131 Fun Facts About Boardwalk Empire

Which actor plays Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire?

Steve Buscemi plays Nucky Thompson; he had already worked with the show's creator on The Sopranos, where he played Tony Blundetto and directed several episodes.

Where is Boardwalk Empire chiefly set?

Boardwalk Empire is set in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, New Jersey; its boardwalk set was actually built on an empty lot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Who created Boardwalk Empire?

He had spent 2000 to 2007 writing for another HBO mob drama before creating this one.

Which famous film director directed the pilot episode of Boardwalk Empire?

Martin Scorsese directed the pilot, his first television episode since Amazing Stories' 'Mirror, Mirror' in 1986, and stayed on as an executive producer without directing again.

How many seasons of Boardwalk Empire were made?

The run totalled 56 episodes between September 2010 and October 2014.

How many episodes of Boardwalk Empire aired in total?

Boardwalk Empire aired 56 episodes: 12 in each of seasons one through four, plus a shortened eight-episode fifth season.

What is Nucky Thompson's official job title in Atlantic County?

The real boss he is based on was county treasurer among many other posts.

On what real historical figure is Nucky Thompson loosely based?

Nucky Thompson is based on Enoch L. 'Nucky' Johnson, who ran Atlantic City's Republican machine from around 1911 until his federal conviction in 1941.

Whose 2002 non-fiction book inspired the series?

Nelson Johnson, an Atlantic County lawyer who later became a New Jersey Superior Court judge, wrote the 2002 history that Terence Winter adapted.

What is the subtitle of the book Boardwalk Empire that the show adapted?

The subtitle is The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City; Nelson Johnson's 2002 history reached the New York Times bestseller list after HBO's series premiered in 2010.

How much did the Boardwalk Empire pilot ultimately cost to make?

The pilot cost about $18 million, one of the most expensive ever made; early reports had put it as high as $50 million, and the boardwalk set alone ran roughly $5 million.

What year does the first season of Boardwalk Empire take place in?

Season one is set in 1920, opening on the eve of national Prohibition, which took effect on January 17, 1920, and running through that autumn.

Which band performs "Straight Up and Down", the show's opening theme?

The Brian Jonestown Massacre's 'Straight Up and Down', from the 1996 album Take It from the Man!, was chosen by Winter as a deliberately anachronistic opening theme.

In Boardwalk Empire, which actor plays Jimmy Darmody, Nucky's protégé who returns from World War I?

Michael Pitt was previously known for Murder by Numbers, The Dreamers and Dawson's Creek.

Which university did Jimmy Darmody leave to serve in the war?

Jimmy Darmody left Princeton to enlist; season two's 'Under God's Power She Flourishes' flashes back to his student days there, when he met Angela and his mother Gillian visited.

Who plays Margaret Schroeder, the Irish immigrant who becomes Nucky's mistress and later wife?

Kelly Macdonald plays Margaret Schroeder; the Scottish actress, earlier seen in Trainspotting and No Country for Old Men, earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role.

Which actor plays Prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden?

Michael Shannon had just been Oscar-nominated for Revolutionary Road when he was cast.

What alias does Nelson Van Alden adopt while living as a fugitive in Chicago?

Under the name he sells irons door to door before becoming muscle for Dean O'Banion.

Who is Eli Thompson to Nucky?

Eli Thompson is Nucky's younger brother, installed as Atlantic County sheriff; he and his wife June raise a large family, including son Willie, who later works for Nucky.

Which real gangster does Michael Stuhlbarg portray?

Michael Stuhlbarg plays Arnold Rothstein, the New York gambler tied to the 1919 World Series fix, whose protégés on the show include Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky.

Which English actor plays the young Al Capone?

Stephen Graham plays Al Capone, introduced as a Chicago driver and bodyguard and last seen in the finale facing federal charges over his bookkeeping.

Which actor plays Albert "Chalky" White?

Michael Kenneth Williams was already famous as Omar Little on The Wire.

What is the name of Nucky's loyal German butler?

Nucky's valet is Eddie Kessler, modeled on Louis Kessel, the real Nucky Johnson's longtime bodyguard and valet.

