Hardy took the money and prepared to go out. Henry and Matthew were watching TV in the living room downstairs. The cartoon Tom and Jerry was playing on TV, and the two guys were watching it with great interest.
It was 1945, and the penetration rate of television was still not high, only about 6 or 7 percent in the United States, and there were only a dozen or so TV stations.
The TV was an 11 or 12-inch black and white TV, but it was extremely attractive to people who rarely watched TV programs.
It was not until the 1950s that television became a common consumer product.
"Boss, you're going out. Do you need me to drive for you?" Henry stood up immediately when he saw Hardy coming down.
"Need not."
Just as Hadi was about to go out, he suddenly remembered something.
"Henry, is that fellow you kidnapped still in the cellar?" Hardy asked.
"Yes, I've been locked up for three days." Henry said.
"Find a reason to release him, but don't let him know anything about our situation, and don't associate it with the club robbery." Hardy ordered.
"Also, tell Nick and the others to go out and find out what the Spanish gang is saying and see if they have any action."
"Okay, boss!"
Hardy drove away. Henry scratched his head and looked at Matthew. "Matthew, what do you think we should do with that guy?"
"The easiest way is to just get rid of it and put an end to it. It will definitely not cause so much trouble." Matthew said.
"The boss asked us to find a reason to let him go, not to kill him," Henry said.
At this time, the TV program has changed from Tom and Jerry to a TV drama. The plot is about a woman who was caught by her boss, who took nude photos of her and threatened her to become his lover.
Henry's eyes lit up.
"Matthew, I've got an idea."
Kevin Maddine has been locked in the cellar for three days, and he has been in fear every moment of these three days.
The robbers would probably contact their family members to ask for ransom, right?
How much do you want?
He also heard that many people who paid ransom would be killed.
Will the robber kill himself?
These questions lingered in his mind all the time, which made him worried all the time.
“Bang~!”
The iron cellar door opened.
Two masked men walked in, one of them holding a gun. Kevin shuddered, wondering if they were going to kill him.
"Please don't kill me, I am willing to agree to all conditions, I will take the money, please don't kill me." Kevin begged bitterly.
"Don't talk nonsense, now do everything according to our requirements." Henry said coldly.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
"Take off your clothes, all of them!"
Hmm~!
Kevin was stunned.
What is this for?
Could it be them?
But now he had no choice, Kevin quickly took off his clothes, revealing his not-so-strong body.
Matthew held up his camera.
He started slapping Kevin.
"Don't cover it, let go of your hand."
"Strike a pose, yes, be coquettish."
"Put on a smile, you know, don't look so stiff."
Kevin thought to himself, if he was photographed naked in this situation, it would be strange if his expression wasn't hard.
Finally, all the papers were taken and Matthew finished the work successfully. Henry ordered Kevin to put on his clothes, tie his hands, put on a hood and take him out.
After driving Kevin's Lincoln for half an hour, Henry untied the rope on Kevin's hand and said in a sharp voice: "We will let you go now. Go home and prepare 5,000 US dollars. We will contact you at any time."
"Remember, if you dare to call the police, we will have countless ways to retaliate against you, and your nude photos will appear in the mailboxes of major newspapers."
"I will never call the police," Kevin replied tremblingly.
"You can only open the hood after counting to 100. Start counting now," said Matthew.
"Okay, 1, 2, 3, 4..."
Henry and Matthew smiled at each other and got out of the car. Kevin counted to 100 in the car, stopped and waited for a while before asking hesitantly, "Mr. Robber, can I take off the hood now?"
No response.
Kevin carefully opened a small opening.
There was no one else in the car.
“Woo woo woo~!”
Kevin started to cry.
Finally I can survive.
After crying for a long time, he sat in the driver's seat and drove back to his home. When he opened the door, he found his wife at home. The woman saw Kevin and asked with concern: "Where have you been these days? Why can't I find you anywhere? I'm going to call the police."
Seeing his wife caring so much about him, Kevin went forward and hugged his wife, "Honey, I never want to be separated from you again."
......
After learning that the robbery was committed by Hardy, Fred hung up the phone and immediately called his boss Siegel.
Ring ring ring!
The call was connected.
"Mr. Siegel, it's me, Fred. We have investigated the Spanish Casino incident. It was done by one of our gang leaders, Jon Hardy."
"Jon Hardy, tell me about his situation," said Siegel.
"John Hardy was a Marine who retired after being injured. He was recommended by Bill, one of my leaders. As for the people under him, they were all retired soldiers he recruited," said Fred.
"He just called me and said he was going to hand over his share of the profits and was on his way to me."
"How much is the share?" Siegel asked.
"Sixty-three thousand. I increased Billy's share to encourage my subordinates to make money. He robbed a total of 210,000, and the gang got 63,000." Fred explained.
"63,000?"
When Siegel heard this number, his heart moved.
He was short of money during this period.
Hardy's money was not credited to his account, so he could take it directly.
Some time ago, the Mafia Committee held a meeting and asked for more revenue in Los Angeles. Coincidentally, a friend, William Wilkerson, who is also a gang boss, proposed to build a luxury casino in Las Vegas.
After researching, Siegel was very interested in the project, and the two prepared to raise funds for its construction. Their plan was very grand. Las Vegas was still just a desert, so how could they attract gamblers?
Siegel envisioned a huge casino plan, with a palace-style casino, luxury hotel, nightclub, bar lounge, restaurant, cafe, indoor store, fitness club and so on.
There should also be private villas, swimming pools, and even a lake outdoors, as well as a gym, shooting range, and horse farm.
In short, the goal is to turn this casino into a leisure destination that combines gambling and entertainment.
Their plan is to accommodate about 3,000 people at a time, so the initial investment is 6 million US dollars.
$6 million was a huge sum of money in 1945, equivalent to $600 million in 2020.
Although Siegel is the boss of the Jewish gang in Los Angeles, the Jewish gang exists in the form of a company and is a branch of the Mafia. A large part of the money it earns needs to be handed over. Siegel can only come up with one million by scraping together money from all over.
This is still secretly misappropriating part of the company's funds.
If the headquarters knew about this, it would be a big trouble for Siegel.
William Wilkerson could only come up with one million.
For the remaining funds, Siegel planned to lobby other gang leaders to raise $4 million to complete his huge plan.
"Fred, bring that little guy named Hardy to my place, and remember to bring the money." Siegel said.
Fred realized something.
"Okay, boss."
......
Driving Bill's old Ford and touching this old guy, Hardy thought it was time to change to a better car.
Guns are men's favorite.
But many times,
The car has to be in front.
A beloved car is definitely dearer to you than your wife.
It didn't take long to arrive at the gate of Fred Villa. This was an upscale community surrounded by independent villas, each covering several acres.
The car stopped at the door and Hardy got out carrying the box.
Before he reached the door, it opened automatically. Fred stood at the door and said to Hardy, "Hardy, come with me to meet someone?"
"Who?"
Hardy was slightly surprised.
He is more anxious to see people than to collect money. Who is that person?
Fred looked at Hardy and said:
"My boss, the real ruler of the Los Angeles underworld!"