THE RUNNER SCREENPLAY, BRIAN R. LUNDIN [phonics reader .TXT] 📗

I think we should take the offense against Vito, instead of always being on the defense.

JEROME
Vito and his boys control most of the dope sold on the south side what if we start hitting his drug dealers?

TED
You think that will start a war with Vinnie?

JEROME
I don’t think so, Vinnie is not into drugs directly, that’s Vito’s thing and what if somebody not connected with us did it?

TED
Who?

JEROME
The State Street Boys


INT. COMMANDERS OFFICE-MORNING

Sergeant Lundgrin sat in Commander Hollis office and discussed the Calfino strange and gruesome murder.

REGGIE
Seems like a sex crime to me, his jones cut off and his asshole busted, shit!

HOLLIS
Couldn’t happen to nicer guy you know most police officer come on the job full of spit and vinegar and want to do the right thing, to “Serve and Protect,” the public. The power and authority the lowest police officer has is awesome. He can legally carry a gun all the time; deprive someone of their freedom and actual take a life. But after a few years on the job he becomes resentful of the public he has sworn to protect. He develop an “Us versus them,” mentality. He begins to view the pubic as his enemy, someone who is abusive, demanding and ungrateful. He become resentful of the entire system when he see criminals he has arrested being cut loose by a corrupt judge, after a few years that honest cop himself becomes corrupt. He wants to send his kids to college, buy a nice car and home. Why shouldn’t his wife shop in the best stores, why shouldn’t he be able to take his family to Disneyland? This young man who came on the job wanting to help the people now starts to abuse them. In order to make ends meet, he start taking a free meal at a restaurant on his beat, the street peddlers, whores and traffic violator are always good for a few bucks, but most police officers are homophobic and can’t stand fags, if that faggot Calfino had been busted for taking money or even being a member of the Outfit, they would organize a defense fund or have a set to raise money for his defense, but being busted for busting asses, Calfino was on his own.

Vinnie Acosta had kept up with the Sergeant Calfino fiasco and wondered what was going to be Vito’s next move. His sources had told them that the blacks had stopped buying their drugs from him and that the botched raid by the now deceased Calfino was a big bust. Knowing Vito, like he did, he knew that at this very moment Vito was racking his undersized brain, trying to figure out something, like Calfino he knew that eventually Vito was going to step on his dick too.

INT. HOLLIS OFFICE- EARLY AFTERNOON

Vinnie Acosta met with Commander Hollis and Sergeant Reginald Lundgrin in the commander’s office. Both Hollis and Lundgrin knew of Vinnie, but this was the first time either had met him. The Commander and his sergeant were well aware of Vinnie’s reputation. They knew that Vinnie Acosta had probably killed or ordered the murder of hundreds of men. When Officer Evette Turner, the Commander’s secretary told Lundgrin of the requested meeting he thought it was another effort by the mob, to get the Commander on their payroll Vinnie as usual was dressed for the occasion, wearing a dark blue custom-made suit, white shirt and dark tie. Shaking both of the police officers hands, he sat at the commander’s desk. Officer Turner brought in a pot of coffee and after pouring all the men a cup, she left.

HOLLIS
Good morning, Mr.Acosta, what can I do for you?

VINNIE
Like you and the people in the community, I am very sorry about the bombing and the loss of the young woman and her baby. It was a deplorable act and I want you to know that I or none of my associates were involved.

HOLLIS
I’m sure that their family would appreciate those sentiments.

VINNIE
I respect you commander, I have sent many messages to you with handsome tributes, but you have always refused them and from what I hear you are an honorable man and due respect and my people tell me that you don’t allow your officers to shake down the hustlers that is everywhere in this district and you don’t allow your vice men to shake down the players. There is a little problem in my organization at the moment, but it will be taken care of.

REGGIE
What kind of problem?

Vinnie did not answer right away; he took another sip of his coffee.

VINNIE
I want to avoid any problems, violence is bad for business. My associated, and I, well maybe I should say most of my associates are not interested in the policy game. We enjoy a good relationship with the people in your district and we want that relationship to continue, but there are factions in my organization that does not share this wish and maybe, acting on their own is trying to destroy our relationship. My purpose dealing with policy and if there is any trouble we are not involved.

REGGIE
Do you know anything about the kidnapping of Jerome McLemore and the killing of three Italian men in Gary?

VINNIE
The only thing I know is that three men were found in a burned out warehouse in Gary.

REGGIE
(sliding a manila folder across his desk to Vinnie)
Here is report from the Medical Examiner in Gary, concerning their deaths we have to go to roll call, while we gone why don’t you read it.

