by Joe Corso
Swifty was right, Bernstein thought. He needed a break. He was working a grueling schedule and it wouldn’t pay to have him become discouraged with the movie business. One thing was for sure. Bernstein didn’t want to burn him out. So, he smiled his most ingratiating smile, put his arm around Swifty’s shoulder paternally, and told him, “Take two months off, Swifty. You deserve it. You’re absolutely right. You have been working much too hard and I’m glad that you came to me and we had this little talk. If you hadn’t, how would I have known that you needed a vacation?” Bernstein thought for a moment, then he asked Swifty, “How much more work do you have to do on this picture?”
“Two weeks and my part will be finished, and then I’m free to take the trip I always wanted to take.”
Bernstein smiled. He felt good about this. “Good! You go on this trip and enjoy your vacation. Then, when you’re good and rested, you come back and I’ll have a new movie for you to make. I’ll find a script that will be better than any you’ve had in the past. Don’t you worry, my boy; Larry Bernstein will take care of you.”
“Thanks, Larry.” Swifty, being Italian, impulsively gave Bernstein an affectionate hug, and it took Larry by surprise. This was a surprise for Larry because most of his stars hated him and didn’t want to be in his company. At the very least, they tolerated him. But Swifty was different. Swifty actually liked Bernstein. Larry sensed it and he felt something different towards the boy. Something paternal, and he liked the feeling. Strange, he thought. I must be getting soft in my old age. He’s a damned fine kid but because he doesn’t give a damn for stardom or the movies, I have to be careful with him. If I piss him off, he’s likely just to walk out of here without giving a damn. These thoughts were on Bernstein’s mind as Swifty left his office, and he would do what was right for him because what was right for Swifty was right for the studio.
Henri and Gonzo were training in New York at Stillman’s when Swifty walked boldly into the gym. Moose stayed in California with Red’s four men. He still had the Nixon family to protect. Moose didn’t like the idea of Swifty traveling alone; he wanted to be with the kid. He thought of him as his little brother and because of what happened to Jimmy the Hat, he always felt he had to watch his back. The only thing Moose missed when traveling with Swifty was Sophia. Moose explained to her at the beginning of their relationship that his first priority had to be Swifty; that was his job and she understood that. They both knew that Swifty would return to Hollywood in a couple of months and although Sophia tried not to show it, she was falling in love with Moose and was glad he didn’t go with Swifty to New York. She had been attracted to Moose from the first time they met in her office when he asked her to find a house in Hollywood Hills for James Roman, the movie star. After Roman’s death, Moose returned to New York and over time, she stopped thinking about him. Then one day, out of the blue, she received a phone call telling her he had returned to California, which caused her heart to flutter. His voice reminded her how much she missed the big lug. This time he asked her to meet with him and his associates to discuss buying a large property. Sophia was a great salesperson and she prided herself on instinctively knowing what properties to show her clients. But this day, her mind was on the man she met who had captured her heart. She could honestly say not many men did that. She had met them in the lobby of their hotel and that’s when Moose shocked her when he told her what type of property he was looking for. He mentioned that he wanted a property big enough to build a movie studio. What made her day was he wanted her, and only her, to find the property and to handle the sale and the closing for them. “I trust you, Sophia, and I want you to handle everything. Is that all right with you?”
“Y-Yes,” she stammered. When she sat down to discuss what he was specifically looking for that she realized Moose was giving her exclusivity on this deal and the size of the commission she would get would be life changing for her if the deal was consummated. Her mind was working so hard that she hadn’t realized that Swifty Card, the movie star, was one of the men sitting at the table until she glanced his way and recognition set in. “Oh my God. It’s Swifty Card,” she said out loud. Moose had brought another good luck charm to her. First, it was James Roman and now it was Swifty Card. When she was introduced to Swifty, she wondered if lightning could strike twice in the same place.
