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71-636: Boardwalk Empire is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter for the premium cable channel HBO . The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey , during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson . Winter, a Primetime Emmy Award -winning screenwriter and producer, created the show, inspired by Nelson Johnson 's 2002 non-fiction book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City , about

142-536: A New York Transit Museum train of four retired New York City Subway Lo-V cars for each weekend in September 2011. The two pairs of subway cars used were 5290 & 5292 (both built in 1917) and 5443 and 5483 (both built in 1924). The train operated between noon and 6 pm, and as an express between 96th Street and Times Square–42nd Street Subway on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line . While

213-600: A Male Actor in a Drama Series as well in 2011 and 2012, for the first and second season. In 2011, Martin Scorsese won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series for the pilot. Boardwalk Empire was also listed in the American Film Institute 's Top Ten List for Television in 2010 and 2011 for the first and second season. Boardwalk Empire also won two awards at

284-455: A September 2010 interview, "With Marty and Terry Winters, I developed the feel for each of the characters. We all wanted it to be very, very accurate and specific to the period.... I don't like to do boring clothing, but you also have to make sure that you're not suddenly putting somebody in something that isn't going to make sense four episodes from now." These tailors were supplied by textile importers HMS fabrics and Gladson ltd. Martin Scorsese

355-832: A backdrop of historical events. A period piece may be set in a vague or general era such as the Middle Ages , or a specific period such as the Roaring Twenties , or the recent past. In different eras different subgenres have risen to popularity, such as the westerns and sword and sandal films that dominated North American cinema in the 1950s. The costume drama is often separated as a genre of historical dramas. Early critics defined them as films focusing on romance and relationships in sumptuous surroundings, contrasting them with other historical dramas believed to have more serious themes. Other critics have defended costume dramas, and argued that they are disparaged because they are

426-449: A county political figure. The final season jumps ahead seven years to 1931 as Prohibition nears its end. Emmy Award-winner Terence Winter, who served as executive producer and writer on the HBO series The Sopranos , was hired on June 4, 2008, to adapt the nonfiction book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City . Winter had already been interested in creating

497-410: A former showgirl from Philadelphia , to whom he had been engaged for three years. Ten days later, on August 11, 1941, Johnson entered Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary . Following Johnson's 1941 conviction, Frank S. Farley succeeded him as the leader of Atlantic City's political machine. Johnson was paroled on August 15, 1945, after four years in prison, and took a pauper's oath to avoid paying

568-545: A genre directed towards women. Historical dramas have also been described as a conservative genre, glorifying an imagined past that never existed. Historical drama may include mostly fictionalized narratives based on actual people or historical events, such as the history plays of Shakespeare , Apollo 13 , The Tudors , Braveheart , Chernobyl , Enemy at the Gates , Les Misérables , and Titanic . Works may include references to real-life people or events from

639-446: A guy at the top but like the guy who gets killed when he tries to knock off the guy at the top." The review concludes " Boardwalk Empire is at great pains to give viewers a sense that they are there, and yet rarely did I feel engrossed in the show. Even if its point is to show you the ugly side of fun, Boardwalk Empire should be much more fun to watch." Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times review states that "surprisingly, given

710-595: A major selling point for Atlantic City among tourists and conventioneers, as well as a source of income for Johnson and his political machine. On May 10, 1939, Johnson was indicted for evading taxes on about $ 125,000 in income he received from numbers operators during 1935, 1936 and 1937. A two-week trial concluded in July 1941, and Johnson was convicted. He was sentenced to ten years in federal prison and fined $ 20,000. On August 1, 1941, Johnson, then 58 years old, married 33-year-old Swedish American Florence "Flossie" Osbeck,

781-548: A seasonal economy, and efforts to promote tourism there during the colder months had not been successful. The free availability of alcohol during Prohibition, however, made Atlantic City the nation's premier location for holding conventions. In an effort to promote a year-round convention-supported economy, Johnson directed the construction of Atlantic City Convention Hall . Work on Convention Hall began in 1926 and it opened in May 1929. A 650-by-350-foot (200 by 110 m) structure, it

