Kiss my buzzer, will ya?
Dombrowsky, you having trouble with your back?
- No, Mr Gant. - Then take more of those crates.
Kovak, load him up.
C'mon, c'mon. He can take more than that. More.
All right. Now keep moving. We haven't got all day.
Four crates of tomatoes out of your pocket. The company says...
- You made me put 'em there, sir. - You break 'em, you pay for 'em.
Did you hear me?
- I heard you, sir. - All right.
Get down there and pick 'em up, boy. Hurry it up! We're running late.
- Come on, we'll get 'em up. - Get back to work!
What do you guys think you're doing? Get back to work, all of ya!
Samuels.
Didn't you hear me?!
Samuels! You're fired!
- Get your voucher. - I didn't hear you, Mr Gant.
Get out, get out. You're fired.
Johnny? Johnny, I didn't hear him. I didn't.
(buzzer)
- Hadn't you better get this fish inside? - What's it to you, Mac?
The name's Monahan. Mike Monahan.
- Mind your own business. - It is my business.
- It's gonna spoil if you don't get it inside. - What do we care?
- I want the wagon unloaded. - Why don't you do it yourself?
- I'm the driver. - Hey!
What are you trying to pull? You know where that stuff goes. Get it inside!
We don't need any lazy bastards around here. You hear me, Belkin?
- You, too, Kovak. You're another... - You call me a bastard, I'll lay you out.
Well, I guess a job don't mean nothing to a rich man like you.
That's out of your pay, Kovak!
- What are you doing?! - I wanna see Boss Andrews!
I'll give you Andrews. You're fired! Get the hell outta here!
(shouting)
I wanna see Andrews!
(buzzer)
(men chant) Andrews! Andrews! Andrews!
I'm glad you told me about this. You've got some legitimate complaints.
Let's agree on this. From now on, Gant can't fire anyone without my approval.
How's that?
How about paying for something you drop by accident?
From now on, anything that's accidentally damaged, you don't have to pay for it.
What about overtime? Being paid waiting for deliveries?
I won't lie to you. That's out of my hands. I'll have to talk to my superiors. All right?
We'll try to be fair.
But to be fair all around,
you fellers'll go back to work and move that load inside.
Wait. How do we know you're gonna talk to 'em about the extra pay?
You have my word.
By the way, Mr Kovak, I'd like to praise you for bringing this to my attention.
The problems will be corrected.
Do we have a deal?
(Kovak talks to the workers)
All right.
We got a deal.
- Johnny Kovak! - Lincoln Dombrowsky.
Abe Lincoln!
How about another round?
- Here's a new face. What's your name? - Another round?
- Put it around. - Shall I put it around?
- You break it, you pay for it. - You pay for it!
- Look at the rosy cheeks. Are you Irish? - What of it?
Why don't you take your hands off of me and be a gentleman like your friend here?
A gentleman? Are my hands no good?
Hey, Johnny, you come on now. We wrestle. Come on, for a nickel.
Well, I tell you, Jugs, it's been kind of a hard day, but Abe is feeling good.
You wanna wrestle Jugovich? Come on!
Come on, Abe.
OK, all right. Put it down here.
Who's on me? OK.
- I don't wanna hurt you, Jugs. - I think you need a bit more arm, Abe.
- OK. - Zigi, you start us.
- Start it, Zig. - Go!
(shouting)
Look who is here! Vince Doyle!
And look at that big-shot suit he's got on.
- Mm, mm, mm. - You're slumming, Vince?
No, I just got a little business with Zigi.
You hear about us at the company?
Listen, Vince. Johnny had their backs to the wall. We almost had a walkout.
- We won, Vince. - What did you win, kid?
- Zigi, set these guys up. - Yeah!
(shouting)
(Johnny) Come on!
They won't let us in, John.
Number seven. Number eight. Number nine.
What's going on here? What are you doing? Samuels, where are you going?
- I gotta work, Johnny. - I wanna see Andrews.
Well, well, well.
- Mr Kovak wants to see Mr Andrews. - That's right.
Well, Mr Kovak, Mr Andrews is outta town. But he left a little message for ya.
You're fired! All of ya!
- The winner. - (Johnny) Who asked you, Vince?
You gotta go out and try to save the world, huh, kid?
You know, it cost me a 20 to get you out.
- He said we had a deal. - A deal? Christ, Johnny.
You don't go screwing around with those people. You got no push.
He shook my hand, Vince. He shook my hand, and he said we had a deal.
Yeah, sure.
Listen, why don't you come to work for me? We'll make an honest buck together.
Always looking out for me, ain't you? You need another stooge?
Johnny, rest it, will ya? Relax.
You don't understand us, Vince.
Johnny, c'mon.
Hey, kid.
Johnny! C'mon!
Come on, you guys. Cheer up a little.
Thanks, Moll.
Hiya, Johnny. Do you remember me? I'm Mike Monahan.
I delivered that load of fish the other night.
- The fish guy. What do you want? - I thought maybe you're looking for a job.
- You did, huh? - What kinda work?
I'm the president of the Federation of Interstate Truckers, Local 302.
- The president is here. - Have you heard of it?
- He's talking about the union. - Well, it's not much of one.
Do you mind if I sit down?
I figure we got about 100 guys right now.
I don't know how you feel about unions, but you've got a way with men.
Yeah, I did a lot for 'em.
The companies we work for are filled with creeps like Mr Andrews.
You know, they smile and then they stick it to you.
- What do you want me to do about it? - Work for us as an organiser.
You go out to the warehouses and sign up as many guys as you can.
What about my lawyer here? We work together.
- All right, you both got a job. - How much?
I can't pay you nothing. But I give you a commission for every guy you sign up.
- I don't know about trucks. - I'll show you.
- I'm not interested. - You'd get an office.
- Might get even. - They ain't paying.
You get a car.
You get a car?
(Johnny) Anna! Anna.
Do you remember me? From the Christmas dance last year.
I asked you to dance three times and you didn't wanna. Wait a minute.
Don't you remember?
In case you're wondering what my name is, it's Johnny Kovak. What's yours?
- You know what it is. - No, your last name. Everybody's got one.
- Zerinkas. - That's pretty. Is it Polack?
- I'm Lithuanian. - Not many Lithuanians left.
I thought most of 'em were dead. Wanna go for a beer?
- For breakf? I don't drink beer. - Then let's go someplace and talk.
- What do you wanna talk about? - Baseball, books, the Bible - I'm game.
- What do you know about the Bible? - What do I know about the Bible?
- "An eye for an eye." It's a great book. - Do you always lie?
If it helps me get along with stuck-up ladies, why not?
- Where you going? - To work.
- I'll give you a ride to the gate. C'mon. - I don't go for rides.
C'mon, it'll impress your friend. I just washed the car. C'mon.
You're embarrassing me. You're making me look bad.
- Can't you even say goodbye? - Bye!
Anna! Do all your friends there know how stuck-up you are?
(laughter)
- What's your business? - We're with the union.
Federation of Interstate Truckers.
- We just wanna talk to the guys. - Park this outside. I'll go check upstairs.
Thank you.
What are you thanking him for?
Couple of union boys.
You can go on in, but I need names first.
- Abe Belkin. - Kovak. Johnny Kovak.
Keep an eye on 'em.
How are ya? My name is Johnny Kovak. We're from the trucking union.
- We just wanna talk about... - We're not interested.
- Aren't you? - We're not interested.
- I know what you said, but we wanna... - You heard what he said.
- Yeah. What is your name? - Richard.
Richard. OK, Abe, why don't we come back? We'll talk to these guys later.
Who the hell are those guys?
Wait. My name's Johnny Kovak. We're from the truckers'...
