Boardwalk Empire season 5, episode 1 Golden Days for Boys and Girls airs on HBO.
Nucky is awash in memories from pier-boy days growing up in 1884 Atlantic City, when the young Nucky caught the eye of the Commodore. In 1931 Cuba, Nucky joins Sally Wheet and, with a U.S. senator in tow, forges ties with Bacardi Rum in hopes of Prohibition’s repeal in the U.S. Working on Wall Street, Margaret finds herself in the hot seat when her boss, facing an internal investigation, decides his own future. Down but never out, Chalky seizes an opportunity to extricate himself from a difficult situation. In New York, Lucky Luciano sets in motion a bold plan that reverberates all the way to Nucky in Cuba.
The show chronicles the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed ruler of Atlantic City, who was equal parts politician and gangster. A bustling little city by the seashore, totally dependent upon money spent by tourists, Atlantic City’s popularity rose in the early 20th century and peaked during Prohibition. The resort’s singular purpose of providing a good time to its visitors — whether lawful or not — demanded a single mentality to rule the town. Success of the local economy was the only ideology, and critics and do-gooders weren’t tolerated. By 1900, a political juggernaut, funded by payoffs from gambling rooms, bars and brothels, was firmly entrenched. For the next 70 years, Atlantic City was dominated by a partnership comprised of local politicians and racketeers. This unique alliance reached full bloom in the person of Enoch “Nucky” Johnson — the second of three bosses to head the Republican machine that dominated city politics and society.
Boardwalk Empire season 5, episode 1 airs Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO.