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852-550: A series set in the 1920s, feeling that it had never properly been explored before, so he decided to focus his adaptation of the book section about Prohibition. On September 1, 2009, it was announced that Academy Award -winning director Martin Scorsese would direct the pilot. It would be the first time he had directed an episode of television since an episode of Steven Spielberg 's Amazing Stories in 1986. The production would be very ambitious, with some even speculating it would be too large scale for television. "I kept thinking, 'This

923-492: A showgirl who was Hearst's steady date when he visited Atlantic City. Johnson subsequently was the focus of increased scrutiny by the Federal government, allegedly as a result of Hearst's lobbying of Roosevelt administration officials. In 1933 a property lien was filed against Johnson by the Federal government for additional taxes he owed on income earned in 1927. That year also saw the repeal of Prohibition, which eliminated

994-480: A total of 7.1 million Americans viewed the episode on the night of its original broadcast, and is the highest rated premiere for an HBO series since the pilot of Deadwood in March 2004. The season finale was watched by 3.29 million viewers, attaining a 1.3 rating adults aged 18–49. The second-season premiere was watched by 2.91 million viewers, down 39% from the pilot and down 12% from its first-season finale. For

1065-483: Is as visually dazzling and well-acted as ever, but it's the emphasis on Nucky Thompson's history that's particularly rewarding this time out." David Hinkley of the New York Daily News awarded the series five stars, saying, "Watching HBO's new 'Boardwalk Empire' is like sitting in your favorite tavern and hearing someone say, 'Drinks are on the house.' Friends, it does not get much better." Paige Wiser of

1136-536: Is pointless. How can we possibly afford a boardwalk , or an empire? ' " says creator Terence Winter. "We can't call it 'Boardwalk Empire' and not see a boardwalk." The production would eventually build a 300-foot-long (91 m) boardwalk in an empty lot in Brooklyn, New York, at the cost of $ 5 million. Despite a reported budget of up to $ 50 million, the pilot's final budget came in at $ 18 million. On why he chose to return to television, Scorsese said, "What's happening

1207-490: The Chicago Sun-Times called it "... an event not to be missed," and praised Buscemi in particular, calling his performance "fascinating". TV Guide ' s Matt Roush praised the partnership of Scorsese and Winter, saying it "... brilliantly marries Martin Scorsese's virtuosic cinematic eye to Terence Winter's panoramic mastery of rich character and eventful story," and finished his review by stating, "It's

1278-527: The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Gyp Rosetti, along with four other wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards . On its original airing, the pilot episode gained a 2.0/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49 and garnered 4.81 million viewers. The episode was re-played twice that night, once at 10:15 p.m. and again at 11:30 p.m. Taking these broadcasts into account,

1349-510: The American Film Institute named Boardwalk Empire one of the 10 "best television programs of the year". On the review aggregator website Metacritic , the first season scored 88 out of 100, and the second season scored 82 out of 100, both indicating "universal acclaim". The third season scored 76, and the fourth season scored 77 out of 100, both indicating "generally favorable reviews". The show's fifth and final season scored 83 out of 100. On another review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes ,

1420-602: The Atlantic City Conference in 1929, a meeting of national organized crime leaders, including Al Capone . (A well-known photograph purporting to show Johnson and Capone walking down the Boardwalk together during the conference is of doubtful authenticity.) Johnson had a Russian personal assistant and valet, Louis Kessel. Johnson's top enforcer and powerful Fourth Ward boss was former Ritz-Carlton Hotel bellhop Jimmy Boyd . Johnson met Boyd around

1491-867: The Fashion Institute of Technology's research libraries and examples found at the Brooklyn Museum and the Met . The costumes have also been rented from the Daybreak Vintage Company located in Albany, NY which also exhibits at the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show. Dunn's designs were meticulously detailed, including a collar pin for Nucky's shirts and even going so far as to incorporate specially ordered woolens for suiting. Dunn told Esquire magazine in

