Original subtitles

(engine starts)

( tense theme playing)

Hi, Frankie.

Hey, Felix.

(screams)

ANNOUNCER:

ANNOUNCER: Tonight's episode:

Starring Robert Stack as Eliot Ness.

Co-starring Jack Weston.

With Al Ruscio.

And Robert Ellenstein.

( suspenseful theme playing)

NARRATOR: Six a.m., Tuesday, April 19th, 1931.

The place: The Washington Produce Market

in New York City.

You're asleep, most likely,

grabbing that extra forty winks

before the alarm gets you up.

But things have been moving along here in the market,

set up to feed the city

with the largest appetite in the world.

Every 48 hours,

more than 25 million pounds of fruit and vegetables

stream into the city during the night.

A multi-million dollar business.

A prime target for the vicious racketeers of the era.

There were also the decent citizens, like the Cestaris.

Angelo, his wife, Sophia, and his son, Antony.

They worked hard, enjoyed the fruits of their labors.

Tried to be good citizens.

Hey, Tony.

I do this.

Go get some fruit.

Ha. I go with him.

(brakes screech)

( tense, dramatic theme playing)

SOPHIA (crying): Angelo!

Angelo!

(shouting in Italian)

Mom... Mama.

Angelo!

(speaking Italian)

Within minutes, the news of

the brutal murder of Angelo Cestari

was flashed to the Untouchables,

recently brought to New York on special assignment

to investigate the produce-market rackets.

Mrs. Cestari, Tony.

I'll only take a minute.

Now, try to remember.

Did either one of you see anything?

Is there anything you might know about this?

Ask him. He knows.

All I know is that I've no more life.

Nothing.

(sobbing) I don't like to ask questions now,

but there's no other way.

He was fighting those bums

who were trying to tell him

how to run his own business.

You should know about this.

You're the federal man.

Please, Mr. Ness, not now.

Can't you see what you're doing to her?

We give them time to cover up,

it makes it that much tougher for us.

I'm sorry, Tony, I...

know how both of you must feel.

You know how she feels?

How, Mr. Ness?

How does anyone know?

My father tries to keep his business clean.

What does it get him? A six-foot grave!

(crying)

And you think you're sorry.

For whatever help it may be,

I promise you we'll get the men who did this.

Do you want to help? All right. Give me your gun.

Let me stick it in Terranova's face and pull the trigger.

No! No, no.

He's the man you're after, isn't he?

No.

The artichoke king, Terranova.

Papa should've gone along with them...

like everyone else around here.

He'd still be alive.

If Terranova's men come back here,

and they will come back...

you know how to get ahold of me.

Come on, Mama.

Shall I tell you?

Nobody saw anything, nobody heard anything.

Same old story.

Pelham Manor, Westchester County, state of New York.

The home of Ciro Terranova.

Ask Ciro what he did for a living,

and he'd tell you that he was a respectable businessman.

That he loved his $60,000 home, paid for in cash.

The fact that he drove around in an armored car

might have had something to do with his brother Nicholas

being exterminated by a shotgun blast in the face,

and a second brother, Vincenzo, stabbed to death.

His racket was simple.

He bought carloads of artichokes

from California growers for $6 a crate.

Then resold them, at the point of a gun, for twice the price.

He was the undisputed artichoke king,

and on his custom-tailored silk shirts,

he wore the family crest of an artichoke and a crown.

He had everything except the two things he wanted most:

the child his wife could never give him

and the respect of his neighbors.

(doorbell rings)

Oh, Mr. Ness. Welcome. Come in.

Now.

You.

Glad you dropped in, Mr. Ness.

Some nice Italian pastry. Have a cannoli.

The only thing you can feed me, Terranova, is some answers.

Huh? All right.

(chuckles)

Whatever you say, Mr. Ness.

What's the matter?

Somebody blame me for something again?

You lost a prospective customer, Angelo Cestari.

He was murdered.

Mm.

That dried-up wife of mine.

She's good for nothing, except in the kitchen.

Huh.

Angelo Cestari, huh?

He's a real nice fellow.

Too bad.

Too bad he died or too bad he wouldn't buy your stuff

at twice the price?

