After candidate for councilman Anthony Vasconi gives a speech, Anthony comes out with labor president Big John Root and Anthony's brother Vincent. They congratulate him and drive to a minimal wage law meeting. Afterward, they go to their mother's restaurant and a sniper draws a bead. Inside, Anthony and Vincent tell Mama that the speech went well, and Vincent goes to get some coffee. Mama assures Anthony that the voters want an honest man, and she goes to make something to eat. The sniper fires, killing Anthony, and Mama screams.
A couple of hours later, Lucky is dining on the Fortuna and Andamo joins him. He points out Vincent sitting at a table, staring at Lucky, and Lucky goes over to talk to him. Vincent sees him coming and walks out on deck, and Lucky joins him. The man explains who he is and that Lucky's friend Anthony was killed. Vincent figures that the police won't find anything, and wants Lucky to help him. He asks Lucky to meet him at Mama's later.
Later at the restaurant, Vincent lets Lucky in. A shocked Mama wonders how "they" could kill her son, and admits that she doesn't know who "they" are. They telephone late at night telling Anthony not to run or they'll kill him. She gives Lucky a book with the names that she heard, but admits that the police don't consider it evidence. Lucky figures that the book is significant and tells Mama that he'll find out what it means. He says that he owes Vincent so he'll find out who killed him, and says that he's the one who encouraged Anthony to run.
At the police station, Lucky examines the rifle that the police found. Rovacs says that the killer left it behind and it's a common rifle. Lucky shows Rovacs the book, and Rovacs explains that they're all upper-echelon hoods. However, they all have alibis for the time of the shooting, and Rovacs figures that the sniper was a hired killer. The lieutenant warns that they have no proof and suggests that Lucky talk to Art Cable, who tried to buck the mob. Lucky gets Art's address.
At Art's apartment, Lucky discovers that Art is crippled. He tried to clean up the district and was warned off when he ran. They took him for a ride and he ended up crippled. Lucky figures that Art didn't tell the police everything because he's scared, and Art points out that he has a wife and two children. Art finally agrees and says that they drove him out to the country to cripple him. As he talks, a shooter fires through the window, killing him. The hood and his partner then go to the home of Garvin and report that they killed Art. Garvin complains that the problem still exists if Lucky learned too much, and tells his hoods to keep an eye on Lucky and eliminate him if necessary.
The next day, Lucky and Andamo go to Rovacs' office and show him the new posters announcing that Lucky is running for councilman. Rovacs doesn't believe it but Lucky figures that whoever killed Anthony and Art will send someone after him. The captain comes in holding one of the posters, shocked at Lucky's candidacy, and then leaves.
That night on the Fortuna, Andamo keeps an eye on Lucky, who tells him to tend to business. Roof is at a table and wants to speak to Lucky. Root tells Lucky that he'll deliver over 3,000 dock workers, and explains that he's the President of the Local 982. He explains that Lucky can't win the election without labor support, and they're willing to make a deal. Root doesn't care what Lucky doesn't stand for, and Lucky tells him that he doesn't make commitments
As Root starts to go, the boat sounds its horn. A worker reports that a speedboat took a shot at them and killed one of the passengers. Rovacs arrives and says that the dead man has no connection to anyone in town and is just there on vacation. Lucky figures that it's somehow tied to his campaign, and Rovacs irritably says that if Lucky was elected then he'd start impeachment. Once Rovacs leaves, the phone rings and Garvin tells him to get out of the campaign or he'll get shot. Lucky suggests that they talk, saying he wants to know who he's dealing with. Garvin tells him to come alone to the roof of a building and promises that there'll be no trouble.
Lucky goes to the rooftop and Garvin talks to him from a neighboring window. Garvin explains that he'll keep killing guests until Lucky resigns from the race. Lucky asks for time to make an official withdrawal, and Garvin gives him until 8 the next night.
The next night at a television studio, Lucky makes his announcement. He explains about Anthony and Art's deaths and how the criminal element wants him to resign. As Rovacs looks on, Lucky says that he's not going to resign. He reads off the list of names from the book, saying they're the people who run the 14th district. Lucky will then turn it over to the local newspaper, and tells Garvin that it's all over. Garvin is watching and turns off the TV in disgust.
Once Lucky finishes reading, he and Rovacs leave. Rovacs says that he has the whole place staked out, and one of Garvin's hoods catches up to Lucky once he walks away. The hood trains a gun on Lucky and tells him to hand the book over, and Lucky jumps him. Rovacs runs over as Lucky demands to know who the hood works for. The lieutenant leaves to let Lucky do what he has to.
Later on the Fortuna, Andamo joins Lucky on the deck and trips, dropping the posters in the ocean. He bemoans the end of Lucky's political career now that the police have broken up the 14th district machine. Lucky insists that he's a businessman, not a politician, and Andamo admits that he wasn't going to vote for him because he has to wait four more years to become a citizen.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 21, 2018