Give me a break, will ya? Look, I pay my dues. Just leave me alone.
Come on! Five minutes!
Ah, to hell with him.
Got a meeting Friday night, St Stephen's basement. Hope some of you show up.
Come on.
Come on, Johnny.
- How long we been out? 14 hours? - 13. Three sign-ups.
We got two sign-ups and one maybe.
- Any trucks been around? - It's been slow.
- Where's the driver of that rig? - I don't know.
- Is he inside? - I don't know.
Would you put in about 60 cents' worth of gas? And check the oil, OK? Wait up, Abe.
- I'm beat. - That's some rig.
Yeah.
- It's an independent. - Mm-hm.
Higgins Hauling Service.
Hey, anybody in there?
- Get away! - We're from the union.
- Bullshit! - We're signing up members.
Last time somebody knocked on my door, they took my load.
- Show him the card. - Federation of Interstate Truckers.
- That's right. - OK, you're with the union. Now go.
Don't you wanna do something about the companies?
Sign up with the union, they can't screw you.
Upside down they can screw you, and start all over again.
Not if everybody signs up.
Yeah? I'll sign up when everybody else has signed up.
We can give you more clout with the companies.
You two guys! (laughs)
- No, the union. - Sure you don't just wanna collect dues?
You can make them in what the union'll get ya.
Bullshit.
If you wanna end up like Joe Harper, that's your business.
- What happened? - Pushing too hard for the company,
went off the road, no insurance, nothing for his family.
- He had a rig just like this. - Wait a minute.
We got a meeting Friday night, eight o'clock, St Stephen's basement.
Hey, what's your name?
Kovak, Johnny Kovak.
- What's yours? - Tom Higgins. Everybody knows me.
I'll see you Friday. Won't I, Tom?
But I ain't gonna sign nothing.
You guys know that the companies have been putting it to us worse than ever.
And the only way we got of holding 'em off is by getting together.
- That's what a union's all about. - (doors open)
(man) All right, Joe. How the hell are ya?
All right, you guys. This is Johnny Kovak.
Most of you guys know Joe Harper.
Joe Harper was one of the first guys with this union.
Paying dues for more than 20 years.
Showing up in meetings. Doing what he was asked.
Being a brother.
All his life he runs from one place to another to support his family.
The only damn the company gave about him was to have him run more,
till he run himself off the road.
Now the company don't give a damn at all.
But I wanna tell you guys something.
We ain't asking the company for nothing,
cos we're gonna take care of Joe.
We're taking care of his doctor bills.
We're taking care of his family. Cos Joe's a good union man.
And we're taking care of him and the people he loves.
And I'll tell you something else.
You join this union, we'll get you money for overtime
and doctor bills.
You won't have to kill yourself making a buck, like you're doing now.
Like my old man did.
You join this union, you make it strong. It'll make you strong.
And I swear, no company bastard living up in the Heights
is gonna come down here and walk all over your lives.
I promise you that.
Come on, Joe. Let's go.
Where do I sign?
(Johnny) Yeah. We're doing pretty good. We're up this month.
Yeah. That brings it up to 300. And we'll be up to about 400 by three or four weeks.
Oh, yeah. Abe is out right now. Growing big, aren't we?
It's Abe's idea. We split the billboard up,
and explain exactly what the "FIST" stands for.
Uh-huh. Yeah, listen, Abe is still out.
I'll get back to you in a minute, Mike. Yeah, OK. Bye.
Mr Kovak, I'm Arthur St Clair, general counsel for Consolidated Trucking.
I know who you are.
May I sit down?
It occurs to me, Mr Kovak, that we have some concerns in common.
In different ways, we're both concerned about truckers.
You for the union and... your commission.
And I'm concerned for the company and our profits, of course.
Of course.
It's been brought to my attention, Mr Kovak, that...
you have a special talent for communicating with drivers.
- I'd like to put that talent to work. - Uh-huh.
- How you gonna do that? - By hiring you to work for us.
Think about it seriously, Mr Kovak.
Think of the good you can do from inside the company, helping our drivers.
What about the men? What about the union?
Your associate Mr Belkin could carry on for you. Money, of course, is no problem.
We'll be happy to double whatever you're making now in salary and commissions.
- It's not bad. - Very "not bad", I'd say.
You know something, St Clair?
When I first took this job, I had a feeling that if I did a good enough job,
somebody would come walking up those stairs - somebody like you -
and they'd sit in that chair and tell me what you're telling me now.
And I knew then what I was gonna say, and I know now.
Why don't you get the hell outta my office? You're stinking up union property.
As you get older, Kovak,
you'll find that civility can be learned... sometimes even taught.
You change your mind, give me a call.
- Anna. - What do you want?
What's the matter? Are you crying? What's the matter?
- Nothing. - Did somebody do something to you?
- No. - What's the matter?
- Don't you ever cry? - I cry when I peel onions.
But you look like you're more upset than that. Wanna grab some beer?
I told you, I don't drink beer.
How about some coffee? No, you don't want no coffee.
How about ice cream? Everybody likes ice cream.
What do you like? You like vanilla? Chocolate? No chocolate?
How about strawberry? I know you like strawberry.
I can see you smiling. I know there's a smile in there.
There you go. Some strawberry? I know a great place. Cheap, too.
Oh, no hands.
You mean you don't want me to touch you. No hands? All right, no hands.
It's gonna be very difficult driving with no hands.
But we'll work something out.
- Ever try to shift with your elbows? - I've never been in a car.
Maybe by the end of the summer we'll be up around 500.
The union is trying to make sure no one gets stepped on,
because that's what the problem's always been.
I was thinking that maybe we ought to go see a show sometime.
At the factory where I work, two girls tried to start a union, and they threw 'em out.
That's rough.
I read in the papers where they have Ginger Rogers appearing nightly.
Down at the Orpheum. You ever seen her dance?
No. And now they can't get a job anywhere in this entire city.
That's rough. Maybe I could talk to some people.
- Would you? - Yeah.
The way you're eating that ice-cream cone, you remind me of Ginger Rogers.
You do. Saturday night I'm free.
- I got plans. - You got plans? Well, so do I.
Sunday night?
- I got plans. - Sure got a lot of plans.
What do you think you'll be doing next Easter?
- Are you always so pushy? - Yeah. When I really want something.
Maybe I'll check my schedule. See if I got a cancellation for next Saturday,
nine o'clock.
Strawberry girl, think you'll be available?
- No hands? - No hands? I'll make you a deal.
What?
No hands, if I can have this ice-cream cone. OK?
OK.
(Johnny) How you doing, Bob? How's the wife treating you?
- Hi, George. - Hey, Johnny.
A guy in a Consolidated truck wants to talk to you. He might wanna sign up.
Thanks a lot. Watch out for Myrtle's coffee. She's on the warpath.
- You want to see me? - Yeah, about signing up.
Good. What's your name?
- Jack. - Jack? Jack what?
Kovak? I wanna sign up, too.
Argh, God!
Argh!
(engine starts)
(Tom) Come on and show your cards or your buttons.
Show your cards or your buttons.
Tom, do you wanna close the doors back there, so we can get the meeting started?
We have with us here tonight, from Indianapolis,
a man you all know or heard about.
He's gonna swear in all you new members.
A man who's a real legend in the union movement.
Yeah. It's Henry Ford.
Come on, now, Tom, now. Let's settle down, guys. Settle down.
Max Graham, the national president of this union.
(applause and cheering)
First, I want to thank Mike Monahan for the fancy introduction.
I wanna talk to you guys about something I been seeing every place I go.
Skirts!
(laughter)
Any of you real smart guys wanna crack wise,
get the hell outta here and do it outside!