Sophia and Moose went out on a date that night and she found that she enjoyed being with the big guy. They had a wonderful dinner and afterwards they drove to the beach and had a few drinks while sitting at a table by the water near a small cabana. Trouble came in the form of three young criminals hell bent on trouble. They were acting under the orders of Red’s nemesis, federal agent Captain James Lonegan, who promised the three hoodlums that he’d have the drug charges they were facing dropped if they killed Big Red or any of his men. Moose was their target that night because he was the only one to leave the hotel. They planned to kill him, then duck out fast, but Moose, being a street guy, knew what they were up to and surprised them by striking first. When the dust settled, two of the thugs were dead and the third badly wounded. After the fight, Sophia noticed that Moose was bleeding from his head and she insisted they go to her home where she attended his wounds. He stayed with her that night and she realized that it wasn’t infatuation she felt; she was falling in love with the big guy and he with her.
Now Moose was watching Richard Nixon’s family when he should be with Swifty in New York, even though he’d rather be making love to Sophia. When Red was shot five times by a federal agent, it was Moose who saved him by dragging him out of the Starlight Club, taking him to a safe place. After staunching the bleeding, he got a doctor to help him. He stayed with Red for months, tending to his every need while he slipped into and out of the shadow of death. Red discovered first hand while he was lying on the cot, hovering near death, what James Roman meant when he told him that death was whispering in his ear. But thanks to Moose, Red cheated death and he began his slow recovery back to health. Now Red had given Moose the responsibility of watching Swifty’s back. To everyone he was Swifty’s secretary, but in reality, he was his bodyguard and he loved the job. He loved it for two reasons. One, it brought him back to California to work with Swifty, and two, he’d be near Sophia.
Gill Clancy was busy watching Gonzo use his jab. He had been working with him for months trying to get him to use it exactly the way he wanted him to. Now finally, Gonzo was learning the purpose of a jab and what it was supposed to accomplish.
“Jab, jab. Now follow with the right hand. “No, no, not that way. Use the jab to knock him off balance. When the jab rocks his head back, that’s when you follow through with your right hand because he won’t see it coming. Remember, it’s a one-two combination, your jab followed by the right hand. Now let’s do it again.” Gonzo jabbed, jabbed, and then threw the right hand. “Much better,” Clancy bellowed. “One more time. That’s right. Jab, then follow through with the right hand.” Gonzo got into the rhythm of using the jab, followed by a good right hand. Clancy taught him the tools that would make him the world’s Heavyweight Champ, if he just would remember what he was being taught. Now all Gonzo needed to do was practice. “Good. Much better. Now you’re getting the hang of it.” He turned to a sparring partner standing by the ropes. “Get in the ring, Whitey, and work on his jab.” Clancy parted the ropes to widen them enough to allow Whitey room to climb through. He spotted Swifty, who had just entered the gym and was walking towards him. Clancy slipped through the ropes and greeted him.
“What are you doing in New York? I thought you were making a movie.”
“I finished shooting my part. Bernstein told me to take a few months off. Said I been working too hard. I think I’m gonna take a vacation and go to Europe. Maybe go to Sicily and visit my father’s hometown.”
Clancy rubbed his chin without saying a word, while at the same time studying Swifty. It was as if he as if he wanted to tell him something, but didn’t. “Have you spoken to Red since you got here?”
“Yeah. I know he wants to see you. He has something to tell you.”
Swifty’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Do you know what he wants to talk to me about?”
“Yeah, but that’s for him to tell you.”
“Should I be worried?”
“No. It’s nothing to worry about. Go see him and he’ll tell you what’s on his mind. It’s nothing bad, so don’t go getting yourself worked up over nothing. Go on now. Get out of here. Go and surprise Red. I know he’ll be glad to see you.”
CHAPTER 27
Swifty left Stillman's and hailed a cab. Cabbies are always aware of who’s getting into their cab. They’re always alert for someone who might try to hold them up. This cab driver recognized the popular boxer/actor immediately and adjusted his rearview mirror to get a better view of him. “Hi, Mr. Card. I’ve seen all of your pictures.”
“It’s ‘Swifty.’ Call me ‘Swifty.’”
