. And where are the cops? You tell me. | Where are the cops? What are you giving me, | Mrs. Corsi? We came. - Nobody would talk. | - Oh, sure. With the teeth kicked in your mouth, | who'd wanna talk? No. Leave us alone. | We don't want no cops. - How's your malted? | - Pretty good. - I had it with an egg. | - Oh, yeah? Hey, that's good. | That's nourishing that way. Hello, Joey. You playing | in a kids' band? I don't play | in anybody's band. Oh, that's right. | You're a singer. That's a good thing | to remember. I've been lookin' | for you, Reles. I'm takin'you in. Hey, uh, you got a warrant? Oh, yeah. | Never without one. Oh. In again, | out again, Finnegan. Well, here's | a familiar face. What do you say there? | Keepin' ya busy? - Do we book him? | - Routine questioning. Just a minute, | Lieutenant Tobin. Oh, you got here fast, | Mr. Lazlo. I'd like to talk | with my client. - Are you booking him? | - I might. - What are the charges? | - Throwing garbage out the window. Have you got a witness? That's a misdemeanor. | To book, you've gotta have a witness. Now, you know that, | Lieutenant. Come on. | Give me the rest of it. Habeas corpus. You got the whole | caboodle goin' for ya, don't ya? - Signed byJudge Pearsons. | - Yeah. Pending a hearing | on this application... you can't even ask | Mr. Reles if it's raining. We can go now, | Mr. Reles. - Nice seeing you. | - You'll need this for your file, Lieutenant. Say, Mr. Lazlo, look. | I didn't get a chance inside. Abe Reles. Uh, thank Lep | for sending you down. I've heard about you for years, | and you do a real nice job. I'd like to say it's been | a pleasure workin' with you. I've heard about | you too, Mr. Reles. - I'm sure we'll be working together again. | - Yeah, fine. Look, maybe | I'll buy you a drink, huh? Thank you. | I'd sooner be found dead. Wait a minute. Uh, what do you mean by that, | "you'd sooner be found dead"? That was a figure | of speech, Mr. Reles. Don't get any ideas. Your friends are waiting | for you in the car. Operator? - Hello, Panto. | - What, you too? - Ah, beat it, will ya, Louie? | - Ah, take it easy, Panto. Don't get excited. You know me, Panto. | I got no argument with you. I just come over to talk, | and you gotta listen to what I say. Now, listen. The boss says he'll stake you to a grand if you | look for a job someplace not on the docks. You tell that guy | I'm makin' no deals, Louie. Cut it out, man. | Use your head. It's for your own good, | I'm tellin' ya. - Look, how do you want me- | - Now, look, you don't | want no more trouble. Neither does the boss. | Now, listen to what I say. - Look, leave me alone. | - Do like the boss wants | and take the thousand. Look, leave me alone. - Panto, I'm tellin' you, | it's for your own good. | - That's it. No more. - You don't wanna do it, | I don't know how to tell you. | - I know how to tell you. You go back there and tell 'em that's it. | That's the- - Panto, let me talk to you for a second. | - What- I'm coming. All right, all right. - What do you want? | - I wanna talk to you. I want- | You know what I want? I wanna get somethin' | straight in my mind. Now, what was that | all about the other day? | Why did you insult me? - Did I ever bother you? | - You better get out of here. Get out? | I just got here! I just wanted to talk to you. | What's the matter? You're too good for me? | What are you runnin' for? - Come over here! | What are you runnin' for? | - Don't touch me! Touch ya. | I'll touch ya. I'll touch ya good. Eadie? Eadie, where are you? Eadie, what happened? Reles. His hands. His fingers. | His dirty fingers. I'll kill him! Don't leave me. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Oh, Eadie. What am I gonna have to do? Well, how- | how did he get in here? The doorbell rang. - I thought it was you. | - Well, you shouldn't have let him in. You know he's a maniac. Oh, what's wrong with me? Am I just like they are? Is there somethin' | missin' in me? I keep tellin' myself over and over again, | "Stay away from those guys. They're no good!" | And that Reles! And yet- | And yet tonight, I see him... and he gives me a couple of dollars | just to drive a car up to the Bronx. That's all. Just drive a car | up to the Bronx. Well, I'm drivin' along... and I turn around | and I look... and on the floor | is a dead man. A dead man? Oh, no, Joey! He got to us both. Let's run, Joey. Run where? Where can we run? | We're in too deep. - They're not gonna let us go. | - He'll have to find us