Hoodlum Empire

Bill Stephens heads the US Senate Committee on Organized Crime. In the latest set of hearings, the Committee is focusing on the illegal gambling and graft activities of an organization headed by Nicholas Mancani, who among his upper level associates include Charley Pignatalli and Joe Gray. While they have been able to serve the latter two with subpoenas to appear, Mancani is "conveniently" nowhere to be found with none of his associates claiming to know his whereabouts. Stephens seems most focused on the arm of the organization headed by Gray in Central City, about which they have the most recent information. The complicating factor is a history that exists between Stephens and Gray, they who were in the same battalion fighting in France during WWII, Stephens at the rank of Major and Gray of Captain. Stephens' political aspiration were well known, the men already then calling him "Senator", as were Gray's organized crime connections. After fighting alongside the men in his company and meeting and falling in love with a local, Marte Dufour, who he would marry, Gray vowed that he would go straight, which did not sit well with either Mancani, to who Gray promised not to squeal about any of the organization's activities, or Connie Williams, his moll. While Stephens trusted Gray on the battlefield - Gray's promotions in rank which were deserved - Stephens never could get over Gray's past in their post-war civilian life, unlike the company chaplain, Father Simon Andrews. What is truly happening is that Mancani and Pignatalli have set up Gray, who truly did go straight, to take whatever fall for the organization, they willing to kill anyone who may thwart their plan. Written by Huggo