Elsbeth (2024) s02e14 Episode Script

1
Keep up. Let's go.
All right, this is our last stop
on our Famous NYC Crimes Tour, folks.
Now stay together. Come on.
Honestly, the Central Park
Jogger Picnic was in poor taste.
Yet somehow still better than
the Subway Vigilante Train Ride.
- (LAUGHS)
- I'm sorry, guys.
I thought the Famous Crimes Tour
would be kooky fun.
Ah, there's still hope, E.T.
- Do you have to call her that?
- Yeah.
I like it. We have a lot in common.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Mm-hmm.
- (BOTH TRILL)
- HENRY: All right,
this is Pupetta's, 434 Mulberry Street.
Scene of a notorious mob murder
and the setting for
Francis Martino's crime classic
City on a Knife Edge.
I've seen it about 50 times.
I own the Criterion DVD.
- Oh, I've never seen it.
- Yeah, me either.
- You're kidding.
- Mm-mm.
Okay, we have to watch immediately.
Mulberry Street. This whole
place feels like a movie.
Do you remember where you were in 1998?
(GASPS) Um, you were two years old
and very stubborn
with your potty training.
Mom, I will leave this restaurant.
HENRY: Bill Clinton was impeached over
the whole Monica brouhaha
and Britney had just busted out
with "Hit Me Baby One More Time."
Here in New York,
the city was on a knife edge.
War was simmering between
the Del Ponte and Nova crime families
for control of the rackets.
And when Del Ponte family soldier
Goldie Moresco threw a drink
in Eddie Nova's face
at the Iron Horse bar,
it threatened to boil over.
Picture it: July 1, 1998,
Goldie was finishing his night
right over there,
on edge.
He had a glass
of Nero d'Avola and a plate
of spaghetti puttanesca.
Oh, we're eating
Goldie Moresco's last meal.
- Cool.
- Are those anchovies?
- Do you know how much sodium is in?
- Shh.
Now, Eddie Nova
crept into the restaurant
on cat's paws
and got the jump on Goldie.
Eddie grabbed a corkscrew off the bar
as Goldie swallowed what would be
- his last bite.
- Hey, Goldie.
Remember me?
You bastard.
HENRY: Then Eddie
plunged it into Goldie's chest.
This was personal.
To finish him off, Eddie picked up
Goldie's gun and shot him twice
in his signature style
boom, boom
double tap to the chest.
Then Eddie was gone
as suddenly as he arrived.
What Eddie didn't realize
was that Gene Genetti, a young waiter,
was watching in the dark
of the hallway,
and he had seen the whole thing.
Three days later,
the Del Pontes took their revenge
and shot Eddie down in his own driveway.
So began the bloodiest summer
in Mafia history.
A war that basically wiped out
both the Del Ponte and the Nova families
and signaled the end of an era
in New York.
If you look closely,
you can still see where
the blood seeped into the floor.
Um
I just have a few questions,
if that's okay?
- That's why I wear this button.
- ELSBETH: Oh.
Right. If Goldie was so on edge,
how did he let Eddie
get the jump on him?
His seat faced the door.
Maybe Goldie was drunk.
Hmm.
And why would the killer use
a corkscrew from the bar
if he was coming to carry out a hit?
And wouldn't a gangster
like Eddie Nova have his own gun
for the coup de grâce? Why use Goldie's?
Maybe to hide his identity?
Yeah, but then why use his
signature M.O boom, boom
double tap to the chest?
Wouldn't that give him away?
- I don't know.
- Doesn't this murder
feel kind of impulsive to you?
Uh, messy, not planned?
Or maybe Eddie just wasn't that bright.
If you liked the tour,
and even if you didn't,
please throw me
five stars on Yelp
and Tripadvisor.
Hey, who's that?
HENRY: Oh, that's the real Gene Genetti,
the young waiter, posing
next to the actor playing him.
Pretty uncanny, right?
That's Gene Genetti?
Uh, excuse me.
- Yeah?
- Mom, what are you doing?
Um, I'll meet you guys outside.
You're the young waiter?
- Yeah.
- The-the lone witness?
- Yeah.
- Amazing.
Uh, can I ask you a few questions?
The story isn't adding up,
and I just, I get a little obsessive.
Lady, who are you?
Another movie producer?
Podcaster? Journalist?
Please, we've had enough of that, okay?
Oh, no, no, no. Um, my name
is Elsbeth Tascioni.
I do work with the police, sort of.
Don't want to hide that.
- Pupetta.
- PUPETTA: What?
I told you not to bring him here.
Oh, you told me?
Since when do you tell me things?
- Well, we definitely haven't agreed.
- You know what?
Let me take care of the business,
you make the pasta.
I thought the tour was over.
This isn't about the tour, okay?
Go haunt the house.
Go take your shoes for a walk.
You.
Here is the information
that you requested, Miss.
Yes, we do cater.
Um Yes, that-that's good to know.
About the catering.
- TEDDY: Is that an address?
- ROY: And a time.
He wants to meet up with you later.
I think he wants to tell me
something about the murder.
Well, what, you can't just
go meet up with him
on some dark side street.
What if you get whacked?
Oh, come on. Aren't you,
like, a little curious?
Nope. I want to go home
and watch something stupid
where nobody dies.
I'm sorry, but have you met your mother?
There's no way that she doesn't go.
(SIGHS) Well, I can't let her go alone.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Thank you.
So you're both coming with? (SQUEALS)
This is kind of fun now, right?
We're on a caper.
I think it should be right here.
TEDDY: Looks like there's
been some kind of accident.
(SIREN WHOOPING)
Kaya. Kaya!
Sorry. Excuse me.
KAYA: Yep, still on patrol.
Maybe they'll try a few more gems
like Detective Rivers
before I get my shot.
You've jumped through all the hoops.
It's got to be soon, right?
Hey. What are you all doing here?
Oh. Long story.
I was supposed to meet someone here.
Wait, that's him. Gene Genetti.
- See? That could've been you, too, Mom.
- (GASPS)
- What happened?
- (SCOFFS)
Seems a car swerved
right into him, then sped off.
Hit-and-run.
You were gonna meet Gene Genetti? Why?
To talk about the Goldie Moresco
murder from 1998.
- Do you know that case?
- Know it?
It was my first big
investigation as a detective,
and Gene was my only witness.
I wonder what he wanted to tell you.
Maybe someone
didn't want us to find out.
Oh, God. Pupetta.
- (GASPS)
- (CROWD CLAMORING)
How much can that poor woman take?
She was only 19 when
her whole family was wiped out.
She went to 14 funerals in three months,
and at her wedding
she walked down the aisle
alone in a black dress.
She had it worse than Rose Kennedy.
Francis Martino
could've called his movie
Fourteen Funerals and a Wedding.
(LAUGHS)
Sorry. It was just right there.
PUPETTA: Are you telling
me that my husband is dead?
(CRYING): How can that be?
A-Actually, it looks like he survived.
Oh, thank God.
Thank God. Someone said
something in the crowd,
so I (SIGHS)
Where is he? I need to be with him.
I'll take you, Ms. Del Ponte.
Detective Fleming.
I remember you.
Oh, okay. Oh, honey.
It's Pupetta.
It's your boops.
Can you hear me?
She got here really fast
from the restaurant,
- which is, like, ten blocks away.
- Hmm.
And do you think
she always carries a Bible?
PUPETTA: Oh, heavenly father
KAYA: Maybe, after all those funerals.
She was also the only person
who saw me talking to Gene
at the restaurant,
and they had a little spat.
Huh. Do you think that matters?
Officer Blanke has gotten her necessary
credits plus excellent references
from the detectives she's worked with.
How's she doing on the
Ashton Hayes plea deal?
She's preparing reports
on all his accounting files,
and the D.A.'s been impressed.
Oh, that's good to hear.
I'm proud of her.
Is there any reason Officer Blanke
shouldn't receive her gold shield?
None that I can think of.
Then I suggest we start looking
for another uniformed officer
to watch Ms. Tascioni.
You know, while Ms. Tascioni
is watching the police.
We know she goes rogue sometimes.
Well that's gonna be
a hard position to fill.
There are some new recruits
coming in from the academy.
I'll pull some files.
- (KNOCK ON DOOR)
- Thank you, Lieutenant Connor.
Where are we on the hit-and-run?
Traffic cam shows
someone deliberately tried
to run Gene Genetti down.
Presumably before he could speak to me
about Goldie Moresco's murder.
