Originally Posted By: Turnbull
Nucky Johnson was the undisputed boss of AC. But he was a big fish in a little pond. AC never had more than 60k residents, and while it was a "pleasure dome," with plenty of money to be made from booze, whores and gambling, it was no Chicago or New York.

There was no big meeting of Johnson with Luciano, Colosimo, Torrio, Capone and Rothstein in 1920. Never happened. Colosimo was whacked in 1920 in part because he didn't see the profit potential of Prohibition. Capone's latest biographer, Laurence Bergreen, says Capone wasn't even with Torrio in 1920. Luciano was a freelance drug dealer and gambling game operator in 1920. In any event, the Chicago Outfit didn't need to get its booze from AC--it got booze via local distillers and rumrunning over the Great Lakes.

There was a big gangster convention in AC in 1929, hosted by Johnson. But he was the host, not the arbiter. Torrio and Capone were there. Rothstein wasn't there--he was dead by that time. Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Moe Dalitz, Charlien Luciano, Joe Adonis and Frank Costello formed the "Big Six," controlling all booze in the East through Ohio. Since the meeting followed the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, onee of the major outcomes was that the attendees strongly advised Capone to lower his profile, lest the heat he generated via the massacre fall out on them. Capone arranged to have himself arrested for carrying a gun in Philadelphia after the convention, and spent a year in a PA prison while things cooled down in Chicago.


Thanks for this, I needed to know how accurate the story is, and it seems it is just a story, but a great one nonetheless.

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I was as lost as Van Alden's partner when he was naming the mob one by one, I think I saw that scene a couple of times to get who is who. I jumped at mentioning the name of Capone, I too think he is short, but sure looks like him, plus I like the character and his stupid jokes and how he takes it personally when he is the punchline. lol

I also was pleased to have heard the name of Meyer Lansky before. grin Not sure if he was at one time at the mercy of Nucky?! confused

Anyway, a great show and I'm glad I caught up with this one sooner than I usually do. I really enjoyed every minute of it. And also glad that Mr Pink finally got to play someone like Nucky. wink

I can't wait till the soundtrack is on p2p to grab, I want to listen to that Carrickfergus so badly, without going through Eli puking! grin


"Fire cannot kill a dragon." -Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones