Mobsters Page #5

The waiter shrugs and moves on.

FRANK:

I hear they're gettin' twenty a bottle

for f***in' moonshine.

MEYER LANSKY AND BUGSY SIEGEL

come through the front door. Lansky's still short and

unprepossessing, but Siegel's grown into a ladykiller. They're

accompanied by TOMMY REINA, stout, homely, in his late 20's.

Reina waits by the door, hat in hand, as Meyer and Bugsy

join Charlie and Frank.

MEYER:

So what's the good news.

FRANK:

Th kid in the Building Inspector's

office couldn't wait ta roll over.

Tell me the warehouse you wanna knock

in, and ya got the blueprints.

MEYER:

And the 15th Precinct?

FRANK:

Captain Murray won't go under one-

fifty for the lottery.

MEYER:

It's not enough we pay his rent, we

gotta buy him a house too?

CHARLIE:

F*** 'em.

The Boys mumble their assent. Bugsy nods toward Reina.

CHARLIE:

Sure. Bring your friend over.

TOMMY REINA:

shakes hands around the table. Takes a seat.

SIEGEL:

Tommy Reina. Good pal. Better partner.

CHARLIE:

From your mouth ta God's ear.

SIEGEL:

He's got a line on the good stuff.

TOMMY REINA:

A friend of Nucky Johnson has a boxcar

of bottled-in-bond Scotch whisky

sittin' on a spur in Philly. Wants

35 G's. I got ten.

SIEGEL:

Nucky's a straight shooter. We ain't

gonna get f***ed.

CHARLIE:

Who's Nucky's friend?

Reina pauses and looks around the table.

TOMMY REINA:

Arnold Rothstein.

The guys look to each other. Disbelieving.

FRANK:

No disrespect, Tommy, but why would

Mr. Arnold Rothstein wanna do business

with bums like us?

SIEGEL:

Why ya always gotta go lookin' for a

gift in the mouth of the horse?

Reina shrugs his shoulders. Charlie looks to Meyer.

CHARLIE:

How ya figure?

Meyer ponders for a moment.

MEYER:

It figures.

SIEGEL:

F***in' right it figures.

CHARLIE:

Twenty-five's pretty much our stake.

Anybody got a problem?

No one raises an objection.

CHARLIE:

What's the deadline?

TOMMY REINA:

Monday. Cash. In Philly.

CHARLIE:

Wednesday.

TOMMY REINA:

I don't think they wanna wait.

CHARLIE:

Wednesday. Or not at all.

SIEGEL:

We could lose the deal!

CHARLIE:

If we have to.

TOMMY REINA:

Let me see what I can do.

A SHORT, ROUND YOUNG MAN IN A FLASHY TUXEDO

emerges from a private room in the back of the restaurant,

an bevy of bodyguards in his wake. Diamond rings on his

fingers, a big cigar in his mouth, he radiates money and

power. Spotting Charlie and the others, he yells across the

room.

AL CAPONE:

Get them bums outta here!

Charlie looks up sharply. Bugsy jumps to his feet, ready to

fight. Charlie's anger fades as quickly as it flashed.

CHARLIE:

When did Capone get back in town?

As Capone approaches, Charlie stands, gives him a bearhug,

then stands back to inspect him.

CHARLIE:

So Chicago's been good to ya.

AL CAPONE:

I do right by Johnny Torrio and he

does right by me.

CHARLIE:

Ya still owe me fifty bucks for the

train ticket.

AL CAPONE:

And a lot more. Can we talk?

Charlie looks around to the phalanx of bodyguards.

CHARLIE:

Sure. What's with the brick wall?

AL CAPONE:

Since Colosimo bit it, I gotta keep

an eye out for his friends.

INT:
LIMOUSINE - NIGHT

Luciano and Capone climb into the limo, as the bodyguards

remain behind on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

Capone calls out to the Limo Driver.

AL CAPONE:

Around the block.

(to Luciano)

Ya gotta get way from New York,

Charlie. Maranzano. Masseria. Them

old Dons are never gonna give ya any

daylight. Colosimo was the same way.