(chuckles): Mr. Ness.

I never stop anyone from buying wherever they want.

I charge more because I got a better product.

Terranova.

What were you doing today? All day?

This.

This is what I was doing.

Huh?

Talking with some of my friends about a banquet

they're holding in my honor three weeks from today.

Wanna know some names?

Look. There.

Judge Humboldt. Hm?

Here. Mr. Cogan, president

of the Produce Association.

Them and a dozen others

will tell you I was with them all day.

That's what you come for, no?

No.

But I got what I did come for.

About Cestari.

I feel for him... his wife and his son.

I'll send them flowers.

( dramatic theme playing)

You're stupid!

You got no head, no brains,

no sense. Nothing.

Stupido.

You.

(shouts in Italian)

Outside.

You hear me, punk?

Go on, Marlowe.

Do like the boss says.

Okay, boss. What's eating you? Ulcers?

I'll tell you what's eating me.

I'll tell you plenty.

What kind of brains you got to bump that guy?

Hm?

I ask you and I tell you.

You got none.

He makes trouble, Ciro.

(claps hands once)

What do you think you make?

I told you, a little muscle.

I told you don't kill the guy.

I got a job to do.

You pay me to make a collection or else.

Okay. Or else.

I pay you to take orders. Take them.

(chuckling)

(laughs)

You know, paisan...

you are the stingiest man in all New York.

I mean it.

You could squeeze the buffalo off a nickel.

Hm-hm.

You got a candy box, but there's no candy.

Carry a pocketbook but it's always empty.

You got a big belly... but you got no guts.

(chuckles)

You come a long way in the world since you, uh,

hired out as a bouncer

in a dance hall, huh?

You even change your name from, uh, Waller to Yale.

Like the college.

College boy who couldn't

make grammar school.

Frankie Yale.

Some class, huh?

(laughs)

I'm sorry, I make a mistake.

Partners shouldn't fight anyway.

(lifts top)

That's what we're gonna be now,

from now on.

Partners. Right?

You're crazy!

Sixty for you, 40 for me, right?

No!

(chuckles)

Well, maybe you'd like better fifty-fifty?

Oh, don't worry, you're still the artichoke king.

Me, I'm only a crown prince.

Show you my heart's in the right place,

I'll go down and collect from Cestari myself, personally.

Okay? Get out!

Sure.

Me?

I'm only a silent partner.

(laughs)

( tense theme playing)

Any trouble? Who asked you?!

Anybody ask you?! Go on, get out!

Get out of my sight!

( dramatic theme playing)

( suspenseful theme playing)

(clears throat)

Hey, Marlowe.

What do you know about the Margay brand?

The worst kind.

That's what I figured.

Only I gotta make sure.

You know, you got no respect for the public's stomach,

you know that, kiddo?

Hey, Marlowe.

You happen to know a decent brand?

Yeah, I know a decent brand.

You see? I ask my friend, he tells me.

Only trouble is, some guys just don't know

where to get good advice.

Not even when they had a good warning.

Haven't you done enough around here?

Hey, Marlowe. Have we done enough around here?

He don't pass his examination.

No?

Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.

You get a bad mark.

Tony! Tony! Tony!

Don't you touch her.

I'll do what you want.

(laughs)

You know something, Marlowe? We were wrong.

He learned his lesson after all.

That's a good boy, Tony.

Okay, now you owe my company 600 bucks a week

for goods you should have ordered.

That's two weeks.

Like they say in business, it's retroactive.

That's 1,200 bucks.

I'll need a few days.

Sure.

I'll go along. You know why? Because I'm a nice guy.

You just bring the money Friday night, 7:00.

The Remo Restaurant, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Do you know where that is?

I'll be there.

(laughs)

I know you will.

Sharp.

( tense theme playing)

Break that.

Break it.

Keep the change.

(chuckles)

Keep the change.

(laughing)

(car door slams)

Tony.

I'm glad you called me.

Right in front of my mother they pushed me around.

What did they want?

Twelve-hundred dollars by Friday night at 7:00.

I'm supposed to take it to their payoff place,

Remo Restaurant in Bay Ridge.

There were two of them.

Frankie something. Dark.

A man named Marlowe.

