02x03 - Blood Filled Streets

[bunniefuu]

narrator: Previously on The Making of the Mob: Chicago."

O'Banion: I'll be in touch.

narrator: After forming an alliance with their Irish rivals, led by Dean O'Banion, Italian gangsters Johnny Torrio and Al Capone are forced from the city by new mayor William Dever.

Shut them down.

officer: This is a raid, nobody move.

Son of a bitch.

narrator: To keep their empire intact, they take over the neighboring suburb of Cicero, turning it into a mob paradise.

But when Torrio leaves town for personal reasons...

You keep the wheels turning until I get back.

Al Capone is left on his own.

When it seems like he may lose control of Cicero in the upcoming elections, Capone enlists his brother Frank to rig the vote.

I need you to do whatever it takes.

narrator: But as chaos breaks out on the streets, an army of plainclothes Chicago police officers descend on the town...

man: Frank Capone?

narrator: and g*n down Al Capone's brother in broad daylight.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

narrator: After the m*rder of his brother Frank, Al Capone is out for revenge.

Mr. Capone?

♪ ♪

Things were never the same after the death of Frank.

And Capone wanted revenge.

Capone was not inherently a violent person.

He became more and more violent in response to his surroundings.

♪ ♪

narrator: Before Capone can set his plan in motion, his boss and mentor, Johnny Torrio, returns from Italy, reclaiming his control of their criminal empire.

♪ ♪

I'm sorry, Al.

If there is anything that I can do...

What is this?

It's a list of every undercover cop that was in Cicero the day Frank was k*lled.

I want your blessing.

No.

You weren't there, Johnny.

The way they k*lled him.

They butchered him.

They deserve to die.

Every single one of them!

Hitting these guys will not make things better.

It will make things worse for all of us.

Do you understand me?

Do you understand me?

All right.

All right.

Fine.

Laurence Bergreen: When Torrio returned from his trip to Italy, Capone wanted revenge, but Torrio wanted him to take it down several notches.

He didn't want an all-out w*r to erupt.

Because he knew that it would just lead to more and more murders and deaths.

(breathing heavily)

Aah!

♪ ♪

narrator: Despite Capone's personal loss, Torrio returns to a booming business... that's raking in an impressive $10 million a month thanks to Capone's leadership... and the peace policy Torrio brokered years ago with the Irish g*ng leader, Dean O'Banion.

T.J. English: The peace treaty that Johnny Torrio had instituted set down a framework in which they could all operate and prosper.

narrator: Together, the mob kingpins rule over territory that covers the entirety of Chicago, holding jurisdiction over numerous smaller gangs.

But as Torrio and Capone's empire gets larger, it's becoming harder to keep those smaller factions under control.

♪ ♪

narrator: After a small group of Italian mobsters makes a move on O'Banion's territory...

O'Banion: I'm sick of this sh*t.

The Irish gangster and his trusted associates Hymie Weiss and Bugs Moran see a growing problem.

(sighing)

Torrio claims it wasn't his men.

That's bullshit.

He's been planning this from the start.

It was a mistake doing business with those guys.

I run this city.

Not the Italians.

Moran: We have a couple of dozen guys, four trucks.

If we hit them tonight...

No, we're gonna be smarter than them.

What are you going to do?

I don't know, Weiss.

I don't know.

T.J. English: O'Banion had resentments towards the Italians.

Some of this went back to the tribal nature of Chicago, in the street g*ng culture that he had grown up in, but O'Banion knew that he had to be more sophisticated and shrewd and cagey in the way he went about bringing down Johnny Torrio.

(indistinct chatter)

narrator: Convinced that Torrio and Capone are behind the att*cks, in the spring of 1924, O'Banion puts together a plan and calls a meeting with his Italian partners.

♪ ♪

Are you going to tell me what this is about?

I want you to buy me out.

Why?

I'm done with this bullshit.

The cops, the politicians, the two-bit street thugs.

I'm tired of it.

How much do you want?

500,000.

I think that's fair.

I got into this business to make money, and I've reached a point where...

I've made enough of it.

I'll need a little time to think about it.

You got till Monday.

Show up at the brewery with the 500,000, and we can do the deal.

T.J. English: If you had asked Johnny Torrio or Al Capone what they did for a living, they'd say they were businessmen.

Torrio was skeptical about what O'Banion was offering him, but part of being a businessman is you went in the direction of the money.

I'll get back to you.

narrator: Now, Torrio and Capone have to decide if O'Banion can be trusted.

(birds chirping)

(indistinct chatter)

narrator: After ruthless Irish gangster Dean O'Banion announces his retirement, he offers his partner, Italian mob boss Johnny Torrio, an opportunity to buy him out.

I don't know.

I just don't buy it.

It's too good a deal to pass up.

But still...

If he wants to get out, let him.

He's getting old.