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1562-493: The Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2011 and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2012. Boardwalk Empire is a period drama focusing on Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (based on the historical Enoch L. Johnson ), a political figure who rises to prominence and controls Atlantic City, New Jersey , during the Prohibition period of

1633-600: The Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media in 2012 . For the second season, Boardwalk Empire won once again for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Tim Van Patten for the season finale " To the Lost ", along with three other wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards . For the third season, Bobby Cannavale won the show's first acting award at

1704-687: The Nighthawks Orchestra . Boardwalk Empire Volume 1: Music from the HBO Original Series , featuring music from seasons 1 and 2, was released on September 13, 2011. The soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 54th Grammy Awards . To promote the second season, which started on September 25, 2011, the producers paid the Metropolitan Transportation Authority $ 150,000 to decorate and operate

1775-596: The $ 20,000 fine (equivalent to $ 338,000 in 2023). After his release from prison, Johnson lived with his wife and brother in a house owned by relatives of his wife on South Elberon Avenue, Atlantic City. There was speculation that he would seek elected office, but he never did. Instead, he worked in sales for the Richfield Oil Company , and, with his wife, for Renault Winery . During these years, Johnson and his wife would sometimes attend local political dinners or rallies , where they would be seated at

1846-414: The 1920s and 1930s. Nucky interacts with historical characters in both his personal and political life, including mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look up to him. The federal government also takes an interest in the bootlegging and other illegal activities in the area, sending agents to investigate possible mob connections as well as Nucky's lifestyle—expensive and lavish for

1917-469: The 9th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards. The first for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program and second for Outstanding Models & Miniatures in a Broadcast Program or Commercial. The former was received by Richard Friedlander (of Brainstorm Digital), Robert Stromberg, Paul Graff and David Taritero; the latter was received by Brendan Fitzgerald, John Corbett and Matthew Conner of Brainstorm Digital. The show's Season One Soundtrack won

1988-674: The Atlantic City boardwalks as accurately as possible. "We got to explore what the old Atlantic City was really like. The piers were one of the toughest parts because every summer they would change—new houses, new advertisements." It took two months for the firm to complete all the visual effects for the pilot. Boardwalk Empire began filming on location at Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island in March 2012. Designed by John Dunn and tailored by Martin Greenfield , Boardwalk Empire's costumes were based on 1920s tailoring books from

2059-521: The College of New Jersey ) in Trenton, New Jersey , where he studied English literature. However, he later abandoned his studies in favor of his political career. In 1909, Johnson was appointed to the politically important position of Atlantic County Republican Executive committee secretary. In 1911, local political boss Louis Kuehnle , Johnson and several others were charged with corruption. Kuehnle

2130-629: The King of the Emmys, while Empire nailed the equally prestigious Golden Globe for best drama last winter. But Sunday begins to build the case for Empire , and build it convincingly." Matt Roush of TV Guide stated, "This is a gorgeous piece of storytelling that requires and rewards patience." Brian Lowry stated in his review for Variety that: "A few creative flourishes feel a trifle heavy-handed – starting with Shannon's philandering fed. Unlike Nucky, though, Boardwalk isn't campaigning for anything except

2201-533: The MTA runs "nostalgia trains" each year, this was the first time they had been used for an advertising tie-in. HBO also sponsored an Atlantic City beautification project with the tag line "Compliments of Nucky Thompson" and paid for eastbound tolls into Atlantic City on the AC Expressway for the weekend of September 24, 2011. Boardwalk Empire has received critical acclaim. For its first and second seasons,

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2272-478: The channel would deliver another franchise to definitively put it on top of the world, Ma, the wait is over: Go directly to Boardwalk ." "One of the unexpected joys of Boardwalk Empire , though, lies in the way the show revels in the oddities of its time, peeling back the layers of polite society to reveal a giddy shadow world of criminals and politicians collaborating to keep the liquor flowing," says online magazine Salon's Heather Havrilesky, who went on to call

