The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 3, Episode 5 - The Matt Bass Scheme - full transcript

What is this, some kind of gag?

Turn on another one.

You think all I got to do is
walk around old laundries?

I don't understand, Frank.

Wait a minute,
huh, wait... Wait!

Listen, I got my head in a vice.

But it worked.

I'll give you 15 minutes,

and if there ain't booze
coming out of them three holes,

Pete's going to put
three holes in each of you.

Tonight's episode...



Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.

Co-starring Bruce
Gordon, Milton Selzer

and Michael Constantine.

With special guest
star Telly Savalas.

And narrated by Walter Winchell.

In mid-June 1932, Eliot
Ness, having compiled

a list of Frank Nitti's
breweries and distilleries,

began a series of raids
designed to break the back

of the Capone empire,
which was being run

by his trusted lieutenant.

Hey, what... what's this
meeting about, Frank?

You fellas been
reading the newspapers

the last couple of weeks?

I read 'em.



Ness'll get tired, Frank.

That's what Al kept
saying for four years.

"Ness'll get tired."

Well, he don't get tired.

I'm tired.

I'm tired of losing a bundle.

I don't see what that's
got to do with us, Frank.

I mean, it's too bad.

We don't like to see
you losing money,

but, uh, it's none
of our business.

I mean, Phil and me,
we run a chain of speaks.

Well, I called you
here to tell you

how it is your business.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna move my distilleries

and my breweries
outside of town;

spread 'em all over.

Ness'll never find them.

How long do
you figure it'll take

before you're back
in action again?

A month, six weeks.

Six weeks?

What happens to
us in the meantime?

I mean, we need beer and booze.

All the speak owners
will need beer and booze.

That's why I called you here.

I want you to set
a good example.

What do you mean,
"a good example"?

Well, I don't have to tell
you how greedy everybody is.

All the speak owners
will try to hustle the stuff in

from out of state, once
their supply runs out.

But no dice.

Nobody muscles
into my territory.

Everybody sits on their hands

until I start supplying again.

Now, you're the
biggest speak operation,

so you set the good example.

But that ain't fair,
Frank... we've got a...

I make the rules what's
fair and what ain't fair.

But if we... NITTI: Shut up!

I ain't asking you;
I'm telling you.

And if you don't listen...

Pete'll tell you.

Understand?

I'd like to see you nod
your head, too, Phil.

That's better.

Much better.

That night, while Frank
Nitti met with his men

to lay out the plan
which would close

Nitti's breweries and
distilleries in Chicago,

Ness and his Untouchables
reduced by three

the number of breweries

that Nitti would
have to worry about.

Here.

Hi, Matt.

When you get out tomorrow,

say hello to the boys for me.

Yeah. Sure thing.

What do you got all
those books out for?

I thought you wanted
to go over the plan again

before they spring you tomorrow.

Look, kid...

once is all I have
to hear something.

Then why did you tell
me to meet you here?

It's about points.

I've decided to
change our partnership

from, uh, 50 you, 50
me to 70 me, 30 you.

You can't do that!

Now, don't you know
you're not supposed

to raise your
voice in a library?

It's my idea.

I worked out the whole thing.

Why don't you patent it?

Why don't you write to the
government and tell them

you found the foolproof way
to bring booze into Chicago?

Huh?

Ah, that's beautiful.

You can't do that, can you?

That's why you
had to come to me.

Because I'm the
only one big enough

to sell the idea to Nitti.

Your idea ain't worth
a dime without... me.

Well?

Okay.

Not "okay."

"Thank you."

"Thank you,"
because I could have

cut you out altogether.

"Thank you," because I
could've got any engineer

to do the work for me.

Thank you.

What?

Thank you.

Now, when you
get out next month,

I'll be at the plushest suite

at the Hotel Culver.

I'll be sitting there
with Nitti's money,

waiting to get the work done.

So long, partner.

On June 22, 1932,
Nitti's plan was under way.

Ness and the Untouchables,

with the aid of the
Chicago police department,

raided four distilleries
and found them all empty.

You think we
scared Nitti off, Eliot?

