"Sleepers" - Part I Trivia Quiz

Answer: King Benny

King Benny looked after the neighborhood, paid off the police precincts, oversaw everything that went on, within the area. Shakes got a first job running for King Benny. He was a bag man, bringing payoffs to the police precincts. One day he was jumped and saved by an old man. Shakes then asked King Benny if he could take along his friends for protection.

Answer: For Lucky Luciano, he was a hitman

The neighborhood was filled with rumors that had some truth to them. King Benny was granted respect and in turn, the neighborhood got his protection.

Answer: A drug dealer

Hell's Kitchen had no tolerance for crimes it considered to be below its standards. An example had to be made. This drug dealer sold a packet of heroin to the 12 year old son of a Puerto Rican numbers runner. The boy died. Now, so did the drug dealer.

Answer: John Reilly

During the opening scene of this film you watch these boys, this group of four friends, having fun and dancing in the school gym in school uniforms. The camaraderie among them during this time of their lives remained through adulthood.

Answer: Irish/Puerto Rican

Carol was always with the boys. She was paired off with Michael Sullivan mostly, but was friends with all of them. They lovingly referred to her as the neighborhood half-breed. She went along with them on everything, even when, on the opening night of the Ice Capades at Madison Square Garden, she was the lookout as they peeked at the girls undressing in the dressing room.

Answer: "Nuns are such easy targets."

Father Robert Carillo was the son of a long shoreman and was just as comfortable in the streets, as he was at mass. He acted as the boys mentor and as he spent time with them he tried desperately to help them pursue their different dreams as best he could.

He protected them whenever he could. He also held the hope that one day they would leave Hell's Kitchen and become quality members of society.

Answer: They pretended to be priests and heard someone's confession

Father Bobby (Carillo) was wise to them and so was the lady who confessed to them. That shocked them "thanks for listening fellas"!
He met Shakes on the street and said he didn't know he was interested in becoming a priest and Shakes almost dropped his ice cream. How did he find out, he finds out everything!

Answer: A hitman

The whole neighborhood loved and respected Father Bobbie, even King Benny.

Answer: Rob lunch from the hot dog vendor

It was the 1960s, the Beach Boys songs were playing on their transistor radio. Taking the sun on the roof of a tenement, Michael suggested that they pull the usual prank and let one of them go down to the hot dog cart, ask to buy a hot dog and soda, then run and as the vendor gave chase, the rest of them would feast on the cart.

Answer: Tipping the cart over the subway stairs

While the vendor chased Shakes, Michael decided that when the vendor returned, he shouldn't find his cart. His idea was that they would perch the cart on the first stair of the subway steps and tip it. When the vendor saw them, he would come and try to save his cart from falling and consequently, they would get away.

Answer: reckless endangerment

They could not hold the cart, it was too heavy and went crashing down the subway stairs, severely injuring a gentleman who was on his way up. He ended up in a coma and although he recovered the boys were held completely responsible. Along with their parent or parents they showed up in court and the judge passed sentence. Wilkenson Home for Boys.

Answer: They were repeatedly molested by the guards who were supposed to protect them

Because of the reputation of Hell's Kitchen, they were tormented by guards and inmates alike. These were good boys, some from broken homes, but nevertheless, good. They quickly began to understand what this was like, constantly having to defend themselves. One evening, after a fight in the cafeteria, Sean Nokes, the guard in charge, and his three partners took the boys to the basement and began a cycle of rape and molestation that lasted throughout their sentence.

Answer: Mr. Carlson, "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Shakes attended Mr. Carlson's classes, he adored this book, especially the part where the Count escapes. He thought Mr. Carlson a good teacher and he reminded him of Father Bobby. He missed him. Father Bobby was the only one who came up to visit and when he saw Shakes he was shocked at the loss of weight that was visible. Shakes had a problem hiding from him the horror that they had been forced to endure. Nokes warned him that if he revealed this to the priest, there would be severe consequences.

