The Untouchables

The Tri-State Gang (1x9)

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In the latter part of 1933, there was an epidemic of truck hijackings in the states of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania; this was the work of 6 gangsters: the Tri-State Gang. Tonight, in Richmond, Virginia, they're hijacking a truckload of radios. As usual "Big" Bill Phillips, a 6'4" ox of a man, takes over the hijacked truck, transferring the load onto their truck; Artie McLeod, a cheap tinhorn gambler, puts a burlap sack over the driver's head, blinding him, and chains the driver to a tree. Other gang members are Georgie Kaufman, an ex-boxer, the oldest of the gang; and James Jonathan Harris, aka Gentleman Jim, aka "Harris the Fence"; and the 2nd-in-command, Bobby Mais. Their leader is the vicious, sadistic Wally Legenza-- he shoots 4 bullets into the driver (who never got a good look at the gang members, and couldn't identify them) because Legenza is a psychopath. Ness and his men, who had been assigned by Washington, DC, to investigate the Tri-State Gang, are on the scene. May 14, 1934. That night, Wally Legenza calls a meet, to go over tomorrow night's hijacking job. "Big" Bill Phillips is absent-- he's seeing his sweetie, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dauphine, a French girl from Quebec, Canada that he nicknames Alouette. Legenza goes to their place and breaks it up. The night of May 15, in Oakhurst, Virginia, the gang hijacks a truck hauling $20,000 of tobacco. Again they chain the driver to a tree, but this time Legenza only shoots one bullet into him; the driver doesn't die, and when the sack over his head falls off, he sees their license plate number: T-4514. Ness and his men are staying in Richmond; Ness investigates this first break in the case. The Dept. of Motor Vehicles shows the truck is registered to Briggs Salvage Co.; the Internal Revenue shows the owner is James J. Harris. Ness and his men stake out the Briggs Salvage place; it is virtually deserted, only Harris and one watchman. But on the 5th night, Harris shows up with Legenza and "Big" Bill Phillips.