Thanks, Tony.

You all right?

(sighs)

That's not what hurts, Mr. Ness. Not that.

Do you know what she said to me last night, my mother?

"Let's go back to Italy tonight.

"Leave everything behind and...

And... And go back to the old country."

The old country. This is my country, Mr. Ness.

Wha... What happens if people get away with things like that?

I don't know all the answers, Tony.

Just enough to keep me on the job.

Cops on the take, crooked politicians,

even as high up as a judge with his finger in the pie.

Maybe it's the times that breeds it. I don't know.

I just know that not nearly enough people are interested.

(sighs) Why bother then?

Because you care, Tony.

Because I care.

( dramatic theme playing)

April 25th, 1931.

Ciro Terranova made a hurried and secret trip to Chicago.

Though he didn't know it,

Terranova was starting to carry out

the prediction made by Eliot Ness.

His double world was beginning to crumble.

He was now trying to do something

about gluing it back together.

CIRO: Hey!

I didn't come all the way to Chicago

to watch you shave.

Yeah, you told me what you came all the way here for.

Ten times.

So you listen 11 times. It don't hurt you.

I want no slip-ups.

So far, all we talked about is you.

When do we talk about compensation?

When I know you got everything straight. Mm-hm.

I don't ask favors.

How much?

Twenty?

(scoffs)

Woo-woo.

You crazy or something?

Twenty thousand. Oh.

An important personage like that...

I could get into a jam.

I'll give you 10.

(chuckles)

Not to me you won't.

Okay. Okay. So long as it's done.

Ah! Gee...

(chuckles)

It's only a scratch.

Ah. I don't like scars.

I'll give you 5 down.

Uh...

here's the contract.

Sign it.

Hey, what is this? A mortgage?

What am I doing? I'm buying real estate, huh?

You know... maybe I don't trust you, huh?

I'm just a businessman like you, hm?

(chuckles)

This way there's no mistakes.

I deliver, you pay off. Heh.

Then you get that back.

Hm?

Otherwise... I sue you, right?

Heh.

Place is called Remo Restaurant.

It's in Bay Ridge.

He goes there every Friday night.

He'll be there around 7.

That's 12 times you told me.

Now, if you don't mind,

I'm gonna take a little nap.

That's why you shave?

Well, I like to look good when I get up.

Friday.

( dramatic theme playing)

Friday, April 29th, 1931, 6:45 p.m.

The Remo Restaurant in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

The first part of Eliot Ness' plan to entrap Frankie Yale

in an extortion plot was well under way.

All that was left was the waiting.

The waiting that seemed forever.

Stretching the seconds into minutes,

the minutes into hours.

The trap was set and baited.

But the first part of someone else's plan

involving Frankie Yale was also well under way.

(starts engine)

(baby crying)

Don't cry, baby.

What am I gonna do with you, huh?

Ah.

Come on.

Yes.

I got work to do.

Yes.

I got a chicken on the stove...

and I got supper to serve.

And Papa's coming home soon, huh?

(continues crying) Tsk. You don't care? Ha-ha.

What do you want?

You want milk? Okay.

Come on, we'll go buy some milk and then we'll go home.

Hi, Frankie.

Hey, Felix.

(tires screeching)

(screams)

( dramatic theme playing)

ANNOUNCER: And now back to The Untouchables.

Have some. It'll cool you.

(baby crying)

Mrs. Stearns, you were saying the shots came

from a black sedan, is that right?

Another minute and it would have been too late.

If she hadn't of cried,

I wouldn't take her out of that buggy.

See? Crying's a wonderful thing.

You little crybaby, you.

Well, thank you, ma'am. Thank you.

Come. I'll help you upstairs. Another minute.

( dramatic theme playing)

How does it add up so far?

Well, somebody who knew where Yale was going

didn't want him to get there.

And the machine-gun slugs point to a mobster.

A member of a rival gang.

I got a hunch it's Terranova.

How do you figure?

We knew that Yale was on his way to the Remo

to make his weekly collections for Terranova.

From all we've heard, he's done a good job for him.

Maybe too good.

They also heard that Yale's getting too big

for his britches.

I had a good look at Terranova.

He thinks he's Napoleon.