That Francis Martino movie
is three and a half hours long.
You're saying that he actually
left something out?
My entire role on the case, for one.
Oh, that must've been
really disappointing.
- I'm over it.
- WAGNER: I meant
something that someone
killed to cover up?
We might've had the wrong
suspect in '98. How about that?
You don't think it was Eddie Nova?
All we had was Gene Genetti's testimony
and an approximation of Eddie's M.O
two shots to the chest.
It could've been a frame-up,
but the department was happy
to chalk the whole mess up
to street justice.
Less work for them.
Any evidence that led away
from Eddie Nova was dismissed.
You have an alternate theory?
There were rumors Goldie
was an informant
who used to meet the feds
in a motel off the BQE.
That it was actually
the Del Ponte family
that whacked him out. Inside job.
- Hmm, and did you ever check up on it?
- No.
And when I tried to push it,
I became a pariah in the precinct.
Case kind of knocked
the wind out of my sails,
changed my whole career.
I've been waiting for a break
like this for 26 years.
Ooh, I love a white whale.
WAGNER: Just a reminder,
we're investigating
a hit-and-run that happened yesterday,
not the Moresco murder from 1998.
The two crimes
may not even be connected.
Start by looking for the car
and finding out what
Gene Genetti's life is like now.
You know, police work
no one will make a movie about.
ALL: Yes, Captain.
Although you do see
that kind of stuff on a TV show.
Go.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- Oh. Oh, God.
No, no, no, no, no. Is Gene?
- Still not dead, Mrs. Del Ponte.
- Oh. Thank God.
Uh, he's in surgery.
We're, uh, waiting on word.
Oh, okay. Well, I was just
closing up the restaurant early
so I can get to the hospital
to visit him.
We're here because, uh,
looks like someone deliberately
tried to run your husband down.
No chance.
He didn't have any issues
with anybody or?
Gene Genetti is the best man I know.
Not an enemy in the world.
Makes no sense.
I was actually here yesterday
for the, um, Famous Crimes Tour.
- Yeah, I saw you.
- And it seemed like
you and your husband had a little fight.
So what? We fight all the time.
Haven't you ever been married?
Oh, don't remind me.
Um, but I think this fight
seemed like it was about your, um
- friend?
- My
Oh! (LAUGHS)
You thought that was my lover?
No, that's our son
Gene Jr.
- What?
- Yeah.
There is no way you have a son that age.
Wow, you look incredible.
Yeah. Thank you.
Well, I had him when I was 19, so
But, yes, Gene and I fight
about Junior all the time.
It doesn't mean I want
to run him over with a car.
- Mm. So what do you fight about?
- (PHONE BUZZING)
Well, I would like Junior
to work right here
next to me at Pupetta's.
Oh. And where does Gene want him?
Anywhere else.
Well, what would he do here?
- (GASPS) Is he a chef?
- No.
He just graduated from Wharton.
Business school.
- Oh. That's impressive.
- Yeah.
Gene's out of surgery and alert.
He can talk to us now.
(P.A. CHIMES)
(WOMAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY OVER P.A.)
I'm looking for Gene Genetti.
Oh, uh, he's in here.
ELSBETH: Junior is a head
taller than both of his parents.
FLEMING: It happens sometimes.
My Uncle Gary was actually six-eight.
No other Fleming broke five-ten.
What is she whispering?
We really should get in there.
FLEMING: Maybe you should go alone.
You're the one Gene asked to speak to.
GENE JR.: (SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
Hi. Uh, could I have a minute
with Gene Sr.?
Of course, of course. Okay, you
talk to the nice policewoman.
We got to find out
who tried to hurt you.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
(SIGHS) How are you feeling?
(SCOFFS) Lucky.
I bet.
So
What did you want to tell me?
Huh?
You wanted to talk to me after the tour.
Tell me something about
Goldie Moresco's murder?
Did I?
You know, it's so funny, I
I can't remember anything
from that entire day.
You wrote down an address
and a time on a take-out menu.
That doesn't ring a bell?
No. No. I've-I've been drawing a
total blank since the accident.
- Uh
- I'm so sorry.
The injury's to your shoulder,
not your head.
(WHISPERS): Would it help if
your wife waited downstairs?
(CHUCKLES)
Why-why would that matter?