We get a bigger slice of Chicago without spilling any blood.

I just don't trust him.

He's an Irish scum, but 500,000, that's too good to pass up.

Frank Calabrese: Greed is big in organized crime.

They were making hundreds of thousands a day when a home would cost you $3,000 and a car would cost you $400.

So, you can imagine the kind of money it was.

But when is enough?

♪ ♪

500,000.

It's all there.

Well, it's been a real pleasure.

For what it's worth, working together was not so bad.

Yes, it was.

officer: Police! Nobody move!

Okay.

Son of a bitch.

Oh, did you see Torrio's face?

(laughing)

John Binder: O'Banion double crosses Torrio.

When they meet to close the deal, he arranges to have the Chicago police raid the brewery and arrest Torrio.

It's audacious, and it's crazy.

Jonathon Eig: This is one of the few instances when gangsters used intelligence and cunning to overcome their enemies as opposed to just pulling out the g*ns.

What about Capone?

I'm not worried about Capone.

He won't give us any trouble.

(laughter)

♪ ♪

Frank Calabrese: I was set up, and the first thing that went through my mind is I couldn't believe that I allowed somebody to set me up.

I knew, at that point, I would never, ever trust anybody again in this life but myself.

narrator: With prior convictions, Torrio will have to serve a mandatory prison sentence.

But before he does, he's able to get out on bail.

(cell door slamming)

So, now what do you think of your friend O'Banion?

I'm going to find that sonofab*tch, and I'm gonna k*ll him.

It's about time.

Jonathan Eig: Torrio and Capone had been had, and they had to pay back O'Banion for that.

There was no question about it.

And there's just a question of, you know, how long would they wait, and how would they do it?

♪ ♪

narrator: With Torrio's blessing, Capone spends months planning the hit.

T.J. English: These kind of murders, there was a certain amount of artistry to how the murders were done.

Where they took place, what sort of message was delivered by the way that the m*rder was done.

And there was a certain amount of... respect and admiration that went along with strategizing a hit so that it would play out in that way.

narrator: Capone knows that catching O'Banion off guard is nearly impossible.

So he decides to place an order with O'Banion's flower shop for nearly $20,000 worth of flowers.

Knowing that O'Banion personally oversees his biggest arrangements.

radio announcer: "The Man Behind the g*n," sung by S. H. Dudley.

(classic swing)

John Binder: O'Banion was incredibly dangerous and feared.

Torrio and Capone were taking a chance, but in the flower shop, he was in his inner sanctum.

And that can often lead people to, uh, let their guard down.

I'll be with you in a minute.

Just finishing up here.

(g*nshots)

narrator: On November 10th, 1924, Dean O'Banion is gunned down in his flower shop.

And in the wake of the gangster's death, an all-out g*ng w*r will soon erupt on the streets of Chicago.

(church bells ringing)

narrator: Four days after being gunned down in his flower shop, Chicago's most powerful Irish gangster Dean O'Banion is laid to rest in one of the most lavish funerals Chicago has ever seen.

More than two dozen cars are required to transport the extravagant floral arrangement, as a crowd of 10,000 comes to mourn the death of the infamous gangster.

Gangster funerals were an institution unto themselves, especially in Chicago.

It was remarkable, I mean, it was hard to imagine that this was actually a gangster who had just been k*lled.

Robert Lombardo: O'Banion's funeral was huge.

The extent of the power of the underworld was just incredible.

Not only did the other racketeers show up, but also the political leadership showed up.

Local aldermen, committeemen, other elected officials from city government.

narrator: Among those in attendance are none other than the two men responsible for O'Banion's death.

Rival Italian g*ng leaders Johnny Torrio and Al Capone, infuriating O'Banion's loyal lieutenants Bugs Moran and Hymie Weiss.

Sorry for your loss.

Everyone in the underworld knew that Torrio and Capone were the architects of O'Banion's m*rder.

So, when Johnny Torrio and Al Capone showed up at O'Banion's funeral, it was a dagger in the heart of Weiss and Moran because, not only were they members of O'Banion's g*ng, they worshipped him... they looked up to him.

♪ ♪

You see that look in his eye?

They're gonna pay.

narrator: After O'Banion's funeral, Weiss takes control over what's left of his empire.

Hymie Weiss was connected with Dean O'Banion from a young age.

It is said that Weiss was more more prone to v*olence than O'Banion and that he was more decisive perhaps than O'Banion.

narrator: But before he can take revenge on Torrio and Capone, Weiss knows he has to defend his turf against other rival gangs who think the death of Dean O'Banion means that it's open season on the Irish g*ng's territory.

♪ ♪

Chaos breaks out as smaller Irish and Italian gangs throughout the city begin a violent battle for turf.

It's the beginning of an era of bloodshed in Chicago known as the Beer Wars.