That's just how he'd take care of any insubordination.

Makes a lot of sense.

All we have to do now is figure out

who Terranova would hire for the job.

A needle in a haystack.

Terranova's too smart to hire a local hatchet man.

Most of them are too close to Yale.

My guess is an out-of-town killer.

Chicago?

Where else?

(phone rings)

Ness speaking.

Thanks.

They found the murder car.

Let's go.

( dramatic theme playing)

Thorough investigation of the murder car

revealed no identity as to the murder weapon.

The weapon had been discarded according to gangland custom.

It served its purpose. It was of no further use.

But it was to serve still another purpose

for Eliot Ness and the Untouchables.

Working through the night and into the following day

with police ballistics,

they came upon a very interesting fact.

The machine gun once belonged to Al Capone.

Well, at least Frankie Yale

found himself in good company.

Yeah. It's not every killer that has the honor

of being rubbed out by a machine gun

that once belonged to Al Capone.

Chicago.

Looks like your guess about that out-of-town torpedo proved out.

Being right doesn't mean much

unless it leads us somewhere.

I get an idea where this baby's gonna lead us.

Right to Frankie Yale's funeral.

( solemn theme playing) (gun clicks)

The funeral of Frankie Yale was typical of the era.

Gaudy, ostentatious.

An extravaganza staged by fellow hoodlums and racketeers.

An attempt to restore some semblance of respectability

of those who died in the line of mobster duty.

Eliot Ness was gambling on something else

typical of the era.

That the deepest mourner,

the one who sent the largest amount of flowers,

almost always present,

was the man responsible for the death of the deceased.

Hail, hail, the gang's all here.

Who's that guy with Terranova?

NESS: He's one of the boys

on his payroll: Judge Humboldt.

He's throwing the shindig in Terranova's honor.

He's a big man, Terranova.

That's a big payroll.

(dirge music playing)

(speaking inaudibly)

(grunts)

Hey, when you go, you think

you'll get a turnout like this here?

(whispers): What are you doing here?

I just like to see how they do it in the big city.

You gone out of your head or something? Get out.

You know... it's a funny thing.

New York, Chicago...

they all look just alike

when they shut down the box.

(whispers): You hear what I say?

I did a good job, huh? Hm?

I got no complaints.

Ah, you're satisfied.

Well, how about satisfying me?

I got some money coming here.

Put that away. What are you, crazy?

In my job, I work strictly cash on delivery.

You got delivery.

If I draw the money out of the bank,

it's like I'm holding out a candle to that guy Ness.

What bank?

The way I hear it, you keep it all in shoeboxes.

Where I put it is where the feds can count it.

Nobody with a pencil's gonna get me.

You might get something worse than that.

Hey. You think Mr. Yale would mind

if I, uh, snuck out and took in a ball game?

Now, that Lou Gehrig.

They call him "The Iron Man."

Just like you.

I'll get in touch.

( dramatic theme playing)

There's the signal, Bill.

Rossi's got a pigeon.

(clicks)

It wasn't too easy.

It involved 48 hours of time, and checking

through thousands of police photographs

until they found what they were looking for.

But they found him.

The man whose picture they had taken

at Frankie Yale's funeral

before alterations were made on his face.

Felix Burke, alias Tom Regan, Lou Davis,

Sam Grogan, Hank Louis.

Age 36. Male, Caucasian.

Out-of-town want file, here it is.

"Suspected of participating

in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Chicago."

It's amazing what a good plastic job can do.

Now, the question is,

what is a butcher like Burke doing with Terranova?

Practicing his trade on Yale. What else?

Eliot, let's pick him up and sweat him.

Not yet. A man that can line seven men against the wall

and mow them down doesn't sweat that easy.

He sure put as many bullets in Yale

as he did that whole gang.

(phone rings)

Ness.

This is Rossi.

You still got Felix Burke covered?

Like a blanket.

He's been in his apartment all day,

with the exception of one trip to the store

to buy cigarettes.

Okay, keep tailing him.

Only one difference.

Yeah?

Let him see you.

Not too obvious. Just enough to let him know

he's being tailed.

We'll relieve you on schedule.

Right.

An open tail, huh?

