While watching last night's episode, it dawned on me that Thompson doesn't have any troops except the Sheriff's Department and Jimmy. So, how does he expect to counter what we all know is coming down the track - the Mafia?
Don't forget that this was set in 1920 ... LONG before the heyday of the Mafia. Nucky had some semblance of the "law" on his side and that negated a lot of guns that the Mob could put up.
Yup. Also despite his approval of murder, Nucky really is first and foremost a politician. The Mob (at least the more intelligent elements) wouldn't want to start knocking off politicians willy nilly-especially not those with connections to presidential candidates and Senators. IRL Nucky had what was described as total control over local AC police and NJ state police. It made more business sense to work with Nucky.
"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives." Winter is Coming Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back; For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