I wish I could answer
yes, Lee, but I can't.

What do you think he's up to?

Maybe he's stalling for time.

Maybe he's working
on a new scheme.

Whatever it is, you
can bet this isn't the end

of his breweries
and distilleries.

Eliot?

We've just got
word that Phil Grier

has been found
murdered at his club.

Captain Dorset's
on his way there,

and he's asked
for you to join him.

Thanks, Rico.

The body of Phil
Grier was discovered

by the Hotsy-Totsy Club's baker

when he reported
to work at 4:00 a.m.

Seth Otis, Grier's partner,
had been roused out of bed

and questioned
by Captain Dorset,

when Ness and Hobson
arrived on the scene.

Over here.

Did you get
anything out of Otis?

Nothing.

He's all yours if you
want a crack at him.

Thanks, Captain.

You were a friend of
Grier's, weren't you?

We were partners
for over 20 years.

Who did it?

I don't know.

What does the
Indiana license plate

hanging around his
neck mean to you?

Not a thing.

If you know anything,
Otis, you better speak up.

I told you I don't
know anything.

We'll give you protection.

What makes you
think I need protection?

Because there are
two license plates

to every car, Otis.

Two.

I'm tired.

You got any more questions?

No more questions.

Hello?

This is Seth Otis.

I got your message.

How come you
didn't get it before?

You think I just wanted
to hear myself talk

when I said I didn't
want anybody to try

to hustle booze in
from out of the state?

I... Let me finish!

Seth, I don't want to go
into the club business.

I don't want to start worrying
about meat and potatoes.

That's the only
reason you're alive.

But if you keep
trying to cross me,

I'm going to go into
the club business,

and I'm going to start worrying
about meat and potatoes.

You got me?

I got you, Frank.

Oh, and Seth...

I'd like the word to
get out about Phil,

why he ain't with us anymore.

You do that for me, huh?

You hear?

Sure, Frank.

I hear.

By June 29, 1932,

Frank Nitti, through
several dummy corporations,

had purchased 11 large farms
on the outskirts of Chicago.

Four days later, Solly
Wilks completed a deal

which would enable
Nitti to transport his beer

and whiskey from
the farms to Chicago.

I bought the dairy.

How many trucks?

Forty.

When will they be ready?

In plenty of time.

Good, good.

The sooner, the better.

The speak owners
are really squawking.

They're starting to dry up.

I don't know how many
phone calls I've had already.

Let 'em squawk. They'll wait.

They'll all remember
Phil Grier, and they'll wait.

I told you I didn't
want to be bothered.

Matt Bass is here, Frank.

Bass?

What did he do,
bust out of the pen?

Is he on the lam? Paroled.

Send him in.

Hey, Matt!

Good to see you.

How are you, Frank?

Oh, I don't think you
know anybody here.

This is Pete
Konitz, Solly Wilks,

Bert Galt and Larry Rand.

How are you?

Matt was a big man,
one of the biggest...

when Chicago never
even heard of you.

I used to work for Matt.

Yeah, that was a
long time ago, Frank.

Yeah... long time.

You want a drink?

No, thanks.

Well, sit down, sit down, Matt.

What's on your mind?

I've been reading

about this fellow,
Ness, in stir.

Yeah, he put Al away.

On a fancy rap, huh?

Income tax evasion.

You gotta pay your taxes, Matt.

That's what I got
Solly Wilks for,

to make sure I pay my taxes.

Ness has been
clobbering you, Frank,

and I've been thinking
about him clobbering you.

Yeah, I've thought
about it, too.

But I come up with an answer.

Yeah. What is it?

You gotta decentralize, Frank.

You gotta move your breweries
and distilleries out of Chicago.

What's so funny?

You and me... separated
by four high walls

and a million steel bars,

and we come up
with the same answer.

I tell you, a good
man's a good man?

I'm already
decentralizing, Matt.

I got a foolproof plan, Frank.

So have I.

But you don't seem to...

Look, Matt, I got a lot of
dough riding on my idea,

and I ain't in the market for
nothing else, no matter what.

