The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 2, Episode 19 - The Nick Moses Story - full transcript
When gangster Nick Moses and another Chicago mobster threaten to go to war after Moses poaches customers in the other's territory, Frank Nitti - now the top mobster in Chicago after the recent incarceration of Al Capone for tax evasion - tells them to settle things amicably, or else. Moses pretends to make amends but actually arranges a hit on his rival, one that also leads to a young newspaper boy being shot. When Nitti tells him he's a dead man, Moses tries to make one last deal - in return for sparing his life, he will make sure Eliot Ness is killed. Nitti accepts the proposition and gives him six days to get the job done.
There he is.
Well?
You, uh... You got a light?
Tonight's episode:
Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.
Costarring Bruce Gordon,
Michael Constantine,
and Joe Disantis.
With special guest
star Harry Guardino.
And narrated by Walter Winchell.
Three weeks after the
conviction of Al Capone
on the ironic charge
of income tax evasion,
the Justice Department
of the United States
had called its
leading law enforcers
from every major city
to fly to Washington
to testify in behalf of
an anti-racketeering bill,
which would widen
the jurisdiction
of federal law
enforcement officers,
and put teeth into their
bite against the underworld.
Yes?
It's for you.
Thanks.
Hello. Ness.
When did they get back?
Where are they now?
All right, stay with them.
Anything wrong?
When Capone was convicted,
four of the five big shots
who ran his bootlegging
empire left town.
I've had my men keeping an eye
on the railroad
stations and airports.
So, your pigeons have
come home to roost.
Three of them came
in half an hour ago.
They headed straight
for Nitti's office.
One more arrival
and the homecoming
will be unanimous.
Which of them stayed
home? Nick Moses.
Ness.
Hello, Lee.
Greco back?
What are you
psychic or something?
He'll be going to
the Club Montmartre.
Stay on his tail.
Right.
You'll have to go to
Washington without me.
It looks like they're coming
out into the open again now.
I understand. Well,
good luck, Eliot.
Bring us back a law, Beecher.
I'll do my best.
Good-bye. Bye.
Okay, Nick.
All right! I won't
listen to you!
So? All I know is
that I turn my back and
somebody picked up my chips.
I don't sit still for it!
All right, take it easy, Vinnie.
Take it easy? Take it easy!
This-this Nick muscled
in on my district!
He needs a lesson
in how to read a map!
He started supplying
Jake Kurowski.
Jake is my biggest
customer, my bread and butter!
His business pays
for all my expenses!
And he's in my district!
Your district?
And where were you?!
In Miami Beach.
And when you're in Miami Beach,
Miami Beach is
your district, period!
You got a sun tan, I
got Kurowski's action.
I'm through talking
to this thief, Frank!
What are you gonna do?
Al said you would handle things.
Al don't want any more trouble.
Al just wants to
collect his dough.
That's what I'm here for, to
make sure he gets his dough.
And there isn't
gonna be any dough
if you guys start fightin'
among yourselves.
Vinnie's got a right to fight.
If you let Nick keep Kurowski,
he's gonna start grabbin'
a piece from everybody's
district and we're
gonna fight back!
I didn't say I was gonna
let Nick keep anything!
And I didn't say
I was gonna take anything
away from him, either!
There's two sides to this thing.
Number one:
Vinnie left town, Nick stayed.
Kurowski needed the
stuff, Nick supplied.
And I kicked in with
a percentage to Al.
The only money Al got
within the past three weeks,
he got from me!
When I'm talkin',
Nick, I like to finish!
The other side is you all agreed
to respect each
other's districts,
so this is what I say,
and this is like Al was talking.
Now, you two settle this
by yourselves and quick!
Let one buy the other out
or whatever you
decide with Kurowski,
just remember,
whatever you decide,
you do it peaceful.
You both understand me?
I asked a question.
I don't hear any answer!
Am I goin' deaf?!
I get it, Frank.
I got it, Frank.
That's better, much better.
Okay, let's get
down to business.
The return of Capone's
overlords to Chicago
signaled a swift renewal
of underworld activity.
And in addition,
it signaled the return of Eliot
Ness and his Untouchables
to the grim task of
hunting down the breweries
and the speakeasies.
During one such raid on a
brewery on Chicago's west side,
an important meeting was taking
place on the other side of town
in the plush Silk Stocking
District of Chicago.
Jake Kurowski, well-known
Chicago restaurateur,
watched curiously as Vinnie
and Nick were in the act
of settling their differences
about Kurowski's territory;
though not exactly as
Frank Nitti had indicated.
Well, so long, Vinnie.
Moses!
You lousy double-crosser!
Come on, let's get out of here!
A kid! He had to hit a kid!
But it wasn't
Rosie's fault, Nick.
The guy just wouldn't go down.
I never seen anybody
take so much lead.
Rosie must have hit
him at least five times.
Pull over there by
that phone booth.
How is he?
He's still unconscious.
You're wanted on the telephone.
I can't take a call now!
I think you'd
better take this one.
It's Nick Moses.
Stay with the kid.
Kurowski.
Hello, Jake?
Nick Moses.
What happened?
Somebody gunned us
as we came out of the club.
How's Vinnie?
He's dead.
Gee, that's tough.
What about the kid?
He's unconscious.
What hospital they take him to?
County.
I'll be seeing you, Jake.
My name is Carabello.
They told me my son's been hurt.
Oh, yes, Mr. Carabello.
Uh, let me see.
Your son's in Room 761.
The elevator's to your right.
Mr. Carabello?
Your son was at the scene
of the shooting tonight.
If you want him to get well,
you'd better tell him
not to talk to the police.
You see, Mr. Carabello,
your boy did not see anything
and he did not hear anything.
Do I make myself clear?
I wouldn't forget
it if I were you.
See you around.
Going up.
Going up, sir?
Hello, Eliot.
How's the boy?
Well, he's lost a lot of blood.
But what are you doing here?
I thought you might have
a line on who shot Orcell?