I don't wanna think the companies sent you in here to disrupt this meeting.
What I wanna talk to you about is this business of Bolshevik agitating.
- Have you come across any Bolsheviks? - You know what I mean.
I seen 'em in Pittsburgh. I seen 'em in Detroit. You got 'em here in Cleveland.
I wanna talk to you about getting your dues in on time.
Pay your dues.
Johnny, how are you?
- Every bohunk in here know him? - Yeah. Everybody likes Johnny.
Hey, Molly. He wants to go out with you.
- Who? - The gentleman you like. Abe.
- She wants to go out with you. - How do you know?
- If you don't, I will. - Yeah, you would, too.
You're not a driver, are you, Kovak?
- Not like you guys, no. - Didn't think so.
- Stirring these men up. Grandstanding. - What grandstanding?
What are you talking? We've grown since Johnny come in.
You mean he's grown. You make a commission on each one?
Yeah. I do my job.
You making a name for yourself? Putting money in your mattress?
He never even drove a truck!
- I'll see you guys later. - (Mike) Wait.
Pretty soon the company'll come along and offer you something, and you'll take.
You'll take.
Come on, Abe. Johnny, come on back. Have another beer.
- Jesus! I'm sorry, Molly. - That's OK.
- I'm off Friday. - You're on.
Did you like the movie?
No.
You didn't?
Just kidding you. You're really a sucker, you know that?
Night, Abe.
Night, Molly.
Good night.
Argh!
- You guys saw what they did to Abe. - (all) Yeah!
(Tom) We can't just go running out on strike just because somebody got hurt.
I didn't join up to lose my job, Johnny.
Huh? Did we?
I don't want a strike no more than you do, Tom.
I don't want nobody to lose jobs, none of you. What are you getting from us?
- Nothing. - Are they paying you overtime?
- No. - Paying your doctor bills?
No.
All we've done so far is take your dues.
Look. Me and Mike are gonna go in there and we're gonna talk to 'em.
- Ah, so that's Kovak. - That's him.
How many of our drivers has he signed up so far?
About 60 per cent.
- Go get 'em. - Go get 'em, Johnny.
I know these foreigners around here. They're good simple people.
They like to have a lot of laughs, a few beers.
And don't take no crap!
(knock at door)
- Hello. I'm Phillip Talbot. - I'm Mike Monahan.
This is our organiser, Johnny Kovak.
My father should be here soon. Sorry for the delay.
That's all right, Mr Talbot. We got the time.
- Sit down. - Thanks.
- This is Mr St Clair, our attorney. - We've met.
And Mr Langley, our comptroller.
(they whisper)
We're gonna sit down there.
Sorry I'm late, gentlemen. Some of these meetings, you know how they go on.
Why don't you move down here? Perhaps we could hear each other better.
No, we can hear fine. Unless you guys wanna come down here.
Oh, I think we can hear just fine. Shall we begin?
This is Mr Monahan, the president of the local, and Mr Novak.
Kovak. Chief organiser.
All right, Mr Kovak, what can we do for you?
Mike is the president. I guess he knows better than me, so lay it out for him, Mike.
Certainly. Mr Monahan?
The thing of it is, Mr Talbot, the men in our local are upset about a few things,
and we wanted to talk 'em over with you.
I'm always willing to discuss our men's problems. I want the men to be happy.
Well, the way the men see it,
the company ought to pay for the medical bills when any guy gets hurt,
and set up some kind of an insurance plan - for the family.
How do we stand on that?
Our policy's like the other companies'. We don't have an insurance programme,
but, as you know, we have on occasion lent some of the men money,
at standard rates, for medical emergencies.
Some of the men have already expressed their appreciation to me personally.
That's very nice.
I was thinking, Mr Talbot, not of your lending them money,
but of paying the bills.
We're gonna cut 'em off, pal. You know that?
- What did he say? - I said, we're gonna cut 'em off.
Your balls.
And what exactly do you mean by that crudity, Mr Kovak?
- I mean we're gonna shut you down. - I see.
No, you don't see. You don't see nothing.
You guys don't hear nothing, cos if you did we wouldn't be sitting here.
You're suffering from small eyes and fat asses.
- Is he speaking for you, Mr Monahan? - Johnny knows what the men want.
I think I've heard enough.
No, you haven't heard enough! If a guy works overtime, why don't you pay him?
If he needs insurance, why don't you give him it? We're not asking for charity.
We're not asking you to be generous, just smart businessmen.
Ah, I see.
Well, the answer is no, Mr Kovak.
No insurance, no overtime, no pay raises.
Let's go, Mike.
You know how much money you're gonna lose in a strike?
He's unbelievable.
- I wanna talk to you. - Let go of me!
Why'd you do it? Why'd you stand me up?
- Nobody comes for me drunk. - I was under control.
- Whose control? The gentlemen... - I ain't a gentleman.
The gentlemen who take me out, they knock on my door very politely.
- Is that right? - Yes. They talk to my mother.
- What am I gonna talk to her about? - The weather.
- The weather? - The weather!
They escort me to their car. Sometimes they even bring me flowers.
- Flowers? - Flowers.
You know, you're nuts. You know that, Anna? You know that?
I look like I got any flowers?! Do you think I'm a pansy? You think I got flowers?!
(accordion music)
Are those for me?
(laughter)
My name is John Kovak. I have a date with Anna. I'm looking for Anna's mother.
- I am Mrs Zerinkas. Come in, please. - Thank you.
- Please. - Thank you.
Sit down. Yes.
What beautiful roses.
Thank you. They were having a sale, so I thought I'd... buy 'em.
Maybe we should put them in a vase?
If it's OK with you, I'd just like to hold 'em here in my hand.
Yes. Just one moment, please.
Anna? Your friend is here.
I'll be down in a minute, Mamma.
- Uh, please. - Thank you.
This heat is really something.
The humidity from the lake, I think.
I like it when it's cold because you can feel yourself breathe.
And you don't sweat through all your shirts.
This is one of the hottest spells we have had in years.
That's very true. Very true. I was thinking about that.
- You are not Lithuanian. - No. I'm Hungarian.
Hm.
- Catholic? - Oh, sure. Since I was born.
(Mrs Zerinkas) Ah!
What have you two been talking about behind my back?
- The weather. - Oh, Johnny!
What beautiful flowers. You shouldn't have.
Well, they were having a sale, so I thought "Well, why not?"
Thank you.
I just love it when it's so nice and warm. Don't you, Johnny?
Yeah. I was saying... I like it. It opens the pores.
Mr Kovak was just saying how much he likes the cold.
Well, what I meant is, I like it both ways.
I like to be hot and cold at the same time. It...
- (they giggle) - Guess I better be going.
- Well, have fun. - Yes, I'll try.
- I'll have her back in about a month or so. - Oh, I'm sure.
It was nice meeting you.
We'll have a good time.
- Nice meeting you. - Nice meeting you.
(Johnny) Don't breathe.
I do great train imitations. I've been doing it all my life, since I was a kid.
- Wanna hear a train? - Sure.
Let me see.
(imitates train whistle)
Hey, Johnny! How you doing?
Hiya, Vince.
I was showing Anna my train imitation.
Oh, yeah? You always were a bit of an engineer.
I see you won yourself a doll, too.
Anna, this is Vince Doyle, and Jocko. I don't know the girls.
- This is Bonnie and Rosie. - Pleased to meet you.
- You always knew how to pick 'em.
- Hey, Vince. How about it, all right? - Sorry.
I hear you're taking your guys out. You're a regular labour leader.
Regular labour leader? Well, I'm just doing my job.
You're whistling past the graveyard, kid.
I think I'm doing the right thing.
Nobody's gonna break that old man's back, not in this town.