Don't you think you ought
to at least listen, Frank?

What for?

If you're right, I'd
want to shoot myself.

No, I don't want to hear it.

Okay, Frank.

Where you running?

I came to say what I had to say.

Well, do you need
a job or something?

Huh?

What kind?

Nothing big right away.

Then what?

How's about, uh,

managing a dime-a-dance joint?

Aw, come on, Frank.

I did that 20 years ago.

Matt, look, you just
walked in through that door.

I ain't had time
to think about you.

Just for a starter, just to
get into the organization.

All right, Frank.

Just for a starter, huh?

First the breweries and the
distilleries were shut down,

and now the speaks are closed.

It's like Nitti started to
work for the government.

No, Nitti's working for Nitti.

He must be rearranging
his operation.

Moving it outside the city.

Well, he's still gotta get
the stuff back into Chicago.

That's where we come in.

Roadblocks? Yeah.

Chances are, Nitti
will move at night

and stay off the main drags.

That narrows it down some.

We'll get the
state boys to help,

and maybe Dorset
can spare us a few men.

Boy, that's going
to be a backbreaker.

There are dozens of
roads leading into Chicago.

You didn't sign on

because the job was
easy, did you, Lee?

Captain Dorset, please.

Where are you
going all alone, fella?

To see Mr. Bass.

You got a complaint
against one of the girls?

No, it's not that.

If you'd, uh, just let me by.

You got a complaint,

let me know before
you go to the boss.

No complaints.

No complaints at all.

I just got business.

Where's the office?

I'll dance you over there.

Two tickets, 20 cents.

Two?

Gotta get back, don't I?

I don't know how to dance.

Hello, Jason!

"When you get out next month,

"I'll be waiting for you
in the plushest suite

in the Hotel Culver."

I think I'd rather
be back in prison.

It can be arranged,
so relax and sit down.

Relax? Why should I relax?

I sweat over that
plan for nearly a year.

I wrote you that Nitti wasn't
interested in our project.

I didn't write that
we were junking it.

Yeah? Where are we
gonna get the money?

It'll take those dames 100
years to dance $210,000 worth.

In a couple of minutes,

that money's gonna come
waltzing through the door.

Are you kidding?

I never kid with a guy just
a couple of hours out of stir.

Well, did Nitti change his mind?

No.

Then, what?

There'll be no more
questions, huh?

Come in.

Hello, Seth!

This is Jason Fiddler.

Where do you know him from?

Where else? The pen.

Jason is a college man,
a graduate engineer.

What's a graduate
engineer doing in the pen?

It's not hard.

You work for the city

and take graft from
construction companies,

it's easy.

Now is that a way
to treat an old friend?

Not even a call after
spending 12 years in stir, Seth?

I don't know much
about how to treat people.

Maybe I ought to
take lessons from Nitti.

Would you like to
teach him a lesson?

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about
paying him back

for killing Phil Grier.

That's cemetery talk.

Do you or don't you?

I got a way, Seth.

Talk.

Well, Jason and I
have got a foolproof plan

for bringing
booze into the city.

Nitti finds out, he'll kill you.

Nitti's not gonna
find out about it,

because we're not gonna use it.

Then what good is it?!

Ah.

Nitti is moving his stills

to a couple of farms
outside the city.

I know that.

When he starts getting hit

by the Feds again, he'll come

to us for our way.

And he's gonna pay.

Plenty.

And you'll be a partner, Seth.

And you'll be making
dough from both ends.

You'll be making it for
bringing it into the city,

and for selling it.

What makes you think

Nitti's gonna get
hit by the Feds?

You know this Ness?

He's a smart guy.

But if he has a little
trouble, we gotta help him.

What's this foolproof
plan of yours?

Well?!

Are you ready, Seth?

What is it?!

We're gonna lay a
pipe into the sewers

and pump it in.

You're dreaming.

It's all worked out!

Like I told you,

Jason... he's a
graduate engineer.

Polytech.

What's the, uh...
tariff on this pipeline?

200... and ten...
thousand dollars.

That's the least
I can do for Phil.