I was hoping you'd tell me that.
Capone's boys are back in town.
My guess is they're
making a few adjustments.
Oh, this could get worse.
Before it gets better,
it could get a lot worse.
Do you want to handle this?
Officially, murder
isn't my jurisdiction.
Even Orcell?
Not unless he had a flask
in his hand when he died.
Unofficially, then.
When will you be able
to question the boy?
As soon as the
doctor says it's okay.
Shall I give you a call?
I'd appreciate it.
Mr. Carabello?
Yes.
The doctor's
inside with your son.
He asked when you
arrived to wait out here.
Who are you?
Lieutenant Hale
Johnson, Chicago Police.
Doctor, this is
the boy's father.
Your son's going to be
all right, Mr. Carabello.
Can I see him?
You can go in, but you can't
talk to him for several hours.
He's under heavy sedation.
Thanks.
I bring a guy all the way in
from Baltimore to make a hit,
and this is what I get.
If I wanted a messy job
with Vinnie
screaming his head off
and the kid getting gunned,
I could have hired anybody!
Nick, I still say it
wasn't Rosie's fault.
But if you feel that way,
why don't you send
him back to Baltimore?
Because I want him
on tap, that's why!
You're the boss.
Are you sure the kid's
old man got the message?
He got it. Now take
it easy, will ya, Nick?
It ain't like you
to get so upset.
Hey, what are you, a doctor?
Who?
Latito.
Hello, Nick.
Hello, Louis!
No need to shout.
Oh, I'm sorry.
What's on your mind?
Some of the boys thought
you wouldn't be here.
I don't know why anybody
would think that, Louis.
What can I do for you?
Frank just heard about Vinnie.
He'd like a little
talk with you.
Now.
Okay, let's go.
Any time you're ready, Louis.
I've got Frank's car downstairs.
I don't remember giving
you boys an invitation.
Wait for me.
Don't hold your breath.
At 2:55 a.m. on the
morning of July 17,
just four hours after the
death of Vinnie Orcell,
Frank Nitti and the
three remaining kingpins
of Capone's bootlegging empire
awaited the arrival
of Nick Moses.
Stand up!
I want to look at you.
I want everybody to look at you.
It isn't every day we
get to look at somebody
that walks out of this room
and goes against the decision.
I'd like to explain that, Frank.
Save your breath, Nick.
This ain't a kindergarten.
Nobody's going to
believe any fairy tales.
Vinnie was hit.
And it wasn't me.
Or Greco.
Or Barney.
Or Mike.
That leaves you, Nick.
I told you to settle
your argument
with Vinnie
peaceful, and you hit.
So, another
decision's been made.
You're dead, Nick.
You won't kill me, Frank.
Nick, I've always
admired your nerve.
Years ago, when you
was gambling heavy,
I used to like to watch you
throw the dice for 25, 50 G's
at a clip.
You remember that, huh?
Yeah. Your hand was as steady
as a five-ton rock.
But that wasn't nerve, was it?
You were just out of
your head, like now!
What do you mean
I'm not going to kill you?
I told you... you're dead!
Do you think I would have
come here after having Vinnie hit
if I didn't think I had
something to trade for my life?
What have you got
that's worth two cents?
I'll tell you what I've got.
A guaranteed trip
to the cemetery
for Eliot Ness...
with Nick Moses
as the undertaker.
Is that what you want to trade?
Ness's life for yours?
Ness for me.
Nick, you get
stupider every minute.
If Ness is hit,
the finger points in only
one direction... at us.
You think Al would be in jail
if we thought we could
get away with hitting Ness?
I know that, Frank.
So, what are you talking about?
Hit Ness.
Yeah, I'm talking
about the new law
they're trying to push through
to give the Feds more power.
If they pass it,
we won't be the only
ones that Ness can go after.
It won't only be
booze and narcotics.
It'll be a lot of
other things, too.
So the finger points to
a thousand other places.
Any punk doing anything
could have a reason
for hitting Ness.
You thought of all this
before you hit Vinnie?
That's right.
Hmm.
You took quite a
gamble, didn't you?
How do you know
I'll go for this?
I like to gamble, Frank.
It's your deal.
Okay. So it's my deal.
If this law ain't
passed in 30 days,
I think you know what happens.
And what if it is passed?
From the day it's passed,
you got six days to get Ness.
144 hours.
If you don't get
him in six days...
we get you.
I like the odds.
So do I.
It's either you or Ness.
Either way, I come out a winner.
You see my off
duty sign, Mister?
That's all right.
I didn't mind waiting.
Where to?
It doesn't matter.
Just drive.
How much money you make a week?
Listen, Mister, how
much money a man makes
is his own business,
don't you think?
How would you like to
make a hundred every week?
Yeah, doin' what?
Private chauffeur.
For who? For me.
Nick Moses.
That's right, your boy told you.
Look, Mr. Carabello,
I'm very grateful to your boy.
He stopped a bullet
that was meant for me.
I can't afford to have it
known that I was around
when Vinnie was killed.
Look, Mr. Moses, the boy
is not going to say anything.
He won't say a word.
He won't if he knows
you're working for me.
And that's the way
it has to be, see?
How long?
Until this Vinnie
thing blows over.
Is that clear?
Yeah.
It's clear.
Aware that the
Anti-Racketeering Bill
had now been
ratified by the senate,
Eliot Ness and the Untouchables
worked around the clock
to unravel the facts behind
the death of Capone's overlord.
If and when the
president signed the bill,
Ness wanted to be ready
to strike hard and fast.
It checks out, Eliot.
Moses has taken
over Vinnie's district.
It's a cinch Vinnie
didn't will it to him.
All right, Lee, dig into it.
I want every
scrap of information
about Moses you can find.
I want to know where he
goes, why, who he goes with.
I want every crime he's
ever been charged with
dredged up and reexamined.
Right.
Ness speaking.
Yes, Beecher.
Yes.
Yes, that's wonderful.
Thanks a million.
