Original subtitles

Man, where you been, huh?

Take it?

You'll never believe this, Ernie.

I was on a Staten Island ferry on a hot summer's night.

Nine o 'clock, watching the lights.

A Staten Island ferry?

You just don't understand me, Ernie.

than 20 hours ago. That's not so bad.

Not longer than the two years I've done already.

What are your plans for tomorrow?

Hmm?

What, you go right back to work, or is the family going to send you on a little

vacation first?

I don't know.

I'm going to call Russell.

Look, Vinnie, I'm going to be getting out in a couple of days myself, you

and I got nothing lined up.

I was wondering if you could see a way clear to recommend me to the family.

I mean, I'd really appreciate it.

You've known me all your life.

I give Russell an honest day's work for an honest day's dollar.

Okay?

You can contact me.

Care of General Delivery, Chicago.

Bay Park Station.

Yeah, you're right, Ernie.

Won't seem like the same old world without you.

What are you talking about?

We'll both be out on the golf course playing together by August.

I'll make you a bet, Joe.

Not a chance.

A hundred even money.

They're not going to be able to keep a high commissioner like you in here like

Sandin. Oh, I'll be out there, Vinnie.

It's you I'm worried about.

I just heard a shocking piece of news.

Jack Bricker's day.

Bricker.

Some young punk got into his townhouse, passed his bodyguards.

How?

I suppose somebody told him about Jack's secret entrance.

Don't you?

Let's see now.

Vic Russell knew where it was.

I knew.

And you knew, right?

Joe.

I don't see what Russell or I could have gained, but Vin, you always did feel

that Jackie was the guy who set you up for this income tax fall.

Listen, Joe.

Let me talk to the kid who shot him. He says that I was the one.

He didn't say anything.

He's dead too, Vin.

Let me kiss you goodbye before you go.

Goodbye, Vincent.

The FBI A Quinn Martin Production

Starring Ephraim Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott, William Reynolds, with guest stars

Mark Richman, Edward Andrews, and

special guest star Dorothy Provine.

Tonight's episode, Breakthrough.

On June 10th, Vincent Gray, syndicate enforcer, was released from federal

penitentiary into a world more hostile than the prison he left behind.

With La Cosa Nostra's kiss of death on his cheek, Gray fled first to Chicago.

But any reprieve would be temporary now, a fact known best to Vincent Gray

himself.

I don't object to the time involved, Luce. You can take all the time you

but I think you're being very optimistic here.

This man is not going to cooperate with us. He's tied to the mafia by oaths and

blood. He's scared out of his mind, Art. That makes a difference.

Never has before.

It has once.

He was involved in a burglary with a friend when he was young.

He didn't go along the actual job, but the other boy tried to blame the whole

thing on him. And when Gray was picked up, he told the police everything they

wanted to know.

What are you saying? There's some sort of a parallel?

I think so.

His friends have let him down again.

We're going to kill him, whether he's guilty or not, without a hearing.

Well, he knows he's not going to get any help from you or any protection.

What we can give him, Art, is a chance to strike back at Russell and Darwin.

That might be very tempting.

Go back to the Cesar Hughes case.

Another informants report came in last week.

It's almost the same story.

Hughes wouldn't let the family buy into his club in 65, so Russell ordered Gray

to blind him.

Darwin was there in the meeting.

The informant said the three of them had the acid with them when they went from

Chicago to Hollywood.

The thing is, Art, if we can get Gray on that, we might be able to make an anti

-racketeering charge stick on two high commissioners.

All right, go ahead.

If you can find Gray before Russell's executioners do.

Mm -hmm.

Uh, seven ball in the corner pocket, Mr. Russell.

How about that?

Oh, that's right, that's right. Go ahead, go ahead.

Just hanging yourself, you know.

This is the kind of a game that a man like you shouldn't be too good at,

Why, sign of a misspent youth?

That's one of the reasons.

What's the other?

