MOVIES YOU WILL NEVER SEE/Empires of Crime/ Part 8

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*For Introduction with submission guidelines go to Oct 13 *Heywood Gould is the author of 9 screenplays including"Rolling Thunder,"Fort Apache, The Bronx, "Boys From Brazil"and "Cocktail." 

EMPIRES OF CRIME /Part 8
By Heywood Gould                            ACT FOUR/Part 2 INT. ROTHSTEIN’S LIBRARY. NIGHT. A meeting is just beginning. Rothstein’s valet is passing out cigars as he introduces the participants.                      ROTHSTEIN              This is Harry Greenberg              from Saint Louis. Abner              Zwillman from Newark.                      ZWILLMAN                     (very tall)              Everybody calls me,              Longie.                      ROTHSTEIN              Harry Solomon from              Boston...Charley Luciano,              Meyer Lansky, Ben Siegel...              Herman Wexler...                      CHARLEY                    (laughing)              Herman who? This is Waxey              Gordon, the hophead’s               friend. Whaddya goin’ by              an alias, Waxey?                      GORDON                (squat, dark and ugly)              I don’t answer to that              name.                      MEYER              Except when they’re              passin’ out money, huh              Waxey?                      ROTHSTEIN              Remember when cocaine was                           legal, boys? Coupla broken                          broken down old whores used                          used to use it. Then it was                       illegal and all of a sudden              the smart set wanted a sniff                         Well that's small change              compared to booze. Everybody              takes a drink, from the               college kids right down to              Grandma who likes a shot of              elderberry wine on her              birthday. Everybody who has                         a drink tonight is gonna              want one tomorrow  and we’re              gonna give it to them.                      MEYER              But they’re closin’ the              breweries, and the              distilleries. Where we              gonna get the booze?                      ROTHSTEIN              We bring it in ourselves.              From Canada, from Europe.              I’ve got a deal with              biggest distillery in              Scotland. There’s a              boatload of premium scotch              whiskey headin’ for the              states right now. I’m              talkin’ to Bronfman and              Rosenstiel in Montreal               about sellin’ me Canadian              whiskey. Rothshild’s gonna              ship wine in from France              and Italy.                      MEYER              How you gonna get a              Rothschild to break the              law?                      ROTHSTEIN              He won’t have to. The              freighters stop just              outside the twelve mile              limit so they’re outta               US waters. Then, we              send launches out to              meet ‘em.                      CHARLEY              Where ya gonna get the              boats?                      ZWILLMAN              I’ll take care of that.              Every fisherman in Jersey              gets a coupla bucks plus              a free case of booze for              the use of his boat.                      CHARLEY              You’ll have to fix              everybody from the Coast              Guard to the cop on the              beat.                      ROTHSTEIN              Fix a coupla Senators               and the President too              if I have to. This is              gonna be the biggest              business in America.              There'll be plenty of              cash to bribe the              politicians.                      MEYER              You’re gonna need trucks              to bring it into the              city.                      ROTHSTEIN              You’re good with cars. You              can get the wheels for me.              We’re gonna move ten              thousand cases every few              weeks. King Solomon’s              gonna bring it in from              Canada.                      SOLOMON              I can smuggle it through              an old logging road in              Vermont. I got a Boston              banker, Joe Kennnedy.              He'll front us all the              money we need...                      GORDON              How do we make money?                      ROTHSTEIN              I’ll cover the up front              expenses and pay a flat              fee to anyone who delivers              to my clients. You guys              will each have your              customers. You’ll reimburse              me my costs plus twenty              five per cent of your              action.                      CHARLEY              But booze is gonna be              like gold. People will              be robbin’ each other              left and right.                      