The president signed
the Anti-Racketeering
Bill ten minutes ago.
The newspapers
will be on the streets
in half an hour.
Oh, that's great! Wonderful!
All right, let's start working.
Now we've got
something to work with.
Good morning, Nick.
Oh, Louis, how
did you get in here?
Oh.
How did you get in here?!
Monk let me in.
You know, you
shouldn't be sleeping.
This is the first day.
Louis, what's the first day?
We got a new law.
Frank wanted to make
sure that you knew.
Five G's?
They tell me you hit anybody
as long as the money is there.
They told you
right. It's a token.
There's 20,000 more
after you get the job done.
It must be very special.
It is.
I'm waitin'.
Eliot Ness.
You're not picking up the money.
What's the matter... is
the job too tough for you?
No job is too tough.
Well?
There are a few things
we got to straighten out first.
I'm listening.
Vinnie. I did it your way.
I didn't like it, but I did it.
It was messy.
Whose fault was it?
You picked the place,
you picked the time.
I went along.
It was a mistake.
In my business, you
can't afford mistakes.
All right, so what's
the proposition?
If I hit Ness, I hit him my way.
I want a book on him...
Where he goes, what he
does, who he goes with.
When I know his movements
as well as I know my own,
I'll pick the place,
I'll pick the time,
and I'll decide how.
Otherwise, you can
get yourself another boy.
Oh, no, no, wait a
minute, Rosie. You're right.
You're absolutely right.
You're the specialist,
I'm the amateur.
Only on this one,
we got a problem.
There's a time limit.
How long have we got?
Six days.
As of 10:00 this morning.
If your men are
good, it's enough.
I got the best.
I want to see the
contract in person.
When?
As soon as possible.
Will once be enough?
It's all I ever need.
I'll arrange it.
And now, back to
The Untouchables.
Though previous questioning
of Tommy Carabello had failed
to shed any light
on the Orcell killing,
Eliot Ness was convinced
that the boy was
concealing the truth.
Come in.
What do you want?
I'd like your permission to
ask Tommy a few questions.
Look, he told you he
don't know anything.
Why don't you leave him alone?
I'd like to talk to
you, Mr. Carabello.
Alone.
Well?
Mr. Carabello, I know
why you don't want
the boy to say anything.
I don't blame you.
I think any father'd
feel the same way.
Then why don't you
stop hounding him?
We all have to do things
we don't like, Mr. Carabello.
I've got a job to do.
Look, he told you he
don't know anything.
Can't you get it
through your head?
I don't want him to
testify, Mr. Carabello,
but if you'll just let him
tell me what he saw,
I may be able
to put the man who
shot him behind bars.
Look, just leave him alone!
I'm going to tell you something.
Your boy is not afraid.
It's your fear that's
making him keep silent.
As long as witnesses
refuse to testify,
the killings are going to go on.
The next one, Mr. Carabello,
may be on your conscience.
Get 'em.
I told you there was
gonna be a boost, Jake!
After all, fair is fair!
I operate further
out than Vinnie did.
I got more gas to pay for,
and then there's the wear
and tear on the trucks.
Who are you kidding?!
That don't add up
to no ten percent!
Oh, rough him up
some more, Sully.
I can't stand the
sound of his voice!
You can't do this to me.
I'm gonna call Nitti.
Nitti?!
Well, you're not very
well-informed, Jake.
Nitti and I have just worked
out a very nice arrangement.
I scratch his back,
he scratches mine.
And when you see him,
you give him my regards.
Please be reasonable.
I can't live with another
ten percent, Nick.
I'm your best customer.
You were my best customer!
As of now, you're
an ex-customer!
What do you mean?
I'm taking over the Club, Jake.
Nick!
Now, you save it!
Now, there's the door.
When you get outside,
I want you to walk
and I want you
to keep on walking
until you're clean
out of Chicago.
You're lucky I'm
letting you off this easy.
Now move.
Come on, move!
Look at the bright
side of things, Jake.
Now you won't have to pay
the ten percent. Go ahead!
Beat it. I won't need
you around until 2:00.
Where do you want
me to be at 2:00?
Right here.
Come on Jake, walk.
Monk... let him walk a while.
I don't want to give the
neighborhood a bad name.
Hello. Ness.
This is Jake Kurowski, Ness.
Nick Moses has taken over
my club on Lawson Street.
Why call me?
Call your protection.
I ain't got no protection.
Look, I'm getting out of town.
And I'm telling you
that Moses is over at
my place boozing it up.
Do what you want, Mr. Ness.
Kurowski?
Kurowski?!
We're going to Kurowski's
place on Lawson Street.
Come on.
Federal officers!
No one try and leave!
Let me see that bottle.
Looking for something, Mr. Ness?
Nick Moses.
What's the matter, Mr. Ness?
The government pass a
law against drinking milk?
Soda.
There's nothing here at all.
I could have told you that.
You should have
called, Mr. Ness.
I'd have saved you a trip.
I'll be back again, Nick, soon.
Next time, I won't
wait for an invitation.
Ness!
Well?
Never mind.
He's there, again.
That makes the
third night in a row.
You know, I couldn't wait
for them to pass that new law.
Now that they've done it,
I feel like I've got a target
tattooed right on my back.
Pass me the pepper, will you?
Hey! You've been
following me for three days.
Following you? I don't know
what you're talkin' about.
I'm standing here
minding my own business.
Shut up and listen!
Get off my back,
stay out of my life,
or I'll break you in half!
Why, you lousy cheap gumshoe!
Who do you think you...
Let's go. You're under arrest.
Arrest?! What for?
Carrying a concealed weapon.
Johnson call?
Yeah.
Your boy got out
of jail in nothing flat.
Who bailed him?
Nick Moses.
Well, at least now we know.
Eliot, they say
trouble runs in threes.
We were talking about it
just before you came in.
First Vinnie. Then Kurowski.
And now they're tailing you.
Anything new on Moses?
Yeah. He's expanding.
Kurowski's got a new sign.