We'll see.
- Well, we gotta go. - OK.
Bye, doll.
(imitates train whistle)
Who is that man?
Oh, Vince? Vince works for the church.
- Really. - No. He's just some guy I grew up with.
Vince never had good manners like me. Hm?
Wanna go spend some dimes? Wanna hear my train imitation?
Everybody gather round. I want bright boy here to hear this so he knows the rules.
We're out on strike. That means there's no trucks going in or coming out.
This is the boundary!
What did the police say?
They'll be arrested if they destroy property.
I told you we'd be back, Talbot! I told you we'd be back.
We're on strike! You can't win!
That damned Roosevelt. What this country needs is Douglas MacArthur.
Hey, Jack. Rest of you guys come on over here.
- Do you need a hand? - What do you think?
Is that all right? Watch it, it's still wet. Take these on over to Higgins.
(lorry toots horn)
OK, let's go. Lift it up. Watch it. Don't tear that canvas. Thatta way. Good.
- Father, you know these fellers here. - Hello, Father.
It's a three-ring circus. You said it wouldn't even last a month, Arthur.
They can't hold out much longer, sir.
(Talbot) That bohunk's not gonna put a circus tent on my doorstep.
Call the Law and Order League.
# Let's go down and join the union
# Let's go down and join right now
(singing continues)
(whistles along with strikers)
- How you holding up? - Pretty good. And you?
I can go another eight hours. Linda, you washed more cups.
I finally got you something to eat. It's not much but go ahead.
- There you go. - Thank you.
- Hi, Molly. - There you go.
(engine starts)
- There's a truck. - There's a truck.
I want you to pull against them.
- Looks like they got guns. - Hold it.
# So let's go down and join the union
(man) Hey! Look out! Look out! Get out the way!
Get back. That way. Go now!
What you're doing is illegal!
What the hell's the matter with you guys?
- Johnny, they're burning the tent. - It's on fire!
Damn you, Talbot! You and your lousy scabs!
- Johnny! - Come on!
You goddamn bastards!
Get out of the way!
Get outta the way! You damn butchers!
Mike?
Butchers! Damn you to hell, Talbot!
Mike!
Ah, Christ!
(Anna weeps)
(Johnny) Did I do this? Is this my fault? This is my fault.
- I'm sure it's my fault. - No.
(priest conducts burial service in Latin)
(priest continues with service)
You know, Monahan and my old man,
they used to tie one on at Cassidy's... every Saturday.
Whistling past the graveyard, isn't that what I said?
We're all in it now, Vince.
It's got nothing to do with me.
- Yeah. What's in it for you? - That's right. What's in it for me?
And let me ask you something. What the hell is in it for you? Get off it, Johnny.
People we buried are our people.
My people's anybody who pays.
They're our people!
Johnny, what you need is real push. Real push is what I got.
I need it now.
Well, that's gonna cost you.
We got a fund.
Well... I'll see what I can do.
OK.
- Thanks. - It's about time you wised up.
- I'll see you, kid. - Goodbye.
Don't do it, Johnny.
Wanna keep burying people?
Bring Vince and his crowd in, they'll screw up this union.
- They won't be in for life. - Vince comes, he'll never get out.
- Without help we ain't got a union. - We can do it!
- We need push. - And how are we gonna know?
- Know what? - The difference.
What difference?
Between them and us.
We got trouble here. I'm gonna straighten things out.
Hi, Johnny.
- You know Vince. - Long time.
How you doing? Graham's talking against the strike.
- Let me talk to him. - What the hell's gonna happen next?
Don't worry, I'll take care of it.
What are you gonna tell these men now?
I'm glad you came down, Max.
Talbot's gonna meet with me tomorrow.
You took these men out, I'm getting their jobs back.
Let's talk. I need your help on something, Max.
Yeah, I'll bet you do. I'll see you men in a couple of minutes.
We'll be back.
You should have asked for my help before you started all this.
I can't argue about that.
What's on your mind?
- What is this? - Get the door.
What is this?
You're going to see Talbot?
That's right, Kovak.
You're gonna sell us out, Max, aren't you? Make us go back for nothing. Aren't you?
I don't have to talk to you.
I don't have to tell you anything. I discussed this with the men.
Train leaves in an hour. You're going back to Indianapolis.
Like hell I am!
You crazy?! I'm the president of this union!
No, Max. You're a salesman.
- You'll sell us out. - You son of a bitch.
You're gonna sell us out, make us go back for nothing. But this is our fight, our strike.
This is our local. It belongs to us.
You're out of it.
All right.
You do it your way.
You wanna stand alone?
I'll see you at the next funeral.
Let's go.
Settle down! You guys without any seats, stand along the sides.
(Abe) You guys got seats, sit down, we can get outta this sweatbox.
Order! Thank you.
I just wanna say before we get started
that Max Graham got called back to Indianapolis on sudden business,
but he wanted me to tell you that he's with us 200 per cent.
We're gonna go back out there.
They're not gonna beat us down no more.
They're not gonna burn us down no more.
They're not gonna shoot us down no more.
Cos if they do, we're gonna do what Mike did.
We're coming at 'em with everything we got.
And I'm saying to Consolidated right now,
we gotta do any more burying in the graveyard,
they better get out their shovels cos we're through taking punches.
(men shout)
You don't win a fight taking a punch!
Nobody ever won a fight taking a punch!
You see what this says? This ain't a bunch of letters like any other union.
It says FIST! And that's what we are.
Every guy in here, a fist. One fist!
One fist!
One fist! What are you?
- FIST! - What are you?
FIST! FIST! FIST! FIST!
(chanting continues)
(phone)
OK, kid. Go ride your bike.
Vinnie? A Consolidated truck, just going over the bridge.
OK. Al, Lefty, Lard, go pay 'em a call.
(phone)
Don't overdo it. Yeah.
Yeah. OK. Thank you.
We got another one. Just left terminal warehouse. You and Chuck, go get him.
Keep those guys back there. Keep 'em back. Lotta space between 'em, boys.
Hey, scab! Scab! Scab! Scab!
- What are we? - FIST!
Hiya, Hank. How's the wife and kids?
- What are we? - FIST!
(men chant) FIST! FIST! FIST! FIST! FIST!
Car 47 to Cleveland PD. Need assistance at front gate, Consolidated. Over.
Hold it. Hold it!
Anything wrong?
Hey, Vince! Here they come!
It's time.
It's time!
Slow down. Hold it here.
Come on!
Jocko, let's go.
Get that son of a bitch! Get him!
Fire!
Come on!
Get 'em back. C'mon, get 'em back.
(gunshot)
(Abe) Johnny!
Johnny!
Hey, scab.
Johnny!
Johnny, stop it! Stop it, you're killing him.
Get outta here. Go!
(cheering)
Insurance. Pay hike. Overtime. It's all there, gentlemen.
You said before you were concerned about the men's welfare?
Well, now we're satisfied.
Thank you.
Then it's a deal?
- Congratulations. - Thanks a lot.
Uh, I hope we can work together better in the future, Mr Kovak.
Bank on it.
- I don't know. - Morning, Vince. What have you got?
146 business agents. 12 states of the Midwest.
And here's a wire for you from Graham.
Max Graham, some president - collect. Read this. Morning.
- Almost 100 per cent company sign-up. - Almost.
- Who's giving us trouble? - One outfit in Chicago.
Some guy named Vasko runs it.
Another hard-headed hunky.
Vasko, huh? Why won't he sign?
His guys don't wanna join up, he says. We gotta do something.
The guy's a nobody.
They all gotta join. It's for their own good. You know that.
- Give Chicago Local a call. - Sure, Johnny.
Let me handle it. OK?
