Walter Matthau and Peter Falk in the same episode. What a way to open the series.
It pulls no punches. It takes on organised crime in the shape of the mafia who have infiltrated the garbage collection industry. Even today waste management does not mean, take someone out.
Paul Marino is helping out Tina Mazzera whose father has gone missing reputed killed by the mob. He was helping Marino with an organisation that regulated garbage collectors.
Independents could not operate in New York unless they paid hefty fees to the organisation, whose local chapter is headed by Nick Long (Falk.)
However Long is hotheaded. Nick Kramer (Matthau) has concerns about him and regards Long as a liability to the head of the mob.
When Tina's husband is nearly killed on Long's orders. The police could finally nail Long.
There was a nice scene where the mob boss has a little talk to Kramer who I am going to presume is Jewish. He is forced to put his hands on a joint of pork as he is reluctant to do it. The boss just wanted to finds out how greasy will Kramer's hands get.
The series also explains how mob infiltration means that the consumers pay through higher prices in stores. Garbage collection ain't cheap.