What's it say?
"Nick Moses... the
Hottest Place in Town."
Mr. Carabello.
Mr. Ness.
Something we can do for you?
Can I see you a minute?
I read about
Mr. Kurowski tonight.
Yes?
I got to thinking about
what you told me.
About how the next one
might be on my conscience.
Sit down.
Um, four days ago,
the day I talked to you
outside of Tommy's room,
I saw Moses.
He was waiting in my cab
when I came out of the hospital.
Said he wanted me to
go to work driving him.
I didn't have much choice.
Go on.
The night Kurowski was killed,
I took Moses to
Kurowski's place.
I saw him after they...
He could... could hardly walk.
The one they call
Monk went after him.
Thanks, Mr. Carabello.
That's a big help.
Uh... something else.
The night of the shootin',
Tommy saw the killer.
He sold him a newspaper.
He was a... a-a big man.
He wore dark glasses.
He had a rose in
his buttonhole here.
Bill, call Johnson.
Ask him to keep a man
outside the boy's
room around the clock.
Right.
Thanks.
Just one thing.
You've done all you can.
Now stay out of it.
Don't come back here again.
Anything you say, Mr. Ness.
Lieutenant Johnson, please.
Louis, you're late.
I stopped to read
the newspapers.
Very interesting,
the newspapers.
You ought to read them sometime.
What's so interesting
in the newspaper?
Somebody killed Kurowski.
Now, isn't that a surprise?
What am I gonna do
for news after tomorrow?
Some of the boys
are giving 20 to one
you're not going
to be interested
in the news after tomorrow.
Oh, come on.
I walked away from bigger odds.
The boys know that.
They also think
you're spreading
yourself a little thin.
You want to make a side bet?
That's a very
interesting proposition,
but if you lose,
who am I going to collect from?
Oh, in case I
forgot to mention it,
this is the sixth day.
Yeah.
He just came in.
Sidekick's with him.
You know what to do.
I know.
What time do you have?
9:47.
Okay.
Right on time.
Well, shall we go?
Nick says he don't
need you tonight.
Come around about
11:00 in the morning.
There he is.
Make it good.
He's dead.
What are you doin', Gino?
Don't try to be a hero, Gino!
You'll be a dead one.
Now, let's walk very quietly
back to Mr. Moses's car.
I said, move!
He was watchi" Rosie.
You're a very stupid
man, Carabello!
Mr. Ness?
Yes.
I hear you're trying to get
something on Nick Moses.
Now, where would you
hear anything like that?
It's around,
Mr. Ness, it's around.
I'm a good listener.
Not here, Mr. Ness.
All right, I'll be back in
my office in 15 minutes.
You crazy?
I don't want to be
seen goin' in there.
If you're interested,
I'll talk to you
outside in private.
There he is.
Well?
You, uh... got a light?
Lee, get down!
Watch it,
this guy could knock
the eye out of a gnat
at a hundred yards!
Where is he?
On the roof of that
tenement across the street.
Cover me!
Come on! Let's get out of here!
Come on, will you move?!
Come on!
He's on the run!
I'll go out through the alley.
See if you can get up on
the roof through this tenement.
Eliot, you all right?
Yeah.
All right, Gino,
I'm gonna ask you just once.
Why were you following Rosie?
You told me you had nothing
to do with Vinnie's death.
You told me the bullet that
hit my kid was meant for you.
So?
You're a liar!
That man with the
rose, he shot my son.
And he works for you!
Now what makes you think that?
Tommy saw him.
He saw him clear.
He sold the man a
paper before the shootin'.
Go ahead, kill me.
But it won't save you.
I already talked
to Mr. Ness about
Rosie and Kurowski.
You know something, Gino,
you got a big mouth!
Maybe I won't have
to kill you after all.
Get him out of here!
Get him out!
Who?
Latito.
I hear your hotshot
from Baltimore missed.
So he missed.
I still got 11 hours yet.
Frank said six days.
That gives me until
10:00 tomorrow morning.
Frank changed his mind.
He don't believe
in killing on Sunday.
Well, you're not
giving me a chance!
You had your chance, Nick.
You blew it.
Okay.
Okay, I'll play along with him.
But I still got an hour
and ten minutes yet.
I'll get him!
How?
That's my business.
You just go back and
tell Frank it isn't over yet.
I'll tell him, but first I
got a message for you.
In case you miss again,
don't make any plans.
If Ness ain't dead in
an hour and ten minutes,
Frank is gonna put
out the word all over.
You know what I mean?
I'm a busy man, Louis!
You must be tired.
But that's all right,
tomorrow's the seventh day.
The day of rest.
One way or the other.
Now, you listen
to me, Carabello,
and you listen good!
I got a job for you to do
and I got no time
to fool around!
Now, you're gonna
get on that phone
and you're gonna call
your friend, Mr. Ness,
and you're gonna tell him
that you just dropped me off
at a brewery at 509
West Carson Street.
And you're gonna tell him
that you're gonna pick
me up again in 45 minutes.
I won't.
Yes, you will.
You got a son, Carabello.
You can't scare me.
Ness has a man
watching him day and night.
But will the man
be there next week?
Next month?
Next year?
Five years? Ten years?
Now, you listen to me!
I give you my solemn oath,
that if you don't get on
that phone your son is dead!
D-E-A-D.
Dead!
You understand me?
It's either Ness or
your son, Carabello!
Which is it gonna be?
Which is it gonna be?!
What's the address?
509 West Carson Street.
Don't go back to the brewery.
Go to the hospital
and stay there.
Carabello just let Moses off
at a brewery on Carson Street.
If we get there within 40
minutes, he'll be inside.
Inside?
Yeah.
What we do about him, Nick?
We'll bring him along.
This time if anything goes wrong
he'll be right in
the middle of it.
Nick!
Hey, Nick!
Ness!
Hey, Ness! I give up, you hear?!
I'm throwin' my gun out!
Don't shoot!
Come on out with your hands up!