first. Honey, don't you understand? | They will find us. - They're gonna find us | and they're gonna kill us. | - He's killing us now! Look, less than a minute ago, | you said you were going to kill him. - I know, Eadie. I know. | - I'm sorry, Joey. You're not one like them. | You couldn't kill anyone. - Thank God for that. | - Eadie- But we've got to do something. | Run. Save ourselves. - Eadie, as soon as the time is right- | - There's no other way, is there? As soon as it's right, when I think we | at least got a fighting chance. Until then? Well, until then, | we're just- we're just gonna have | to live with it. We live with it? What can I do, Eadie? | What can I do? - You mean anytime- | - There's so many-What can I do? - Don't you understand? | - Get away from me! - What can I do? | - Get out of here! Get out of here! Since when are you in | the docking business, Lepke? Well, I'm just doing a favor | for a mutual friend. Anastasia. He asked me to act | as an impartial mediator. - What are you mediating? | - The strike. - What strike? | - The strike that | the union's going to call. Strike against me? Well, not against me. Nobody told me anything | about a strike. Nobody knows about it | except the union... Albert A. and me. But the strike | will be called. They're going to ask for a wage raise | of 20 cents an hour. - They're crazy. | - They'll get it. - I wouldn't bet on it. | - Ah. They'll get it. Unless, of course, | I mediate. I'm told that a 20 cents | an hour wage increase... will cost your company | $50,000 a year. - We can't afford it. | - Naturally. Look, it's a ridiculous demand. | That's why you need a mediator. Now, you pay me $25,000... and there's no pay boost, | no strike. This is a shakedown... and a pretty crude one | at that. Really? Look, I think that | my mediation is very fair. How do I know | you can deliver? - Deliver. | - I don't want any trouble. Mr. Loughran, | let's understand each other. Who wants trouble? Thank you. You got a little girl in here, | uh, Eadie Collins? - She works in the chorus with the band? | - That's right. She works here. Is there anyplace where I can see her now? | Is she around? Oh, uh, she's in the dressing room | for the time. I see. Pick me up in the apartment | in half an hour. - You got it? | - Yeah. Where you goin'? Don't worry about it. Um, excuse me. Can you tell me, uh, | where is Eadie Collins's room? - She's in there. | - Thank you very much. Easy.! Easy. Now, look. If you're not sore, | I'm not sore. All right? | Excuse me just for a minute... but we'd like to talk | if you don't mind. Appreciate that. Where's Joey? That's what I came | to talk to you about. Why don't you give him a break? | What do you give him such a hard time for? - You throw him out of the house- | - Where is he? What happened to him? Happened? | Nothin's happened to him. Why, he's fine. | I mean, he's a little worried | about you. He'd like to see you. - Have you seen him? | - No, but I've been in touch with him. I'm gonna meet him now, | as a matter of fact. | That's why I came here. I thought maybe | you'd come along. I don't believe you. I don't care whether you believe me, | you know, for myself... but I'm tryin' to help | you two kids. What can I tell ya? Do you wanna see | your husband or not? You know, I got a surprise for you two kids. | You're livin' in that dirty apartment. But you can see- | You can see right away... that the whole apartment | is beautiful, you see. Like this sofa here. | That's all velvet. Bar- genuine marble. And that decor- | the whole thing, you know. I mean, I don't know about you, | but I happen to like it. You take that woodwork. | See all this here? This here? They don't make stuff | like that anymore. Detail. You see the detail there? | That beautiful detail work? Oh, oh, oh, oh. See? It's just like | in the movies. Like in them Bela Lugosi | pictures, huh? Huh? And the whole apartment, | you know... it's all full of | this special equipment. Hey, I'll tell you why that is. | You see... we take this stuff over | from the other side. When the boys get it off the boat, | they bring it here. And this is the apartment in which they | stash it. You know what I'm talkin' about? - Dope. | - Very good. But you said it, not me. Well, anyway, we're temporarily out | of that business, and, uh- See, the whole apartment's | sittin' around doin' nothin'. Rent's paid up in full. | And what I wanna do... is I wanna give it | to you and Joey. Chimes. You like them chimes, | don't