ROTHSTEIN              It’ll be up to you guys              to protect your own              shipments. We’ll have to              work together. If we start              fighting among ourselves              it’ll turn into a free for              all and nobody will make              any money. Agreed? The men shoot mistrustful looks at one another.                      CHARLEY              Well, let’s give it a              try anyway. The men nod...”Give it a try...” As they start making plans, Charley approaches Rothstein with an admiring look.                      CHARLEY              You just put together              a big corporation, AR.                      ROTHSTEIN              Not yet. I got a lotta              smart guys together.              Gave ’em a good proposition.              Answered all their questions.              Now let’s hope they don't              kill each other. LITTLE ITALY 1921 INT. BAKERY. NIGHT. Joe "The Boss" Masseria is chewing on a cigar. Behind him, a big scowling hood named JOE NAPOLI. Charley, plays the courtier, anxious to please. Meyer stands behind him.                      LUCIANO              See Joe. My boys wanna              give you a little token              of their appreciation              for you doin’ business              with them. OUTSIDE Benny opens the rumble seat of a PIERCE ARROW, revealing a case of SCOTCH WHISKEY.                      CHARLEY              They got a load of premium              Scotch, exclusive for you.                      MASSERIA                     (in Italian)              How much do the Jews              want?                      LUCIANO                   (in Italian)              Fifty dollars a case,              five thousand cases...                      MASSERIA                    (in Italian)              Give 'em twenty five.                      CHARLEY               (turns gruffly to Meyer)              Twenty five a  case.              Take it or leave it.                      MEYER              Can you get thirty,              Charley?                      MASSERIA                    (in Italian)              Twenty seven. No more              talkin’ or the deal’s              off...                      CHARLEY              Twenty seven. Be happy              you’re gettin’ it.                      MEYER              Anything you say,              Charley.               (bowing to Masseria)              An honor doing business              with you, Mr. Masseria. On the way out, Charley whispers, triumphantly.                      CHARLEY              He went for twenty seven               Meyer, just like you              said.                      MEYER              Always gotta make the               other guy think he beat              you down...                      LUCIANO              How'd you get so smart?                      MEYER               (taps his forehead)              Chicken soup. MASSERIA watches them walk out and turns with a sneer to Napoli.                      MASSERIA              Cornudo. Thinks he’s              foolin’ me. How many guns              you got?                      NAPOLI              Ten.                      MASSERIA              Bring twenty...The trucks              come back. The drivers              don’t. EXT. L&S GARAGE. NIGHT. On Clinton Street in Lower Manhattan. Trucks roll in and out as Rabinowitz and some DAIRY TRUCK DRIVERS enter..                      DRIVER              L&S is Lansky and Siegel.              I don’t wanna get mixed              up with the Bugs and              Meyer mob.                      RABINOWITZ              Don’t worry. Meyer says              this is just a simple              driving job. Benny, stylish in a Chesterfield and homburg comes out with a manic smile. Meyer follows him with a clipboard.                      MEYER              Hey fellas, ready to              make money?                      BENNY              We’re gonna take a nice              moonlight ride to the              Jersey shore...Next time              bring your girlfriends,              we’ll go dancin’. EXT. EGG HARBOR, NEW JERSEY. NIGHT. OFF SHORE  a FREIGHTER is anchored. Charley, Meyer and Benny watch as LAUNCHES head out to meet it.                      MEYER              Five thousand cases of              premium scotch? What's              Masseria gonna get for              ‘em.                      CHARLEY              Three hundred a case.               He’ll be sold out              tomorrow morning. They turn at the sight of MOTORCYCLE POLICE pulling up.                      CHARLEY              It’s our police escort.              Fifty bucks per cop, five              grand to the Commander              plus a case of scotch.              And they take us right to              the New York border. EXT. COUNTRY ROAD. NIGHT. A CONVOY OF TRUCKS rolls down the road, their side panels emblazoned with the sign: L&S TRUCKING. INT. TRUCK. NIGHT. Meyer is driving, Next to him Charley looks out the window. Benny is hunched in the back seat.                      CHARLEY              It’s dead in the sticks.              