All of you, come on!
Turn around.
Look, Gino, is that you?!
Take care of him!
Vinnie, Kurowski.
And Moses makes three.
Nick Moses, hoodlum,
racketeer, big time gambler
who dealt murder and
violence from a marked deck.
He had never held a losing hand
until the stakes
were sudden death.
Well?
You, uh... You got a light?
Tonight's episode:
Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.
Costarring Bruce Gordon,
Michael Constantine,
and Joe Disantis.
With special guest
star Harry Guardino.
And narrated by Walter Winchell.
Three weeks after the
conviction of Al Capone
on the ironic charge
of income tax evasion,
the Justice Department
of the United States
had called its
leading law enforcers
from every major city
to fly to Washington
to testify in behalf of
an anti-racketeering bill,
which would widen
the jurisdiction
of federal law
enforcement officers,
and put teeth into their
bite against the underworld.
Yes?
It's for you.
Thanks.
Hello. Ness.
When did they get back?
Where are they now?
All right, stay with them.
Anything wrong?
When Capone was convicted,
four of the five big shots
who ran his bootlegging
empire left town.
I've had my men keeping an eye
on the railroad
stations and airports.
So, your pigeons have
come home to roost.
Three of them came
in half an hour ago.
They headed straight
for Nitti's office.
One more arrival
and the homecoming
will be unanimous.
Which of them stayed
home? Nick Moses.
Ness.
Hello, Lee.
Greco back?
What are you
psychic or something?
He'll be going to
the Club Montmartre.
Stay on his tail.
Right.
You'll have to go to
Washington without me.
It looks like they're coming
out into the open again now.
I understand. Well,
good luck, Eliot.
Bring us back a law, Beecher.
I'll do my best.
Good-bye. Bye.
Okay, Nick.
All right! I won't
listen to you!
So? All I know is
that I turn my back and
somebody picked up my chips.
I don't sit still for it!
All right, take it easy, Vinnie.
Take it easy? Take it easy!
This-this Nick muscled
in on my district!
He needs a lesson
in how to read a map!
He started supplying
Jake Kurowski.
Jake is my biggest
customer, my bread and butter!
His business pays
for all my expenses!
And he's in my district!
Your district?
And where were you?!
In Miami Beach.
And when you're in Miami Beach,
Miami Beach is
your district, period!
You got a sun tan, I
got Kurowski's action.
I'm through talking
to this thief, Frank!
What are you gonna do?
Al said you would handle things.
Al don't want any more trouble.
Al just wants to
collect his dough.
That's what I'm here for, to
make sure he gets his dough.
And there isn't
gonna be any dough
if you guys start fightin'
among yourselves.
Vinnie's got a right to fight.
If you let Nick keep Kurowski,
he's gonna start grabbin'
a piece from everybody's
district and we're
gonna fight back!
I didn't say I was gonna
let Nick keep anything!
And I didn't say
I was gonna take anything
away from him, either!
There's two sides to this thing.
Number one:
Vinnie left town, Nick stayed.
Kurowski needed the
stuff, Nick supplied.
And I kicked in with
a percentage to Al.
The only money Al got
within the past three weeks,
he got from me!
When I'm talkin',
Nick, I like to finish!
The other side is you all agreed
to respect each
other's districts,
so this is what I say,
and this is like Al was talking.
Now, you two settle this
by yourselves and quick!
Let one buy the other out
or whatever you
decide with Kurowski,
just remember,
whatever you decide,
you do it peaceful.
You both understand me?
I asked a question.
I don't hear any answer!
Am I goin' deaf?!
I get it, Frank.
I got it, Frank.
That's better, much better.
Okay, let's get
down to business.
The return of Capone's
overlords to Chicago
signaled a swift renewal
of underworld activity.
And in addition,
it signaled the return of Eliot
Ness and his Untouchables
to the grim task of
hunting down the breweries
and the speakeasies.
During one such raid on a
brewery on Chicago's west side,
an important meeting was taking
place on the other side of town
in the plush Silk Stocking
District of Chicago.
Jake Kurowski, well-known
Chicago restaurateur,
watched curiously as Vinnie
and Nick were in the act
of settling their differences
about Kurowski's territory;
though not exactly as
Frank Nitti had indicated.
Well, so long, Vinnie.
Moses!
You lousy double-crosser!
Come on, let's get out of here!
A kid! He had to hit a kid!
But it wasn't
Rosie's fault, Nick.
The guy just wouldn't go down.
I never seen anybody
take so much lead.
Rosie must have hit
him at least five times.
Pull over there by
that phone booth.
How is he?
He's still unconscious.
You're wanted on the telephone.
I can't take a call now!
I think you'd
better take this one.
It's Nick Moses.
Stay with the kid.
Kurowski.
Hello, Jake?
Nick Moses.
What happened?
Somebody gunned us
as we came out of the club.
How's Vinnie?
He's dead.
Gee, that's tough.
What about the kid?
He's unconscious.
What hospital they take him to?
County.
I'll be seeing you, Jake.
My name is Carabello.
They told me my son's been hurt.
Oh, yes, Mr. Carabello.
Uh, let me see.
Your son's in Room 761.
The elevator's to your right.
Mr. Carabello?
Your son was at the scene
of the shooting tonight.
If you want him to get well,
you'd better tell him
not to talk to the police.
You see, Mr. Carabello,
your boy did not see anything
and he did not hear anything.
Do I make myself clear?
I wouldn't forget
it if I were you.
See you around.
Going up.
Going up, sir?
Hello, Eliot.
How's the boy?
Well, he's lost a lot of blood.
But what are you doing here?
I thought you might have
a line on who shot Orcell?
I was hoping you'd tell me that.
Capone's boys are back in town.
My guess is they're
making a few adjustments.
Oh, this could get worse.
Before it gets better,
it could get a lot worse.
Do you want to handle this?
Officially, murder
isn't my jurisdiction.
Even Orcell?
Not unless he had a flask
in his hand when he died.
