Back from Cuba after a dangerous encounter, Nucky pays a visit to the now-retired Johnny Torrio, who agrees to broker a meeting with the new "Boss of Bosses", Salvatore Maranzano. In Chicago, Eli and Van Alden are tasked by Mike D'Angelo, Al Capone's new right-hand man, to recoup money lost during a federal raid by Eliot Ness. Fresh out of law school, Willie Thompson has a job interview. Rebuffed by a group of would-be financiers, Nucky dines with Tonino Sandrelli before sending a message to Lansky and Luciano. In 1884, a young Nucky deals with the passing of his sister, Susan, while his father has a standoff with the Commodore.
A bustling little city by the seashore, totally dependent upon money spent by tourists, Atlantic City's popularity rose in the early 20th century and peaked during Prohibition. The resort's singular purpose of providing a good time to its visitors - whether lawful or not - demanded a single mentality to rule the town. Success of the local economy was the only ideology, and critics and do-gooders weren't tolerated.
By 1900, a political juggernaut, funded by payoffs from gambling rooms, bars, and brothels, was firmly entrenched. For the next 70 years, Atlantic City was dominated by a partnership comprised of local politicians and racketeers. This unique alliance reached full bloom in the person of Enoch "Nucky" Johnson-the second of three bosses to head the Republican machine that dominated city politics and society.
In Boardwalk Empire, Nucky Johnson, Louis "the Commodore" Kuehnle, Frank "Hap" Farley, and Atlantic City itself spring to life in all their garish splendor. Author Nelson Johnson traces "AC" from its humble beginnings as Jonathan Pitney's seaside health resort, through the notorious backroom politics and power struggles, to the city's astonishing rebirth as an entertainment and gambling mecca where anything goes.
Boardwalk Empire is a colorful, irresistible history of a unique city and culture. Here is proof positive that truth is stranger - and more compelling - than fiction.