- Lookin' good, isn't it? - (door bell)
Who's that?
(# "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Bing Crosby on radio)
- Frank Vasko? - Yeah.
Johnny Kovak, from the union.
Mrs Vasko, I'm John Kovak. How are you?
- Good evening. - Helen, take Aggie upstairs awhile.
She don't have to go no place on account of me, Frank.
Merry Christmas, Aggie.
That angel you have on the tree? That's the same angel we have back at home.
My mother puts it up there every year. Wouldn't seem like Christmas without it.
What the hell you come here for? You can't scare me.
Those business agents you sent? I had to put one of them through a glass window.
You're a rough guy, Frank. Anyone can see that.
But understand, this ain't nothing personal.
Our folks probably came over in the same boat. Am I right?
- Beszélsz magyarul? - Jobban, mint angolul.
- Then what are we arguing for? - They don't wanna sign up, Johnny.
They took a vote. They don't wanna pay dues.
Look, we got our own insurance. My guys have got the best overtime in Chicago.
They got the best pay in Illinois. What they wanna sign up for?
There's other guys, with other companies, that ain't got it so good.
Ah!
We gotta think about all the guys out there on the road.
We gotta have 'em all signed up, everybody.
Everybody doesn't live like this. We gotta bring 'em all together.
Look! I'm not gonna force my men to do something they don't wanna do.
We can't make no exceptions, Frank.
Ahogy akarod. Merry Christmas.
Don't burn yourself, Mishka.
What have we got here?
Presents good. Mishka, I help you. I help you, Mishka.
Come on, everybody. The duck is ready.
The duck's ready!
- Open yours. - I got one?
- Yes. - Get outta here.
- Which hand? - That one.
Merry Christmas, Anna.
- Oh! - Yes or no?
Listen to him, giving me orders again.
Yes or no?
It's not supposed to happen like this, in here. I...
- Try it on. No, this... - No, this one.
Johnny!
(Mrs Zerinkas) Where are they?
- Let's go tell 'em. - No, it can wait a minute.
- OK? - All right.
(shrieking)
I'm gonna give it to you. Merry Christmas.
(# aria from Puccini's La Bohčme)
- How's the club doing? - Oh, fine, fine.
Jocko's running it for me while I'm away.
You gotta come by. Haven't seen you in a long time.
Very difficult for me to get away.
Big operation going on. Big business, Vincent.
Listen, listen. Since the last time we spoke, my wife had a baby.
- No kidding. - Yeah. Look at that. Look at that kid.
- Isn't that beautiful, huh? - Oh, Jesus! Johnny.
He has the most beautiful hands I ever saw.
- He looks like you, Babe. - I hope so. I put a lot of work into it.
Everybody wants dessert.
Fix me a nice plate of zeppole di San Giuseppe.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe.
So, uh... how about it, Babe?
(# tenor aria)
Look, you want me to talk to this guy... What's his name?
- (Vince) Vasko. - Vasko? I'll talk to him. For your friend.
(Vince) We figured, this being Chicago, it'd be better if you took care of it.
(Babe) Sure. Home team.
Just some talking.
You owe me.
He's gonna remember, huh, Vince?
Johnny don't forget. He's 100 per cent.
100 per cent? 100 per cent? Nobody's 100 per cent.
Nobody.
- (Babe) Salute. - (glasses chink)
- Yes? - Mrs Vasko?
- Yes. - May we come in?
What do you? My God! No, no! God, no!
Ah, no! God, no!
Tell Frank, next time we ain't gonna stop.
We got to be there by eight o'clock. Why can't you pick it up in the morning?
- It'll only take a minute. I'll be right out. - Yeah, yeah. I've heard that before.
It's really very simple.
We're not asking for much.
Your drivers, they don't deliver liquor to any bar
unless that bar's got one of our company's jukeboxes in it. That's all.
- How many boxes are you talking about? - How many?
2-3,000 at least.
Here, Michigan, Illinois.
- Sounds like I don't have any choice. - Sure you do, Johnny.
But Babe did help us out with that Vasko situation.
And we'll help your men, the union, in whatever way we can.
I got a lotta respect for you, John.
- Sure. - All right, then? We got a deal?
John?
(Babe) Congratulations, John.
Vince, we'll talk. Oh, John, I understand you're getting married.
Well, that's very nice. I'd like to give you a wedding present.
- I don't need nothing. - Need? Who's talking about need?
You're becoming an important man, John. You gotta start living in some style.
Buy yourself a nice home. That's my gift to you and your new bride.
- I said I don't need nothing. - Babe's just trying...
- I know what he's trying to do, Vince. - Never mind, it's all right. It's all right.
John, really, I was only trying to help you out, that's all.
Now, believe me, from the bottom of my heart,
I hope your marriage is blessed like mine has been.
Cento anni.
Buona fortuna.
To Anna.
(photographer) Smile.
(cheering)
(cheering and applause)
(band plays East-European-style dance music)
- Mishka, you're stepping on my feet. - Swing it, swing it!
(Abe) Hey, Mishka! Give a guy a break, will ya?
- You look very beautiful. - Thank you.
- Take good care of him. - I plan to.
I'm supposed to stand around here watch a bunch of hunkies dancing with my wife.
(Johnny) Nobody better have a cold.
C'mon, I wanna talk to you.
All right. Yeah, we'll talk.
- Hey, Mishka, how about another song? - Come on, Mishka.
Dance, Mishka.
Ah, here it is.
- No. - What are you doing?
- Looking for the wine. - We got our own wine downstairs.
No. It's not in there. There it is.
- That belongs to the priest. - No, it belongs to God.
I know. I've been around this place a lot more than you have.
Remember when Mom made me be an altar boy?
I came here every morning and drank the priest's wine. Why?
Because it's the best wine. If the priest drinks it, it's good enough for me.
Here's to you and Molly. I toast you.
No, wait a minute. That frame of hers - she must be wearing you out.
Don't get mad at me. You can tell me, I'm a married man.
What'd you do, Johnny?
- What? - Jesus! What did you do?
I don't... I got married. I...
You took, didn't you? You took.
I had to stop off at the office. I heard you. You're gonna buy yourself a nice home.
- Listen. - No, you listen!
You're gonna piss it all away, everything - everything we built up.
You and those punks. Pushing guys, doing things they don't wanna.
- I only did what's good for the guys. - Jukeboxes, that's good for the guys.
- It ain't gonna hurt nothing. - You sold out.
- Don't say that. - You sold out.
- We had something clean. - Clean?!
Why don't you go on the street and tell me what's clean?
Ain't nothing clean. Ain't nothing clean.
But look what we got the guys. We got 'em more money, insurance.
I don't like it no more than you, but we'd have nothing without Doyle and Milano.
You know that.
(Abe sighs)
I'm leaving tomorrow for the West Coast. I talked to Graham, he needs my help.
All right. So when you coming back?
We're moving out there, me and Molly.
Christ, Abe, come on.
We're growing big here.
I need your help. This is where you belong.
I mean, you and me, we... built this whole thing together.
You're like my brother. You're like my brother.
You're the only guy... I can't trust nobody.
I'm telling you.
(band plays East European style dance music)
# He rocks in the treetops all the day long
# Hopping and a-bopping and a singing this song
# All the little birds on Jaybird Street
# Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet
- # Rocking robin - # Tweet tweet tweet
- # Rocking robin - # Tweet tweedlee-dee
# Go, rocking robin, cos we're really gonna rock tonight
# Tweet tweedlee-dee
# Every little swallow, every chickadee
# Every little bird in the tall oak tree
# The wise old owl, the big black crow
# Flapping their wings
Ah, Mr Kovak, welcome. I'm Peter Jacobs, head of Public Relations.