Unofficially, then.
When will you be able
to question the boy?
As soon as the
doctor says it's okay.
Shall I give you a call?
I'd appreciate it.
Mr. Carabello?
Yes.
The doctor's
inside with your son.
He asked when you
arrived to wait out here.
Who are you?
Lieutenant Hale
Johnson, Chicago Police.
Doctor, this is
the boy's father.
Your son's going to be
all right, Mr. Carabello.
Can I see him?
You can go in, but you can't
talk to him for several hours.
He's under heavy sedation.
Thanks.
I bring a guy all the way in
from Baltimore to make a hit,
and this is what I get.
If I wanted a messy job
with Vinnie
screaming his head off
and the kid getting gunned,
I could have hired anybody!
Nick, I still say it
wasn't Rosie's fault.
But if you feel that way,
why don't you send
him back to Baltimore?
Because I want him
on tap, that's why!
You're the boss.
Are you sure the kid's
old man got the message?
He got it. Now take
it easy, will ya, Nick?
It ain't like you
to get so upset.
Hey, what are you, a doctor?
Who?
Latito.
Hello, Nick.
Hello, Louis!
No need to shout.
Oh, I'm sorry.
What's on your mind?
Some of the boys thought
you wouldn't be here.
I don't know why anybody
would think that, Louis.
What can I do for you?
Frank just heard about Vinnie.
He'd like a little
talk with you.
Now.
Okay, let's go.
Any time you're ready, Louis.
I've got Frank's car downstairs.
I don't remember giving
you boys an invitation.
Wait for me.
Don't hold your breath.
At 2:55 a.m. on the
morning of July 17,
just four hours after the
death of Vinnie Orcell,
Frank Nitti and the
three remaining kingpins
of Capone's bootlegging empire
awaited the arrival
of Nick Moses.
Stand up!
I want to look at you.
I want everybody to look at you.
It isn't every day we
get to look at somebody
that walks out of this room
and goes against the decision.
I'd like to explain that, Frank.
Save your breath, Nick.
This ain't a kindergarten.
Nobody's going to
believe any fairy tales.
Vinnie was hit.
And it wasn't me.
Or Greco.
Or Barney.
Or Mike.
That leaves you, Nick.
I told you to settle
your argument
with Vinnie
peaceful, and you hit.
So, another
decision's been made.
You're dead, Nick.
You won't kill me, Frank.
Nick, I've always
admired your nerve.
Years ago, when you
was gambling heavy,
I used to like to watch you
throw the dice for 25, 50 G's
at a clip.
You remember that, huh?
Yeah. Your hand was as steady
as a five-ton rock.
But that wasn't nerve, was it?
You were just out of
your head, like now!
What do you mean
I'm not going to kill you?
I told you... you're dead!
Do you think I would have
come here after having Vinnie hit
if I didn't think I had
something to trade for my life?
What have you got
that's worth two cents?
I'll tell you what I've got.
A guaranteed trip
to the cemetery
for Eliot Ness...
with Nick Moses
as the undertaker.
Is that what you want to trade?
Ness's life for yours?
Ness for me.
Nick, you get
stupider every minute.
If Ness is hit,
the finger points in only
one direction... at us.
You think Al would be in jail
if we thought we could
get away with hitting Ness?
I know that, Frank.
So, what are you talking about?
Hit Ness.
Yeah, I'm talking
about the new law
they're trying to push through
to give the Feds more power.
If they pass it,
we won't be the only
ones that Ness can go after.
It won't only be
booze and narcotics.
It'll be a lot of
other things, too.
So the finger points to
a thousand other places.
Any punk doing anything
could have a reason
for hitting Ness.
You thought of all this
before you hit Vinnie?
That's right.
Hmm.
You took quite a
gamble, didn't you?
How do you know
I'll go for this?
I like to gamble, Frank.
It's your deal.
Okay. So it's my deal.
If this law ain't
passed in 30 days,
I think you know what happens.
And what if it is passed?
From the day it's passed,
you got six days to get Ness.
144 hours.
If you don't get
him in six days...
we get you.
I like the odds.
So do I.
It's either you or Ness.
Either way, I come out a winner.
You see my off
duty sign, Mister?
That's all right.
I didn't mind waiting.
Where to?
It doesn't matter.
Just drive.
How much money you make a week?
Listen, Mister, how
much money a man makes
is his own business,
don't you think?
How would you like to
make a hundred every week?
Yeah, doin' what?
Private chauffeur.
For who? For me.
Nick Moses.
That's right, your boy told you.
Look, Mr. Carabello,
I'm very grateful to your boy.
He stopped a bullet
that was meant for me.
I can't afford to have it
known that I was around
when Vinnie was killed.
Look, Mr. Moses, the boy
is not going to say anything.
He won't say a word.
He won't if he knows
you're working for me.
And that's the way
it has to be, see?
How long?
Until this Vinnie
thing blows over.
Is that clear?
Yeah.
It's clear.
Aware that the
Anti-Racketeering Bill
had now been
ratified by the senate,
Eliot Ness and the Untouchables
worked around the clock
to unravel the facts behind
the death of Capone's overlord.
If and when the
president signed the bill,
Ness wanted to be ready
to strike hard and fast.
It checks out, Eliot.
Moses has taken
over Vinnie's district.
It's a cinch Vinnie
didn't will it to him.
All right, Lee, dig into it.
I want every
scrap of information
about Moses you can find.
I want to know where he
goes, why, who he goes with.
I want every crime he's
ever been charged with
dredged up and reexamined.
Right.
Ness speaking.
Yes, Beecher.
Yes.
Yes, that's wonderful.
Thanks a million.
The president signed
the Anti-Racketeering
Bill ten minutes ago.
The newspapers
will be on the streets
in half an hour.
Oh, that's great! Wonderful!
All right, let's start working.
Now we've got
something to work with.
Good morning, Nick.
Oh, Louis, how
did you get in here?
Oh.
How did you get in here?!