During the next three weeks,

Eliot Ness and the Untouchables,

working in cooperation
with the local

and county authorities,

staked out as many of the
out-of-the-way entrances

into Chicago as possible.

But Frank Nitti's illegal
liquor was not to be found.

Ness realized the task he had
set for himself was enormous.

Nothing doing, Eliot.

I just made a phone check.

The other roadblocks
haven't turned up a thing.

It looks like Nitti
wins the first round.

I never thought he'd risk it.

What do you mean, Eliot?

Must be bringing the stuff
through in broad daylight.

Rico, get in touch with Dorset.

We're changing our tactics.

Eliot Ness immediately
ordered the Untouchables

to a daylight stakeout.

The first few days

of the change in
operation proved fruitless.

But then on the afternoon
of July 28 at 5:23 p.m.,

their labor was rewarded.

There's only milk
in here, Mister.

Let's make sure.

Take off the top.

Like I said... milk.

Lee, hand me the pole.

What are you doing?

You want to get
germs in the milk?

There's another tank inside.

What's in it?

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Hold it!

Hold it!

All right, you, get down.

You've got some talking to do.

See those pencil figures?

Yeah.

That's what I call penciled in.

Just temporary figures
before I get it accurate.

It's not that it's
not close anyway.

See that? Eddie's Joint?

28% up over a month ago,

and it's in the ink column.

Yeah. Eddie's a hustler.

Well, he's got the booze
to hustle, that's why.

Damon Brothers account, huh?

21% up.

How's, uh, Hughie Groats' joint?

Hugh... Oh, the biggest speak

on the South Side
of Chicago, that's all.

Well, show me... show
me Hughie Groats' joint.

Sure, Frank, sure.

Hughie Groats. Oh.

Hughie Groats.

Oh. Well, I have
him in ink already.

An increase of over 40%.

Are they all like this?

Sure, Frank.

Here, take a look.

Oh, you-you show me
when they're all in ink.

Good work, Solly.

Hello?

Hello, Nitti?

Eliot Ness.

You can forget about your milk.

It just went sour.

What are you talking?

Listen, Nitti, when you hang up,

take a good look
outside your window.

And now back to
The Untouchables.

While Frank Nitti
began to reorganize

following Ness' crushing
blow against his dairy scheme,

Matt Bass and Jason Fiddler

watched their own
plan taking shape.

We're really rolling, huh?

Yeah. It won't be long
before we're into the sewers,

but we still need a
terminal on Beacon Street.

Forget it.

I got us a rundown old laundry.

Uh-huh.

Are you sure those
four guys can be trusted

to keep their mouths shut?

Don't worry about it.

For the money I'm paying
them, they'll do what I tell 'em.

Did Seth find out how Nitti's
bringing the stuff in now?

Hey, how old are you?

42. Why?

Why?

Because I stopped asking
questions when I was four.

Well, did he?

Well, did he?

Yes, he did. I'm
gonna see him about it.

Two weeks following
the confiscation

of Frank Nitti's milk trucks,

Chicago's speakeasies
picked up business overnight,

signaling the fact that
illegal beer and whiskey

were once again
flowing into the city.

Well, he's not using trucks
anymore, that's for sure.

Well, he's found
another way, all right.

Now that he knows
we're on to him,

it's not going to be so easy.

Wait a minute.

Maybe we started wrong.

We ought to work backwards.

Maybe we ought to raid a
few speaks and take inventory.

That way, we'll get an
idea what their supply is

and when the next
delivery should be made.

We can stake out
for those deliveries

and trace 'em
back to their source.

We'll hit the Hotsy-Totsy,
the Chic Club and the Jester.

That should give us
a pretty good idea.

How'd you say Nitti
was getting it in?

By rail.

He bought himself
a string of oil cars

under the name of the
Holloway Fuel Oil Company.

He's got a siding
just inside of Chicago.

He unloads the stuff
from there onto oil trucks.

Well, you gotta
give Frank credit.

He never stops trying.

Holloway Fuel Oil Company.

But, I think, as a good
citizen, it's up to me to...