Them farmers are all in              bed by ten o”clock.                      BENNY              You wanna come out              tomorrow? Esther's got              a girlfriend she wants              you to meet.                      MEYER              Friday night I go to              my mother's... Suddenly, a VOLLEY of BULLETS shatters the WINDSHIELD. A SPOTLIGHT blinds them. THE HOOD POPS AND SMOKE POURS out of the busted radiator. Meyer jams on the brakes.                      BENNY              It’s a stick up! SEVERAL SEDANS are parked across the road, blocking their way. Behind the light, a HARSH VOICE  commands:                      HARSH VOICE              Everybody out, Hands up! Charley grabs a shotgun and fires blind out of the window. Meyer pulls a.38.and both men jump out of the truck, while Benny sneaks out from the back. OUTSIDE Rabinowitz and his drivers are standing by their trucks with their hands up. Meyer waves to them.                      MEYER              Get down. Charley fires a blast at the sedans. Another VOLLEY of SHOTS rings out from behind the spotlight. A driver goes down. Charley fires into the darkness. Meyer stays low and watches. BENNY moves around behind the truck. He sees SILHOUETTES in the trees.. He fires a BURST and a silhouette disappears. Fires again and the SPOTLIGHT SHATTERS. THE HIJACKERS fire back, their pistols flaming in the darkness. BENNY jumps into the open with insane courage and advances on the sedans, firing point blank. Meyer and Charley move in behind him, firing. There is an ear splitting bout of gunfire. In the eerie silence that follows we hear GROANS and HURRIED FOOTSTEPS mixing with the chirping of CRICKETS. The boys stumble over bodies in the dark. IN A BLOOD SPATTERED SEDAN a MAN is slumped over the wheel, his brains blown out. There is another BURST of MACHINE GUN FIRE. Meyer and Charley run into the woods. In a clearing they find Benny standing over a WOUNDED MAN.                      BENNY              This guy ain’t dead...              Yet. They turn him over. It’s Joe Napoli, Masseria’s bodyguard.                      CHARLEY              Joe Napoli. Fat Joe send              you?                      NAPOLI                 (gasping in pain)              Gimme a break, Charley.              Ain’t I always been fair              with you? Benny kicks              him, savagely.                      BENNY              Answer the man.                      NAPOLI               (pleading for his life)              Don Giuseppe set you up.              He said you were workin'              with the Jews against              him. You’re my gumbare,              Charley. I didn’t wanna              do this to you, but he              made me..Please Charley,               I'll work for you. I’ll               spy on the fat bastard.              Don’t kill me.                      CHARLEY              You’re already dead, kid.              Don Giuseppe won’t let you              live for bunglin’ this              heist...                      MEYER                (as they walk away)              You better get Masseria              now.                      CHARLEY              Can’t. He feeds too he'll              deny it. He’ll say Napoli              was freelancin’ and he              didn’t know nothin’ about              it.                      MEYER               Yeah, but he’ll take               another shot at you.                      CHARLEY               He’s gotta be careful.               He knows he can’t knock               me off for no reason               ‘cause it’s a sign of               weakness and it might               give other guys ideas.               They swore an oath of               loyalty, but they’ll               turn on him overnight               if they think I’m               stronger. I’m gonna               keep kissin’ his ring               until that happens. Another BURST from Benny’s Tommy gun silences Joe Napoli’s pleading. Charley turns with a smile to Meyer.                      CHARLEY              Don’t worry. Our time’ll              come. END ACT FOUR Next: Part 9/ACT FIVE: Taking Control(Wednesday, 11/16)  In a new department the Daily Event will reoffer some of these scripts. Read them and decide: would you like to have seen this movie? Our first script is EMPIRES OF CRIME. Seven years in development it is a six part mini-series commissioned by a broadcast network and later reacquired by a cable station. The story is about the founders of Organized Crime, Meyer Lansky and "Lucky" Luciano, their fifty year partnership and the empire they created. Their friendships and families, lives and loves. It is also about their implacable enemy Thomas Dewey, a young Republican attorney who built a political career prosecuting the Mob that propelled him to the NY Governor's Mansion and almost to the White House. *For Introduction with submission guidelines go to Oct 13 (Calendar at right.) Use Contact Us, above, for submissions. *Pt 1/Oct. 19, Pt 2/Oct. 23, Pt 3/Oct. 26, Pt 4/Oct 31, Pt 5/Nov. 3, Pt 6/Nov. 7, Pt7/Nov. 13

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