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Frankie Yale (born Francesco Ioele) is a criminal enforcer and assassin played by Joseph Riccobene. Yale works for organized crime boss Johnny Torrio and killed Torrio's predecessor, the leader of the Chicago outfit, James "Big Jim" Colosimo.

Biography[]

Background[]

Yale was an enforcer ofJohnny Torrio. Yale began working for him when Torrio was a boss in New York. When Torrio left New York for Chicago, he left his existing businesses there to Yale.

Season 1[]

Torrio disagreed

Frankie Yale

Frankie Yale leaves the scene after killing Big Jim.

with the boss of the Chicago outfit, James "Big Jim" Colosimo, about getting into bootlegging. Colosimo wanted to concentrate on their existing businesses in gambling and prostitution while Torrio felt the opportunity presented by prohibition was too great to pass up. Torrio contracted Yale to murder Colosimo so that Torrio could take over the Chicago outfit and get them involved in bootlegging. Yale tracked Colosimo down in his restaurant and shot him in the back of the head. Yale remained in Chicago long enough to welcome home his friend Al Capone when he delivered Torrio's first shipment of liquor. ("Boardwalk Empire")

On his return to New York, Yale is picked up by Charlie Luciano and brought to see Arnold Rothstein. Rothstein greets Yale and tells him he knows that he has been to Chicago. Yale claims to have been visiting a friend and Luciano says that the visit went badly for Yale’s friend. Rothstein offers Yale a drink and tells him a story. Rothstein once knew a small time short con artist who would bet players at a pool hall that he could swallow a ball. The man could perform the feat and was able to regurgitate the ball. Rothstein had seen him succeed with the con several times. Rothstein bet the man 10,000 dollars that he could not swallow a ball of Rothstein's choosing. The man agreed which Rothstein took as a sign the man thought Rothstein stupid. Rothstein selected the cue ball and the man choked to death. Rothstein knew that the cue ball was larger than the others. Rothstein tells Yale the story as a warning not to treat him as stupid. Rothstein demands to know who ordered Yale to kill Colosimo. ("The Ivory Tower")

Season 3[]

Nucky and Margaret Thompson plan a lavish Egyptian themed party on December 31, 1922, to commemorate the new year. Nucky invites his bootlegging contacts from New York, including the volatile Sicilian gangster Gyp Rosetti.

Just before midnight Nucky assembles his bootlegging contacts in the kitchen. He tells them that because of the attention on the Harding administration he is going to be supplying Arnold Rothstein exclusively. Frank seems to accept Nucky's choice easily; Rosetti on the other hand does not. Charlie Luciano suggest that Rosetti can buy liquor from Bill Lovett or Peg Leg Lonergan, Frank shoots the alternatives down by saying that "those paddies won't sell to Italians".

Frank makes another suggestion to Gyp but is quickly interrupted when he starts his tirade of abuse on him and most of the other persons in the room.("Resolution")

In May 1923 Nucky Thompson, Arnold Rothstein and Charlie Luciano have just survived an assassination attempt by Gyp Rosetti. Frank is summoned to a meeting with Nucky, Waxey Gordon, Peg Leg Lonergan, Bill Lovett, Rothstein, Luciano and Meyer Lansky to discuss a coalition proposition from Nucky which involves putting aside their ethnic background differences and focusing on expansion, cooperation, profit and peace. This contrasts with Nucky's decision in January to sell only to Arnold Rothstein; Frank points this out and Nucky counters by saying that he's reconsidered his position and Frank doesn't blame him for it.

Nucky goes on explaining that he's going to fight Joe Masseria and Rosetti and that he's going to win, but he needs their help to do it. Arnold, however, has made clear to the attendees that business with Nucky is more trouble than it's worth and Frank, like the others, decides not to back Nucky in his war. ("The Milkmaid's Lot")

Season 4[]

Frankie Yale attends a sit-down in Manhattan at John's Restaurant with Joe Masseria and Tonino Sandrelli where the three men bicker about Masseria eating a cake which Frankie finds childish. Charlie Luciano, however, arrives on the scene and they instead start to discuss why they are really there. Joe Masseria has become aware of Luciano's involvement with Nucky Thompson, Meyer Lansky and his cousin, Vincenzo Petrucelli, down in Tampa, Florida. Luciano explains that he turned down the deal to not cross Masseria which he understands. Tonino then says that they might have a new deal in the works with Petrucelli, seeing as he is the biggest heroin importer in the south east, ever since he killed his rival, Joe Raguto in New Orleans. Masseria then orders Luciano to go back to Tampa and set up this deal, making sure Nucky's trucks carry something for them as well.

Frankie has been called upon by Al Capone to come to Chicago next month to murder his rival, Dean O'Banion, since Capone has received information about O'Banion's habits from his inside-man (Nelson Van Alden). Frankie arrives and asks what kind of flowers O'Banion has, when O'Banion offers them a deal for some flowers and extends his hand to Frankie, Frankie grabs it and holds on to it until his two men have gunned O'Banion down. They leave the flower shop.

Relationships[]

Racketeering

Victims

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 three appearances
"Resolution" "Spaghetti and Coffee" "Bone for Tuna" "Blue Bell Boy"
"You'd Be Surprised" "Ging Gang Goolie" "Sunday Best" "The Pony"
"The Milkmaid's Lot" "A Man, A Plan..." "Two Imposters" "Margate Sands"
Season four appearances
"New York Sour" "Resignation" "Acres of Diamonds" "All In"
"Erlkonig" "The North Star" "William Wilson" "The Old Ship of Zion"
"Marriage and Hunting" "White Horse Pike" "Havre De Grace" "Farewell Daddy Blues"
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