Monk let me in.
You know, you
shouldn't be sleeping.
This is the first day.
Louis, what's the first day?
We got a new law.
Frank wanted to make
sure that you knew.
Five G's?
They tell me you hit anybody
as long as the money is there.
They told you
right. It's a token.
There's 20,000 more
after you get the job done.
It must be very special.
It is.
I'm waitin'.
Eliot Ness.
You're not picking up the money.
What's the matter... is
the job too tough for you?
No job is too tough.
Well?
There are a few things
we got to straighten out first.
I'm listening.
Vinnie. I did it your way.
I didn't like it, but I did it.
It was messy.
Whose fault was it?
You picked the place,
you picked the time.
I went along.
It was a mistake.
In my business, you
can't afford mistakes.
All right, so what's
the proposition?
If I hit Ness, I hit him my way.
I want a book on him...
Where he goes, what he
does, who he goes with.
When I know his movements
as well as I know my own,
I'll pick the place,
I'll pick the time,
and I'll decide how.
Otherwise, you can
get yourself another boy.
Oh, no, no, wait a
minute, Rosie. You're right.
You're absolutely right.
You're the specialist,
I'm the amateur.
Only on this one,
we got a problem.
There's a time limit.
How long have we got?
Six days.
As of 10:00 this morning.
If your men are
good, it's enough.
I got the best.
I want to see the
contract in person.
When?
As soon as possible.
Will once be enough?
It's all I ever need.
I'll arrange it.
And now, back to
The Untouchables.
Though previous questioning
of Tommy Carabello had failed
to shed any light
on the Orcell killing,
Eliot Ness was convinced
that the boy was
concealing the truth.
Come in.
What do you want?
I'd like your permission to
ask Tommy a few questions.
Look, he told you he
don't know anything.
Why don't you leave him alone?
I'd like to talk to
you, Mr. Carabello.
Alone.
Well?
Mr. Carabello, I know
why you don't want
the boy to say anything.
I don't blame you.
I think any father'd
feel the same way.
Then why don't you
stop hounding him?
We all have to do things
we don't like, Mr. Carabello.
I've got a job to do.
Look, he told you he
don't know anything.
Can't you get it
through your head?
I don't want him to
testify, Mr. Carabello,
but if you'll just let him
tell me what he saw,
I may be able
to put the man who
shot him behind bars.
Look, just leave him alone!
I'm going to tell you something.
Your boy is not afraid.
It's your fear that's
making him keep silent.
As long as witnesses
refuse to testify,
the killings are going to go on.
The next one, Mr. Carabello,
may be on your conscience.
Get 'em.
I told you there was
gonna be a boost, Jake!
After all, fair is fair!
I operate further
out than Vinnie did.
I got more gas to pay for,
and then there's the wear
and tear on the trucks.
Who are you kidding?!
That don't add up
to no ten percent!
Oh, rough him up
some more, Sully.
I can't stand the
sound of his voice!
You can't do this to me.
I'm gonna call Nitti.
Nitti?!
Well, you're not very
well-informed, Jake.
Nitti and I have just worked
out a very nice arrangement.
I scratch his back,
he scratches mine.
And when you see him,
you give him my regards.
Please be reasonable.
I can't live with another
ten percent, Nick.
I'm your best customer.
You were my best customer!
As of now, you're
an ex-customer!
What do you mean?
I'm taking over the Club, Jake.
Nick!
Now, you save it!
Now, there's the door.
When you get outside,
I want you to walk
and I want you
to keep on walking
until you're clean
out of Chicago.
You're lucky I'm
letting you off this easy.
Now move.
Come on, move!
Look at the bright
side of things, Jake.
Now you won't have to pay
the ten percent. Go ahead!
Beat it. I won't need
you around until 2:00.
Where do you want
me to be at 2:00?
Right here.
Come on Jake, walk.
Monk... let him walk a while.
I don't want to give the
neighborhood a bad name.
Hello. Ness.
This is Jake Kurowski, Ness.
Nick Moses has taken over
my club on Lawson Street.
Why call me?
Call your protection.
I ain't got no protection.
Look, I'm getting out of town.
And I'm telling you
that Moses is over at
my place boozing it up.
Do what you want, Mr. Ness.
Kurowski?
Kurowski?!
We're going to Kurowski's
place on Lawson Street.
Come on.
Federal officers!
No one try and leave!
Let me see that bottle.
Looking for something, Mr. Ness?
Nick Moses.
What's the matter, Mr. Ness?
The government pass a
law against drinking milk?
Soda.
There's nothing here at all.
I could have told you that.
You should have
called, Mr. Ness.
I'd have saved you a trip.
I'll be back again, Nick, soon.
Next time, I won't
wait for an invitation.
Ness!
Well?
Never mind.
He's there, again.
That makes the
third night in a row.
You know, I couldn't wait
for them to pass that new law.
Now that they've done it,
I feel like I've got a target
tattooed right on my back.
Pass me the pepper, will you?
Hey! You've been
following me for three days.
Following you? I don't know
what you're talkin' about.
I'm standing here
minding my own business.
Shut up and listen!
Get off my back,
stay out of my life,
or I'll break you in half!
Why, you lousy cheap gumshoe!
Who do you think you...
Let's go. You're under arrest.
Arrest?! What for?
Carrying a concealed weapon.
Johnson call?
Yeah.
Your boy got out
of jail in nothing flat.
Who bailed him?
Nick Moses.
Well, at least now we know.
Eliot, they say
trouble runs in threes.
We were talking about it
just before you came in.
First Vinnie. Then Kurowski.
And now they're tailing you.
Anything new on Moses?
Yeah. He's expanding.
Kurowski's got a new sign.
What's it say?
"Nick Moses... the
Hottest Place in Town."
Mr. Carabello.
Mr. Ness.
Something we can do for you?
Can I see you a minute?
I read about
Mr. Kurowski tonight.
Yes?
I got to thinking about
what you told me.
About how the next one
might be on my conscience.