What does Richard Harrow wear to cover the war wound to his face?

Richard Harrow wears a painted tin mask over the left side of his face, molded to mirror his intact right side, like the masks sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd made for disfigured veterans.

Who plays the disfigured war veteran Richard Harrow?

Jack Huston plays Richard Harrow; he is the grandson of director John Huston and nephew of Anjelica Huston.

What was Richard Harrow's role in the US Army during World War I?

Richard Harrow served as a sharpshooter, a skill he keeps using as a hitman; the war cost him his left eye, upper jaw and most of his left cheekbone.

In which state is Richard Harrow's home town of Plover, where his twin sister lives?

Plover is in Wisconsin; Richard's twin sister Emma, played by Katherine Waterston, nursed him there after the war and later takes in his son Tommy.

Who plays Gillian Darmody, Jimmy's mother?

Gretchen Mol plays Gillian Darmody, recurring in season one before joining the main cast for seasons two through five.

Which mentor of Nucky's, called the Commodore, is played by Dabney Coleman?

Dabney Coleman plays Commodore Louis Kaestner, loosely based on the real Atlantic City boss who ran the Republican machine before Nucky Johnson took it over.

Owen Sleater, who has an affair with Margaret, is a volunteer for which organization?

Charlie Cox later played the character's near-opposite, Daredevil, for Marvel.

Who plays the season-three villain Gyp Rosetti?

Bobby Cannavale plays Gyp Rosetti and won the 2013 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, the show's first acting Emmy.

Who plays Dr. Valentin Narcisse, the Harlem antagonist of season four?

Jeffrey Wright plays Dr. Valentin Narcisse, a Harlem doctor of divinity and Marcus Garvey follower who moves on Chalky White's territory and the heroin trade.

What is Roy Phillips, the businessman who courts Gillian in season four, secretly?

He tricks her into confessing to the murder of her lover Roger.

Which university does Eli's son Willie Thompson attend?

Willie Thompson attends Temple University in Philadelphia; he drops out after a dormitory prank poisons a classmate and by season five works in the federal prosecutor's office.

What is Mickey Doyle's real surname?

The doltish bootlegger is based on a real Philadelphia beer baron.

Which real Chicago boss does Greg Antonacci play throughout the series?

Greg Antonacci plays Johnny Torrio, Capone's Chicago boss, who retires to Italy after being shot and resurfaces in season five quietly backing Luciano against Nucky.

Which real politician is Assistant US Attorney Esther Randolph based on?

Willebrandt was a US Assistant Attorney General from 1921 to 1929.

Which real Attorney General, played by Christopher McDonald, does Nucky pay off?

In season three Daugherty plans to make Nucky a scapegoat for the Harding scandals anyway.

Which real Treasury Secretary does James Cromwell play?

Andrew W. Mellon is offered a deal: Nucky will run a distillery for him in exchange for a rival bootlegger's arrest.

Which real vaudeville star is played by Stephen DeRosa?

Stephen DeRosa plays Eddie Cantor, the real 'Banjo Eyes' vaudeville star; in season three Nucky strong-arms him into joining his mistress's Broadway show.

What is the name of the Tampa speakeasy owner played by Patricia Arquette?

Patricia Arquette plays Sally Wheet, the Tampa speakeasy owner who becomes Nucky's Florida partner and lover; she is shot dead by Cuban soldiers at a checkpoint in season five.

Which real Harlem figure inspired the character of Valentin Narcisse?

In the show Narcisse is a follower of Marcus Garvey and is turned into an informant on him.

How long was the boardwalk set built for the show in Brooklyn?

The boardwalk set ran 300 feet long and about 45 feet wide across an empty lot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and cost roughly $5 million to build.

Which Staten Island location served as a filming location for season three?

Historic Richmond Town, a restored 17th-to-19th-century village on Staten Island, stood in for the small New Jersey shore town at the center of season three's Gyp Rosetti storyline.

Which Brooklyn effects company created the visual effects for the pilot?

Brooklyn-based Brainstorm Digital built the pilot's digital Atlantic City skyline and ocean, work that won the 2011 Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series.

Who designed the costumes for Boardwalk Empire?