Eight in the corner.

The other is I don't like to lose.

Whenever you're buttering up your boss, please try to be more subtle.

Otherwise, it's very insulting.

Well, I wasn't trying to butter you up, Mr. Russell.

Yes, Ruth?

Mr. Russell, there's someone here to see you.

Oh, no, no, no.

No, no, Ruth.

Not tonight.

Well, he kind of insisted.

What?

Thank you. Thank you. You can go on back downstairs now.

In a minute.

Let's all just stay where we can see each other.

You sit down over there.

Well, well, Vinnie.

Now, I'm not going to say I'm not surprised.

We expected you to be halfway out of the country by now.

Still, it's a good idea, isn't it?

bearded the lion in his own den, eh?

Does that suggest anything to you, Victor?

Or should it?

Yeah.

Like maybe a clear conscience.

I never set Jack Bricker up.

I never liked him.

But I wouldn't pull a trick like that without going to the commission.

I know you wouldn't, Vinnie.

What are you saying?

I love Joe Darwin like a brother.

But that doesn't mean I'm blind to his faults. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Joe's a very emotional man. He's been that way all of his life.

When he heard Jack was dead, he jumped to a conclusion. He was wrong. I passed

the word.

Well, you sure take a load off my mind, Victor.

Would you put that gun away now?

And don't go pinning any medals on me, you know. You're not out of the woods

yet. There were a lot of witnesses in that machine shop, a lot of big mouths.

It'll take a while for the facts to filter down.

But we don't want any young hothead picking you off now, do we, Benny?

Well, what are we going to do about that?

Well, why don't you go away for a couple of months, huh?

Take a little trip around Canada someplace that's beautiful now.

Yeah, that's an idea.

Where are you staying?

I'm at the, uh, Carlton Hotel.

Can I send you over anything? A car, some money?

No, no, thanks, Vic. I'm fine.

I'm, uh, I'm sorry.

Oh, that's all right.

I feel kind of foolish, you know.

Well, uh...

I'll see you around.

Hollick. Yeah, so long, Vincent.

Oh, Ruth, show Mr.

Gray out, will you please?

Yes, sir.

Well, now, who have we got available, Bobby?

Want to kill him?

Well, I can have Spencer brought in tomorrow.

I'll be fine.

It's kind of a shame to have to back Mr. Darwin up in a mistake like that,

right?

Well, I don't know. The guy sold me. I don't think he had Jack killed.

Vinnie, I know he didn't.

Please.

Jack was like a millstone around my neck.

So I...

Cut him loose myself.

Inspector, welcome back to Chicago.

How are you, Kirby?

Gray's in room 312.

Checked in at 4 .30 this afternoon.

Stayed out of sight until a little after 8, then drove to Vic Russell's place.

To Russell's place?

Uh -huh.

Something even wilder than that happened. He came out again.

Alive.

He's back in the room now.

Talk to him.

FBI Vincent.

Kirby Green.

Just a minute.

It's open.

I went in.

Green. Been a long time, hasn't it?

I didn't know whether that was really you out there or not.

Who were you expecting?

Expecting?

Nobody.

Oh, this is Inspector Erskine.

Mr. Erskine?

You, uh, you always wait around in the dark like this?

The glare.

My eyes have been kind of hurting me lately.

The eyes?

Oh, I was just on my way down to buy some flowers, you know, brighten the

up. I see.

Well... What can I do for you, gentlemen?

We heard you were in a little trouble, Vince.

Who, me? Mm -hmm.

Ah.

Would you hear that?

What do you and Russell talk about tonight?

Russell Lowe.

You ought to know he can't afford to cross Joe Darwin.

So it really doesn't matter what he promised you.

Is that a fact? You can count on it.

But you could cut them both down first.

Tell us what you know about the Cesar Hughes extortion. We'll pick Russell up.

Inspector, I... I just don't know what you're referring to.