Couldn't see the future if it bit

him in the ass. But in Chicago you

can get away with axin' the Capo.

Here, you're stuck with 'em.

Capone gestures at his finery, the limo.

AL CAPONE:

One f***in' year ago I had ta hit

you up for train fare. Now I can buy

the f***in' train. And I ain't even

a f***in' Sicilian!

CHARLIE:

But ya got a Boss.

AL CAPONE:

Torrio ain't like them guys. He thinks

like an American. You'd like him,

Charlie. He'd like you.

CHARLIE:

Maybe. But he'd still be the Boss.

Capone sticks a cigar in his mouth, and strikes a match to

light it. The side window EXPLODES under a shower of bullets

from a passing car.

CAPONE:

dives to the floor. Charlie pulls a pistol from his jacket

and returns the fire, as the Limo Driver JERKS the steering

wheel to the left, ramming the limousine into the side of

the other car. A second hail of bullets cuts the Limo Diver

dead. The two cars careen together, crashing into a parked

car.

OUTSIDE THE CRASHED CARS

as the Gunman escapes from the second car. He tosses his

empty machine gun aside, pulls out a pistol, and runs down

an alley, leaving his wounded Driver behind.

CAPONE LOOKS UP FROM THE FLOOR

The stub of his cigar clenched in his teeth, the remainder

shot off. Charlie strikes a match and lights Capone's cigar.

CHARLIE:

You're a big target, Al. Finish your

cigar.

LUCIANO:

advances down the pitch dark alley, pistol drawn, silhouetted

against the light from the street behind him. A flash of

gunfire from the end of the alley, sends Charlie diving behind

a line of trash cans.

CHARLIE CRAWLS DOWN THE ALLEY

using the trash cans as cover. Two more shots ring out,

bouncing off the trash cans. Charlie shouts to the gunman.

CHARLIE:

That's three.

Peering over the trash cans, Charlie can see that the alley

is a dead end, but he still can't make out the Gunman. Luciano

grabs a bottle and tosses it down the alley. As the gunman

wastes a shot on the decoy, Charlie dashes across the alley,

ducking behind a dumpster.

CHARLIE:

Four!

Charlie pushes the dumpster down the alley, as he crouches

behind it. As he nears the end of the alley, two more shots

ping off the sides of the dumpster.

CHARLIE:

Five! Six!

Charlie turns his back to the dumpster, gun drawn. Waiting

for the rat to scurry from his hole.

THE GUNMAN:

cowering at the end of the alley, drops his emptied gun to

the pavement. He looks to the right of the dumpster, then

the left. Torn over which path to take. He makes a run to

the left.

AS THE GUNMAN RACES PAST THE DUMPSTER

Charlie calmly takes aim, and fells him with a single shot.

AS CHARLIE APPROACHES THE LIMOUSINE

Capone rises from his crouch in the back seat.

CHARLIE:

Nobody kills a guy who owes me money.

CUT TO:

INT:
RAILROAD DINING CAR - DAY

As Charlie and Tommy are seated, Charlie looks around at the

sober, well-dressed businessmen at breakfast. Suddenly aware

of the vulgarity of his attire, Charlie adjusts his jacket.

THE WAITER LAYS A BOWL OF OATMEAL IN FRONT OF TOMMY

and a plate of corn beef hash topped with a poached egg before

Charlie. Luciano watches how a banker in pinstripes eats the

same dish, then mimics his technique.

CUT TO:

INT:
HOTEL CORRIDOR - DAY

A set of double doors swing open and a butler leads Charlie

and Tommy into a palatial hotel suite. Nucky Johnson greets

them.

NUCKY JOHNSON:

Come on in. I'll let Mr. Rothstein

know you're here.

As Johnson disappears into a bedroom, Charlie and Tommy plant

themselves on a sofa.

ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN EMERGES FROM THE BEDROOM

as impeccably turned out as any Park Avenue swell. As Tommy

moves to greet Rothstein, Charlie gestures for him to keep

his seat. Ignoring Tommy, Rothstein shakes Charlie's hand.

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