John Dunn designed the costumes with Lisa Padovani, winning an Emmy for the period wardrobe; the detail ran to the collar pins on Nucky's shirts.

Which character does Anatol Yusef play?

Anatol Yusef plays Meyer Lansky, the soft-spoken Rothstein protégé who partners with Luciano; the British actor recurs from the first season through the finale.

Which Scorsese film did the show's creator write, earning an Oscar nomination?

Terence Winter wrote The Wolf of Wall Street, adapting Jordan Belfort's memoir, and was nominated for the 2014 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

On what date did Boardwalk Empire premiere?

Boardwalk Empire premiered on HBO on September 19, 2010 with the Scorsese-directed pilot; two same-night replays pushed its first-evening audience to 7.1 million.

How many viewers watched the pilot's original airing?

The pilot's original airing drew 4.81 million viewers on HBO; two same-night replays pushed that evening's total audience to 7.1 million.

Which award did the show's Volume 1 album win at the 54th Grammys?

Boardwalk Empire Volume 1 won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 54th Grammy Awards in February 2012; it collects 1920s songs recorded for the series.

Which bandleader's orchestra performs many of the period songs on the soundtrack?

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, a New York band devoted to 1920s dance music, recorded many of the period tracks, including 'Livery Stable Blues' and 'Margie'.

Which singer-songwriter performs "My Man" on the Volume 1 soundtrack?

Regina Spektor sings 'My Man', the 1921 Fanny Brice standard, on Boardwalk Empire Volume 1, released by Elektra Records in September 2011.

How many Primetime Emmy Awards did Boardwalk Empire win from its 57 nominations?

Boardwalk Empire won 20 Primetime Emmys from 57 nominations, mostly in craft categories such as art direction, cinematography and costumes; it was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series only in 2011 and 2012.

Which director won the 2012 Emmy for directing the season-two finale "To the Lost"?

Tim Van Patten won the 2012 Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for 'To the Lost' and was nominated again for 'Margate Sands', 'Farewell Daddy Blues' and 'Eldorado'.

What Metacritic score did the first season receive?

Season one scored 88 out of 100 on Metacritic, in the site's 'universal acclaim' band, with critics praising the period detail and Scorsese's pilot.

What brand of whisky is being smuggled in the ambush that opens the pilot?

The scene then jumps back three days to the eve of Prohibition.

Where does Nucky give the keynote speech on the eve of Prohibition in the pilot?

Nucky addresses a Women's Temperance League rally, spinning a tale of childhood poverty, then leaves for Babette's Supper Club, where officials toast the coming bootlegging bonanza.

What is Mickey Doyle's funeral parlor really used for in the pilot?

Mickey Doyle's funeral parlor is a front for distilling liquor; Jimmy punches Mickey there for tricking him into drinking formaldehyde.

How much does Rothstein take Nucky's casino for in the pilot?

Rothstein runs up winnings of over $90,000 at Nucky's casino, and Nucky realizes the New York gambler never intended to pay for the whiskey he ordered.

Which Chicago boss at Nucky's dinner declines to buy liquor, calling it too risky?

Big Jim Colosimo says bootlegging is too risky and sticks to brothels; he is shot dead at the end of the pilot, and his funeral fills the second episode.

What startles Capone into opening fire during the hijacking in the pilot?

A deer bolting out of the woods startles Capone into firing, and the panic forces Jimmy and Capone to kill all four of Rothstein's men.

Who does Nucky have killed and framed for Jimmy's hijacking?

Nucky has Hans Schroeder killed and his body planted to take the blame for the hijacking, after Hans beat Margaret so badly that she miscarried.

Which holiday celebration does Margaret sabotage by tipping off Van Alden?

In 'Nights in Ballygran', Margaret tips off Van Alden to the beer delivered for the St. Patrick's Day Celtic Dinner, and his raid breaks up Nucky's annual feast.

Which political gathering does Nucky attend in Chicago in "Hold Me in Paradise"?

He is intrigued by the long-shot candidacy of Warren G. Harding.

Which crime family from Philadelphia allies with Rothstein against Nucky in season one?