“Anyway, like I was saying, Swifty. I saw all of your pictures and I have to tell you, I really enjoyed them. You come across good on the big screen and, well, I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your pictures and I wish you a lot of luck in your upcoming fight.”
Swifty was confused. “What fight? What are you talking about?”
“Your championship fight. It’s in all the papers. Here, read about it yourself.” The driver picked up the Daily News lying on the seat beside him, reached over, and handed it to Swifty. In large letters on the front page of the sports section was the headline, “Local Boy Movie Star Gets Title Shot.”
Swifty quickly scanned the article and read the informative parts. Then, he handed the paper back to the driver. He thought out loud and said, “So that’s why Red wants to speak to me. He probably told Clancy not to say anything to me in case I happened to stop by Stillman’s first.”
The cab driver listened to every word Swifty said and he inserted himself in the conversation. “Absolutely,” he said. “That’s why Clancy didn’t tell you anything. Red wanted to give you the good news himself.”
Swifty looked at him and thought … only in New York. He couldn’t hold back and laughed. “What, now you’re one of my advisors?”
The cabbie looked at him and grinned. “Hey. You could do a lot worse than me, ya know. And besides, I’m not costing you anything, am I? The cabbie reached over and handed Swifty back the paper.
“What this for?” Swifty asked.
“It’s for you to sign. I told you that I’m not charging you for all my important advice that I’m giving you for free, but it’s gonna cost you your signature.”
Swifty grinned broadly and took the black marker the cabbie held straight up between his fingers like a sentinel. Swifty started to sign the paper but stopped. “What’s your name, cabbie?”
“It’s Paulie. Write something nice ‘to Paulie.’”
Swifty took the marker and wrote, “To my good friend Paulie, The first to tell me I’m fighting the champ. Swifty Card.”
Swifty handed the paper back to Paulie, who looked it over carefully. “Hey that’s very nice of you, Swifty. Thanks. Now here’s my card. If you ever need a cab for a special occasion or, for that matter, any occasion, give me a call. This is my hack. I bought it when I got out of the service. I was lucky. I put my name on the city’s medallion list when I first got back from Korea. A few years went by and I had completely forgotten about the medallion list, when one day I got an unexpected letter from the city. They were issuing cab medallions and I was next on the list. I was real lucky to get one. Once I got the medallion, I bought a cab and I was in business. So … if you ever need me, just call and I’ll be there for you. Deal?”
“Deal,” Swifty replied. “Take care, Paulie. I’ll be in touch,” Swifty said as he handed him the biggest tip Paulie ever received. Swifty knew he was next in line for a championship fight, but nothing was confirmed and no contracts were signed. So when Paulie gave him the papers to read, it was good news for the young fighter.
Swifty walked through the doors of the Starlight Club. Red was sitting at his favorite table with Marilyn Monroe and they both rose as soon as they recognized Swifty. The men at the other table stood when Red did. Ever since the attempt on Marilyn’s life, Red was taking no chances. He made sure his crew was always well dressed, always close, and always armed. When they ventured out, he wanted his men to look and act the part of a professional security team. Red ordered his men to protect Marilyn the same way a regular security detail would. Red walked over to one of the men. “Lefty, get in your car and go find Joey Bones and Shooter. Tell them to drop what they’re doing and get down here as soon as possible. Tell them I want to talk to them.” He looked at Lefty and said, “I’m tired of these punks pushing people around. They kill people with impunity and pin it on someone else. They tried to kidnap and maybe kill Marilyn Monroe and now they’re planning to kill Richard Nixon. I’m sick and tired of this bastard Reynolds walking around as if he’s God. He reminds me of Lonegan, and I hated that son of a bitch. At least when we kill someone there’s a reason behind it. Now get going.
After they left, Red motioned for Swifty to follow him to his office. Once the door closed behind them and they were comfortably seated, Red explained the details of his forthcoming championship bout. You’re gonna have to explain to Larry that you need a month away from the studio to train for this fight.”