you? Huh? Sure. The whole place | has got class. Hey, Joe, come on in. | We've been waitin' for you. - Eadie, I'd like to talk to you. | - Hey, Joe? Listen, Joe, I was just | tellin' Eadie that, uh... you know, you're both friends of mine, | and I like ya... and what I'd like to do | is, uh... I'd like for you and Eadie | to have this apartment. We don't want it. - What do you mean, you don't want it? | - Well, just what I said. Well, maybe, uh, | maybe Eadie wants it. - Well, she doesn't. | - You read minds? - Eadie? | - Listen, what is it with you two? What are ya doin' to me? | I don't understand it. A guy offers you a free ticket, | then you freeze... like I was offerin' | you poison or somethin'. What, do you come from | some other world than I do? Maybe they didn't | teach ya to- Hey. You see, what you can get | your hands on, you take. Don't ask questions! Take! | What you want, take! What I want, I take! Nothin' means nothin' | unless I got it! What do you got hands for? | Huh? Take! - What do you want? | - Mendy's lookin' for you, Kid. He's waitin' downstairs. Make up your minds, | because I don't give out any rain checks. Eadie, I'm sorry. Let me take you home. Well, what are you doing? - You said we have to live with it. | - Well, not this way. Maybe what he told us | is right. Maybe what he told us? Why we've got hands- to take. It was the mid-'30s. The country was just | climbing out of the Depression. Who had time to wonder | or even care... about an assassination group | in Brooklyn? An operation that was | building a name for itself. The name: | Murder, Incorporated. The Murder, Incorporated boys were | issued scores of contracts by the Syndicate... and the business at hand was executed | with neatness and finesse. A word from the Syndicate would send | the boys winging north, south or west. So quick was the operation, | so smooth the technique... that often, before the body of the victim | could be identified... the imported killers | were well out of town. Slowly, the public became aware | of this new crime conspiracy. Their demand for action brought on | the appointment of Thomas E. Dewey... a special prosecutor. Dewey stunned the gang lords | with a steady barrage of subpoenas. Some ran. Others decided to | brazen it out before the grandjury. Hi. I wanted to talk to you | before you went in front of the grand jury. - To tell me what to say? | - I just wanted to warn you- - Please! | - The heat's on! Please. I know how | to handle this situation. These subpoenas, | they're only bits of paper. Now, just a minute. I have an idea. If we get the witnesses | not to testify- Oh, that's a great idea. Now we knock off | half the city. We don't knock off anybody. We just convince them | to keep their mouths shut. Maybe a few | get shipped out of town. I found my man, | counselor. I see you found yours. Come on, Joe. Let's go. What's the matter? Him. Joe Rosen. That miserable nothing! He can put me behind bars | for 50 years. - Now, look- | - If they want me, they can find me. Mendy. Huh. | A real movie star. - These are the kids | I was tellin'you about. | - Uh-huh. Reles thought it would be better if | someone were living here, and I thought- Yeah, I-I know. | I know. - What's your name? | - Joey. Don't you have another name, | or were your parents stingy? Collins. Mm-hmm. Your name? - Eadie. | - For Edith? It's very pretty. I'm Lepke. I'm going to | stay here with you. All right? | I'm visiting. - We'll go. | - You just stay where you are! - Are these bedrooms? | - Yes, they are. - Well, which is yours? | - Hers is on the right. - And the other one? | - Mine. But I'm going to have to have | one of those bedrooms for myself... so you two | will have to be together. Are you married? We're married. Well, that's good. Now, I think we're going | to be very comfortable here. Tell me, can you cook? Not very well. You're gonna have | to improve... 