2343-606: The county's purse strings; county collector; publisher of a weekly newspaper; bank director; president of a building and loan company; and director of a Philadelphia brewery. He declined requests that he run for the state senate, believing that it was beneath the dignity of a "real boss" to stand for election. As the most powerful New Jersey Republican, Johnson was responsible for electing several governors and United States senators. In 1916 Johnson served as campaign manager for Republican candidate Walter E. Edge 's successful run for governor. In addition to raising money for Edge, who

2414-505: The criminal aspect of his organization was also involved in gambling and prostitution . The hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire was based on Johnson, portrayed by Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson . Enoch Lewis Johnson was born on January 20, 1883, in Galloway Township, New Jersey , to Smith E. and Virginia (Higbee) Johnson, who were Protestants and members of two of Atlantic County's oldest families. His nickname "Nucky"

2485-604: The elder Johnson was a member of the three-man group dominating the governments of Atlantic City and Atlantic County prior to the rise to power of Louis Kuehnle . In 1905, Nucky Johnson became his father's undersheriff in Mays Landing. In 1908, he was elected Sheriff of Atlantic County when his father's term expired, a position he held until ousted by a court order in 1911. In 1906, Johnson married his teenage sweetheart, Mabel Jeffries, of Mays Landing. Johnson and Mabel soon enrolled at New Jersey State Normal School (now

2556-412: The extraordinary talent and money behind it, Boardwalk Empire falls short. One possible reason is that the star, Steve Buscemi, is hard to accept in the lead role of Enoch Thompson," going on to observe "it takes a lot of squinting to see him as a powerbroker straddling two worlds." On July 14, 2011, for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards , Boardwalk Empire was nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards for

2627-505: The fictional Thompson does; there is also no evidence that Johnson ever ordered someone to be killed. Also, Thompson is portrayed as running his distillery for bootlegging and competing directly with real-life gangsters for distribution on the East Coast, whereas the real Johnson took a cut of all illegal alcohol sold in Atlantic City but was never known to engage in competition or turf wars. He has been described as running his empire "with

2698-427: The first season received a rating of 94%. Season two received an 91%, the third season an 89%, and the fourth season a 98%, stating " Boardwalk Empire continues to benefit from its meticulously realized period trappings, but what keeps the show watchable is its supremely talented ensemble players". The fifth season of the show holds a rating of 88%, with the site's consensus reading: "The final season of Boardwalk Empire

2769-473: The first season that included Outstanding Drama Series , Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Kelly Macdonald), with Martin Scorsese winning Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, along with seven other wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards . Boardwalk Empire won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series and

2840-517: The general election, and Edge was elected. Edge rewarded Johnson by appointing him clerk of the State Supreme Court. Johnson's power reached its peak during Prohibition, which was enacted nationally in 1919 (but did not go into effect until 1920) and lasted until 1933. Prohibition was effectively unenforced in Atlantic City, and, as a result, the resort's popularity grew further. The city then called itself "The World's Playground". This

2911-420: The gratitude of a pay-cable audience (and award voters) eager to take refuge in its sordid charms. By that measure, the show doesn't just go down smoothly; it's good to the last illicit, intoxicating drop." Nancy Franklin of The New Yorker considered Buscemi miscast as the central figure in the drama. "Buscemi can't play that kind of character; even at the age of fifty-two, he looks cagey and restless—not like

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2982-765: The head table. He continued to dress impeccably, including a red carnation on his lapel. Johnson steadfastly supported Farley's leadership, and in 1952, when the Farley organization faced a particularly strong election challenge, Johnson campaigned on his behalf in Atlantic City's predominantly black Northside area, where Johnson remained popular. Enoch Johnson died on December 9, 1968, at the Atlantic County Convalescent Home in Northfield, New Jersey . According to The Press of Atlantic City , Johnson "was born to rule: He had flair, flamboyance,