ELSBETH: I think Pupetta
might've threatened Gene,
told him not to talk.
Well, it's against Mafia rules
to speak to the police. Omertà.
And Pupetta is still
a Del Ponte. What's up?
We were able to track the car
to a body shop downtown
and found the driver.
I just spoke to him,
and he actually confessed.
Said he was on a three-day drunk,
lost control of the vehicle.
Feels lucky the victim didn't die.
Looks open and shut.
Well, you get a gold star, Kaya.
Well, still not a gold shield.
But his record's mostly clean.
Just a few bar fights when he was a kid.
Hold on a second.
The Iron Horse bar.
That rings a hell of a bell.
I took my old files and case board
out of storage this morning.
Wow.
I know. I went a little
down the rabbit hole.
And got stuck.
I knew it.
Our driver out there was arrested
at the Iron Horse
the night Goldie Moresco
threw that drink in Eddie Nova's face.
This guy was affiliated
with the Del Pontes.
So you're suggesting they used
this driver to run Gene down
and then made him take the rap
when he failed?
There's a tradition
of low-level soldiers
taking the fall for upper-level capos.
But I thought the Del Ponte crime family
was wiped out in 1998.
FLEMING: Maybe that's
what they want us to think.
Hey, what are those scratches
on Goldie Moresco's face?
Did he fight with someone
the day he was murdered?
That was one of my main questions.
Eddie Nova kept his nails short,
manicured. It wasn't him.
Also, Goldie had a deeper
scratch on his chest,
like someone tried to dig in
while they were being pushed away.
Any idea who?
(SIGHS) They called him "Goldie"
because of his blond curls
and porn star mustache.
Could've been a lot of different women.
So your theory
is that Goldie Moresco
was murdered in 1998
before he could reveal
too much to the FBI
in those secret motel meetings,
and now someone tried
to run Gene Genetti down
before he could talk to me,
and maybe the same person
gave both those orders?
But to cover up what?
It's 26 years later.
Who's left in the family to even care?
Pupetta. What could her motive
possibly be?
Don't know, but she seems to be
the only Del Ponte still around,
and she seems to be everywhere.
You recognize him?
No. But why should it matter?
He was driving drunk,
lost control of the car.
That's what he's claiming, yes.
Claiming?
Why would anyone plead guilty
to a DUI they didn't commit?
We think he might be acting
on someone else's behalf.
Someone who wanted to stop Gene
from talking to me
that day.
Didn't you just see Gene
in the hospital?
Nobody stopped him
from talking to you then.
Unfortunately, he seems
to have lost his memory
from a shoulder injury.
But I think he might have
felt threatened
by someone.
Or maybe he just doesn't like you.
Uh
This matter's closed, right? I can go?
- Of course.
- Okay.
- All right.
- Thank you for your time.
Oh! Are those French tips?
(SCOFFS) Why, yes, they are.
So elegant.
Especially compared to mine.
- Ooh.
- (LAUGHS) Yeah. Um
Did you ever, um wear yours long?
Yeah, back when everyone did. Why?
Oh, no reason.
It's just, uh, Goldie Moresco
had these fresh scratches on his face
the day that he was murdered.
We were just wondering
who he might've fought with.
Goldie Moresco? Really?
That's what we're talking about now?
I have no clue.
Goldie was like an uncle to me.
I wasn't at the restaurant that day.
Any other ancient history
I can clear up while I'm here?
Jimmy Hoffa maybe?
(CHUCKLES) Okay.
Um, how about the rumor that
Goldie was an FBI informant
and that's what got him killed?
Does that ring a bell?
Goldie was a loyal soldier
who lost his life defending my family.
How dare you disrespect him like that?
Clearly, you know nothing
of loyalty or honor
or sacrifice.
Too bad.
I thought a Tascioni would know better.
Guess not all Italians think alike.
The real ones do.
We're just asking
a few questions, ma'am.
Let's calm down.
Eddie Nova killed Goldie,
and that case was buried 26 years ago
with both of their bodies.
Why are you digging up old wounds, huh?
(DOOR OPENS)
All right.
So, if you want to talk
about this any further,
you can do it through my lawyer.
This is harassment.
I thought Tascioni
was your ex-husband's name.
- It is. I just got carried away.
- Mm.
I'm actually Gudmundsdottir by birth.