Seth!

The Feds are outside.

Come on, Matt, this way.

No, I think I'll stay here.

Didn't you hear what he said?

It's a raid.

I heard him.

Suit yourself.

Federal officers!

Let's get out of here!

Take him along.

Come on, let's go.

Two hours later,

after Ness and the Untouchables

had completed their three raids

to assess the
inventory of the speaks,

Ness received a call that
one of the men apprehended

in the raid on the
Hotsy-Totsy Club,

desperately wanted
to talk to him.

My name is Bass, Mr. Ness.

Matthew Bass.

I checked your
record on the way in.

Then you know I'm out on parole.

You were out on parole.

Now, look, Mr. Ness,

I was visiting some old friends.

I'm out of the rackets.

Everybody else was picked
up in that raid was sprung.

Me, they won't spring
because they say

I was violating my parole.

I wasn't violating.

Next time, meet your
friends in the park.

If you don't let me go,

there won't be no next
time for three years.

I got a sentence to finish.

I served 12 of the 15.

I ain't no young guy
no more, Mr. Ness.

Three years is a long time.

I'm leveling with you
and I can prove it.

How?

I'll make a deal.

I'll tell you how Nitti

is bringing the
booze into the city

in exchange for letting me go.

I thought you said you
were out of the rackets.

I am!

I work for Nitti in one of
these dime-a-dance joints.

It's legit.

But you know how
you, you hear things

when you work
for a guy like Nitti.

That's what worries me, Bass.

You're working for Nitti.

It's hard enough
for straight guys

to get jobs in the Depression.

What chance do you
think a two-time loser has?

I grabbed it.

All right, I'll deal.

You tell the truth,
you'll be released.

Oh, I'll tell the truth.

Nothing but the truth.

So help me.

Federal officers!

Hands up high
and keep them high!

Take it off, Lee.

Following a successful raid

on the railroad siding,

Ness honored his agreement

and had Matt Bass released.

Bass was jubilant.

The Capone organization

had suffered another
staggering loss.

While he relished his
moment of triumph,

across the city, Frank Nitti

met with his associates
on top of the Montmartre.

How did Ness find out?

How?!

What?!

Speak up, Solly!

I said I don't know.

Hey, Frank!

Resko and Bochek.

Eh. The Happiness Boys.

They ever bring
a message from Al

that said you're
doing fine, fine?

You stay where you are, Solly.

There's liable to
be some trouble.

You know what happened
the last time, Frank.

I said stay where you are.

Uh, Pete...

you don't move or cough
or nothing till I tell you.

These are Al's boys
and we gotta be careful.

Hello, Frank.

Hello, Konitz.

You boys don't knock anymore?

We just got word from Atlanta.

You got it straight this time?

We always got it
straight, Frankie.

The system always works.

Big Al gets word
to the laundry driver.

The driver gets word to my
colleague Mr. Bochek here.

Mr. Bochek tells me.

Beautiful.

Now, listen, you wanna
do somebody some good

instead of this snooping around,
why don't you help me with Ness?

How did Ness find out about the
Holloway Fuel Oil Company, huh?

Maybe you could look into that.

"How? What? Why?"

That's your department, Frank.

Oh, he can talk.

What's you boys' department?

Helping watch over
the organization.

Including the health and
welfare of all its members.

Talk straight.

Okay.

We're worried, Frank.

About what?

Let's suppose you're
sitting in prison.

Let's say you're
sitting in Atlanta.

And you get reports
that a multi-million dollar

business of yours is
suddenly doing peanuts.

You'd think somebody had
his hand in the till, wouldn't you?

Listen, you!

I ain't saying it's so, Frankie,

I'm just supposing.

Making believe
that you're in Atlanta

and you're getting reports.

Wouldn't you be suspicious?

Just a little bit, anyway.

Yeah, maybe I would.

That's all we're saying.

And Big Al is the wrong
guy to make suspicious.

If you know what I mean.

We gotta watch out
for our scalps, Frank.

I'll work it out.

Sure you will.

But you'd better
hurry up about it.