3053-712: The historical criminal kingpin Enoch L. Johnson . The pilot episode was directed by Martin Scorsese and produced at a cost of $ 18 million. On September 1, 2009, HBO picked up the series for an additional 11 episodes . The series premiered on September 19, 2010, and its five-season run of 56 episodes ended on October 26, 2014. Boardwalk Empire received widespread critical acclaim throughout its run, particularly for its visual style and basis on historical figures, as well as for Buscemi's lead performance. The series received 57 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including two for Outstanding Drama Series , winning 20. The series also won

3124-438: The majority of the people didn't want them they wouldn't be profitable and they would not exist. The fact that they do exist proves to me that the people want them. Investigators charged that Johnson's income from vice exceeded $ 500,000 a year (equivalent to over $ 9 million in 2023). He rode in a chauffeur-driven, $ 14,000 powder-blue limousine and wore expensive clothes, including a $ 1,200 raccoon coat . His personal trademark

3195-499: The most purely—and impurely—enjoyable storytelling HBO has delivered in ages, like a movie that you never want to end." Variety 's Brian Lowry praised the show for returning network HBO to top form, saying, "This is, quite simply, television at its finest, occupying a sweet spot that—for all the able competition—still remains unique to HBO: An expensive, explicit, character-driven program, tackling material no broadcast network or movie studio would dare touch ... For those wondering when

3266-415: The opportunity to drink, gamble, and visit prostitutes. City leaders realized that permitting a vice industry would give the city an edge over its competitors. Therefore, the organization inherited by Johnson permitted the service of alcohol on Sundays (which at the time was prohibited by New Jersey law), gambling, and prostitution, in exchange for the payment of protection money by vice industry operators to

3337-412: The organization. Support of the vice industry was to continue and expand under Nucky Johnson's rule, as would other forms of corruption, such as kickbacks on government contracts. In 1912, Johnson's wife Mabel died. Reportedly, Johnson had previously been a teetotaler but began to drink after her death. Johnson held many jobs during his 30-year rule: county treasurer, which allowed him to control

3408-407: The past nine to 10 years, particularly at HBO, is what we had hoped for in the mid-'60s with films being made for television at first. We'd hoped there would be this kind of freedom and also the ability to create another world and create long-form characters and story. That didn't happen in the 1970s, 1980s, and in the 1990s, I think. And of course... HBO is a trailblazer in this. I've been tempted over

3479-511: The pilot "breathtaking". Roberto Bianco from USA Today said in his review that Boardwalk Empire was "Extravagantly produced, shockingly violent and as cold and hard as ice, Boardwalk Empire brings us back to the world's former playground at the start of Prohibition—and brings HBO back to the forefront of the TV-series race." The second season received widespread acclaim. Verne Gay from Newsday stated that " Mad Men , of course, remains

3550-618: The relevant time period or contain factually accurate representations of the time period. Works that focus on accurately portraying specific historical events or persons are instead known as docudrama , such as The Report . Where a person's life is central to the story, such a work is known as biographical drama , with notable examples being films such as Alexander , Frida , House of Saddam , Lincoln , Lust for Life , Raging Bull , Stalin , and Oppenheimer . Enoch L. Johnson Enoch Lewis " Nucky " Johnson (January 20, 1883 – December 9, 1968)

3621-469: The role of Nucky Thompson (based upon real-life Atlantic City political boss Enoch L. Johnson ), Winter wanted to stray from the real life Johnson as much as possible. "If we were going to cast accurately what the real Nucky looked like, we'd have cast Jim Gandolfini ." The idea of casting Steve Buscemi in the lead role came about when Scorsese mentioned wanting to work with the actor, whom Winter knew well having worked with him on The Sopranos . Winter sent