Want to put the pressure on him.

He's gonna know he's being followed 24 hours a day.

I wanna put the pressure on Terranova too.

Before we're finished,

one of them is gonna blow sky-high.

Then we... pick up the pieces.

( dramatic theme playing)

What do you want?

Are you talking to me? Yeah, you.

You and the rest of your monkeys. What do you want?

Well... I'm... I'm a stranger here myself.

You're no stranger to me, buddy.

Well, I'm sorry, I...

Say, uh... you all right?

Yeah, I'm all right.

(laughing)

So you find me on the front porch eating nuts, huh?

So you don't like my manners.

Well, I don't blame you.

Mm-hm.

I do it so's my neighbors can see me.

That's the way to make friends.

Show them.

You don't agree, huh?

You see these?

Makes them mad.

Like when a bull sees red.

(chuckles)

So I'm common.

But what about them?

Excuse my manners, Mr. Ness.

You can always handle the neighbors.

It's the other things that bother you, Terranova, right?

I got nothing that bothers me that I can't handle.

Sure. Anyone bothers you, you get rid of them.

Too bad you got so many neighbors.

You can't take them all for a ride.

Listen.

I keep inviting them, and they turn me down.

I got a icebox full of steaks.

First-class prime beef.

I hold out my hands to those crumbs.

No.

No, they like the... The cheap booze

and the tough steaks.

Heh.

That shows you how dumb... Dumb those smart alecks can be.

Accident.

Same kind that happened to Frankie Yale.

May he rest in peace.

How about you, Terranova? You resting peacefully?

(chortling)

Sure. Sure, why not, huh?

I only think about happy things.

Good food.

(laughing): Laughs.

Indian nuts.

You never know when you might have an accident.

One minute you're eating Indian nuts,

the next, spread all over the floor.

(chuckles)

You got a point there.

Right. That's what I'm worried about.

Your life.

Come again.

You think it was smart trusting Felix Burke with your life?

Who's Felix Burke?

You don't know Felix Burke?

You're not worried?

Hm-hm. What's to worry?

Maybe nothing.

I know how I'd feel having a big house,

big business, good life.

And all of it depending on a gun-crazy killer

with sick nerves.

But since you don't know a man like that,

who might finger you for the murder of Frankie Yale...

well, I don't blame you for not being worried.

May you rest in peace, Terranova.

( dramatic theme playing)

(knock)

FELIX: So it's you.

Who else you think it is?

I told you I'd get in touch.

You been having trouble finding me?

I don't like your jokes.

So don't laugh.

Five and 15 makes it 20.

That pays you off.

Let's have that contract.

How do you like this place?

Not exactly like your joint out on the island, is it, huh?

Here. You want to try this?

See if it's like your bed.

(snaps) Come on. Come on.

The contract. I gotta go.

You know how many times I moved this week alone? Three.

Because you stalled me.

Kept me hanging around this town.

All right.

So I take naps.

I dream.

You know what I dream about?

I dream that you're gonna have to make it up to me.

You trying to squeeze me?

Yeah, I'm trying to squeeze you!

Like them monkeys of Ness.

Tailing me wherever I go.

You made a deal, you lousy welcher.

Now, you listen to me, you... You miser.

You put me out in front.

So now I got a tail hooked to me, so...

Oh, it's driving me batty.

Yes.

Yes, I see it in your eye.

You made a deal.

Get outta here.

Punk like you.

Taking it all.

Hm-hm.

Living fat.

Hm.

What I got on you...

I could sell for plenty.

You know they're tailing you, and you keep it on you!

In the hands of certain parties, it could pay off from now on.

An annuity.

I'm asking double what the deal was.

I didn't hear you.

Yes or no?

It's up to you.

Okay.

Okay.

You win.

I'll get the money.

How do I know you won't squeeze me again?

Don't worry.

As soon as I get it, I blow this town.

Friend of mine is gonna give me a party next Tuesday.

You bring the paper, I'll get the cash.

Wha...? Wha...? What friend?

Judge Humboldt. You know the name?

Judge Albert Humboldt.

Wear a clean shirt.

It's formal.

It at the Roman Gardens.

Okay.

And bring your contract.