It's Icelandic.
We were gonna hyphenate,
but it wouldn't fit on a business card.
- Hmm.
- Not sure we want to make her angry.
ROY: Francis Martino told the story
from Pupetta Del Ponte's point of view,
a Mafia princess who lost her innocence
while her whole family
was wiped out in a mob war.
(GASPS) This is where Pupetta's
father and brothers get ambushed
at the tux fitting for her wedding.
The performances are incredible.
Is that Adrian Zmed?
- (GUNFIRE AND SCREAMING OVER TV)
- (GASPS) Oh, my God.
Is it totally necessary for us
to see their heads explode?
ROY: Shh, shh, shh. Pupetta's
about to discover the bodies.
So good.
Wait, wait. Pause it.
Those nails.
Do we know if Pupetta actually
wore her nails long that summer,
or was that just for the film?
ROY: I saw a "making of" featurette.
Pupetta means "little doll,"
and a local salon had created a custom
rhinestone "little doll" icon
to decorate her nails,
inspired by the necklace
her father had given her.
Martino is a stickler
for period details. Why?
Is this a new hobby, Ms. Tascioni?
Retrying and reopening old cases?
I just want to get things right.
Isn't that what we all want?
Okay, okay, I'll bite.
What's this new information
on the Moresco murder?
The elevator pitch.
Okay, uh, we think
it was Pupetta Del Ponte
who found out that Goldie
was informing on her family
in that motel room.
She got angry, and it led to his death.
Do you have any proof?
FLEMING: There were
scratches on Goldie's face
from the day he was murdered
that were never tested for DNA.
And Pupetta definitely
had the nails for it.
They didn't do an autopsy?
FLEMING: The M.E. was overwhelmed.
Barely even processed the crime scene.
We'd practically
be starting from scratch.
Captain, look,
Goldie's murder kicked off a war
that cost a lot of people their lives.
We should find out
who actually did it and why.
I think I could get a judge
to sign off on some tests,
but new testimony
from our lone eyewitness
would be much more compelling
than a theory
if we actually want to exhume a body.
Hi. Excuse me.
What are you doing out here?
Oh, hi. Hello. Um
I heard your dad
was out of the hospital.
- Was hoping I could talk to him.
- Yeah, no, it's not a good time.
He's resting, and my mom's pretty upset.
Oh, I can only imagine.
She's suffered so much loss.
This accident must've been really scary.
(SIGHS) She wants to keep all
her people close for a while.
Does that mean you're working
in the restaurant?
She told you about that?
(SCOFFS)
I heard from a headhunter
on Wall Street,
but my mother's a
hard woman to refuse.
Wall Street will always be there.
Maybe.
With family business,
once you're in, it's hard to get out.
Especially if it's my family.
Ah.
- Hmm?
- Uh, will you tell your dad
I was asking for him?
Yeah, okay.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
Mmm, something smells good.
It's a vegan puttanesca recipe
that I found on HappyCow.
Hi, sweet girl. Hello.
TEDDY: You replace
the anchovies with miso.
It's supposed to be, uh, an umami bomb.
- ELSBETH: Yum.
- Can you ask her?
Ask me what?
Roy has a pitch for a new podcast.
Oh.
Look, I'm just an engineer
at my company now,
but I really want to produce.
So, when I heard your stories
about Buzz and the Moresco case,
I got this idea,
a podcast about various
detectives' "white whales."
You know, like, cases that they
never solved but can't give up.
Oh, I love it.
Roy wants you to introduce him
to Buzz for the first interview.
Oh, of course. Although the
podcast would be a lot better
if we actually solve the case.
For sure.
Do lawyers have white whales?
Maybe I can get you
on the podcast, too, E.T.
Stop it.
I'd be honored.
Can I taste the sauce?
Mm-hmm.
- Mmm. Oh, that's so good.
- Mm-hmm.
You don't seem happy.
Hmm. My boyfriend and my
mother are best friends.
How can I not be thrilled?
(PHONE BUZZING)
Everything okay, Captain?
We're striking out with all
the judges on our circuit.
Not one will sign off on
not even the most basic tests,
let alone the exhumation
of Goldie's body.
Oh, no. Does it feel like
they're in on it together?
I fear Judge Crawford
might be using his influence
to block it.
