Nucky Thompson is shown in this Boardwalk Empire preview threatening Harry Daugherty and suggesting that he indict George Remus, rather than him. In a great line, he tells the Attorney General: “Harry, I swear to Christ, if you bring me down, you’re coming with me, lock stock and whiskey barrel.”

It was a poetic ending for Nucky, who murdered Tommy’s dad and whored his grandmother out to a pedophile (setting her up for a life full of crime, murder, incest and, ultimately.

Known in Life as: He was a New Jersey political boss and racketeer. From the 1910s to his 1941 conviction and imprisonment, he was the undisputed “boss” of the political machine that controlled Atlantic City and the Atlantic County government. The carnation-wearing county sheriff-turned-treasurer was the real-life inspiration for the character Steve Buscemi plays on Boardwalk Empire. Will the Real Nucky Thompson Please Stand Up. Steve Buscemi played the main role of Nucky Thompson, the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic County, a character loosely based on the Atlantic City political figure Enoch L. Today, Steve is starring on the TBS series Miracle Workers and will appear in the upcoming Netflix comedy, Hubie Halloween. Article continues below advertisement. Fictionalized as Nucky Thompson on Boardwalk Empire, Johnson cut a far different figure from the slender actor, Steve Buscemi, who portrayed him. Almost a prototypical corrupt, jovial politician, Johnson was well over 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, and regularly strolled the.

But, did Daugherty really have that much to do with Nucky Johnson in real life?

Well, according to several books we have looked up, Daugherty really had more to do with George Remus. According to King Of The Bootleggers: A Biography of George Remus, the Senate investigation into Daugherty and Jess Smith actually took place in 1924. At the time, Remus was already in custody in the Atlanta Penitentiary and when he learned about the testimony given by Gaston Means, he was so enraged, that he volunteered to testify himself.

“Under heavy guard on May 17, 1924, George Remus sat down before the Senate committee to tell his story. Although he appeared quite nervous, Remus’ testimony was the most spectacular so far in the hearings….”

Warren Harding was already dead by this time (August 2, 1923), and Calvin Coolidge was President. It was Coolidge who reluctantly forced Daugherty to resign as Attorney General on March 28, 1924.

Daugherty was never convicted of anything, but his reputation was irreversibly damaged and he later sought to clear his name and Harding’s by writing his own book, The Inside Story of the Harding Tragedy. In it, Daugherty says that Jess Smith committed suicide (on May 30, 1923) over his failing health (diabetes) and not from fear or guilt regarding his involvement in any wrongdoing.

In his book,The Strange Death of President Harding, Gaston Means was convinced that it was murder.

“That Jess Smith took his own life was so entirely outside the realm of possibility in my mind, I did not even consider it. Well, Jess Smith had died as he had lived since the beginning of the Harding Administration, — with peals of thunder clapping around his head one moment, and at his feet, — the next moment, and not knowing when the torrents might break down on him. He knew that he was fooling with T.N.T., but he didn’t know how to handle it, — and it finally exploded in his face.”

By the time Nucky Johnson got sent to prison, FDR was President and that administration’s knowledge of the situation is referred to in New Deal or Raw Deal?: How FDR’s Economic Legacy Has Damaged America

“Unfortunately for Nucky Johnson… when he chose his political affiliation in the early 1900s, he happened to select the Republican Party. The United States had no income tax then, and Johnson focused on local, not national, politics. Before 1933, local profits held much more potential for city bosses than federal. Atlantic County went Republican in 1932, but Democrat in 1936 by a small margin. Johnson seems to have been indifferent to Roosevelt — and when Johnson was ultimately convicted of tax fraud in 1941. Roosevelt seems to have cared little one way or another. Johnson neither hurt him nor helped him, so FDR simply watched from the sidelines as the IRS audited and then convicted Johnson.”

Jersey City’s mayor, Frank Hague, is described as being much more corrupt on a wider scale than Johnson. Known as the “Hudson County Hitler” to his enemies, Hague, on the other hand, helped Roosevelt get a boatload of New Jersey votes and Roosevelt did take an interest in anyone looking to bring Hague down.

“… the IRS never made a serious investigation of Hague. Nucky Johnson, with a smaller city and only local funds to swindle, went to prison, but Hague never did.”