Well, we know the three of you drove from Chicago to Hollywood in April of

And we know you had the acid with you.

Listen, I'm a little sleepy.

I'm sorry. Maybe we can talk some more about this tomorrow, huh?

What makes you think there'll be a tomorrow for you, Vincent?

Well, I mean, barring accidents.

Look, I don't know what it was Russell promised you.

But I've got a four -year -old niece who isn't that naive.

Think about it.

Suppose he does cancel Darwin's order, officially.

Would you feel better about the whole thing if it said in your tombstone,

by accident?

Well, Vince?

Well, what?

Your tombstone.

license TD -7305.

I have it.

What about the driver?

Nothing yet. The area is being searched now.

Right. And thank you.

Oh, Lou, we just got a report concerning Gray.

A couple of kids found an abandoned car in an old rock -crushing plant north of

here. No sign of the driver.

It was registered to a local rental firm.

Gray leased that car last night.

What's your surveillance on Russell?

Very discreet. Two agents.

Put more manpower on it.

And I want the location of every executioner who's ever been on his

Right.

Wait here a minute.

If I catch you coming in here again, I'll bump your head off.

He doesn't look too scared. He thinks he's smarter than I am.

Look at him sneer. Why don't you show some respect?

He'll be back.

He sneaks in here and steals food and then goes to sleep in the best bed.

If you want room and board in my place, Buster, you'll pay for it just like any

other human being.

Is this your place?

Yeah, why?

No reason.

I used to live here.

You did?

When?

A long time ago. A family named...

Drummond had a house next door.

They had two boys named Jim and Ted.

Gee, I don't think there's anybody around here by that name now.

What about a bar called The Crow's Nest down the street?

Well, I've been here two years and I don't think I ever heard of it.

Listen, if you came back to look around or anything, we'll just go right ahead.

That's all right.

This will be fine, buddy. Thanks.

Okay. You asked for it.

I'm so sorry.

Why didn't you say something? I heard him barking and I thought that...

Isn't there something I can do?

What's your name?

Why? Are you going to sue me?

No, I'm just going to try to rent a room. You got one?

Here?

Oh, well, sure. Wait a minute. You want a room? Why didn't you say so?

It's Irene Minnick. What is?

My name.

We don't communicate very well, do we?

Well, come on. Come on. You're a wreck.

Think it's gray?

Take a look.

Hold it! Hold it!

It could be Gray, but I can't tell. The face is too badly smashed.

He evidently fell from one of those catwalks.

And there's a bullet wound in his chest.

Let's find out who he is. Get his prints and send them to our den right away.

Right. Oh, and Kirby.

Send this into the lab, will you?

Canada, huh?

Mass document examination of what he crossed out on the border. Right.

Yeah? It's me.

Everything work all right in here, Mr. Smith?

Yeah, yeah, I guess so.

Well, I'd better make sure, if you don't mind, because I may not get a chance to

come around again.

I'll kill him.

I'll kill him!

No, that's all right. Leave him alone. He's earned it.

Anyway, you told me he always picks out the best bed.

Makes me appreciate the room all the more.

Well, if you don't mind.

Creep.

It must have been funny, you being a guest now in your own house.

Yeah.

My ma used to do her sewing in here.

Yeah? Yeah.

We had the whole floor.

My ma and dad, me and my five brothers.

That's a big family.

Yeah, they all used to drive me nuts.

People everywhere I looked.

I used to sneak up on the roof and hide just to be alone for a minute.

Where are they now?

I don't know.

I got out of here when I was 14.

First time I've been back.

You never wrote?

Well, looks like everything's all right in here.

I guess everybody wants what they haven't got.

I was alone, so I worked and I saved until I could get myself a place like

Am I happy with that? No, it's all right.

Just want to grab the people around me now.

What about your people? Where are they? Well, I don't know. They didn't write

either.

Let me do that. It's okay. Look, you ought to move the slide over here.

