Lansky

Mr. Lansky,

why are the American authorities after you?

Well, apparently some newspaper man wrote

that I had 300 million dollars.

Is it true?

I wish I had a million dollars.

They accuse me of making a president.

Now, I don't know Mr. Nixon any more

than what I've read in the newspapers.

They claim I have 50 percent of Lebanon casinos,

50 percent of Monte Carlo.

Now how ridiculous can we really get?

Mr. Lansky, is there such a thing

as organized crime?

I have no knowledge on the subject.

Listen Eva,

I'm in Florida, honey.

Daddy's here for work.

What do they have here?

They have oranges and gators and Mickey Mouse.

Next time we can go and I promise.

Okay Eva, can you put your mama on?

Christie, Christie, Christie, please,

I know that the check bounced.

Okay, but that's...

Okay. That's why I'm in Miami.

I'm going to do some book signings.

Yeah, sure they are, they...

They're putting me in a fancy hotel,

they're gonna give me the...

Christie, I know my responsibilities, all right?

Look Christie, I'm trying my best, all right?

Trying my best.

- David Stone. - Mr. Lansky, it's a pleasure.

How was your trip?

Fine, thanks, umm.

Hope you don't mind, I got a coffee.

You mind sitting down there?

Uh, yeah sure.

Thank you.

Hello, Mr. Lansky, how are you?

Fine, doll.

How's your mother feel?

Ah, good days and bad, you know.

- It's a mission. - Yeah, I know all about that.

What can I get for you, honey?

We'll do a couple of Tom sandwiches.

Middle slice the fatty cut and an assortment of pickles.

So, the usual.

I'll pick out the best ones.

Thank you.

I'd like you to remove that.

Okay.

You're from Pittsburgh.

You graduated on scholarship with honors from Princeton.

You were on the crime heat at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel

before you started writing books.

You've got a wife, Christina, and two young children,

Eva and Jack.

I make it a point of knowing who I associate myself with.

Mr. Stone, old business habits never die.

It's a complicated thing, isn't it? Marriage, children.

I, uh... I've been reading some articles about you.

Forget all that.

I'm here to tell you the real story.

All right, well, that's great, cause I'm...

I'm hereto write the real story.

Four packs a day, 60 years.

I finally work up the courage to quit.

A week later, I go to see my doctor.

He tells me I'm dying.

As a writer, I thought you would appreciate the irony in that.

I do. I'm just... I'm very sorry to hear that.

My circumstances offer me the privilege

to pick who I want to tell my story.

Your book on Kennedy paid you well?

- I did okay. - It's been a few years

since lady luck visited you.

Yeah, well history doesn't always repeat itself.

When I was a young boy,

I spent my days at the public library.

I read everything

and I have a particular interest in history.

People see the same thing from different perspectives,

and that fascinates me.

But what do you want from this?

Why does David Stone want to write a book about Meyer Lansky?

Oh.

Everything that I've read in history about you

says you're a complicated man

and maybe I like stories about complicated people.

And I think that your story, the real story...

I don't think it's been told yet,

and I don't think it's about one man,

I think it's about the 20th century.

That was quite a speech,

but you didn't answer the question.

I need the money.

Ah, there it is, the truth.

When I die, the book is yours to sell.

Until then, you will show the manuscript to no one.

Anything I choose to tell you is off the record

until I give you permission to put it in the book.

Without my approval, what you have is a work of fiction.

- I won't incriminate myself. - Okay.

Any conversations you have about me

outside of our meetings,

- I want to know. - Sure.

Betray me... and there will be consequences.

Are these terms agreeable to you?

Yes, sir.

I hope our collaboration will be a successful one.

- Hello? - Hey, Christie,

Christie, it's me.

Hey. Oh, it's okay, baby,

Mommy's got you.

You okay?

You don't sound okay.

No, I'm not.

Jack's got a 103 and he's not holding his food down.

Take him to a doctor.

Excuse me?

Of course I took him to the doctor.

Listen, I can't do this, okay? Not now.

Christie, I got a...

I got the chance to write a new book.

All right? And it could be...

Oh, David, no.

- Could be something really good. - Look,

David, I called your publisher.

They had no idea you were even in Miami,

which means you are lying to me.

I can't do this, I have to go.

You said you read some stories

about me in the papers.

My reputation has a habit of preceding me.

When they don't know you they put labels on you.

Master Stock Manipulator.

America's most successful casino operator in history.

Mob's accountant.

The Feds even leaked the story to the press

about me having 300 million dollars

squirreled away.

If you find out who's out there guessing,

please be sure to let me know.

- Yeah. - You don't get to keep it,

call me and I'll give you a piece.

Fair enough.

The labels, are they accurate?

It's your book. You decide.

Okay, all right.

Okay.

Now, you strike me as a rather obsequious guy, David.

Quick to please.

Never thought of myself that way.

- You're separated. - Mm-hmm.

What does your wife think about that?

Did she find you that way?

We're here to talk about you.

We are not here to talk about me, Mr. Lansky.

No, no, no. We have to talk about you and me.

- You know, I was married also. - Yeah?

Yeah, twice.

You know what they say, can't live with them,

can't shoot them.

So where do we start?

Let's start when you were a child.

Russia.

The only thing I remember about Russia,

is one day me and my uncle crossing a path

and some Cossacks ordered my uncle

to open his potato sack.

And toss a potato up in the air.

My Uncle obeyed.

Tossed a potato into the air,

and the Cossack takes out this fucking sword and swoosh.

He wasn't aiming for the potato.

He was aiming for my uncle's hand.

Cut it right off. Tough guys.

With swords. We didn't have a sword.

That was the difference.

I never forgot that.

I promised myself I'd never be that helpless again.

The next time I'll be the one holding the knife.

That's the only thing Russia ever gave me.

What I saw that day,

made me stronger, it sharpened me.

I wish I knew where that cocksucker was today,

I'll show him who the tough guy is.

The real story starts in America.

By the time I was 10,

I was sharp as a shiv.

My mind was my escape

and more than anything, numbers,

numbers gave my world some order.

And for a kid with that kind of interest in numbers,

there was nothing as thrilling as a dice game.

I would watch them play.

But oh boy, if my old man found out that was how

I was spending my time...