Real Life Bootleggers: How and When They Died

Questioning the Story:

Is Margaret Schroeder based on a real person? Margaret Schroeder, who is portrayed by Kelly Macdonald on the Boardwalk Empire TV show, is primarily a combination of two individuals, Nucky's second wife, showgirl Florence Osbeck (pictured) who was 25 years his junior, and Mary Ill, a housewife and boardinghouse maid who fell upon hard times and requested a meeting with Nucky. Mary's husband, a part-time baker's helper, had gambled their food money away. Nucky gave Mary Ill some money and ensured her that her husband would no longer be allowed in local gambling halls. Like Margaret, Mary was also active in local politics and charitable organizations. It is unclear whether she was Irish and there is no evidence that Nucky had her husband killed like he does to Margaret's on the show. -Boardwalk Empire Book
Did Nucky really have a first wife who died?Yes. On the show, Nucky (Steve Buscemi) alludes to having lost his first wife. The Boardwalk Empire true story reveals that Nucky Johnson's first wife was his childhood sweetheart Mabel Jeffries. They both had enrolled at State Normal School College in Trenton, New Jersey. Nucky left after a year to begin an unpaid law clerkship. He eventually quit to work as a clerk at the office of his father, the sheriff.
After Mabel Jeffries graduated and began work as a teacher, the two married on September 12, 1906. Their marriage ended with her death in 1912 of tuberculosis. It was at this time that Nucky began to live a fast life. Decades later, following an engagement that lasted three years, he married Florence 'Floss' Osbeck, a thirty-three-year-old showgirl, on August 11, 1941 before entering prison for tax evasion. -Nucky: The Real Story of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Boss by Frank J. Ferry
Did Nucky have any children?

No. On the HBO TV show, Nucky adopts Margaret Schroeder's two children around the time that Margaret and Nucky marry. In researching The Boardwalk Empire true story, we discovered that the real Nucky Thompson (Nucky Johnson) never had any children. His brother, who is depicted as having a rather large family on the show, also never had any kids.

Nucky Johnson Real Life

Is Jimmy Darmody based on a real person?

Yes. James 'Jimmy' Darmody, portrayed by Michael Pitt, is to some degree based on Jimmy Boyd (Business Insider). Born November 5, 1906, James H. Boyd worked closely with Nucky Johnson and has been called his 'right-hand man' by their lawyer Frank J. Ferry. It is rumored that Boyd got his start as a bellhop at the Ritz and was able to work his way up. Ultimately, he became a part of the Atlantic Board of Freeholders (county legislators) for almost forty years. He was also the executive chairman of the Fourth Ward Republic Club for two decades and served in the army during World War II (Jimmy Darmody was a WWI veteran). By now you've probably guessed that the real James Darmody (Jimmy Boyd) was not killed by Nucky Johnson. He died more than five years after Nucky in April 1974. -Atlantic Cape Community College

Did the real Nucky Thompson actually live at the Ritz-Carlton?

Yes. Nucky Johnson leased the entire ninth story of the Ritz-Carlton, as well as other properties. While being investigated for tax evasion, it was noted that his daily expenditures included such food as lobster, steaks and caviar. Although he treated himself well, spending large amounts on clothes and cars too, he also spread his wealth to charities, impoverished areas and workers. -ACMuseum.org

Is Babette's nightclub based on a real location?

Yes. Babette's was an actual Atlantic City nightclub that existed from the 1920s through the 1940s. It was originally called the Golden Inn and was owned by Dan Stebbins. He changed the name in the 1930s after marrying singer and performer Blanche Babette, who had come to Atlantic City in 1920. Babette's was indeed known for its unique décor, which included a ship-shaped bar (pictured) similar to but not as extravagant as the one Martin Scorsese insisted on having created for the show. Like on the TV show, the real Babette's saw it's fair share of illegal activity, including backroom gambling and horse-race betting, which caused it to become the target of a federal investigation in the 1930s. -ACMuseum.org

Did Nucky really wear a red carnation in his lapel?

Yes. Like on the TV show, the real Enoch Thompson (Enoch Johnson) wore a fresh red carnation in his lapel daily. It was his personal trademark. -The Press of Atlantic City

Did the real Nucky have a pale, scrawny appearance like actor Steve Buscemi on the TV show?

No. The real Nucky swam almost every day of the week to keep in shape. He was a tall, muscular, formidable man who weighed roughly 225 pounds and stood over six feet tall. He also did not have a somewhat high-pitched voice like actor Steve Buscemi. He had a forceful and outgoing personality and he was almost always seen wearing glasses. -Galloway.Patch.com

Boardwalk Empire Set Tour and Related Video

Why Did Tommy Darmody Kill Nucky Thompson

Join Bob Shaw, the Production Designer on the HBO Boardwalk Empire TV show, as he offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Boardwalk Empire sets, including the replica Atlantic City Boardwalk that was constructed exclusively for the show. Also, watch the trailer that was used to promote the HBO TV series.

Nucky Johnson Brother

Boardwalk Empire Sets: Designing An Empire Boardwalk Empire's ProductionDesigner, Bob Shaw, takes us on a tour ofthe Boardwalk Empire sets,including an enormous, life-size replicaof the Atlantic City Boardwalk built inBrooklyn, Babette's nightclub, and NuckyThompson's office.

Boardwalk Empire Trailer Watch the Boardwalk Empiretrailer for the HBO TV series starringSteve Buscemi as Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson,the treasurer and ruler of Atlantic Cityduring the 1920s and 1930s.

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