I hate when men like him
put their finger on the scale.
Well, we can't just let him win.
You've made a very powerful
enemy, Elsbeth.
I'm not sure what we can do. I'm sorry.
Okay.
(SIGHS)
Everything all right, Mom?
Yeah.
I think I know who my white whale is.
Judge.
Judge Crawford.
Ms. Tascioni. To what
do I owe this pleasure?
Oh, I think you know.
It's about the Goldie Moresco
investigation.
The what? I would have thought
that you were too busy
with the Mertens retrial
to take on anything else.
Interfering in this investigation
is an unethical use of your power.
It was a distasteful case 25 years ago,
and your so-called
investigation, pointless.
- (SIGHS)
- Excuse me.
I have somewhere to be.
This kind of gamesmanship
should be beneath you.
Oh, my, you are cavalier about
wasting the People's money.
Come on, what's it gonna take
to call off your cronies
and reopen our investigation?
Well, let me think.
Legally, a new confession
would compel any judge to reopen a case.
A new confession? (STAMMERS)
- That's
- Impossible? Probably.
But good luck.
- (PUPETTA SMOOCHING)
- (GONZO BARKING)
(BABY TALK): Oh, yes,
this is a very good dog.
Real good girl. (LAUGHS)
Oh, Mom, look who I ran into.
It's, uh, it's the real Pupetta
from the restaurant.
- Hey, paisana.
- Hello there.
You know, you really
have to stop spreading
my business around.
- (LAUGHS)
- Me? What did I say?
Oh, you know, just about
his big job in D.C.
and the hipster boyfriend
with the apartment in Bushwick
making podcasts.
All the greatest hits.
Yeah, well, with a son
like Teddy Tascioni,
I mean, I would brag, too, right?
Teddy, why don't you let us talk?
I'll meet you and Gonzo upstairs, okay?
- You sure?
- Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's okay.
Bye, Gonzo. Bye, Teddy.
You've been following my son?
No, no, just surfing on the Web.
You know, following would be
different. You'd feel that.
Why are you making this personal?
You came to Little Italy.
You started it.
Gene Jr. came out to talk to me.
- I was just
- All right, you know what?
I don't want you
anywhere near him again.
Or my husband or me.
- Do you understand?
- That's not just up to me.
Okay, well, I'm talking to you.
Okay, you mess with my family,
I'll mess with yours.
You leave my son alone.
That's just up to you now, isn't it?
Know when to stop, Elsbeth.
So that's it?
The original investigation was shut down
before it began, and now
we're gonna let it happen again?
I'm not sure we have a choice.
If the courts are against us
and Gene Genetti won't talk,
what new information do we have?
It might be checkmate.
I agree.
You do?
If this was a Francis Martino movie,
I would have to say that
someone has gotten to you.
Well, this isn't a movie.
I might have something.
I was preparing materials
for Ashton Hayes's plea deal.
An LLC called Bambina Incorporated
with the same address
as Pupetta's Restaurant,
434 Mulberry Street.
Turns out, Ashton Hayes
was their accountant.
Looks like he was laundering mob money
through that business for years.
So, the Del Pontes are still active.
That's good work, Kaya.
But how does it fit with the case?
Wharton business school.
Explain.
Pupetta wanted Gene Jr. to work
with her in the restaurant,
maybe to replace Ashton Hayes.
Wharton's a business school, right?
What was his major?
LinkedIn says it was
forensic accounting.
WAGNER: That fits.
No wonder Gene Sr. wanted
something else for his son.
Junior would've been right in the middle
of a criminal enterprise.
I'm on his Instagram.
What is No Shave November?
Oh, I know. It's when college students
let their hair grow
for cancer awareness,
but it's really just an excuse
for the stupid boys
to grow the silly mustaches.
- Why?
- Look at this picture of Gene Jr.
From his senior year at Wharton.
Shaggy, no glasses.
Um
Look familiar?
That's uncanny.
Goldie and Junior could be twins.
Or some other relation.
Wasn't the FBI Goldie
was meeting in that motel
by the highway,
and it wasn't just to talk.
(P.A. CHIMES)
(MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY OVER P.A.)
Alone at last.
Look, I'm getting my stitches out, okay?
Please, I can't talk to you.
This whole thing was just a big mistake.