No, it's perfectly all right. Why don't you give me the ball and let me do it?

No, it's okay.

Why don't you go do that?

You want me to mail that for you?

You think you could?

I mean without setting my letter on fire or something.

Yes.

Okay, stay with him.

Call in as soon as he lights.

No, Gray's taller than that. He'd probably be traveling alone.

All right, thank you.

Nothing from the border.

Bobby Pollard just left Russell's house.

Surveillance reports he's driving toward Bay Park.

What's in Bay Park?

Erskine. Hello?

This is Tom.

Yes, Tom. What have you got?

Two things.

First, I'd answer that the prints that you sent him belonged to a mafia hitman

named Kenneth Spencer.

Kenneth Spencer?

What else?

We examined the map under infrared light.

Yeah. We found that the words that were crossed off are Jim, Ted, and the Crow's

Nest. C -R -O -W -S -N -E -S -T.

Followed by question marks.

So, uh, we looked through all the names in Gray's file.

Found reference to two brothers, uh, who were members of the same gang.

James and Ted Drummond.

Do you think you can locate him?

Oh, we have.

James is dead. Ted is now serving a life sentence in Atlanta.

But since the Drummonds and Gray were next door neighbors to his kids in

Milwaukee, I phoned the agent in charge up there and asked him if the crow's

nest meant anything to him.

He said it was not a current spot, but when he looked it up, he found that

had been a bar by that name in the same old neighborhood.

Better get up there as soon as you can.

I'll alert the FAC in Milwaukee.

Yes, sir. Talk to you tomorrow.

Kenneth Spencer and a friend named Stan Jason own a garage on Florence Avenue.

And they both worked for Russell in the past.

Anything on Jason?

Quite an arrest record.

Assault with a deadly weapon, suspicion of murder.

Matter of fact, we've had him under investigation for several months.

His garage seems to be the center of a good deal of interstate car theft

activity. We may even have enough evidence for a warrant right now.

Call the U .S. Attorney.

Right.

Okay loaded

Get

out of here

Van Jason?

Yeah.

FBI Jason.

You're under arrest for interstate car theft.

Jason, stay where you are!

Control to Unit 1.

Control to Unit 1. I'm sorry, Doctor. Come in, Unit 1.

Who hired Spencer?

Russell?

You never give up, do you?

Russell.

Through Bobby Pollack.

Two reports.

Spencer's car was just found abandoned on the outskirts of Milwaukee.

And Pollack finally stopped in Bay Park.

Where? Post office. Picked up a man we've identified as...

Ernie Flood.

Drove him right back to Russell's.

Flood! How nice of you to come, Mr. Flood. I'm Vic Russell.

It's a real honor for me to meet you, Mr. Russell.

I've been wanting to meet you for years.

Sit down, sit down. Thank you, sir.

Do you know any friend of Joe Darwin's?

Well, he's a friend of mine.

He's a real sweet guy, Mr. Russell.

As a matter of fact, I got real close to Mr. Darwin after Vince left.

Bobby tells me that you mentioned something about Vincent on the

Yes, sir, I did.

Before we talk about that, Mr. Russell...

I'm kind of at loose ends now, you know, and if you need a real good man in your

organization, I've got a lot of experience.

How about $300 a week to start, Mr. Flood?

Ernie. Oh, Ernie.

I understand Vincent left Chicago in kind of a hurry.

Mm -hmm.

I know where he is, if you're still looking for him.

What makes you think I'm still looking for him?

Mr. Darwin.

I'm a real company man, Mr. Russell.

That's why I think I could be valuable to you.

If Vinnie broke a rule,

then I think you should pay for it.

I know where he is.

You could send a couple of guys.

You know who would have the best chance of taking him, Ernie?

Who?

A friend.

Someone like you, for instance.

You frighten me.

Hi.

You looking for something up here?

Oh, no, no. I often come up here and look at the stars.

To be alone for a while, you know.

Get away from everything.