The D'Alessio brothers, Philadelphia hoods backed by Rothstein, rob Nucky's bagman and try to assassinate him; Nucky's crew hunts down the surviving brothers after a truce with Rothstein.

Where does Van Alden's confrontation with Agent Sebso end in "Paris Green"?

Van Alden takes Sebso to a river baptism held by a Black congregation and drowns him in the water, declaring the corrupt agent unrepentant.

Which real event does the season-one finale, "A Return to Normalcy", build to?

The finale builds to the November 1920 presidential election that Harding wins; its title quotes his campaign slogan promising a 'return to normalcy' after the war.

What does Nucky arrange the Commodore to do to Gillian in exchange for becoming sheriff?

The revelation is what turns Jimmy against Nucky at the end of season one.

What did Nucky's abusive father Ethan scar his hand with?

His sister Susan later died of tuberculosis.

What drug does the disfigured prostitute Pearl become addicted to before her suicide?

Pearl dulls the pain of her slashed face with laudanum, an opium tincture, before shooting herself; Jimmy later has Richard Harrow shoot Liam, the gangster who cut her.

What is Nucky arrested for at the start of season two?

Nucky is arrested for election fraud at the close of '21', the season-two premiere, a charge engineered by the Commodore's faction, which also steers the Klan into attacking Chalky's warehouse.

What medical event forces Jimmy to take control of the Commodore's operation?

The Commodore suffers a massive stroke midway through season two, leaving Jimmy in charge; Eli kills Alderman O'Neill with a wrench to keep the incapacitation quiet.

What interrupts Richard Harrow's suicide attempt in the woods in "Gimcrack & Bunkum"?

The dog runs off with his mask; two hunters at a campfire talk him into living.

Which disease strikes Margaret's daughter Emily in season two?

Emily contracts polio in season two and is left in leg braces; Margaret reads it as divine punishment for her life with Nucky and considers testifying against him.

What does Nucky offer the IRA in Ireland in exchange for Irish whiskey?

He then floods Atlantic City with the whiskey to cripple Jimmy's business.

Which Philadelphia gangster murders Angela Darmody in season two?

Philadelphia butcher-bootlegger Manny Horvitz shoots Angela and her lover Louise at the Darmody home, revenge for the failed hit Jimmy sent over a $5,000 debt.

Which alderman do Jimmy and Richard kill and stage as a suicide to help Nucky's case?

Jimmy and Richard kill Alderman James Neary and stage it as suicide, first forcing him to type a note exonerating Nucky of the election-fraud charge.

Where does Nucky kill Jimmy in the season-two finale?

Nucky shoots Jimmy twice at the Atlantic City War Memorial in the rain in 'To the Lost'; Jimmy, sensing the trap, comes unarmed and says he died in the trenches years ago.

Whom does Margaret sign Nucky's valuable land deed over to at the end of season two?

Margaret signs the land over to her church, St. Finbar's, stripping Nucky of the acreage he planned to profit from in a road-construction deal.

Which real boxer appears in season two, played by Devin Harjes?

Devin Harjes plays Jack Dempsey, shown training in Atlantic City; the episode 'Battle of the Century' takes its name from Dempsey's July 1921 title defense against Georges Carpentier.

On what date does season three open?

Season three opens on New Year's Eve 1922 with the episode 'Resolution', which introduces Gyp Rosetti beating a helpful motorist to death with a tire iron.

Which product does the good samaritan mention before Rosetti beats him to death?

The motorist offers 3-in-One Oil for Rosetti's stalled car; Rosetti takes the explanation as condescension and beats him to death with a tire iron.

Which small New Jersey town does Gyp Rosetti seize to blockade Nucky's shipments?

Rosetti seizes Tabor Heights, which sits on the only winter-passable road from Atlantic City to New York and is the last place to buy gas, choking Nucky's shipments.

Which Italian phrase from Nucky does Rosetti take as an insult, restarting the feud?

He responds by burning the local sheriff alive.

Whom does Rothstein send to kill Gyp Rosetti in season three?

Rothstein sends Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel in 'You'd Be Surprised'; the hit leaves several of Rosetti's men and the woman in his bed dead, but Gyp escapes naked through a window.