Swifty waved his hand dismissively. “That’s not a problem. Bernstein gave me two months off. Said I’ve been working too hard, told me to go to Europe and relax somewhere. I’ll use one month for training, then after I win the title, I’ll take a month off, go to the Italian Riviera, and relax a bit. Maybe I’ll go to Capri and visit the Blue Grotto; I always wanted to go there. Then I’ll go to Sicily and visit my folks' hometown.”
Red rubbed his hands together and smiled. “Good. It’s all set then. Go see Gil Clancy and let him get you in shape for this fight. Listen to what he has to tell you. He’s been watching films of the champ’s fights and he thinks he’s spotted a weakness. Get down there as soon as you can.
Now that Red had all of his loose ends under control, he could now concentrate on Rabbi Liebowitz’s problem. Rabbi Liebowitz had explained to Red that neo-Nazis were giving him trouble at his temple. The rabbi explained how the Nazi group was trying to shake him down. They demanded money and when the rabbi said he didn’t have any, they told him to get it from his wealthy members. Red never allowed anyone to be shaken down in his territory. But what was surprising to him was this was first he heard of a Nazi group brazenly operating in Queens, especially when he was given a report every morning on what was going on in this borough. He motioned for Tarzan to join him at his table. “Ya know, the more I try to get involved with Starlight Productions the more fires I have to put out here in Queens. I want to take care of that rat Reynolds. I have to stop him from hurting Marilyn. I promised to take her to Cal Neva for Sinatra’s opening. I’m looking forward to meeting him, so I can ask him if he’ll agree to perform at our grand opening. Then I have the studio to worry about and now Sammy’s rabbi needs my help. It’s never ending, for Christ sake.”
Tarzan was confused. “What’s with the rabbi, Red? Why get involved with him?”
“This rabbi is Sammy’s friend and he was also Moe’s friend. They both went to the same temple services. I don’t like anyone dictating what religion or God to believe in. If anyone is going to start doing that in my borough, then I’m going to have something to say about it. Everyone has that basic freedom, but now some Nazi group is trying to shake him down. They threatened to destroy his temple if he didn’t pay them. If you want my opinion, I don’t think it’s about the money. I think they want to destroy his temple because they don’t like Jews.”
“Why doesn’t the rabbi go to the police and tell them about it?”
“That’s what he was going to do, but they told him if he went to the police they would hurt his family.”
“So, what are you going to do about this?”
“The first thing I’m going to do is have a little talk with these guys. Maybe they’ll listen to reason. When they find out we’re involved in this along with the rabbi, then maybe they won’t want us coming after them. It’s worth a try. I want you and Trenchie with me when I meet with them and I want Joey Bones, Shooter, and Piss Clam parked nearby where they can see what’s happening. And if any shooting starts, they better come fast with guns blazing.” He excused himself for a moment, called Sammy, and told him to set up a meeting with Rabbi Liebowitz at his temple as soon as possible. “I want to meet with him before those Nazis show up.”
CHAPTER 28
Red had a small army on his payroll and he could bring in a thousand men from his crime family if he had to. If his plan worked out, he wouldn’t need any additional men. Red scanned the room and silently counted heads: Tarzan, Trenchie, Joey Bones, Shooter, Piss Clam, Bull, Lefty, Ziggy, Fat Charlie, and Petey D. The last four were the men Red sent to California to protect the Nixon family. Everyone else was here. The men milled around and talked among themselves, wondering what the reason was for the meeting. At last, Red banged the table with his fist. “Okay, let’s have some quiet in here. This meeting is now called to order.
“You’re all probably wondering why I asked you to come here this morning. The reason is simple. I never intended for us to be involved in this Marilyn Monroe matter, but it couldn’t be helped. I had no idea anything like this would happen that day when I left my attorney’s office. I was in Washington with Joey Bones, Shooter, and Piss Clam. When we got off the elevator, fate intervened because we walked right smack into a firefight. Marilyn Monroe’s bodyguard was killed trying to protect her. To his credit, just before he died, he managed to shove her toward the elevator in a last-ditch effort to save her life. He did his job because by shoving her like he did, he pushed her right into my arms.” There were snickers in the room. Red noticed that the men were holding back laughs. “What’s so funny?”