'cause I have | a pre-ulcer condition... and I need | a very rigid diet. I'll write it all out | for you. Now, Mendy and I | have some business together. Private business. Go on. It's legal. | You're married. Now! Relax yourself. You gotta get rid | ofJoe Rosen. - All right, Lep. | - Right away... before he spills he guts | to Dewey and the grand jury. - Should we wait for Reles? | - Wait for nobody. I want you | to take care of it now. - All right. | - Handle it personally, Mendy. It's no problem, Lep. | I can handle it. It's incredible. I make one mistake- I take pity on one | miserable schmuck! Well, this is the result. Can't you wear a dress like | a proper young lady should, huh? Go on. Cover yourself up. | Let's have a little decency around here. It's too hard. I said two minutes. Do I have to get you a stopwatch | so you can tell two minutes? What's the matter | with you, huh? What kind of a girl are you? You can't cook. You don't talk. | I don't understand you. What did they teach you | over there in Europe? - To be civilized. | - What? You think I don't know two minutes | when I taste it, huh? I told you a hundred times | I have to be on a special diet. I got the most delicate stomach | in the world! Now, go back | and bring me another egg. Two minutes! Answer it. Be careful. - Yes? | - It's Mendy. Did you take care | ofJoe Rosen? Just the way you wanted. The back of the head. - Rosen is dead. | - He's dead. Joe Rosen is dead? Oh, Mendy! You're a good boy. Lepke on the lam became the subject... of one of the most intensive manhunts | in the history of crime. The newspapers labeled him | "Most Wanted Criminal In America." And for the first time | in its history... the New York Police | set up a special squad... to track down | one single fugitive. Well! What are you made up for? - When do you sail? | - Albert. - Nice of you to come and visit. | - Nice to see you. - You know where I've been? | - Yeah, sure. We had a meet | in Hot Springs. All the big guys | were there. They said to say hello | for them. - They sure miss you. | - That's nice to know. Ah, but it wasn't | like the old days. Without Lepke, | the judge presidin'- It wasn't like old times. | You got a lot of friends, Lep. Also nice to know. Lep, we, uh- | We come to a decision. - You gotta go in. | - Go in? Lep, listen, | it's your own rule. "No man is bigger | than the Syndicate." You said that. The heat is on | all over the country. We got word that it's not | gonna let up until you go in. I just walk into | the nearest police station, huh? And say, "Here I am. I'm Lepke." Did you and my other good friends figure out | what's gonna happen to me then? - Listen, Lep- | - You listen to me. I know too much. I got too much | on too many people. Big shots, politicians. | I'm poison to them. Do you think they're gonna | let me live long enough to stand trial? I don't play patsy for nobody, | and that's a basic fact. Nobody wants you | to play patsy. You don't walk into | any police station. You go into the feds. | We got it all fixed. You plead guilty to that | interstate commerce thing. Lazlo says | it's a two-year rap, tops. By that time, | Dewey'll be out of business. - Lep? | - What? Nobody's gonna find you. You just stay here. Albert, if I walk | into the feds... there's got to be no "ifs," | "buts" or "maybes." - It's got to be a deal! | - Take my word for it. I'm not gonna do anything | to hurt you. You know that, Lep. | The fix is in. You've got a deal. But there was no deal. The Syndicate had never intended | to make a deal. Dewey prosecuted Lepke | in New York for extortion. Sentence:30 years to life. So, by early 1940, | Lepke seemed to be gone for good. Apermanent guest | of the American taxpayer. This way to the city dump. Sorry. Am I in your way, | fella? Oh, listen, | when that new guy- Oh, what's his name? | Turkus! When he gets here, | tell him I left. I had an appointment | with him an hour ago. Burton. Burton Turkus. Oh, that's a great handle | for an assistant D.A. in Brooklyn. Burton Turkus. On Pitkin Avenue | it'll be Boiton Toikus. I think I | like that better. - Hold it? | - What am I supposed to do with this? Stand up a minute, please. Thank you. When the crusader gets back | from polishing his armor, | tell him I left. - Tell him who left? | - Lieutenant Detective William Flaherty Tobin. Oh. Oh, I'm glad to know ya. | I'm Turkus. Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. I'm sorry | I was late. I've been diggin' | among the dead bodies. I got 200 unsolved | murders in there. That goes back | only two years. Chief Kirk said | you forgot these. Oh, thank you. | This is Miss Shaw. Miss Shaw, this is | Lieutenant Detective... William Flaherty Tobin. - Hi. | - Hi to you, Miss Shaw. What's that on your face? - Blood from the files. | - Ah. I asked the commissioner | for somebody who knew Brownsville. I guess | you're the expert. I'll show you. This is what I walked into. Every one of those pins | is an unsolved murder. - What do I do about that? | - When? - Now. | - Send out for more pins. You seem to be a