Nice hand you got there, Peter. Bernie Marr, my assistant.
Mr Graham is expecting you in his office. May I take your coat?
Johnny! Great to see you.
Hey, you gotta tell me how you keep looking this fit.
Exercise, Max, exercise. How you been? You know Bernie Marr, my assistant.
You know Mike Quinn.
- Bob Wilson. - How you been? Abe Belkin show up?
No. He's in Frisco, negotiating. He can't make it.
- Nice setup, huh, Johnny? - Yeah.
- You wanna drink? - No. It's too early for me, Max.
Hey, we got a masseur downstairs. Do you wanna freshen up a bit?
- Your own masseur. - It's impressive.
I was just checking out the place here. What is that? Mahogany?
No. It's walnut. Good for the image. You know what I mean, Johnny?
- I know what you mean. - The regional meeting's beginning.
- OK. How long you staying? - You wanna know when I'm leaving?
No. After the meeting, Secretary of Labor's holding a press reception.
Wanna make sure you're gonna be around.
(man) Senator! How are you?
I'm fine, thank you.
The contracts you've gotten earns you the respect of the entire trucking industry.
- What paper are you with? - Washington Post.
Bernie, make sure we get a subscription.
Tell me, Mr Kovak. How do you manage to get your men such good contracts?
- And what paper are you with? - Johnny.
This is Senator Andrew Madison, of Pennsylvania.
He's the chairman of the Senate Rackets Committee.
Is that right? I thought it was a press reception.
- Labour's always been of interest to me. - Are we on television?
Are you gonna answer the question?
I was curious how come you always were able to get your men such good contracts.
I learned something a long time ago.
You can get anything you want in this country with a little bit of push.
That's good. Oh, that's good.
Thank you, Mr Kovak. Excuse me.
What about this Senate race?
I don't know about this guy. What's his name? Buford?
Belford. We've got three letters from George Williams asking our support.
I know that, but the only time I met the guy, he shook hands like this. Like a fish.
- He's gonna lose. - Yeah. So what do we give him? Five?
I would never give him five. You give him two as a favour to the judge. And, Vince?
- Yeah? - You better get a receipt.
- (Bernie) Somebody to see you. - I told you, no more appointments today.
That include your best man?
- Abe. How are you? - How are you, Johnny?
So every couple of years you miss me. You come back.
- What's on your mind? - Toys.
Toys? (laughs)
You know that model truck on your desk?
- Sure. - Every local in the country's got one.
100 bucks apiece. Over 1,000 locals in the country. That's a lot of money.
- It is a lot of money. - How come you bought one?
My secretary got it.
You got one the same reason my local got one.
Cos we all got a letter from Max Graham suggesting we get a couple.
Know who owns the company made those toys?
- No. - Graham's wife.
- You sure? - What I hear.
That's right out of the guys' pockets.
- You heard? You have any proof? - Want me to forget about it?
- Did I say that? Let me look into it. - Then what?
- If it checks out I'll do something about it. - Like what?
Hey, Abe. You think I'd let that bum get away with taking from the guys? Do you?
Let me handle it. OK?
What'd you and Abe talk about?
He thinks that Graham is taking from the guys.
Is he?
Hm. He doesn't have any proof.
What are you gonna do about it?
I don't know. You know Abe, he's always getting carried away.
- Johnny? - Yeah?
Maybe you'd better check it out.
I think I'll have Bernie do that.
First, I'm gonna check you out.
Hah? Ah, yeah, I love you, girl.
- Hey! - Strike!
Lucky?
- All right. You're up, Babe. - You're hot tonight.
- I've been working on it. - So you had a nice time in Washington?
It's still Washington.
I saw you on TV. Everybody in Detroit's talking about you.
What are they saying about me?
They wished they had you up there to keep an eye on Henry Ford.
Ah, John, John. How are the boys, huh?
- How's Mike? And Kevin? - He's still growing.
That's nice. That's very nice.
(Babe) My boy Anthony's off to college.
- (Johnny) Yeah? - West Point.
- West Point? - Where do the years go, huh?
(Johnny) They just go.
John, my partners and I, we had a little discussion.
- We need an extension on that last loan. - That's gonna be hard.
Hard? Nobody said life's easy.
- Hah? - How much more?
Two point five.
I don't think you have that kind of collateral.
We got years of collateral, though, John. Years.
(Vince) You're up, Johnny.
That's some manicure you got.
Manicure? What's the matter with a manicure?
All these years, John? All these years and you're still a hunky?
(chuckling)
(# "Stomping at the Savoy" by Chick Webb)
(# cha-cha-cha music)
- You were right about Graham. - You got the proof.
Bernie's got records showing that Graham's wife owns that toy company.
It's misappropriation of union funds. When this gets out...
- It's not gonna get out. - What?
- We don't need any bad press. - What about Graham?
Let me handle it.
We'll take care of 'em. We got a great team here.
Johnny? Uh, talk to you, Eddie.
Come in, come in. We'll finish this off later, Karen.
- Not interrupting anything, are we? - It'll keep.
- How you doing, Max? - Vince, how are you?
- Bernie. - Mr Graham.
- Johnny. - How are you?
- You're looking good. How about a drink? - Not before noon.
- Bernie? - No, thank you.
- Vince? - No.
Well...
I'll have one. Here's looking at you.
- You like the ponies, Max? - What?
The track. Do you like the track?
What do you mean?
Sometimes I see a race or two, sure, but I... You sure you don't want a drink?
Max, do you own a horse named Dancing Fancy?
- Yeah. - You have a trainer named Rafelli?
Danny Rafelli.
- He's on salary as a business agent? - He looks after our interests at the track.
- You have a public relations firm? - I'm a partner, yeah.
John Gottlieb and Associates, that you paid $75,000 to last year?
That's legitimate union business.
Most of that money was used on yourself.
- They bought me a gift. - Six dozen undershirts.
- Eight televisions. Golf balls and clubs. - They're business gifts.
Sheets and pillowcases. 30 pairs of nylons. Two lawnmowers.
What about that toy company your wife has? What do you make off of that, Max?
23 years ago you said to me "You'll take, Kovak."
You should never have said that, Max.
When I was first elected president of this union,
we had 200,000 members.
Today, we're over two million.
(cheering and applause)
The past 20 years have been the best years of my life.
So it's with a heavy heart...
that I tell you
because of medical, family problems
I cannot stand for another term.
(delegates shout complaints)
I place in nomination
a man who has the respect of every member,
the head of our Midwest council for many years,
the only man capable of leading this great union... Johnny Kovak.
(jeering and cheering)
(delegates chant) Kovak! Kovak! Kovak! Kovak!
(Johnny) By joining hands with your brothers all over this country,
and your brothers in Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii,
we'll see this international moving together as never before.
(cheering and applause)
And with your support,
I will get you the biggest pay hike in the history of this union!
(cheering)
You work hard, you deserve it, and I'm gonna see that you get it.
I promise you that.
(delegates chant) Kovak! Kovak! Kovak!
FIST! FIST!
FIST! FIST! FIST! FIST!
God bless you.
(TV) And with your support,
I will get you the biggest pay hike in the history of this union!
... and I'm gonna see that you get it.
(newscaster) There were more than a thousand delegates
as John D Kovak received an almost unanimous endorsement
as the new international president of the Federation of Interstate Truckers.
Washington. President Eisenhower told newsmen that...
I'll tell you who's a very happy man tonight. Babe Milano.
- I think we should check into Kovak. - No, no, no, no.
You keep working on Milano. See what you can dig up.
And I'm gonna stay very close to Mr Kovak.
Gentlemen, the cost-of-living increase is five and a half per cent.
You want an eight per cent hike, Mr Kovak?