What is the name of the New York showgirl who becomes Nucky's mistress in season three?

Billie Kent, the Broadway showgirl played by Meg Chambers Steedle, becomes Nucky's mistress in season three and dies in the Babette's explosion meant for Nucky in 'The Pony'.

What job does Van Alden take in Chicago while on the run at the start of season three?

He eventually burns a mocking coworker's face with one of the irons.

Who kills Gyp Rosetti in the season-three finale?

Tonino Sandrelli, Gyp's own lieutenant, stabs him in the back while he urinates on the beach, on Nucky's orders, then delivers the body to Gyp's New York backer.

Where is Owen Sleater killed in "A Man, a Plan..."?

Margaret had just told him she was pregnant with his child.

Which Ohio bootlegger, played by Glenn Fleshler, does Nucky have arrested for Mellon?

The real Remus famously referred to himself in the third person.

Where does Richard Harrow meet Julia Sagorsky's father Paul?

Richard meets Paul Sagorsky at the American Legion post, carries the bitter drunk home after a fight, and there falls for his daughter Julia.

In which season-three episode do Nucky and Eli reconcile during a dinner at Eli's home?

'Sunday Best' gathers the Thompsons at Eli's house for Easter 1923, where Nucky and Eli finally make peace; Richard Harrow spends the same holiday with the Sagorskys.

What is the name of Chalky's boardwalk venue in season four?

Chalky runs the Onyx Club, a boardwalk nightclub with Black performers and white patrons; his right-hand man Dunn Purnsley kills a booking agent there in the season-four premiere.

Which real FBI director turns out to be Agent Knox's true boss?

Hoover is nonetheless uninterested in the bootleggers' network.

What is Agent Warren Knox's real name?

Gaston Means has secretly known all along.

How does Nucky's butler die in season four?

Guilt over betraying Nucky's trust drives him to it.

Which hotel does Nucky live in during season four?

In season four Nucky lives at the Albatross Hotel, having left the Ritz-Carlton suite of earlier seasons; the real Nucky Johnson kept a suite at the Ritz-Carlton.

Which singer does Narcisse book for Chalky's club, and who then has an affair with Chalky?

She is played by Margot Bingham.

Which Capone brother is shot dead by deputized Chicago agents in season four?

Frank Capone, played by Morgan Spector, is gunned down by Chicago police deputized for the April 1924 Cicero election, echoing the real Frank Capone's death.

Where does Chalky hide out with his old mentor Oscar Boneau in season four?

The blind Oscar is killed when Narcisse's men attack the house.

Whom does Richard Harrow accidentally kill in the season-four finale?

He hesitates as a sniper, she moves into the shot, and he is mortally wounded in return.

Where does Richard Harrow die at the end of season four?

He imagines a reunion with his new family, his face healed.

How does Eli deal with the federal agent who turned him, in the season-four finale?

Nucky then sends Eli to Chicago, where Van Alden meets him.

Season five jumps ahead to which year?

Season five leaps seven years ahead to 1931, deep in the Depression with repeal of Prohibition nearing; flashbacks to Nucky's childhood and deputy years run alongside.

Which pair of years is shown in the season-five flashbacks?

The flashbacks are set in 1884, when young Nucky scavenges coins on the beach and goes to work for the Commodore, and 1897, when he is a deputy sheriff under the Commodore.

Which rum company does Nucky court in Cuba in the season-five premiere?

He is hoping to be positioned for the repeal of Prohibition.

Which mob boss is gunned down at a table after Luciano excuses himself in season five?

Bugsy Siegel and Tonino Sandrelli do the shooting.

Which future political patriarch turns down Nucky's rum partnership in season five?

Joseph P. Kennedy, played by Matt Letscher, declines Nucky's rum partnership in season five, telling him that scotch and rum don't mix.

What is the name of the company whose stock Nucky manipulates in the series finale?

Margaret persuades Kennedy to short-sell his shares.

Which two movie stars visit Al Capone in Chicago in season five?

George Raft and Paul Muni call on Capone in season five; both starred in 1932's Scarface, whose Tony Camonte was modelled on Capone.