little bit cynical, | Lieutenant. Why is that? Past experience | with your predecessors. You all start out eager beaver, | but when the chips are down... when the pressure comes in, | you fade. Pressure. Every now and then | we get a hood, cold turkey. We got everything- | evidence, witnesses, the works. And then it happens. | The evidence gets lost... the witnesses disappear, | and the word comes down to lay off. "The word comes down"? | From where? Valhalla. - Never heard of it. | - You will. - Now, what do you want from me? | - Advice. My advice wouldn't | buy ya a subway ride. Well, then, uh, action. You must have some ideas. This would be a good time | for you to stop griping... and do something, | if you know how. - I know how. | - Uh-huh. - Play dirty. | - Hmm? Show the neighborhood what they are- | bums, punks, hoodlums. Drag 'em in off the streets, | pile 'em in paddy wagons... slap cuffs on 'em the minute | they show their noses. And how does that help | solve those murders? Keep up the pressure. Just keep it up. | Sooner or later... one of the weak ones'll crack, | and that'll split the dam. Now, that's | a good way to start. Lieutenant, how much | help do you need? How much help can I get? How much help | do you need? What's Lazlo doing? He says he can spring you, | but it'll take time. I got a million dollars. - Why should it take time? | - We're working on it. I've been reading | about this guy Turkus. Is he for real? Poison. He's like hell. Mendy... I got a funny feeling. I want you to handle | a special contract for me. - Okay, Lep. | - I keep worrying aboutJoe Rosen. I made a mistake. I got personally involved, | and there are... too many people in a position | to link me up with it. - No one's gonna talk. | - Too- Too many people. I don't trust any of | those Brownsville bums. That's the contract. - The Brownsville crowd. | - Anyone who was near the apartment. Reles? Well, let's see. There's The Bug and Alpert. Those, uh, married kids... Joey and his wife. Both of them. But there's Louie. | Louie's my man. He's okay. For now, leave Louie. | But the others... I want you | to handle them personally. Mendy, | don't miss on this one. I got that funny feeling | in my stomach again. It's no problem, Lep. No problem. He's been around the neighborhood | for a long time. - This is, uh- | - May I see Mr. Turkus? I'm sorry. He's in the middle | of a meeting now. Couldn't you | come back later? - I don't think I would. | - He's very busy- - Miss Shaw, have the lady come in. | - Come in. May I help you? | I'm Turkus. Won't you sit down? I'm Eadie Collins, Joey's wife. Oh, he's one of the guys | we picked up yesterday. Oh. Well, Mrs. Collins, | if it's about releasing your husband- I don't want you | to release him. Well, what do you want? I want you to hold him. I want you to make him talk. About what? He is- He never killed anyone. | He couldn't kill anyone. He just couldn't. But he went along. Make him tell you. You must | make him tell you everything. Mrs. Collins, | do you real- I know what I'm saying. Joey was along | when they killed. I never knew who. Joey never told me. But he was with Reles | when Reles killed. And Bug Workman with Red Alpert | when he killed, with Mendy Weiss. - I want you to hold Joey Collins, | Alpert and Bug Workman. | - Joey was along. What? Sprung, the three of them. Reles is coming on | the 5:00 train from Baltimore. Mrs. Collins, how would you know | a thing like that? - I know a lot more. | - You mentioned Mendy Weiss. - Who is Mendy Weiss? | - He's Lepke's man. How does Lepke, uh, | come into this? He came in the door | like a king- a king with a hole | in his stomach. All the time he stayed, | I was his housemaid. Two-minute eggs. I boiled a thousand | two-minute eggs... and never did it right once. Funny, isn't it? Such a delicate little stomach | in a monster like that. Yes. Mrs. Collins, | what was the connection... between the Brownsville gang | and Lepke? They are Lepke's | private killers. An army of paid killers. Don't let her | out of your sight. We picked up Reles as he | stepped off the train from Baltimore. But Lepke's contract for The Bug | had already been executed. Red Alpert. | His trademark. First The Bug, | now Alpert. Looks like somebody else | is looking for the same guys we are. Yeah, and doin' a better job | of findin' 'em first. - Too late for a cup of coffee? | - Not for you, Joey. - I won't be too long. | - That's all right. You take your time. I don't know why I bother | to close up. I gotta be back | in four hours. Here you are, Rose. | Good night. Good night, Joey. Oh, Rose, I need | a pack of cigarettes. Oh, so big. You got nothin' smaller? | I closed my register. I'll tell you what. You take the pack. | You pay me tomorrow. You're a good boy, Joey. | You I trust. You can at least tell me | what you're holding me for. If this is a pinch, | I got a right to know, don't I? I got a right | to call a lawyer. Well, don't I? Aw, come on, will ya? | What are you holding me for? Come in, Mrs. Collins. Hey, what are you | doin' here? Hey, what's the big idea? | What'd you pick her up for? Well, come on, you guys. | What'd you pick her up for? No matter what she tells you, it won't do | any good, 'cause she doesn't know anything. Look, if she told you anything, | it'd be a lie. - Why would she lie, Joey? | - How do I know why she'd lie? - What did she tell you? | - She told us about Lepke. Well, she doesn't know | anything about Lepke. - I dreamed it. | - Yeah, she dreamed it. Look, Mr. Turkus, | let me tell you something. You can't believe a thing she says. | She's had a terrible experience. She wakes up in the middle | of the night, and she's shaking all over... and cryin' and- | and sometimes screamin'. She dreams crazy, | wild things. Why- Why, I think | she's really sick. My poor, scared, | littleJoey. - The photo lab just sent these over. | - Thank you. - Your office called, Lieutenant. | No word yet on Mendy Weiss. | - Thanks. Well, it's been | a big night in Brownsville. Have a look. | Two friends of yours. Red Alpert and The Bug. Who did it, Joey? - I don't know. | - No idea? It's too bad... 'cause whoever did it to them | is gonna do it to you. Why? I don't know. We've got Reles. We're holding him. I wanna see him. Hey, Joe. - What'd they pick you up for? | - The Bug's been hit. - What? | - Red Alpert's been hit too. No. No, no, no, no, no, no. - Somebody's connin'ya. | - No, nobody's connin' me. I saw pictures of'em. | They're both dead. No, no. Somebody hit from the ring. No. Oh, no. I wanna tell ya somethin', Reles. | I've been waitin' for this. - I'm gonna put you where they are. | - You're gonna what? For what you did to Eadie, | I'm gonna put you in the chair... I'm gonna turn the juice on, | and I'm gonna watch you fry! Take it easy. You're losin' your head. | You gotta take your time. - Oh, no, l- | - You dirty rat! I'm gonna get you, Reles! I'm gonna watch you fry! All right, all right, | all right. Turkus. - Thanks. | - Oh! It worked. Looks like we got | ourselves a canary. Joey? Bigger. - You wanted to see me. | - You're Turkus? Well, you don't look | like no hotshot. This time of day, | who does? You don't look so tough. - Well, in here, who does? | - Mm-hmm. - What did you wanna see me about? | - I thought, uh... we'd talk over | our little deal. We don't have any deal. Yeah, but I thought maybe | we could work one out. - You think so? | - Yeah. 'Cause I got plenty to say | you wanna hear. What about? Murder? Could be. Lepke? - Could be. | - Well, what's the deal? A simple deal. | I'll sing. I'll testify in court. | I'll give you the whole works. You guarantee me protection, | then I walk outta here clean... then you give me six months | to get outta the country. I can sing pretty good. I got a cage full of canaries | who sing pretty good. What, that Eadie? Why don't you talk serious? She ain't seen nothin'. She got a big mouth, | but what comes out, that's nothin'. Well, I've gotJoey. | He sings pretty good. I wanna ask ya somethin'. - You think I'm a dope? | - No. Because that would be a big mistake | if you thought I was a dope. 'Cause I know a lot. You know, you'd be surprised | how much I know about your business. - Tell me about it. | - All right. You takeJoey. | He testifies. All right. He's singin' in court that he drove | the car the night I hit, uh... Dick Tracy- somebody, right? - You can't touch me on that. | - Why not? 