We'll go seven.
Eight. The number is eight.
We will go seven only. With a "no strike" clause.
And a flat guarantee you'll settle all wildcats within 48 hours.
If you want guarantees, you'll pay the price.
The price is too high, Mr Kovak.
So are your profits.
(man) All right, gentlemen.
After much deliberation,
we're willing to go to a ceiling of seven and a half per cent across the board.
We think that's more than fair.
Of course you do. But the number, gentlemen, is eight.
- Seven and a half. - Eight.
Absolutely no way, Kovak.
I thought you were smart businessmen. But you're not.
Do you have any idea how much money you're gonna lose in a national strike?
- They went to seven. - (audience) No!
- Seven and a half. - No!
- But you wanted eight? - Yeah!
- I got ya eight! - (cheering and applause)
(Madison) I'm pleased that we're having this closed executive session.
I believe that the Rackets Committee should expand its investigations.
Now, I say this with some regret.
I have long had respect for the labour movement and its accomplishments,
but I find it frightening that the head of one of the largest unions in this country
may, I say "may", have ties to the bosses of organised crime.
(Babe) So how about it? C'mon, they can't prove anything.
It's business, John.
You make loans out of the pension fund to all kinds of people.
You're charging us the same thing you charge everybody else.
Madison's got subpoenas in every local in the country.
Madison, Madison. C'mon, will ya?
He'll grab a couple of headlines, fold the committee and move on. Huh?
What do you say, huh, John? Huh?
Our Dunn and Bradstreet is the best.
- Call it a favour. - When do these favours end?
This is the last favour, Babe.
- Whaddya want? - This is a subpoena. It requires you to...
You just tell me what you want.
I'll tell you what we want.
We want a list of Local 302's financial assets from 1952.
We don't have 'em.
A list of banks where those assets are deposited.
We don't have 'em.
Names and salaries of Midwest Council business agents.
Don't have 'em.
Records of Local 302's property investments.
(with Vince) We don't have 'em.
And what about 302's political contributions?
We don't have those either.
- What do you mean? - We had a burglary here last week.
- They cleaned out the files. Right? - That's right, Vince.
- A burglary? - (Vince) Yeah.
There's a bad element moving into this neighbourhood. Robberies all over.
I assume that you made out a police report.
- Did you, Vince? - Absolutely.
- Anything show up yet? - Not so far, John.
- You give 'em a call. - Sure thing.
Gentlemen, I don't think you understand.
That subpoena gives us the right to go through your files.
I want you to get out of my office.
I'll leave your office, Mr Kovak.
But when I come back next time, it'll be with a federal marshal.
Don't waste the taxpayers' money. We have a clean outfit.
If you wanna get a reputation, get it somewhere else.
Let's go, Davie.
- We've got still another problem. - Yeah?
- Abe's called a wildcat strike. - What?
- He can't. We've got a national contract. - What's he trying to do?
He says he doesn't care about any contract. He's going out in 48 hours.
(shouting)
- What's going on here? - Abe Belkin?
- You know who I am. - You got an unauthorised strike here.
We've been instructed not to honour this picket line.
Who instructed you?
Vincent Doyle, senior vice president.
We're brothers in this union and you won't honour this picket line?!
- You got an unauthorised wildcat strike! - I don't give a damn!
(shouting)
We ain't moving!
... of the strikers were hospitalised.
Senator Andrew Madison, the chairman of the Senate Rackets Committee,
said he will hold public hearings to probe alleged underworld ties with the union.
Well, I think it's a sad day for the labour movement of this country
when any union has to resort to force to deal with its own rank and file.
(interviewer) Will you call Mr Kovak to testify?
You can count on that.
Now what'd you do? What the hell did you do, Vince?
- Nothing. - I said stop it, not put them in hospital.
- Nobody meant to hurt nobody. - You think Madison's gonna buy that?
Do you think the press is gonna buy it? Just about had it with you.
- Babe, can you give us a comment? - Mr Milano, how about a comment?
Beautiful day, isn't it?
Would you have been losing money, as has been implicated?
I love your hat.
(Madison) You're a friend of John D Kovak, aren't you, Mr Milano? Mr Milano?
Mr Milano, please. I said, you're a friend of John D Kovak, aren't you?
I know him, sure.
How long have you had this friendship?
Oh, I know him... I don't know. I've known him a long time, Senator.
A long time. What is it? Five, ten, twenty years?
Twenty years, I'd say.
Have you ever had any trouble with the police?
A long time ago, Senator. But I'm not gonna deny it.
Could you give us a list of your arrests?
- No, I can't recall. - You can't recall?
You can't recall extortion, suspicion of murder and of conspiracy to murder?
Isn't it a fact that you are a leading figure of organised crime in this country?
No, it's not. I'm a businessman, that's all.
- There's no such thing as that. - As what?
That, uh... organised crime.
Whenever crime happens, it's always pretty disorganised, you ask me.
I'd like to ask you a question, Mr Milano.
Isn't it a fact that you own
the major interest of the Pyramid Enterprises Corporation of Las Vegas?
It's all on my income tax form.
And that corporation secured a loan of two and a half million dollars
from the pension fund of the Federation of Interstate Truckers?
That's no secret.
Did you talk to your friend Mr Kovak about lending you the money?
I talked to the trustees of the pension fund.
Did you talk to your friend Mr Kovak about giving you the loan?
Nobody likes to negotiate with him, Senator.
I'd rather negotiate with you any day.
(laughter)
- (Madison) State your name. - (Vince) I decline to answer,
because I honestly believe the answer might incriminate me.
Are you saying that you're afraid that if you give your name,
that'll incriminate you?
It might.
It must be very difficult to have a name that's such a burden.
(laughter)
(horns)
Isn't it a fact, Mr Doyle, that without the consent of the membership,
union funds are being used to further the interests of organised crime?
- I object to this line of questioning. - Answer the question.
I refuse to answer
because I honestly believe that the answers might incriminate me.
Well, is there any question that this committee could possibly ask you
whose answer would not incriminate you?
- I respectfully decline... - That's enough.
You disgust me, sir.
We'll reconvene at nine o'clock, Monday morning.
I'm worried about this country, about the fact that he paralysed this city.
He paralysed the capital. Does that mean nothing to you? Or does he own you, too?
- What the hell are you talking about? - I'll tell you.
You worked for Kovak, and he's owned by Babe Milano. It's that simple.
I work for the union, nobody else!
- We'll handle our own problems. - When?
You see, my committee's ready to handle it now.
Not years from now. Think about that.
Well, I could say that your silence condones what's happening.
All we need... is a little filler... background.
Mr Belkin... please.
(Vince) Johnny, will you listen? Abe is gonna testify.
- He came here to see Madison. - I don't believe that, Vince.
I've had a tail on him for days. He was there.
- I can't believe that. - Didn't I tell ya some day he'd turn on ya?
All right, you told me. But I can't believe that.
Well, Johnny, you'd better believe it.
- We gotta get Milano to handle this. - I want Milano out of it.
You know what'll come out - the jukeboxes, the loans, everything.
- They're gonna pin a bribe on ya! - I never took nothing.
They're gonna ruin you and us. They're gonna ruin this union!
Shut up! Nobody's gonna ruin the union!
Tell him.
Vince is right, Johnny.
(Babe) You know the kinda heat we're getting? I'm not just talking about me.
- All of us. - (Johnny) I can handle 'em.
(Babe) The Justice Department, Treasury, FBI, you'll handle the whole government?
- What do you want me to do, Babe? Run? - I don't know.
I was talking to some of my friends.
Maybe you ought to let Vince run it, huh?
Resign? You want me to resign.
- Think of the heat. - You don't tell me how to run my union.