There's just so many bad
reports Big Al's gonna take.

Yeah?

See you, Frank.

So long, Frank.

Yeah.

Get them lousy
books out of my sight.

What is it?

This is Matt Bass, Frank.

I ain't in the mood

for no penny-ante
dime-a-dance troubles.

It's not about that.

Well, what is it?

Did you tell Seth Otis

that I had a plan for
bringing booze into the city?

No.

Huh...

I was just wondering, because
he came to see me today

and he wants to finance
me, if it's any good.

Oh? What did you say?

Frankie!

What do you think I said?

This plan of yours,
what is it, anyway?

Well, it's hard to explain
on the phone, Frank.

I'll meet you at the
Hotsy-Totsy Club after hours.

Sure, Frank, sure.

Seth Otis made a
pitch to Matt Bass

about putting up the
dough for Bass' plan

to bring booze into the city.

How come?

Otis gets his booze from us.

Maybe Seth Otis thinks

I won't be able to supply him.

Pete.

Seth Otis.

It'll be a pleasure.

Hi!

Hello, partner!

How's it coming?

We'll be finished tomorrow.

Well, that's good,

because Nitti wants to
see me about the plan.

He's finally on the ropes.

Is that what the
champagne's about?

Oh, no.

The champagne's to celebrate

our new partnership.

New?

Is there somebody else in on it?

No, there's
somebody less in on it.

Partner.

Real class!

At 2:10 a.m., August 15, 1932,

the body of Seth
Otis was washed up

on the shore of Lake Michigan

and a fisherman
reported his discovery

to the Chicago
police department.

25 minutes later,

Captain Dorset took
charge of the investigation.

At the same time, Frank Nitti
arrived at the Hotsy-Totsy Club

for his meeting with Matt Bass.

Hello, Matt. Hello, Frank.

How's the dance
joint? Any problems?

Any problems.

You got problems,
you got problems.

No matter what kind
of business you're in.

How's about this
foolproof plan of yours?

What is it?

Oh.

It's a pipe under the city.

Laid into the sewer.

It starts at a gas
station just out of town.

The booze is
pumped into the pipes

and it comes out
on Beacon Street.

Where on Beacon Street?

I bought a laundry.

It pours right out
of the faucets.

Who says so?

My engineer.

How long will it take to build?

It's practically ready now.

The work will be all
finished tomorrow.

How come you already built it?

I told you I didn't need it.

I took a chance, Frank.

When it was all finished, I
was gonna tell you about it.

I don't care what you got.

Nothing is as foolproof as this.

Or as cheap!

All you need is two guys

at the gasoline
station pumping it in,

and another two guys at
the laundry taking it out.

Who do you think you're kidding?

You think you're
talking to some floozy

who dances for beans?

A pipeline costs
a small fortune.

Now, don't tell me you
built the whole thing on spec.

I guess you're right, Frank.

I can't tell you that.

And Otis... he was my partner.

And you tipped the Feds
off about my plan, didn't you?

That's right, Frank.

What are you
doing, itchy fingers?

I-I thought... I nothing.

Put it away.

Matt here has got a plan.

He says he can bring booze
in through these pipes of his.

If he's telling the truth,

he gets a nice, clean bill
of health from the doctor.

It's true, Frank.

What if the Sewer
Department sees these pipes?

That's the beauty of it.

There are all kinds of
pipes in the sewers...

Telephones, telegraphs, gases.

They'll think it's
one of those pipes.

How many guys worked on it?

Four.

That's four guys can rat on you.

Tomorrow, when the
work is all finished,

they get paid... in full, huh?

Uh-huh.

Sounds all right.

If it works.

It'll work, Frank.

When can I take a look at it?

Tomorrow night, 10:00, okay?

Okay.

If it's what you say,
we'll talk money.

Here's the address
to the laundry.

It's just like I say, Frank.

Better be.

'Cause if it ain't,

that doctor's report
ain't gonna be so good.

Early the following afternoon,

in the course of
Captain Dorset's

investigation of
the Otis murder,

the slain man's safety
deposit box was opened.