'Cause you got | no corroboration. Joey's what you call an accomplice, | and you can't convict... on the testimony | of an accomplice, right? You gotta have corroboration | from somebody... that wasn't in on the deal, | and that ain'tJoey. Huh? He never went | to any college. Well, you're not gonna | get out clean. On nothin' that happened | have you got corroboration. And I'm the guy who can | tell you where to get it. But first, | I gotta have a deal. We'll let you plead | second degree murder. We'll ask the court | for consideration. No, no. No. No plea to murder two | or any other kind of murder. Well, we're not gonna do | any business here. Hey, Mr. Turkus, | wait a minute. Wait a minute. | Take it easy. Reles, you can walk out | that door right now... and you'd be dead | in 24 hours. Guarantee me two things. | You protect me and no murder one. You got a deal. When Reles started to sing, | he sang a full-length opera. He had an extraordinary memory. He could recall minutely | every detail of a murder... that had taken place | a half dozen years before. Once he started, he astonished us... with an account of vicious lawlessness | that covered the entire country. Then we learned that | in these United States... major crime was organized... was controlled by a Syndicate. For the first time, | the lid was lifted... on the government | within a government... in which killings and rackets | worked hand in hand... in a national combine of crime. He went on for six days | without a break. He confessed the incredible | total of 25 notebooks full. He was a phonograph that played the long, | long-playing record... of"Murder, Incorporated." Uh, relax a minute, Reles. I-I've gotta | ask you something. Reles, didn't your- | Did your conscience every bother you? Didn't you ever | feel anything? Well, let me | ask you somethin'. The first time you went to court, | like the first time you tried a case... did you feel, | uh, a little nervous? Yes, the first time, | but, uh, I got used to it. I got used to it. Reles, how do you get used | to murdering people? What are you talkin', murder? | You don't understand. Let me tell you somethin'. | Any punk we hit deserved to be hit. What do you think, | we just went around shootin' people? You think it was like a two-bit hoodlum | or some maniac- he goes into a liquor store- $20 heist- | right away we take out the guns? No, you see, | any guy that we hit... he asked to be hit, | not we wanted to hit him. We had to hit him. | Let me tell you. As long as you | stayed in line... nobody ever went after you. Why are they after you? See, your mind | isn't logical. It's diseased. All right. | Uh, let's get back. I guess you're saving | the pice de rsistance for last, huh? - The what? | - The, uh, main thing. - Lepke. | - Oh. Oh, Lep. Yeah. Yeah, well, here's the story on Lep. | I'll give you that one. Uh- See, there's a little schnook | named Joe Rosen. He had a trucking business... and Lepke took over | the trucking business, and- Of course, you remember | what happened with Joe Rosen. Rosen was gonna testify | before the grand jury... so Lep figured the man | had to be hit... and, uh, he handed out | a contract. You see, | Lep got so worked up... over this Rosen thing | that he made a mistake. And I'll tell you. | Lep didn't make many mistakes... but on this one | he made a beaut. How? Well, when Mendy come back | to the apartment after the hit... Lepke was so anxious | to hear the details... that he made Mendy | tell him all about it. So? So? So someone heard it... and that's, uh- | that's corroboration. - Who heard? | - Joey. - And then Joey told me. | - Where were you? I think I was, uh- | I was out of town. Listen, don't let that | worry you, because, uh... I could swear I was there and I heard | the whole thing, and that's the whole story. Well, we can live | without that. Okay, but, uh, | if you want Lepke... and Joey don't testify, | you're up a creek. We'll worry about that. Listen, Tobin- Now we had something | no prosecutor ever had before- the chance to bring a gang lord, | the powerful Lepke... before a jury ofhis peers. The charge would be | first degree murder. We would ask the federal authorities | to release Lepke... to us for trial | in New York. It was taking a chance, going into court | withoutJoey's testimony... but it was | a chance worth taking. As we knew that every gunman | in the Syndicate... would now have an open contract | for our two witnesses... we kept them under wraps | in a carefully guarded suite... at the Half Moon Hotel | in Coney Island. Joey was there, silent, | and giving no sign of cracking... and Reles, | our star boarder. Get me some water, | will ya? Come on. Get off your butt, | bud, and get me some water. Give me that medicine | up there too, will ya? Well, what are you | waitin' for? Move it. Like hell I will. I'm here to guard you, | not to be a wet nurse. You're a two-bit cop. | You make 50 bucks a week. And on a bad day, | I buy you at an auction. Now move it! You do what I say! Move it! - What's the