- Now listen. - You don't tell me that, all right?
Belkin testifies, you're through.
He isn't gonna take that stand.
Don't even think it. You hear me?
John,
hey, we've been friends a long time.
We ain't never been friends.
Kovak! Time to retire.
(door bell)
- Can I help you? - I'd like to talk to Abe Belkin.
- Abe Belkin is not here. If you'd like... - Johnny. It's all right.
- Hello, Molly. - You shouldn't have come here.
- I gotta talk to Abe. - He doesn't wanna talk.
It's important that I talk to him.
- (Molly) He doesn't... - Who is it?
- It's Johnny. - Johnny?
Johnny. Remember me?
It's all right.
It's Johnny Kovak, from the union.
What the hell you doing down here, Abe?
It's all right.
We got nothing to talk about.
- How you feeling? - Fine.
What's that you're fixing? A chair?
- Yeah. - You always were good with your hands.
Johnny, say what you gotta say.
All right. Look, Abe, you got a family.
Now, that's gotta be the most important thing to you. Am I right?
It is. It's your job to stay safe.
So, please, we got problems?
Don't testify for Madison, take 'em before the union review board.
Johnny, you are the union review board.
I don't wanna see you get hurt.
You gonna hurt me, Johnny?
No.
I came to help.
I know.
All I wanna do is clean it up, get it right.
Get rid of Milano, Doyle, people like that, who never should have been allowed in.
I'm sorry. You slept with them, I didn't. I don't owe them nothing.
But I had to make deals. You know that.
I know, I know.
Do you have to do it?
Yeah.
Then do it.
Know what the problem is?
What?
We should never have left the old neighbourhood.
Take care of yourself, all right?
Sure you don't want me to come?
No. I don't you to be bothered by all those reporters.
I could stay in the hotel.
Nah. It's best you stay here.
Now, this won't be a long trip, all right?
- You'll call as soon as you land? - Sure, sure. Where are the boys?
- In school. - I must be going senile.
I love you.
What brought that on?
Must be the heat.
You stay outta the heat.
Unfortunately he has a habit of wasting taxpayers' money.
The only way to use dues is to use them against senators.
Mr Kovak, are you not in bed with Babe Milano?
Can we have a quote?
(applause)
(gavel)
Will you rise, Mr Kovak?
Do you solemnly swear the evidence you give before this Senate select committee
shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
- I do. - (crowd mumbles)
- (gavel) - (Madison) Can we have quiet, please?
Can we have quiet?
I'm sure we all want to hear every single word that Mr Kovak has to say.
But before we begin this hearing,
I'd like to express my sympathy.
Abe Belkin, a West Coast union official,
who was scheduled to testify here today,
was killed less than 12 hours ago.
Senator Madison. Senator Madison!
Senator Madison, in consideration of these events,
I move for a postponement of this hearing for at least 48 hours.
(Madison) I'm sure we're all grieved by Mr Belkin's demise,
but I don't see that as grounds for a postponement.
Does Mr Kovak wish to have a postponement? If so, for what reason?
Senator, I'm sure everybody here realises how close that Mr...
- I came to testify, I'll testify. - (Madison) Thank you, Mr Kovak.
Uh, just for the record,
you are the international president of the Federation of Interstate Truckers?
Would you speak up? We can't hear you.
Yes.
And how many members do you have in your union?
Nearly three million.
What exactly is the scope of your authority as president?
- I represent the men. - Is that all?
In a recent article in a national magazine, you're quoted as stating
"everything on wheels" is yours.
(crowd groans)
I represent the men.
But isn't it frightening to think of all that power in the hands of one man?
- No, Senator, it doesn't. - I see.
Isn't it a fact that the Federation gained a reputation for strong-arm tactics?
That's not true.
And isn't it a fact that many of your members,
especially the business agents, have criminal records?
- Some. - You admit that?
Senator, because a man makes a mistake, should his life be ruined?
I was arrested over 30 times in strike actions, trying to get a living wage.
Am I a criminal for that?
Do you think that Vincent Doyle, a vice president of your union,
should be suspended from office
because he refused to testify here on the grounds of self-incrimination?
- If he takes the Fifth? - That's right.
It's part of the Bill of Rights. It's in the Constitution.
It's what this country's all about. You make the laws. I can't go against that.
(laughter)
Do, uh... do you know Anthony Milano?
- I know him. - You're friends?
I know him.
Didn't your union recently give one of Mr Milano's concerns
a loan of two and a half million dollars from your pension fund
and additional loans totalling six point two million dollars?
Yes.
Did Mr Milano ask you to get him that loan as a favour?
- He asked the trustees. - You're one of the pension fund trustees.
- Yes, I am. - So then you voted to give him the loan?
- Along with 11 others. - How long have you known Mr Milano?
A long time.
Have you and he ever been involved in previous business transactions?
There might have been one.
I have here a sworn statement by Abe Belkin stating otherwise.
What about the Haley Jukebox Company of Pontiac, Michigan?
Isn't it a fact that when you headed the Midwest council of your union,
you forced businessmen to use Haley jukeboxes?
I personally never forced anyone.
Didn't you tell bar owners that unless they used Haley,
- your drivers would never deliver liquor? - At the time I didn't have a choice.
Oh, come on now, Mr Kovak! We all have a choice.
Isn't it a fact that at the time Haley Jukeboxes was owned by Mr Milano?
He may have had an interest in it, yes.
Yes. Isn't it true that to convince you to help his firm Mr Milano paid you a bribe?
That's a lie! That's... Get away from me!
A bribe in the form of a wedding present?
- That's some lie you dreamed up. - You're under oath here, sir.
And I want to tell you something. I have tapes and depositions that says
you're dreaming if you think you can discredit this hearing. You are under oath!
I know what I'm under. I never took anything in my life.
- Nothing? - Nothing.
Did you ever kill anybody, Mr Kovak?
No, Senator, I never killed anybody.
- So your answer's no? - That's right.
- What's right? - That's right that I never killed anybody.
Are you sure?
Isn't it a fact that in 1938, in a strike riot led by you,
you killed a man with an axe handle?
It was self-defence.
And isn't it a fact that you continually and repeatedly beat him about the head
- until you caused his death? - It was self-defence.
Answer the question, Mr Kovak.
Did you commit murder in 1938?
Or more importantly,
did you conspire to arrange the murder of Abe Belkin less than 12 hours ago?
That's a lie! I'm not gonna sit here and be accused of things without any evidence!
- Answer the question. - I tried to give you the truth.
- Abe was like my brother. - Answer the question.
We built this union together! What do you know about anything?!
You just wanna see your name in the paper next a bunch of lies! Get off me!
You think I'll let you make a living off my brother's blood?!
- We can hold you in contempt. - I'm not answering anything any more!
- Then you are in contempt! - I hold you in contempt!
I hold this hearing and Milano in contempt, and I hold myself in contempt!
(muttering)
(gavel)
Silence, please. Silence.
(cheering and applause)
(crowd chants) Kovak! Kovak! Kovak!
Kovak! Kovak! Kovak!
- What are we? - (all) FIST!
- What are we? - FIST!
- What are we? - FIST! FIST! FIST!
- You look tired. - Yeah. It's late, Bernie.
Thank you.
Do you wanna come in for a drink?
- Thanks, Johnny, but I'm really tired. - Sure.
It's just that I wanted to talk. Do you wanna talk?
If it's OK with you, I just wanna go home and get some sleep.
Sure. I understand. OK.
Get some rest. I'll see you in the office in the morning.
Yeah. Good night, Bernie.
Anna?
Anna?! Anna?!
Anna!
Visiontext Subtitles: Adrian Isaac
ENHOH