Who shoots Van Alden dead in season five?

Undercover agent Mike D'Angelo shoots Van Alden in the head as Van Alden lunges at Capone, silencing him before he can expose the federal investigation.

Who kills Mickey Doyle in "Friendless Child"?

Lucky Luciano shoots Mickey Doyle in the throat in 'Friendless Child' as Mickey tries to talk his way into keeping the Atlantic City club.

What is the true identity of the bellboy Joe Harper who shoots Nucky in the finale?

Bellboy Joe Harper is Tommy Darmody, Jimmy's son, who shoots Nucky three times on the boardwalk; Nucky dies seeing his younger self swimming for a tossed coin.

Which real psychiatrist operates on Gillian in the mental hospital in the finale?

The real Cotton removed patients' teeth and organs at Trenton State Hospital.

Where is Narcisse assassinated in the finale?

Narcisse is shot dead in front of his Harlem church as he greets parishioners after a service in 'Eldorado', a hit ordered by Luciano.

How is Chalky White killed in season five?

He takes Narcisse's deal to secure the singer's future, knowing he will be betrayed.

Which four actors left the main cast before the final season?

Anthony Laciura, Jack Huston, Ron Livingston and Michael Stuhlbarg all left before season five, their characters dead or written out; Ben Rosenfield was promoted to the main cast in their place.

What flower did the real Nucky Johnson wear fresh daily on his lapel?

The real Nucky Johnson wore a fresh red carnation in his lapel every day, rode in a powder-blue limousine and sported a raccoon coat.

On which floor of the Ritz-Carlton did the real Nucky Johnson live?

Nucky Johnson occupied the entire ninth floor of the Ritz-Carlton, a base that earned him the nickname 'Czar of the Ritz'.

What crime finally sent the real Nucky Johnson to prison in 1941?

Nucky Johnson was convicted of federal income-tax evasion in 1941, sentenced to ten years and a $20,000 fine, and paroled in 1945 after serving four.

What was the name of the real Nucky Johnson's first wife?

Nucky Johnson's first wife was Mabel Jeffries, who died in 1912; he reportedly began drinking only after her death, and the show gave Nucky Thompson's first wife the same name.

In which year did the real Nucky Johnson host the Atlantic City Conference of mob bosses?

The Atlantic City Conference took place in May 1929, when Johnson hosted Capone, Luciano, Lansky, Torrio and other bosses for three days of talks on organizing the rackets.

Which political boss did the real Nucky Johnson succeed after a 1911 corruption trial?

Louis 'the Commodore' Kuehnle ran Atlantic City's Republican machine until his 1911 conviction over a city water contract; Nucky Johnson, then county sheriff, took over the organization.

Which real Philadelphia gangster is the bootlegger Doyle based on?

Duffy was a Polish-American beer baron of Prohibition Philadelphia.

What was Lucy Danziger's job before becoming Nucky's mistress?

Years later her daughter Abigail knows only vaguely that her mother was a dancer.

In Boardwalk Empire, which actor plays Nucky's younger brother Eli, the sheriff of Atlantic County?

Shea Whigham's Eli is loosely based on Alf Johnson, the real Nucky's brother, and later ends up working for Al Capone's organization.

Which Hollywood star served as an executive producer of Boardwalk Empire alongside Scorsese and Terence Winter?

Mark Wahlberg's producing partner Stephen Levinson and Sopranos director Tim Van Patten rounded out the executive team.

Who plays Angela Darmody, Jimmy's wife?

Aleksa Palladino plays Angela Darmody, Jimmy's wife and an aspiring painter, who has affairs with photographer Mary Dittrich and later with Louise.

Which actress plays Sigrid, the Norwegian nanny who becomes Van Alden's wife?

Christiane Seidel plays Sigrid, hired to care for Van Alden's daughter Abigail, who becomes his second wife in Cicero and bears him a son.

Which actor plays Dunn Purnsley, Chalky White's right-hand man?

Erik LaRay Harvey plays Dunn Purnsley, who begins as a cocky newcomer Chalky beats in a jail cell and becomes his right hand before defecting to Narcisse.