big noise? | - He don't get me no water. I'm through running errands | for this bum. There are guys out there with big guns | waitin' to bump me in the head. Do you wanna make a pigeon out of me? | I can't walk past that window. Who knows who's after me? The biggest guys | in town are after me. Name names. | Names I can name. I can name names of politicians | this guy'd be happy to drive the car. So what does he know? He's never been | around the block with a blue suit. I don't know. I don't feel good again. | I got a lot of heat. Do something with this guy, | will you? Get rid of him. Do somethin'. Put him in | the Harlem Tunnel or somethin'. Get him some water. And let it run. Abe, it might | help you to know... that the feds picked up | Louie and Mendy in Kansas City. It don't help. I'll be with you | in a minute. Hobb. You look pooped. - Are they bringing Mrs. Collins over? | - Yes. - I didn't see you in court today. | - I was there, in the back. Oh, that Lazlo is a cutie, | but you'll get in your licks. Maybe I went into | the whole thing too fast. It was the chance | of getting Lepke... on the stand | for first degree murder. I couldn't let that go. You couldn't. If only I had Joey. Then-Then I could | put the king where he belongs- off his throne, | into the chair. If I had Joey. - Hi. | - Hi. - Oh, Eadie, I've missed you so much. | - So have I. It feels like | it's been a million years. Yes, I know. Joey, what do we do? There's nothing we can do. Can't you talk? It would make it | so much easier. Why would it be easier? Turkus says he'll ask | the judge to be lenient. Honey, don't you understand? | I can't testify against him. If I do, they're gonna kill you. | That's how they get to me- through you. That's how they operate. No, I won't talk. So, same question, Joey. What do we do? I've had a lot of time | to think about it. I've done a lot of things | I had no business doing... and they've locked me up, and they're | gonna keep me locked up for a long time. And the only thing | that does make sense... is for you not to | sit around waiting for me. You gotta forget about me. | You're still pretty enough and young to- - But, Joey- | - No, honey. Let me finish, please. You're still young enough | and pretty... to start a whole new life | for yourself. - Don't you see? | - Please, Joey. - I'm just trying to be sensible. | - I don't care about being sensible. What new life are you | talking about without you? Joey, I don't want | to live without you. Honey, please, after all | the rotten things I've done to you... let me do | one good thing. Please, honey. I don't know. I'll tell you | something funny. You remember how I used to tease you | about your dancing? Well, every night | I dream of you... and you're dancing. Hey, Tobin. Hey. Don't forget. You're gonna | bring me them cigars, right? Mrs. Collins is in with her husband. | Would you tell her we're leaving? - Mrs. Collins? She's already left. | - Mmm. - She what? | - She left about a minute ago. I think she | went downstairs. Joey... Eadie's dead. Oh, no. She's dead. Well, how? You-You had | enough protection. Wha- She ran away. But it's almost as though | she wanted it to happen. Like she was | trying to tell you something. - Oh! | - Uh- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Beats me how he figured | to reach the ground... with only 10 feet | of bedsheet. Do you believe it? Why would he want to get out? | It's the one place in the world he was safe. - Well, it certainly doesn't figure. | - Nothin' figures. Every cop | on the floor asleep? All at the same time. | There must have been a struggle. Nobody hears anything, | nobody sees anything. He doesn't fall straight down | like a normal body. Manages to land 20 feet | from the building wall. He either flew out or, | uh, somebody threw him out. Who, Burton? Nominations are wide open. Where do we go from here? All I got's one dead canary. He can't sing. | He can't fly. My whole case against Lepke | flew out the window with that. - How did they get to him? | - Mr. Turkus... Joey Collins | wants to see you. Maybe the pieces | are gonna fall into place. Lepke was the first | of the gang lords... to pay up in full | in the electric chair. The first, and to date, | the one and only. But his execution proves | that it can be done... and that the kingpins and their rackets | can be brought tojustice. It can be done. | It must be done... again and again and again. |
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