Robert Lombardo: During the beer wars, over 300 people were m*rder*d.

You had to establish your authority.

You had to prove you couldn't let people get away with standing up to you, because pretty soon, other people would do it.

Jonathan Eig: This is when we see, really, the height of the gangland sh**t.

Somethin' like 75 to 100 murders a year.

These are the different neighborhood gangs going after each other.

There's a lot of competition, and there's a lot of sh**ting.

narrator: Amidst the turmoil, Weiss and Moran see an opportunity to take their revenge on Torrio.

And it's a job they want to carry out personally.

Look at... you always find these people, don't you?

You know, that's right, I know all the Italians in Chicago.

(laughing)

voice: You ready?

Come on.

My mother's the best in the world.

(woman chuckling)

Oh, my darling...

Look, you have... you got plenty of fur coats.

You don't need any more...

Hey, Johnny!

(screaming)

This is for O'Banion.

Come on, let's get out of here!

Let's go!

Go... go, go.

Let's go!

Help!

Help me!

Somebody...

(screaming)

narrator: On January 24th, 1925, Johnny Torrio is sh*t five times at point-blank range.

Somebody, please help me!

narrator: But miraculously, he survives.

Weiss and Moran wanted to hit him with six sh*ts, the exact same number of sh*ts that'd been used to k*ll O'Banion.

But they hit Torrio five times, and the g*n jammed on the sixth sh*t.

And that might have been what saved Torrio's life.

You look like sh*t.

Yeah? I feel like sh*t.

You'll bounce back.

I know you will.

I'll keep the wheels turning till you do.

Al...

I'm not coming back.

What are you talking about?

Of course you're coming back.

I'm lucky to be alive.

Next time, I might not be so lucky.

I've made too many enemies.

We can handle them.

I'm leaving you in charge.

Of the clubs...

Oh, Johnny.

The breweries, everything.

Johnny, I ain't ready for all that.

Yeah, you are.

But you gotta do what I did.

What? Get myself sh*t to hell?

You find yourself good people... who you can trust.

I won't let you down.

Get out of here, kid.

Get to work.

William Forsythe: Johnny didn't want to be a part of it anymore.

And Johnny just handed the reins to Al.

And that's when Al Capone went from being the prince of Chicago to the king of Chicago.

I wanna take a look at your books here.

narrator: Only 25 years old, Al Capone is now in charge of an empire in the midst of a brutal w*r.

This is the height of tension between the North Side and the South Side gangs.

There's a lot of tension... there's a lot of v*olence in Chicago at this time, and it seems like it's about to boil over.

narrator: Preparing for a large-scale battle against his Irish rivals, Capone assembles a team of top lieutenants.

So you see, the costs are up over here.

Gambling, brothel.

Then you see the return from that a little later, down here.

It's a nice profit, it's very tidy.

Good job, Nitti, yeah.

I like what you've done here.

narrator: He puts his best numbers guy in charge of managing the finances, gangster Frank Nitti.

Jonathan Eig: Frank Nitti was one of the smarter guys in the operation and also one of the more violent.

Somebody Capone could really count on in much the same way that Torrio had counted on Capone.

Who's driving this truck?

Okay, get moving.

narrator: Capone knows he'll also need a top strategist.

I just wanted to thank you again for all of your contributions.

Lets get down to business.

narrator: So he turns to a man known as much for his ability to smooth talk anyone as he is for his violent past.

His name is Paul Ricca.

That way, we both win.

John Kass: Paul Ricca, when he was a boy in Naples, he basically slit a man's throat, he said, because his sister was dishonored.

He did two years in prison, and on the day he comes out, he slices the throat of the witness that fingered him.

♪ ♪

narrator: After fleeing to America, Ricca works as a manager at one of Capone's establishments... quickly moving up through the ranks and transforming his reputation from brutal k*ller...

Excuse me.

To shrewd negotiator.

narrator: For muscle, Capone brings on a brutal k*ller to serve as his personal bodyguard and head of enforcement, Chicago native Tony Accardo.

(whistles)

Where're you going?

Tony Accardo was, first of all, larger than a typical mob guy.

He was pretty tall.

And he was pretty burly.

And he was renowned for having k*lled some people with a baseball bat.

You should've known better.

Hillel Levin: And that's why his nickname forever after was "Joe Batters."

♪ ♪

narrator: With Frank Nitti, Paul Ricca, and Tony Accardo in place, Capone is ready to take action.

Through sheer force, Al Capone would seek to consolidate all of the Chicago underworld.

Al Capone's stated intention is to exterminate the Irish gangs in the city.

I want Capone.

He's yours.

narrator: But as Capone and his team plan their next move, on the north side, Irish leaders Hymie Weiss and his number two, Bugs Moran, are already prepared to strike.

How we doing?

Nitti: Profits are good.

We've secured two new joints across the bridge.