Answer: A touch football game, between the inmates and the guards

Michael had the idea of bringing the toughest guy in the school into this game. Rizzo, a black kid with an Italian last name. He kept to himself and the guards stayed away. Michael struggled to and finally convinced him that if they participated in this game, for just one day they could fight back. Just for one day. Rizzo was reluctant because the guards had left him alone, so far.

But the idea did attract his attention and he gave in. It was Rizzo's touchdown that won the game...between the inmates and the guards...and it was Rizzo who lost his life because of it. Rumor had it that the guards later beat him until there was nothing left to beat.

Answer: Styler, Nokes, Addison and Ferguson

Shakes was being released a short time before the others. He was given a slightly shorter sentence because he was not yet present when the wagon was first stolen, but caught up and was there at the end. On his last night at Wilkenson, as he read his "Respondent Discharge Form," Sean Nokes came to say goodbye.

The guards walked the boys to the basement for a night of horror that Shakes would never forget...it was his 14th birthday.

Answer: McHale's

Now it was fall 1981, John Reilly and Thomas Marcano now were a part of the "West Side Boys." The toughest group in Hell's Kitchen. John was suspected in four unsolved homicides and once killed a man for stepping ahead of him on a movie line. Tommy committed his first murder at the age of 17, he was married and had a wife and child he never saw.

Answer: Jerry

Jerry knew these men well and had served them many times before. The West Side Boys were feared and respected throughout Hell's Kitchen.

Answer: Two briskets on rye with fries and two orders of soda bread

John noticed two businessmen at the end of the bar, drinking and discussing politics. He told Jerry to buy them a drink and put it on his tab but to tell them to cease their conversation immediately. Republicans were not welcome in Hell's Kitchen. Jerry followed the orders to the letter and the gentlemen lifted their glasses to toast John and Tommy.

Answer: Sean Nokes

As John passed through the back dining room he could not believe his eyes. Sean Nokes, the guard from Wilkenson, the horror came rushing back; the lead rapist, there he was; so long ago, so far from here. The source of all John's sleepless nights, the cause of his having to sleep with the lights on, since he was a boy.

The base cause of the rage that was so much a part of him and had controlled his life.

Answer: "Not right now. Enjoy your meal."

John proceeded to the lavatory and his thoughts were screaming. When he went back to the bar he told Tommy and turning, Tommy looked at that back table and was astonished. They both walked to the very back, loaded their guns, and proceeded to sit at Nokes' table.

He looked up and was outraged. They introduced themselves by their names and Nokes at first did not recognize them but as they spoke, he suddenly did.

Answer: "What I always wanted; to watch you die."

They sat and watched this aging excuse for a man eat his food and have the nerve to ask how they had been. Without hesitation, John was the first to fire his gun under the table and then both of them stood up and pumped more than six shots into Sean Nokes, the last to his head, killing him.

Answer: Mrs. Salinas

After the killing, John and Tommy calmly walked out of the bar apologizing to Jerry for not ordering their dinners to go, as Mrs. Salinas watched.

Answer: Aida Turturro

The true motive for this case was hidden as it had to stay. Their juvenile records were sealed therefore Wilkenson's connection to John and Tommy could not be made. When Shakes, who now was a journalist with the newspaper, went to see them in jail and they told him who it was that was murdered, he was stunned. "One down, Shakes" was what they said. Even though they did not set out to revenge the abuse they endured at Wilkenson.

At this moment, nothing else mattered.

Answer: Michael Sullivan

When Shakes heard of this he and Michael arranged to meet. Michael explained that he had been keeping track of the four guards from Wilkenson, since they got out. Shakes was shocked at all the information he had accumulated. Without the DA's knowledge, Michael planned to inadvertently act as both prosecution and defense attorney for this case, and somehow, someway, he would bring into this murder case, the horrors they endured while in Wilkenson.

He was taking this case, to lose.

Answer: That they have absolutely no knowledge of his plan... to lose this case.

Michael Sullivan became a lawyer, now worked for the District Attorneys office, but still slept with the light on. The abuse at Wilkenson never left him. He knew the records would be sealed and all this would normally be difficult to prove under regular circumstances, but this, this had fallen right into his hands, this was the time. His time to be the best kind of friend he could be.