As Hollis and Reggie left the office, Vinnie began reading the report. A short time later, Hollis and Reggie returned. The folder was on the desk and Vinnie appeared to be in deep thought.

VINNIE
Interesting reading especially the part about the wounds.

HOLLIS
We thought so too.

REGGIE
Any ideas about whom or what could have caused those wounds?

VINNIE
None at all.

HOLLIS
Police officers are a strange breed they believe in law and order in a curious way and I think they believe in it more than the public they are sworn to protect. The preservation of law and order is where he derives his power which he cherishes as all man cherish power, yet there is a resentment against that public whom he sees as ungrateful, demanding, full of deception and dangerous. He make what he considers a good arrest and watch helplessly as offender is given a lenient sentence or cut loose. After a while on the job he becomes cynical and bitter and decides to take the free lunch or the bribe, he needs it more, why should his wife be able to shop at some of the nicer stores, why can’t his children go to college after all he is risking his life. He might take money from a bookie a traffic violator or a prostitute but he draws the line at taken “Dirty money,” money from drug dealers, rapist armed robbers and people who hurt or kill innocent people, so whoever was responsible for the firebombing is free game and if they are ever caught I doubt it if they will go to trial, tell that to your people and I know you are aware sir, that withholding information concerning a capital crime is against the law.

VINNIE
Yes sir, I am aware of that, well Commander, sergeant thank you for the meeting and I’ll let you gentleman get back to work thanks again.

REGGIE
He’s really smooth.

HOLLIS
Yep, an educated hoodlum with good manners and coolness, but he like all of his kind are evil and can destroy the fabric of civilization.


BACKTORY:
The State Street Boys started out, as a “Social Organization” or club where they banded together for companionship or protection. the gang was their family; they needed to belong to something. During the summer they played softball games against other public housing baseball teams and held “Quarter Parties.” At the quarter parties, admission was a quarter and the young people danced and socialized. The leader of the group was Jerry Washington nicked Pops and his right hand man Cinque, the leader of the Simbas the enforcement arm of the gang.

INT. JEROME’S MOTEL, LOCATED AT 63RD SOUTH CALUMET AVENUE-MORNING

The meeting with the major policy wheel owners was held in a double suite at Jerome’s Motel, located at 63rd South Calumet Avenue and security was provided by the State Boys. The room was set up with a bar and a buffet table and each owner was permitted to bring one aide, Ted was with Jerome but Madame Bourneis and Marque stood in the rear of the room. The meeting was set between 10:00 and 11:30 A.M. after the policy stations closed Jerome since he had called the meeting was the host and the first to arrive. Jimmy Irving who owned the Windy City, Beach and Sun policy wheel and made the far southside his territory was the next to arrive. He was a handsome, tall black man and always wore a suit and tie in addition to his policy operation he ran poker and dice games on Friday nights and like the rest of the policy owners was a millionaire. When he came into the suite he embraced Jerome warmly. The other policy owners were arriving. They all knew or heard of each other and always displayed a professional courtesy towards one another. The next owner was Kid Riviera, owners of the Memphis, Arkansas and Georgia, the second largest wheel in the city next to Jerome’s. Rivera was a brute of a man over six feet tall and over two hundred pounds of all muscle and at one time was a leading contender for the heavy weight championship until the Chicago Outfit kidnapped his wife and force him to throw the fight, he controlled the south east side of the city and had a hand in drugs.

KID RIVIERA
Only you could have brought me to this meeting.

Howard Louis owner of the Honey, Babe and Twin, was a dapper older man and his wheel was the oldest in the city, his operation was on the far southwest side of the city. Clint Black, owner of the Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee, he had the impassive face of a poker player and often won big money at the poker tables in Vegas and controlled all gambling on the west side of the city. FLOYD JOHNSON and CUBBIE COLE was co-owner of the Ohio, Maryland and Illinois and they controlled the far north side and had a string of whore-houses. Jerome opened the meeting while Madame Bourneis and Marque stood behind him. Ted sat at the large conference table.

JEROME
Thank you all for coming at such short notice, but we don’t have much time. A fraction of the Gaza family is attempting to take over policy but I do not believe that Pauli is involved. As you know we have a profitable arrangement with Pauli who is getting a nice piece of our pie, and I do not believe that he would jeopardize that arrangement, but Vito Paligreno, Pauli’s southside Caporégime wants in. Vito has the political, police connections and manpower to pose a serious threat. As I am sure you know, Vito and some of his goons kidnapped me, they firebombed one of my stations killing innocent people. We either organize as a group or face Vito taking over our thing one at