We brought in new roulette tables.

And that new whiskey that you like, it's proving very popular.

Good job.

Gotta leave in 15 minutes.

(a*t*matic g*nf*re)

(patrons screaming)

(a*t*matic g*nf*re)

(patrons screaming)

(car doors slamming)

(tires screeching)

narrator: On September 20th, 1926, Al Capone's biggest rivals, Irish gangsters Hymie Weiss and Bugs Moran, try to g*n him down, to avenge the death of Dean O'Banion.

Deidre Capone: There were over 2,000 machine g*n b*ll*ts that were sh*t through the windows and the walls so that some people were hurt, some bystanders, innocent people were hurt.

narrator: News of the drive-by sh**ting makes Chicago headlines.

This was not a quiet assassination in the dead of night that nobody was supposed to know about.

This was deliberately done in a very public way.

Moran and Weiss are not only attempting to k*ll Capone, they're attempting to send a message beyond the underworld to the entire city that Capone is persona non Grata to what's left of the Irish gangs.

And it's their intention to take him out.

So, what now?

Ricca: We need to take control of the situation and make peace on our terms.

They don't want peace.

They want us six feet under.

Next time, we might not be so lucky.

And what do you suggest?

Accardo: Take the whole crew out.

Nitti: Let's not make any rash decisions, all right?

We should think this through.

Ricca: We go all out full force and get ourselves k*lled?

Use your brain for once, all right?

I am using my brain.

I'm thinking about Al's safety.

Enough, I'm not going to sit here and wait.

We need to hit them, hit them hard.

We'll show them... who owns this town once and for all.

Starting with Weiss.

Is that clear?

We'll get it done.

Capone: Sons of b*tches.

Robert Lombardo: v*olence is critically important to the mob.

Essentially, you crossed them, you were dead.

Bottom line.

If you go to those extremes to eliminate Capone, there's gonna be retaliation.

narrator: To take out Weiss, Accardo brings on one of Capone's top hitmen, Jack McGurn.

John Binder: Jack McGurn, known as "Machine g*n" Jack McGurn, was born in Sicily as Vincenzo Gibaldi.

Jack McGurn was the name he boxed under, because he had about six or seven professional fights.

But, by about 1926, he becomes the top k*ller in the Capone g*ng.

narrator: But getting to Weiss won't be easy.

He's trailed constantly by up to five bodyguards... and knows Capone is after him.

Now what?

We wait.

narrator: Under orders from Al Capone...

Tony Accardo and Jack McGurn have positioned themselves outside of Hymie Weiss' headquarters.

But after days of surveillance, Weiss has yet to show.

Frank Calabrese: I know a lot of hitmen.

I've known a lot of men that have k*lled.

And there wasn't "Let's hop in the car and go get it."

There was major, major surveillance that you don't hear a lot about.

I'm talking about guys sitting in a box, in a van with little holes cut out in a box, with an empty gallon jug to pee in there, with sandwiches, and sit there to survey people for hours.

He's coming.

narrator: Just two weeks after his attempted hit on Al Capone...

Hymie Weiss is gunned down.

T.J. English: He was gunned down by Capone's people right in front of the very same flower shop where Dean O'Banion had been m*rder*d years earlier.

And that was no accident.

narrator: Al Capone's first big hit as mob boss makes headlines across the country.

Another example of the escalating gangland v*olence in Chicago.

But instead of keeping a low profile, Capone does the unexpected.

Capone: Good morning.

I just wanna thank you all for coming out this morning.

I just wanna answer a few questions.

reporter: Mr. Capone, police say that your fingerprints are all over this Hymie Weiss m*rder.

Now, I just want to say I'm sorry Hymie Weiss was k*lled, and even though I had nothing to do with it, I knew I would be blamed.

I don't want to die in the streets punctured by machine g*n fire.

Now, there's enough business here for all of us without k*lling each other in the streets like animals.

I have a boy, Sonny.

He's seven years old.

I just wanna make this a safe and decent place for him.

For all of us.

Al set up one of the biggest hits of all time out there in the street.

I mean, this was an amazing hit.

For him to stand up and just be in total denial and talk to the press, this was part of who he was.

I think we've all seen enough bloodshed in the streets, and we'd all just like to get back to business, making Chicago the greatest city in the world.

Huh?

narrator: With Weiss eliminated, what's left of O'Banion's organization falls to Bugs Moran, and he decides to lay low in Irish territory, waiting to plan his next move against Capone.

By wiping out nearly all of his Irish rivals, Capone consolidates his power, controlling more territory than ever before.

Vincent Pastore: Territory is power.

Whether in w*r, where h*tler wanted to take over Europe, or in Capone's life, where he wanted to take over all of Chicago.

narrator: Now, Capone is determined to return his operations to Chicago and to take his rightful place as king of the Chicago underworld.