You would like a cigarette?

I didn't mean to interrupt.

That's all right. Please.

Don't go.

Aren't you afraid I'll trip and knock you off the roof?

What the truth?

Yes.

What's life without a little risk, huh?

My sentiments, exactly.

Of course, I'm not usually so accident -prone. It just seems that something

always happens whenever I want to impress somebody.

I mean, whenever I want somebody to like me.

I have another fault.

I talk too much.

No, it's true. I mean it. A woman should be more mysterious.

And I need people too badly, and I let them know it too soon.

And I shouldn't do that.

You mean you shouldn't need people, or you shouldn't let them know about it?

Oh, there's nothing wrong in needing them.

I mean, I couldn't live without needing them.

You must get pretty involved, huh?

Yes.

Don't you?

Well, in my business, I try not to.

Why? All has to end somewhere.

Why start a game and can't win?

You mean why get up in the morning because you'll just be sleeping again at

night?

It's because of the day.

Because of what might happen.

Might rain, you know.

Haven't you ever been in love with anyone?

Hi, Lou.

Well, there's nothing new. He hasn't made an appearance yet.

You still convinced he's in there?

Well, according to neighborhood gossip, there's a new boarder in the rear

apartment.

He answers Gray's description, and he's given the name Vincent Smith.

Well, I might as well find out.

Well, even if it is Gray over there, Lou, I mean, wouldn't you run into the

problem? If he didn't believe you before, why would he listen to you now?

This time we got a statement signed by Stan Jason.

Hello?

There's no plug he belongs in the neighborhood.

Is there any flood?

He's just released. Pollack and Russell talked to him in Chicago yesterday.

Better alert your agents over there.

Flood may not be the friend Gray thinks he is.

Interesting business.

Being in love.

Yeah.

Think of all the time I've...

Think of all the time we've got.

Who is it?

It's me, Ernie.

It's a friend of mine.

I gotta see him alone for just a minute.

Why have you got there?

One minute, I'll explain the whole thing to you.

Ernie, buddy, come on in.

Emergency call to all units.

Agent's in trouble. I'm going over there.

This is the FBI.

Stay in your rooms.

When it's safe, an agent will...

Agents at the back think there's a girl in the room with him.

Heavy men hold their fire.

Gray, this is Inspector Erskine.

Get back.

Look out your rear window.

Help you?

There's no help for this problem, sweetheart.

This is one of those rainy days, huh?

Better go in the other room.

Go ahead.

No.

Gray, listen to me.

If we have to come in there to take you, we will.

But wouldn't it be smarter if you told us who hired Spencer?

He just didn't get the word.

Then who told him where to find you?

Suppose you tell me.

He had a visit from Bobby Pollack the night you got in.

Pollack told him where you were and paid him $1 ,500 for the job.

The money came from Russell.

You'd have found it if you'd looked through his wallet.

Talk, talk, man.

It's in black and white, signed by Stan Jason.

Gray, they're not going to stop unless you help us stop them.

At least send a girl out.

Go on outside, miss.

He's coming out, too.

Drop it, Gray.

Don't be a fool. There's always something to live for.

The acid was Russell's idea.

Joe Darwin had been trying to buy into Caesar's huge club for a couple of

So finally, Russell wrote Caesar a note saying we'd blind him if he didn't play

ball.

Who else went to Los Angeles with you?

Just Russell, Joe Darwin, and me.

Who did the actual blinding?

Russell. He said it was his baby. He wanted the honors.

All right, Gray. Thanks very much.

Russell. Well, Vincent, did you sing pretty for the gentleman?

Beautiful, Vic.

Just beautiful.

Well, you hear it.

Victor, you don't mind if I call my lawyer, do you?

Not at all.

Joseph Darwin, Victor Russell, and Vincent Gray were convicted of

transportation in aid of racketeering.

State charges of attempted murder are pending.

All are serving sentences in the federal penitentiary.

Thank you.