Edward Bader is a New Jersey construction magnate and politician. He is played by Kevin O'Rourke. He becomes Atlantic City Mayor in the December 1920 elections. He is based on the real Atlantic City Politician of the same name.
Biography
Background
Bader runs a successful construction company in Atlantic City. He is a republican.
Season 1
Bader is approached by Nucky Thompson in the summer of 1920, as the prospects of reelection for current Mayor Harry Bacharach seem to diminish each day, and proposes him to run for Mayor in Bacharach's place. Bader is doubtful at first as he knows that Nucky is the real power in the town and that he will be a mere pawn of his organization, but is ultimately convinced when Nucky promises his construction company the contracts to build the roads of his planned million-making land deal, and other structures like hospitals and a convention center as well.
The plan succeeds and Bader is elected Mayor by a small margin in November. ("A Return to Normalcy")
Season 2
In season 2 he remains loyal to Nucky during the commodores attempted political coup.
Bader is a guest of honor during the memorial day celebrations in May 1921. ("Gimcrack & Bunkum")
World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey holds an open practice in a tent on the beach in Atlantic City. Dempsey’s sparring partner is bloodied; the two hug at the end of the round. A gaggle of reporters at the ringside question Dempsey. Bader and Nucky are with Dempsey's trainer Jack "Doc" Kearns on the sidelines. Dempsey leaves the ring and Nucky compliments his performance for the press. Nucky asks Dempsey to make a promotional appearance at Babette’s Supper Club on Friday to advertise the wireless broadcast of the fight. Bader explains that they will be charging $2.50 a ticket to listen to the fight live via the radio. Dempsey agrees on the condition that his trainer is on board. Nucky replies that with Doc expecting a 10% share of their takings he will gladly agree and Doc jokes about scientific progress. ("Peg of Old")
At Babette’s Doc entertains Dempsey, Nucky and Bader with a joke before Dempsey’s speech. Doc reminds Dempsey to mention the Radio Corporation of America and hands him a copy of a prepared speech. Dempsey stands on the bar and addresses the crowd. A man emerges from the crowd with a pistol in hand. Nucky raises his hand and the man fires at him, hitting him in his right palm. Nucky collapses and federal investigator Clifford Lathrop shoots the would be assassin from the back of the room. As Jimmy exits he hears Bader say that Nucky is alive. ("Peg of Old")
Nucky stands down as Atlantic County Treasurer and cedes control of his organziation to Jimmy Darmody claiming that he is going to retire. He asks Bader to co-operate with Jimmy. ("Two Boats and a Lifeguard")
Jimmy holds court in The Commodore’s home on July 19 1921. Meeting with Jimmy and The Commodore are Bader, Atlantic County Sheriff Eli Thompson, new treasurer Jim Neary, The Commodore’s attorney and advisor Leander Cephas Whitlock and three hotel owners. The Commodore’s butler Langston is attending to guests and hosts alike. The hoteliers have come to discuss ending the citywide strike by African American workers. They all complain vociferously about the situation and suggest that it should have already been dealt with. They suggest involving the Ku Klux Klan as The Commodore once did to handle Chalky. Eli dismisses this suggestion, saying that he does not want to be indebted to the Klan. Jimmy asks the businessmen why they are having this problem in the first place and they resort to racism as an explanation for their workers demands. Neary jokes along with them and The Commodore bangs his walking stick against the ground. Jimmy tells his father not to get worked up and Whitlock says that he is trying to speak. Jimmy reassures The Commodore that he will handle the problem. Jimmy suggests negotiating and one of the businessmen turns to Bader as though this is insanity. Bader urges the hotelier to listen, calling him Dan. Jimmy suggests offering a 5 cent raise to all the workers and points out that they can afford it. Neary observes that no-one negotiates with the African Americans and Jimmy elucidates that the cost of a raise is nothing compared to the profits lost in the strike. The hoteliers wonder what will happen next year and foresee never ending pay rises. They tell Jimmy that their window to make money lasts from Memorial Day to Labour Day. The Commodore again interrupts, furiously banging his walking stick and repeating no. Jimmy tells the business men that his father needs to rest, over protestations from The Commodore himself. One of the hoteliers angrily instructs Jimmy to do what he is paid to do and end the strike on his way out. ("Georgia Peaches")
Bader says that Jimmy is handling things in the right way and Eli says that he is lying. Eli suggests using strike breakers; fifty men armed with billy clubs. Neary agrees and Jimmy wonders if they are serious. Eli says that violence is how strikes are handled and Neary recalls a strike in 1909 where workers were thrown into the sea. Jimmy worries that this will cause a riot and Eli claims otherwise. Eli asks for The Commodore’s opinion and he shrugs. Neary asks who Eli has on the strike and he says that Halloran is watching the boardwalk. Neary reveals that he saw Halloran meeting with Randolph. Eli says that he instructed Halloran not to speak with Randolph. Neary relates instructing Halloran to blame any actions related to election rigging on Nucky. Whitlock asks Jimmy if he will follow their strategy and Jimmy sarcastically wonders if he means the billy clubs or the pier. Whitlock tells Jimmy that his predecessor kept the African American community happy and Jimmy angrily asserts that he is not Nucky and still needs a plan to end the strike peacefully. The Commodore profanely calls Jimmy a woman and instructs him to show the workers his female genitals. The room is confused so The Commodore stands up, using his weakened right side and repeats the statement cowing Jimmy. Whitlock is impressed at the action, having thought The Commodore paralysed. The Commodore instructs Neary to get him a drink and he does so. Eli is lost in thought, tapping his finger against his closed lips. Neither the strike breakers nor Jimmy's negotiations are successful in ending the strike. Eli instructs the strike breakers to beat Halloran as a warning not to co-operate with Randolph's investigation. This backfires and Eli is arrested when Halloran agrees to testify against him. ("Georgia Peaches")
Relationships
- Katheryn Bader - Wife
- Nucky Thompson - Political mentor, former Treasurer, ex-boss of the organization
- Margaret Schroeder - Nucky's domestic partner, political supporter
- Jimmy Darmody - New boss of the organization
- The Commodore - Former Treasurer, ex-boss and advisor to the organization
- Leander Cephas Whitlock - Advisor to the organization
- George O'Neill - Alderman and Republican colleague (deceased)
- Damien Fleming - Alderman and Republican colleague
- Jim Neary - Atlantic County Treasurer and Republican colleague
- Al Boyd - Alderman and Republican colleague
- Paddy Ryan - Chief Clerk of the Fourth Ward, Republican colleague
- Jack Dempsey - Acquaintance
Memorable Quotes
Appearances
| Season one appearances | |||
| Boardwalk Empire | The Ivory Tower | Broadway Limited | Anastasia |
| Nights in Ballygran | Family Limitation | Home | Hold Me in Paradise |
| Belle Femme | The Emerald City | Paris Green | A Return to Normalcy |
| Season two appearances | |||
| 21 | Ourselves Alone | A Dangerous Maid | What Does the Bee Do? |
| Gimcrack & Bunkum | The Age of Reason | Peg of Old | Two Boats and a Lifeguard |
| Battle of the Century | Georgia Peaches | Under God's Power She Flourishes | To the Lost |