The System Page #5

an interstate gambling conspiracy rap.

That's federal.

No, the State Senate Committee

can turn over their findings

to the Federal authorities

for proper action.

And prosecution.

- I see.

How do we stay off the rail?

That's what you pay

me $25,000 a year for.

It should be Liggett.

Pardon me.

- Ketteridge Committee's here.

So?

- There gonna hand you a subpoena.

I know, sell mushroom business.

- Close down the Chicago-St. Louis wires.

Without the lay off, we can't operate.

Do what Brady says.

Get rid of all out

of state lay off records.

I'll put them where I grow my mushrooms.

Forgive me, I.. I didn't

know you were.. I mean Sir..

It's alright, come on in, Frank.

I come to show you today's balance sheet.

There's a handle of uh.. $37,500.

21,000 lay off in Chicago,

and there comes reports

of a balance of $16,000.

Giving us a net of $7,456 on the day.

All the tracks in?

- Wherever we have money running, yes.

Fine, file it.

- Lose those records, Liggett.

Hello, Ed. - Johnny, don't be sore.

- It's alright, Ed.

I know you got me the job

in the sheriff's office and I..

Well, I got to give out subpoenas and..

You understand, don't you? I'm just a

messenger. That's all, just a messenger.

The State Legislative Committee for..

You know the Ketteridge Committee.

I got to serve these papers. They want

you for witnesses at 10 am tomorrow.

You, Johnny.

You, Liggett.

And you Frank Tasker.

Me?

But, what do I say to them?

Now you handle figures but

you don't know what they mean.

Real estate profits, his mushroom

business, Johnny's private bets, anything.

You add, multiply and subtract but you

don't know what it means, understand?

But I do know.

Mr. Merrick,

don't make me do perjury.

Do exactly as I told you.

Mr. Brady, I'm an honest man!

Mr. Merrick, I worked

for you for 20 years.

How will it sound if I say

I don't know what I'm doing?

Everything will be alright. You just do

as I've told you. - I'm an honest..

Every dollar accounted for!

20 years!

Perjury!

My wife.. she.. she's no longer young.

Mr. Merrick, Mr. Merrick..

- Frank.

Answer the questions, Frank.

And anything they ask you,

tell them the truth, you hear?

Yes, Sir.

- Thank you, Sir.

Johnny, you want me to keep you off

the rail. Don't make it difficult for me.

I'll talk to Frank.

- You leave Frank alone.

Sure.

Trouble!

Hello, I want to speak Rex Merrick

at the state university. The number is..

Never mind.

Hello, Johnny.

How did you get in here?

Fine way to greet your friends.

I drive all the way from Chicago.

Does a man say,

"Hello, Marty. How are you?"

"Have a drink. How's your health?"

No. What does he say?

"How did you get in here?"

My brother likes to be friendly.

Why don't you let him be friendly?

Alright, Marty, say your peace.

It's late, I'm tired.

I got to hit the sack. I got a big

day tomorrow. - You sure have.

Don't get tough, Johnny.

Please, please!

Toughness is what we peddle.

But not to each other, eh?

So take it easy. Please!

So, alright?

I didn't drive all the way down here

to show you muscle. You know that.

Last week, I sent Ruby

down here to talk to you.

To warn you.

- And I told Ruben,

It's my own town, my problem, my

headache. I'll handle it in my own way.

Ain't he a pistol!

Yeah, a pistol!

Like you say, Merrick: your headache.

But it could be mine.

That's what I'm here to prevent.

Sure, I got this all over the country.

You ain't alone.

I let you run your town in your own way,

but one thing:

your out of state lay offs.

St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City.

My syndicate.

The LMG Wire Service. My wire service.

That's what they're going after.

Trying to come in from

all over the country on me.

Don't fix me no federal rap, Merrick!

I'm not planning on fixing one for myself.

Fix it for both of us,

if they can hook us together.

I never saw you before. I never did

a dime's worth of business with you.

What about your lay off records?

- It's fertilizer for Liggett's mushrooms.

One more loose wire.

This guy, this fellow, this

newspaperman Allen. - Mr. Johnny!

Mr. Johnny!

I tried to stop them, I told them..

You know Specs?

My idiot nephew!

Just give me the word, Mr. Johnny,

just give me the word! - Charlie!

Go to bed!

Go to bed.

Get this hoodlum out of Clarkton

and never bring him back!

This Allen..

he's loaded with information.

He's gonna get a subpoena.

Tomorrow you talk to him. Give him

ten, twenty gs to get out of the state!

To not be here, when

they come looking for him.

If you have to use muscle, use it!

- Yeah.

Yeah.. 418.

Now when he comes out,

you know what to say?

Yeah.

- You sure you know what to say?

Who's that?

Bye, Mother!

- Bye, dear.

Must be his wife and kid.

- Yeah.

You remember what Mr. Marty told you,

how to talk to Allen? - Yeah.

Let me hear. - Look, I know,

I know. - Let me hear!

"Excuse me, Mr. Allen, but

would you mind coming with us"

"in this, in that there car?"

"For us to drive you

to the Clarkton House."

He'll say why? What for?

- "For to talk to Mr. Marty."

"He will only take a minute of your time."

"and wants to make you

a very interesting proposition."

Very, very good. Excellent.

- See?

Remember, no muscle.

Yeah, yeah, yeah..

- The piece, the piece. Gimme the piece!

What for? - This ain't a gun job!

- I know.

But I.. I get nervous without it.

Like to hear the noise, see them fall.

Gimme the.. Harry!

Bye-bye.

- Don't work too hard!

Mr. Allen? Mr. Allen, Sir..

Come in that car over there with us,

so we can take you down to Clarkton.

No, wait a minute!

Marty asked us to bring you down.

He wants to make you

a very interesting proposition.

No.

- Now wait a minute.

I was told I was supposed to

bring you out now.. - Don't..

Harry!

The committee will come to order!

Let it be noted in the record, the

pursuant to the call of the chairman.

the committee met at 10 am

in Clarkton Court House, Clarkton.

Present:
Senators Ketteridge,

Svalgard and Gross.

Also present, David Wiley, Chief Counsel.

We're sitting as a sub-committee

of the Senate Committee

investigating organized crime.

Our proceedings are fully authorized

by the legislature of this state.

I will make no general opening remarks.

Whatever story there is to tell

will come out in testimony.

Counsel wishes it noted,

that the witnesses who shall

appear here are merely witnesses.

They are charged with no

crime and are not defendants.

They are here, we hope to help us.

It is not our job to convict or acquit.

Merely to obtain testimony.

You'll call your first witness, Mr. Wiley?

Angelo Bruno!

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony

that you shall give before this committee,

will be the whole truth and

nothing but the truth, so help you god?

I do.

- Please be seated.

Will you state your full name, please.

- Angelo Bruno.

Are you known by any other name?

- Yeah. - What are these names?

Well.. De Bart, Caroll.

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