Sit down.
Um, four days ago,
the day I talked to you
outside of Tommy's room,
I saw Moses.
He was waiting in my cab
when I came out of the hospital.
Said he wanted me to
go to work driving him.
I didn't have much choice.
Go on.
The night Kurowski was killed,
I took Moses to
Kurowski's place.
I saw him after they...
He could... could hardly walk.
The one they call
Monk went after him.
Thanks, Mr. Carabello.
That's a big help.
Uh... something else.
The night of the shootin',
Tommy saw the killer.
He sold him a newspaper.
He was a... a-a big man.
He wore dark glasses.
He had a rose in
his buttonhole here.
Bill, call Johnson.
Ask him to keep a man
outside the boy's
room around the clock.
Right.
Thanks.
Just one thing.
You've done all you can.
Now stay out of it.
Don't come back here again.
Anything you say, Mr. Ness.
Lieutenant Johnson, please.
Louis, you're late.
I stopped to read
the newspapers.
Very interesting,
the newspapers.
You ought to read them sometime.
What's so interesting
in the newspaper?
Somebody killed Kurowski.
Now, isn't that a surprise?
What am I gonna do
for news after tomorrow?
Some of the boys
are giving 20 to one
you're not going
to be interested
in the news after tomorrow.
Oh, come on.
I walked away from bigger odds.
The boys know that.
They also think
you're spreading
yourself a little thin.
You want to make a side bet?
That's a very
interesting proposition,
but if you lose,
who am I going to collect from?
Oh, in case I
forgot to mention it,
this is the sixth day.
Yeah.
He just came in.
Sidekick's with him.
You know what to do.
I know.
What time do you have?
9:47.
Okay.
Right on time.
Well, shall we go?
Nick says he don't
need you tonight.
Come around about
11:00 in the morning.
There he is.
Make it good.
He's dead.
What are you doin', Gino?
Don't try to be a hero, Gino!
You'll be a dead one.
Now, let's walk very quietly
back to Mr. Moses's car.
I said, move!
He was watchi" Rosie.
You're a very stupid
man, Carabello!
Mr. Ness?
Yes.
I hear you're trying to get
something on Nick Moses.
Now, where would you
hear anything like that?
It's around,
Mr. Ness, it's around.
I'm a good listener.
Not here, Mr. Ness.
All right, I'll be back in
my office in 15 minutes.
You crazy?
I don't want to be
seen goin' in there.
If you're interested,
I'll talk to you
outside in private.
There he is.
Well?
You, uh... got a light?
Lee, get down!
Watch it,
this guy could knock
the eye out of a gnat
at a hundred yards!
Where is he?
On the roof of that
tenement across the street.
Cover me!
Come on! Let's get out of here!
Come on, will you move?!
Come on!
He's on the run!
I'll go out through the alley.
See if you can get up on
the roof through this tenement.
Eliot, you all right?
Yeah.
All right, Gino,
I'm gonna ask you just once.
Why were you following Rosie?
You told me you had nothing
to do with Vinnie's death.
You told me the bullet that
hit my kid was meant for you.
So?
You're a liar!
That man with the
rose, he shot my son.
And he works for you!
Now what makes you think that?
Tommy saw him.
He saw him clear.
He sold the man a
paper before the shootin'.
Go ahead, kill me.
But it won't save you.
I already talked
to Mr. Ness about
Rosie and Kurowski.
You know something, Gino,
you got a big mouth!
Maybe I won't have
to kill you after all.
Get him out of here!
Get him out!
Who?
Latito.
I hear your hotshot
from Baltimore missed.
So he missed.
I still got 11 hours yet.
Frank said six days.
That gives me until
10:00 tomorrow morning.
Frank changed his mind.
He don't believe
in killing on Sunday.
Well, you're not
giving me a chance!
You had your chance, Nick.
You blew it.
Okay.
Okay, I'll play along with him.
But I still got an hour
and ten minutes yet.
I'll get him!
How?
That's my business.
You just go back and
tell Frank it isn't over yet.
I'll tell him, but first I
got a message for you.
In case you miss again,
don't make any plans.
If Ness ain't dead in
an hour and ten minutes,
Frank is gonna put
out the word all over.
You know what I mean?
I'm a busy man, Louis!
You must be tired.
But that's all right,
tomorrow's the seventh day.
The day of rest.
One way or the other.
Now, you listen
to me, Carabello,
and you listen good!
I got a job for you to do
and I got no time
to fool around!
Now, you're gonna
get on that phone
and you're gonna call
your friend, Mr. Ness,
and you're gonna tell him
that you just dropped me off
at a brewery at 509
West Carson Street.
And you're gonna tell him
that you're gonna pick
me up again in 45 minutes.
I won't.
Yes, you will.
You got a son, Carabello.
You can't scare me.
Ness has a man
watching him day and night.
But will the man
be there next week?
Next month?
Next year?
Five years? Ten years?
Now, you listen to me!
I give you my solemn oath,
that if you don't get on
that phone your son is dead!
D-E-A-D.
Dead!
You understand me?
It's either Ness or
your son, Carabello!
Which is it gonna be?
Which is it gonna be?!
What's the address?
509 West Carson Street.
Don't go back to the brewery.
Go to the hospital
and stay there.
Carabello just let Moses off
at a brewery on Carson Street.
If we get there within 40
minutes, he'll be inside.
Inside?
Yeah.
What we do about him, Nick?
We'll bring him along.
This time if anything goes wrong
he'll be right in
the middle of it.
Nick!
Hey, Nick!
Ness!
Hey, Ness! I give up, you hear?!
I'm throwin' my gun out!
Don't shoot!
Come on out with your hands up!
All of you, come on!
Turn around.
Look, Gino, is that you?!
Take care of him!
Vinnie, Kurowski.
And Moses makes three.
Nick Moses, hoodlum,
racketeer, big time gambler
who dealt murder and
violence from a marked deck.
He had never held a losing hand
until the stakes
were sudden death.