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3692-416: The script out to Buscemi, who responded very enthusiastically. "I just thought, 'Wow. I'm almost sorry I've read this, because if I don't get it, I'm going to be so sad.' My response was 'Terry, I know you're looking at other actors'... and he said, 'No, no, Steve, I said we want you. ' " Explained Scorsese, "I love the range he has, his dramatic sense, but also his sense of humor." The casting of Buscemi

3763-583: The third season, see "Boardwalk Empire: Season Three Ratings" . TV Series Finale . December 4, 2012 . Retrieved July 26, 2017 . For the fourth season, see "Boardwalk Empire: Season Four Ratings" . TV Series Finale . November 26, 2013 . Retrieved July 26, 2017 . For the fifth season, see "Boardwalk Empire: Season Five Ratings" . TV Series Finale . October 28, 2014 . Retrieved July 26, 2017 . Period drama Historical drama can be differentiated from historical fiction , which generally present fictional characters and events against

3834-444: The third season. The music used for the opening titles is "Straight Up and Down" by The Brian Jonestown Massacre . It was chosen by series creator Winter to create a sense of the "unexpected". The soundtrack is composed of music from the 1890s to 1920s performed by artists such as Regina Spektor , Leon Redbone , Loudon Wainwright III , Martha Wainwright , Catherine Russell , Nellie McKay , Kathy Brier , and Vince Giordano and

3905-558: The time that he and Charlie Luciano were forming the Big Seven . When they met, Boyd and Johnson took an instant liking to each other, and Johnson began grooming him to become the boss of his organization. Nucky Johnson's name was mentioned frequently in a series of articles about vice in Atlantic City published in 1930 by William Randolph Hearst 's New York Evening Journal . According to some accounts, bad blood existed between Johnson and Hearst because Johnson had become too close to

3976-500: The visual effects for the series, the company turned to Brooklyn-based effects company Brainstorm Digital. Says Glenn Allen, visual effects producer for Boardwalk Empire and co-founder of Brainstorm, "It's our most complex job to date. Everything is HD now, so we have to treat it like a feature film." "Anytime you get to work on a period piece, it's more fun," comments visual effects artist Chris "Pinkus" Wesselman, who used archival photographs, postcards, and architectural plans to recreate

4047-423: The week, where Scorsese would have comments and suggestions. Scorsese continued to be creatively involved in the ongoing production, but did not direct any more episodes. Scorsese and Winter were joined as executive producers by Mark Wahlberg , Stephen Levinson and Tim Van Patten . Van Patten had been a regular director on The Sopranos and also served as a regular director for Boardwalk Empire . Lawrence Konner

4118-569: The years to be involved with them because of the nature of long-form and their development of character and plot." He went on to praise HBO by saying, "A number of the episodes, in so many of their series, they're thoughtful, intelligent [and] brilliantly put together... It's a new opportunity for storytelling. It's very different from television of the past." "Scorsese is an actor magnet," Winter said. "Everybody wants to work with him. I had all these pictures on my wall and I thought, 'I'd really better write some good stuff for these people. ' " In casting

4189-439: Was a co-executive producer. Konner also wrote for the show and had previously been a writer on The Sopranos . Howard Korder and Margaret Nagle served as supervising producers and writers for the first season. The crew were recognized with multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations for their work on the first season. Korder returned as a co-executive producer and writer for the show's second season and as an executive producer in

4260-866: Was a red carnation , fresh daily, worn on his lapel. At the height of his power, Johnson lived in a suite of rooms on the ninth floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel , located on the Boardwalk. The Ritz, which opened in 1921, was where Johnson hosted many lavish parties. He was known as both "the Czar of the Ritz" and "the Prisoner of the Ritz". He freely gave to those in need, and he was widely beloved by local citizens, among whom his benevolence and generosity were legendary. Johnson once explained, "When I lived well, everybody lived well". Since its founding, Atlantic City, like other summer resorts, had been burdened with

