The Great McGinty Page #3

I pay hospital bills, too.

Protection, huh?

And good protection. If it wasn't for me,

everybody would pick on them.

They'd be at the mercy.

Now, you start...

Yeah. You start with Madame La Jolla.

She runs a kind of a fortune-telling parlor.

And you tell that old... battle-axe

it's 250 or Madame La Jolla

doesn't jolla any more. You get me?

I slave and give the best years of my life

to put away a few miserable bucks,

and then you bloodsuckers

suck it away from me.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself

to goad a poor, honest, old woman.

- You got the entirely wrong slant on this.

- No, I haven't.

- Yes, you have. Now wait a minute, Miss...

- Just call me Juliette.

Juliette. You gotta pay protection.

Do you want to be at the mercy of every slug

that wears a uniform?

You want the fire commissioner

telling you that your joint is a trap?

Or the health inspectors

telling you that your air is vicious?

Or the plumbing inspector

saying that your pipes stink?

Juliette, you need somebody

to cooperate all those guys

and protect you from human greed.

You gotta pay somebody.

Buying from us is just like getting club rates.

Well...

I'm just a poor old woman,

but you explain everything so nice.

- How much was it? Two and a half yards?

- That's right.

Thank you.

You're a nice-looking boy

to be doing this kind of work.

Do you want to go upstairs

and have your fortune told?

No, thanks, Juliette.

This is strictly business with me.

Well, you know where it is.

You can't put a black king on a black queen,

Benny.

Who says I can't?

- It's a guy alone.

- Well, let him in.

- You Benny Felgman?

- What about it?

- Can't put a black king on a black queen.

- Who are you?

- The Boss sent me over.

- Has he got a grudge against you?

- No, he just gives me the easy work.

- Oh, yeah? Now, look.

Benny, don't slug him. He's green.

- I'm gonna let you off easy.

- Tell him we don't want any trouble.

I don't need any protection from him.

And if he don't like it, he knows where I live.

- What's the sense in taking that attitude?

- Get that hand out there.

We're trying to run everything

smooth and brotherly.

Why don't you just fork over the 500 fish

and save yourself a shellacking?

- What?

- Benny, don't slug him.

What are you gonna do

if they send some rough guy?

- Wait a minute, Benny, what are you doing?

- Agh!

- Don't, Mr...

- Out of the way, fleabag.

What did he ever do to you, pal?

- You can't expect...

- Are you Saunders?

- Just a minute.

- Listen, you little slob.

I showed one guy today he needed

protection, I got enough left to show you.

You'd think you guys are doing us a favour.

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