711 Ocean Drive Page #6

You're important to me.

Come on.

Hi, Pete.

What do you know, George?

-Nothing much, Tim.

Say Tim, what's this all about?

I don't know but I don't like it.

Why should Granger bring all the

bookies together

unless he's going to slip us

some more bad news?

He picked a good place for it all right.

A gas works yet.

Sorry to be late, men, but I got tied up

in a meeting with my new partners.

That's right.

That's why I called this

meeting here today.

Right in the same gas house

where Vince Walters

first organized the Tri-State

Wire Service.

We've all come a long way since then

and we're going to go a lot further.

I just made a deal with the National

Press Service.

How do you like that?

...right in the neck.

-That's right, the big boys.

Carl Stevens, Larry Mason, Joe Gish

and Steve Marshak.

This is Larry Mason standing

right over here.

He's gonna tell you what the new deal

is all about.

We want all you boys to get together

in a little protective association.

We've got some trouble coming up here

and the syndicate's

prepared to handle it for you.

It'll take a little juice,

a little money in the right places.

But we'll see that you get

a buck's worth of protection

for every dollar you put out.

And by forming a protection association,

we can handle it in a businesslike way.

With our money?

Suppose we don't want to join?

You'll change your minds when

you've heard the play-by-play.

I don't know if you men know anything

about the politics in this state,

but if you don't, you should.

Right now up in Sacramento,

there's a bill to legalize bookies.

If that happens,

we're all out of business.

The state will be taking our gravy.

We've not only got to whip that.

But we've got to out box the governor's

new crime commission.

Those guys can't be bought.

So, if you want to stay in business,

You're gonna have to pay for it.

'Cause it'll cost money

for a lobby of our own.

-How much?

We're not going to have any hike

in the price of the wire service.

All we're asking is 20% of every book.

He's out of his mind!

-He'll make us broke in no time!

Now wait a minute.

Nobody is forcing you to join.

But if you don't...

The wire service can only take care

of its own customers.

Count me out.

-Me too.

I'm glad to see

the rest of you guys are smart.

I've got all your phone numbers.

If you want to join up,

let the men at the door

know as you go out.

REIGN OF TERROR:

HITS BOOKIES:

Press the buzzer, Pop.

Get out of here, all of you.

You're not going to get away with this!

The bookmakers were no match for the

strong-arm tactics of the hoodlums.

To stay in business, they had to

submit to every demand for tribute.

The west coast soon became

one of the syndicate's richest assets.

Mal Granger had come a long way

from the telephone company.

Here, you can take care of these things

for me.

I got to go over to the Masons' anyway.

You don't spend much time

on business anymore.

Why should I? The business takes

care of itself.

And, I've got you to count up

the money for me.

That's what I have been doing, Mal,

and it doesn't add up right.

Add it up again.

Maybe you misplaced a decimal.

Me or somebody else did.

You're supposed to be getting

a 50-50 break, aren't you?

That's right.

The syndicate took over

six hundred thousand last month.

You got one hundred forty six thousand.

That's not even 70-30, Mal.

Let me see that again.

They wouldn't do that to me

in my own town.

Wouldn't they though.

Remember they insisted on having

their own runners?

Where did you get those figures?

The bookies trust me, Mal.

They wanted you to see them.

They figured if you knew

you were being taken like they were,

you'd do something about it.

I'm going to have a long talk

with somebody right now.

Do you think she could do anything

about it?

What do you mean, "she"?

That's not the only trouble

you're in, Mal.

Larry Mason isn't exactly stupid,

you know.

You're a little bit out of line,

aren't you?

I know, kid.

He's not the same guy.

But maybe he'll come around.

It's worth waiting for.

Do you want to lay odds on that?

Hi, Mal.

I look a little different, don't I?

The boys did a good job on me.

I guess I have to learn the hard way.

Mal, if you could stake me to a fresh

bankroll so I can open up again,

I'll go along with you all the way.

Will you give me a chance?

You had you chance, Tim. You better get

yourself a new racket.

I got troubles enough of my own.

I'm sorry, Larry, you'll just have to

take off without me.

I don't feel athletic today.

Maybe you'd rather go down to Malibu

and build sandcastles.

That's right, make yourself

right at home.

Maybe you didn't come to see me.

-I came to see you, all right.

I got a message for you and Carl.

You can get yourselves a new partner.

You sound like things

are tough all over.

Better let me buy you a cup of coffee.

-Never mind the coffee.

All right, what is it?

You know what it is.

My agreement called for

a 50-50 cut out here.

I got the figures that prove that all

I'm getting is about 30% to your 70.

There are certain expenses

we have to allow for.

And what if the figures

don't all check out?

You're averaging $45,000 a month more

than you were you when

you came in with us.

I don't care what I'm averaging.

My agreement was for 50-50.

If I don't get it, I walk out.

It'll be interesting to see

how you do it.

I've seen a few people try. But somehow,

they never seem to make it.

No, Mal, you're in.

You came along for the ride

and I'm afraid you're with us

till the end of the line.

You better have that coffee.

You look all upset.

What's the matter, darling? Something's

been bothering you, hasn't it?

It's funny.

I was supposed to be a smart girl.

Played everything for laughs.

Now I'm frightened.

-Of what?

What might happen to you.

Nothing's gonna happen to me.

I'll play along with these jokers

until I can grab what they owe me.

Then we'll light out for keeps.

Nobody's ever been able to

walk out on them, Mal.

There's got to be a first time

for everything.

We found that out, haven't we?

Yes.

He was building up

to the payoff right then.

All Granger needed was a shove.

It came along a lot sooner

than he expected.

It came the next Friday night

at the Legion Stadium.

Hello, Larry.

Didn't know you liked the fights.

Me? I'm crazy about them.

Particularly when I get in for free.

I found a ticket on Gail's dresser.

She told me she'd never seen a fight

so I sent her a ticket.

If I'd known you were coming,

I'd have made it a pair.

Sure you would, Mal.

Peanuts?

-No thanks.

A fight's not the fights

without peanuts.

The kid in blue tights isn't too bad.

Gail would have got a kick out of him.

Maybe you didn't hear. She had

a little accident this afternoon.

Accident? When? What happened?

Fell down some stairs.

Hurt her jaw and nose.

Got kind of a black eye too.

Doctor thought she'd better spend

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