Bring money.

It'll be there.

I gotta give you credit.

(chuckling)

(both laughing)

( dramatic theme playing)

( suspenseful theme playing)

For Ciro the handwriting was on the wall,

and it spelled out one fact:

Burke had a good thing in his pocket.

And whether or not he meant to return it

after the extra squeeze,

Ciro wasn't taking any chances.

He knew he had to get that contract back

or risk being blackmailed for the rest of his life.

The plan he had in mind

depended on knowing the right people.

And Ciro knew the right people.

A long-distance phone call was made that night to Detroit.

What Ciro Terranova had to say

was listened to and agreed upon.

Ciro had set the stage.

May 10th, 1931, 8:00 p.m.

The Roman Gardens, Brooklyn, New York.

The first of the invited guests to the banquet,

about to be held in Ciro Terranova's honor,

began to arrive.

(lively music playing, chattering)

(claps hands once)

Hey, Felix!

Felix, come in. Come in.

(laughs)

Have a drink.

I'm the guest of honor.

But this is the cream of the crop.

(claps hands together)

What's your pleasure?

Some of the good stuff.

Only the best. The best.

Sure.

This is, uh, Judge Humboldt.

This is Mr. Cogan.

This is, uh, Felix, uh... Brown.

Mr. Brown is a very important Chicago businessman.

Mr. Brown. Your Honor.

Drink up, Felix.

This is a night of celebration.

(exhales)

I've got news.

All right, Marty. Tell us about it.

I just got a tip from one of my contacts.

Five expert heist men just blew in today from out of town.

The word's out that they're contracted to Terranova

and going back on the midnight special.

Looks like he's got a job lined up for them tonight.

Tonight's the night of the big banquet for Terranova.

Bill.

Your report said that Felix Burke bought a tux today, right?

That's right.

Looks like he intends to be there.

Terranova, Felix Burke, five out-of-town mobsters,

and a banquet at the Roman Gardens.

Why don't we invite ourselves to Terranova's party?

Rico...

You're about to rent yourself a tux.

I am?

That Valentino profile,

they won't be able to tell you from the mobsters.

( dramatic theme playing)

(big band music playing)

You three downstairs.

Take your time.

(indistinct chatter)

GUNMAN: Everyone!

(all gasp)

All the men take their jackets off.

(screams)

Hey, what was that?

( tense theme playing)

Just take it easy and do as you're told.

Hey. Who are you messing with?

This is Judge Humboldt.

His Honor, Judge Albert Humboldt.

Now go on! Get out of here.

You want him dead?

All right, everybody up. Put your hands on your head.

You hear me?

All right, everything goes in the bag.

And I mean everything.

Hurry up.

How about you?

Everybody take off their pants.

Come on, give.

Hey, you. Pants.

I ain't gonna take off no pants.

For you I'll make one exception.

You'd better make it two exceptions.

Put your hands down.

Roman Gardens.

You're from Rome, aren't you, Rico?

That was a long time ago.

And, besides, it was Capri.

Do you know where that is?

Sure, warm weather, good fishing,

water as blue as ink.

Now's the time. Easy does it.

Hey. I don't see Rossi anymore.

Better take a closer look.

Give me those wallets. Come on, give us those wallets.

Come on everybody. Hurry up.

Put it in the sack. In the sack.

Come on, let's take the rings off.

The rings and pearls too, lady.

Come on. Let's get that rock off.

Everything in the sack. Come on, now.

Everybody. Come on. Come on.

Let's get those wallets. Come on. The wallets.

All right, let's have the wallets.

Are you all right, Ciro?

You got eyes, you can see.

MRS. TERRANOVA: But they're still downstairs.

CIRO: Hide the rocks. No, this first.

(gunshot)

( tense theme playing)

You.

Ah!

You all right?

I took a short nap. I... I feel fine now.

There's three more of them. Clean up inside.

Mr. Ness.

Excuse me, Mrs. Terranova.

You're dead, Terranova.

Dead as Frankie Yale.

With the arrest of Ciro Terranova,

his control of the produce market ended.

He took his own life on February 21st, 1938.

( dramatic theme playing)

ANNOUNCER: The Untouchables.