No, it wasn't. You did it for your son.
What do you know about it?
When your accountant
Ashton Hayes was arrested
which I had something
to do with, small world
Pupetta wanted Gene Jr. to take
his place cooking the books.
And you, naturally, wanted to
protect your son from that life.
I admire how much you love
and care for Gene Jr.,
especially since
he's not your own.
And not many men could've done that.
(SIGHS)
So you know?
The question is, does Junior?
Nah.
No, we kept it from him.
Part of the deal.
And he never suspected?
He was tall, but, you know,
Pupetta kept his hair short.
We never touched it.
What was the deal?
I agreed to marry Pupetta
and raise the baby
if she promised
to give up the old business.
Which is what I thought
we were doing all these years.
Just running a restaurant.
But the truth came out
when Ashton Hayes was arrested?
I started asking questions,
and soon I found out
I'd been a stooge all along,
and my son was gonna get in deep,
so I had to stop it.
But Pupetta wins. Always.
There was this case
I studied in law school
where a sister falsely confessed
to the murder of her brother
in order to get the body exhumed
and the case reopened.
And DNA then revealed the real killer
and cleared the sister.
They got justice.
But what are you saying?
You want me to confess
to Goldie's murder?
That's the plan?
It's the only way
to legally compel a judge
to reopen Goldie's case.
Okay, you're right,
you're right. (LAUGHS)
That's crazy.
Now, look.
I'd confess for Gene Jr. if
I knew that the evidence
would lead to the real killer.
Is was Pupetta, wasn't it?
(DOOR OPENS)
Ah. There's my son.
Come on, get out of here.
Um, you might want to talk to him soon
before the truth comes out.
- Now.
- Right.
We ready?
Yeah, let's go.
ROY: Just to warn
you, the director's cut
is five hours and 49 minutes.
- Oh, my God.
- Even for a diehard like me,
not all of it feels essential.
What exactly are you looking for?
Oh, I'm not sure.
I never know what detail
is gonna be important.
Well, I hope you find something.
That Pupetta woman is terrifying.
The commentary track
has a lot of nuggets.
- Let's start there.
- Okay.
FRANCIS (OVER SPEAKERS):
This is Francis Martino,
and welcome to this special version
of my picture City on a Knife Edge.
FRANCIS: This next scene
is the one the Del Ponte family
asked me to cut.
It's a simple interrogation of Pupetta
on the morning after the murder.
At first, I refused.
But then I found a dead rat
on my doorstep.
I never understood what their issue was.
Everything was accurate,
from the actual interview transcripts,
all the way down to Pupetta complaining
about her broken nail.
Pupetta's broken nail?
(GASPS)
She's wearing a Band-Aid.
- (GASPS)
- Oh, my God.
Mom, wh it's 1:40 in the morning.
- What are you doing?
- I have to call Kaya and Buzz.
- You found something?
- Ah
Francis Martino
might not have won an Oscar,
but he may have just solved this case.
There's been a break in the decades-old
Goldie Moresco murder case,
but authorities aren't making
the details public yet.
I can't believe
they're exhuming Goldie's body.
You actually called
Judge Crawford's bluff.
I hope you have the cards.
I have a reasonable assumption.
Gene Genetti made a false confession.
If your hunch is wrong, and the evidence
doesn't point to someone else,
he's going to jail.
I made all that clear to Gene.
He was willing to take
the risk for his son.
Well, the lab is rushing the results.
I hope you're right.
REPORTER: was
thought to be the victim of
Do you remember where you were in 1998?
The FDA had just approved Viagra,
and here in New York, the
city was on a knife edge.
July 1, 1998, 11:00 p.m.,
Goldie Moresco
was finishing his night
right over there, on edge.
He had a glass of Nero d'Avola
and a plate of spaghetti puttanesca.
The door opened,
but instead of Eddie Nova
coming to kill Goldie,
it was Pupetta Del Ponte informing him
she was pregnant with his child.
PUPETTA: What's going on in here?
What's going on here?
Get the hell out of my restaurant.
GENE JR.: No.
Let her talk, Mom.
I have a feeling I know the rest.
Goldie denied the baby was his.
You got mad.
- What am I gonna tell me dad?
- It's not my problem!
- He's gonna kill you, too.
