Montalban plays Frank Makouris, a mobster who has a protection racket going in New York's Fulton Fish Market. His embrace of extreme violence has even the syndicate of more powerful mobsters telling him to stop with the killing. So he just decides to switch to maiming people instead. The syndicate is not amused with Makouris obeying the letter versus the spirit of the law they laid down. Never having the courage of his convictions, he blames the recent blinding of an old man via throwing acid in his face on one of his hired guns rather than his own orders. Thus his other hired gun, Swede Kelso, is given the unenviable task of killing his friend, Lenny, to placate the angry public and get the syndicate off the hot seat.
Usually the mob muscle was portrayed as mindless thugs on The Untouchables, having no real part in the plot. Here you see real camaraderie between the two hired guns, although they do remind me a bit of the two villains in Fargo except with a strong friendship between them. Thus it causes Swede all kinds of mental anguish being told to violate the trust of someone he considers a friend. Montalban plays an interesting mobster. He is all about his workouts and physical prowess, but at his core he is a coward.
Usually the mob muscle was portrayed as mindless thugs on The Untouchables, having no real part in the plot. Here you see real camaraderie between the two hired guns, although they do remind me a bit of the two villains in Fargo except with a strong friendship between them. Thus it causes Swede all kinds of mental anguish being told to violate the trust of someone he considers a friend. Montalban plays an interesting mobster. He is all about his workouts and physical prowess, but at his core he is a coward.