4331-462: Was a state-of-the-art convention building and contained what was then the largest room in history with an unobstructed view. Under Nucky Johnson, Atlantic City was one of the leading ports for importing bootleg liquor and, in 1927, he agreed to participate in a loose organization of other bootleggers and racketeers along the east coast, forming the Big Seven or Seven Group . He was the host of

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4402-513: Was aided by Johnson who, with his influence and power in the city, made sure that anyone who was serving alcohol, running a brothel, or managing a gambling den wasn't bothered so long as Johnson got a cut of the money. In fact, most of Johnson's income came from the percentage he took on every gallon of illegal liquor sold and on gambling and prostitution operations in Atlantic City. Johnson once said: We have whisky, wine, women, song and slot machines . I won't deny it and I won't apologize for it. If

4473-497: Was an Atlantic City political boss, sheriff of Atlantic County , businessman and crime boss who was the leader of the political machine that controlled Atlantic City and the Atlantic County government from the 1910s until his conviction and imprisonment in 1941. His rule encompassed the Roaring Twenties when Atlantic City was at the height of its popularity as a refuge from Prohibition . In addition to bootlegging ,

4544-484: Was convicted and imprisoned, while Johnson was acquitted, allowing him to succeed Kuehnle as leader of the same organization, which effectively controlled the Republican-led Atlantic City and Atlantic County governments. Atlantic City was a tourist destination, and city leaders knew that its success as a resort depended on providing visitors with what they wanted. What many tourists wanted was

4615-420: Was derived from his given name Enoch. In 1886, Johnson's father was elected Sheriff of Atlantic County, New Jersey for a three-year term, and the family moved to Mays Landing , the county seat. His career in law enforcement alternated between the roles of sheriff of Mays Landing and undersheriff of Atlantic City. Along with Atlantic County Clerk Lewis P. Scott (1854–1907) and Congressman John J. Gardner ,

4686-470: Was involved in the filming even before creator Terence Winter. He directed the pilot and established the look of the show, which other directors later emulated for consistency. He is also one of the executive producers of the show. Winter has stated that Scorsese weighed in on the casting decisions and reviewed all of the cuts and dailies. Until the shooting of the show's first season, Scorsese and Winter met every Sunday afternoon to review what went on during

4757-548: Was nominated for Best Dramatic Series. In addition, the show won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama and Steve Buscemi won Best Actor – Television Series Drama, while Kelly Macdonald was nominated for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. The cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2012, while Steve Buscemi won for Outstanding Performance by

4828-460: Was politically amoral and ruthless, and had an eidetic memory for faces and names, and a natural gift of command ... [Johnson] had the reputation of being a trencherman , a hard drinker, a Herculean lover, an epicure , a sybaritic fancier of luxuries and all good things in life." Boardwalk Empire fictionalized the Prohibition era in Atlantic City. The series ran for five seasons,

4899-414: Was produced by Martin Scorsese and Mark Wahlberg and starred Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson . Show creator Terence Winter elected to portray a fictionalized version of Johnson, to give the writers creative license with history, and to maintain suspense. One great difference between the real Johnson and the fictional Thompson is that the real Johnson is not known to have killed anyone personally, as

4970-574: Was soon followed by Michael Pitt , best known for his roles in films such as Murder by Numbers , The Dreamers , and in the television series Dawson's Creek . He was soon joined by Kelly Macdonald , Vincent Piazza and Michael Shannon , who had just received an Oscar nomination for his role in the Sam Mendes film Revolutionary Road . Filming for the pilot took place at various locations in and around New York City in June 2009. In creating

5041-525: Was then the state senator from Atlantic County, Johnson engineered Edge's election by reaching out to Democratic Hudson County boss Frank Hague , who disliked the Democratic nominee, Otto Wittpenn . Edge provided Hague with a pledge of cooperation, and Hague instructed people in his Democratic organization to cross over and vote for Edge in the Republican primary. Hague did not support Wittpenn in

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