- ELSBETH: You told him
(IMITATES PUPETTA): "If you
don't do the right thing,
my father's gonna kill us both,"
but Goldie,
ah, he didn't care.
You catted around with half the guys
in this neighborhood, huh?
Kid could be anybody's.
- Get lost.
- You got even madder,
- you scratched him on the face.
- (SHOUTS)
ELSBETH:
Goldie tried to push you off.
You picked up the corkscrew
from the bar
and stabbed it into his heart.
PUPETTA: You bastard!
- (PANTING)
- ELSBETH: Gene,
you saw the whole thing
from the hallway.
You knew that she'd killed a made man.
- This was a big problem.
- Hey, no! No, no, no, no.
Please, Pupetta. Please don't shoot.
No, lis l-let me help you.
ELSBETH:
But, Pupetta, you thought fast.
You swung the gun to Goldie
and finished him off boom, boom
in Eddie Nova's signature style.
Listen.
It's okay. It's okay.
- (CRYING)
- It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
ELSBETH:
And then you made your deal.
Gene would report he was
the only one in the restaurant
and that Eddie Nova was the killer.
And in exchange you'd marry Gene,
who you knew was in love with you,
and he would claim the baby as his own.
Oh. (LAUGHS)
That's the story that Gene told you?
(LAUGHS)
It's BS. He's snowing you.
Yes, it's true that Gene was
obsessed with me that summer,
but when he saw me and Goldie fighting,
he grabbed the corkscrew
and stabbed him.
And it was his idea to shoot him,
like he was some kind of hero
or something.
(PUPETTA CRYING)
And it was his plan to pin
the murder on Eddie Nova,
marry me, and then claim
that the baby was his.
That's a lie.
I was a 19-year-old kid,
he was a grown man
who took advantage of me
when I was in trouble.
Okay? He started the war
that took my entire family down.
We both know that isn't true.
Oh, yeah? Prove it.
When you scratched Goldie
and he pushed you away,
you dug your nails into his chest
and tried to hang on.
Turns out, one of them
broke off under his skin.
And we found this in Eddie's remains,
with the rhinestone
"little doll" design.
Custom-made, only for you.
KAYA: And trace elements of your DNA
were found on the corkscrew,
mixed in with Goldie's blood.
My DNA is not on file.
How is that even possible?
They can trace an unknown sample
to the closest familial match.
The same name came up
for both your blood
and Goldie Moresco's
Gene Genetti Jr.,
your biological son.
You're the killer, Pupetta.
A Del Ponte to the core.
Lisette "Pupetta" Del Ponte,
you are under arrest
for the murder of Goldie Moresco
and for conspiring in
the attempted murder
of Gene Genetti Sr.
KAYA: Hands behind your back.
(HANDCUFFS CLICKING)
You're gonna miss thinking about me.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you
in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one,
one will be appointed by
You understand why we had to
keep this a secret for so long?
I saw his picture,
I always kind of knew.
But you're still my dad.
Come here.
FLEMING: Which white
whale should we start with?
The Moresco case or my wife?
- Your wife?
- I actually arrested her
and wooed her throughout her sentence.
It's a great story.
And just so you know,
it is lawful to marry
someone you arrested.
Let's start with the Moresco case.
You're the boss.
He's so cute and industrious.
Mm, yeah, I know.
I'm thinking about breaking up with him.
What?
- Why?
- Well,
he doesn't like D.C., and I don't think
I want to move here,
so what's the point?
I mean, neither one of us
wants long-distance.
Sweetie, I know this was
an intense week, but
I don't know, maybe it was clarifying.
Is this because I approve?
No.
I don't know. It just
it feels like too much.
But you seem so good together.
Do you have to make
this decision right now?
ROY: Teddy,
I need you to do sound.
(WHISPERS): Thanks.
Thank you for the help, E.T.
This is gonna be big.
Mm, mm, mm.
I like Roy, too.
They'll work it out.
Kids always blame their parents
when they're confused.
Or frustrated or hungry or sad or
One-stop shop, it's always your fault.
Exactly. At least we agree on something.
Give yourself a break.
Can I hug you really fast?
Aw, Elsbeth.
(LAUGHS)
It's gonna be okay.
It might take some trial and error,
but we'll find a good
match for Ms. Tascioni.
(SIGHS) Gosh
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
But it won't be the same.