A number of papers in it
led Dorset to call Eliot Ness.

These bills have
an Indiana address.

Show the purchase of quantities

of Scotch and rye whiskey.

Yeah, Nitti must have
had Otis and Grier killed

because they were
buying whiskey out of state,

out of his jurisdiction.

Lewis Pipe and
Foundry Company...

$10,000 worth of piping.

Here's one for $20,000,
consigned to Mr. Seth Otis.

That much pipe isn't required

to operate the Hotsy-Totsy Club.

Here are bills for wrenches,
blowtorches, kerosene lamps,

consigned to a Jason Fiddler.

Who's he?

Let's find out.

Lee, ask Dorset to check
him for a record, will you?

Right.

Where you been?
It's running late.

I had business.

Personal.

All right, come on, let's go.

Uh, wait a minute, uh... Matt.

What for?

Well, you pulled it off.

Congratulations.

Now, you save
the congratulations

until Nitti sees the booze
coming out of the faucets.

And it's not going to hurt
my feelings to see it, too.

You'll see it, all right,

if we go back to 50 me, 50 you.

If you promise
something to Nitti,

you have to deliver
it, don't you, Matt?

Now, you need me.

All right.

50 me, 50 you.

Now, let's get going.

But it better be
right, you hear me?

It better be right.

It'll be right.

Partner.

Eliot Ness and Agent
Hobson, that night,

set out to find a connection
between the operation

of the Hotsy-Totsy
Club and the purchase

of large quantities
of pipe and hardware.

They had only the
name of Jason Fiddler

and the address he had
given the parole board

upon his release from
prison two months before.

I wonder who got
this place for him.

He couldn't have
been a very good friend.

He's still unpacked.

Eliot, look at these plans.

Blueprints of pipes.

What's the scale?

Hundreds of feet of pipe.

Jason, I... Federal officers.

We're waiting for Jason Fiddler.

Well, you've got a long wait.

When do you expect Mr. Fiddler?

Right after his
meeting with his boss.

Who's his boss?

Same man I work for.

All right, what's his name?

Matt Bass.

Bass and Fiddler.

Is it all set?

Perfect, just perfect.

It's going to flow
like the Mississippi.

Good.

Let's go see it work, eh?

Nitti will be here any minute.

Aged at least two days.

Come on, come on.

What's the rush?

It'll come, it'll come.

Be my guest.

Here's mud in your eye.

Skoal.

Booze.

Booze.

And it's even got bouquet.

No sense in wasting it.

We did it, we did it.

Come on, Frank, come on.

Partner.

Ah...

Hello, Frank. Hello, Matt.

Come on in, will you?

Look around.

This is it... the gold mine.

This is my boy, Frank,

the engineer I've been telling
you about... Jason Fiddler.

Okay, let's get
down to business.

Show me what the boy did.

You do it, Frank.

Turn on one of the faucets,
any one of the faucets.

Well, go ahead, turn it on.

Hmm?

What is this...
some kind of gag?

Try another one.

You think all I got to do is
walk around old laundries?

I don't understand, Frank.

Wait a minute, eh? Wait... Wait?

Listen, I got my head in a vice.

But it worked.

I'll give you 15 minutes,
and if there ain't booze

coming out of them three holes,

Pete's going to put
three holes in each of you.

I'll be in the car, Pete.

What went wrong, huh?

I don't know.

You saw it work before.

You blew it, eh? No, no, no.

It must need some
minor adjustment.

Huh?

Minor adjustment, you know?

All right.

I don't understand, I
don't understand, Matt.

Come on, come on, come on.

All it needs is a minor
adjustment; a minor adjustment.

Come on...

Ah, come on.

See? I told you.

Somebody took it apart.

Maybe one of the
workers is still alive.

The bodies are over here.

They're all here.

I'm here, too, Bass.

What happened? I don't know.

They went into the
sewer, and all of a sudden,

it sounded like a
shooting gallery.

Well, get in and
let's get out of here.

At 10:40 p.m. on
August 16, 1932,

Matt Bass' pipe
dream came to an end.

The Untouchables.