“And what was the outcome?”

“I survived.” Laughter from the gallery. “Mr. Joe Butler passed away.” A little more. Gallows humor was going over good this morning.

Bob’s eyes tightened. He had clearly hoped to expose a brutal thug. Instead he was providing the audience with a rollicking character out of Damon Runyon.

“You knew several men involved in the killing of Anthony Hintz,” Bob said. “I’ll remind you that Mr. Hintz’s job was to pick which longshoremen would work on a given day.”

“That’s called the Shape-Up, sir.”

“Thank you for the information, Mr. Baker. Perhaps you also know that the hiring practices of New York City piers at that time required kickbacks—money from hardworking men to go into the pockets of gangsters. And when Mr. Hintz would not go along with this practice, it got him killed.”

Barney just looked at his interrogator as if about to drop off to sleep.

“Mr. Baker?”

“Oh, was that a question?”

More laughs.

Bob pressed on. “Did you know ‘Cockeyed’ Dunne, Mr. Baker?”

A shrug rolled across his shoulders like a wave into shore. “I didn’t know him as Cockeyed Dunne. I knew him as John Dunne.”

“Where is he now?”

“He has met his maker.”

“And how did he do that?”

“I believe through electrocution in the City of New York in the State of New York.”

That got laughs, too. Electric-chair humor to go along with gallows. And I had to admit, Barney’s delivery was good. Jackie Gleason couldn’t have done better.

“And what of Andrew Sheridan, sir?”

“He has also met his maker.”

“How did he ‘pass away’?”

“Same as Mr. John Dunne.”

“Sheridan also was electrocuted by the state?”

“Yes, sir.”

“He was a friend of yours?”

“Yes, sir, he and John both.”

Bob was machine-gunning now: “A third man involved in the Hintz killing—a Danny Gentile—where is he now?”

Barney had to think about that, or anyway pretend to. “I believe he’s in jail. Implicated in a certain case.”

“Yes, this Hintz killing we’re discussing. And you were friends with these people, Mr. Baker, two electrocuted and another in prison?”

“Yes, I knew them real well.”

Reading off a sheet, Bob said, “I have some names here. Joe Adonis. Meyer Lansky. The late Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel. ‘Trigger Mike’ Coppola. I could go on the rest of the morning. Are these also friends of yours?”

“Some who passed away are fond memories. Those who are still with us, sir…sure. They’re friends of mine.”

Bob showed his teeth. “You seem to be friends with every big gangster and hoodlum in these United States.”

A quick one-shoulder shrug. “I know a lot of people.”

“Did you ever try to choke a hotel manager in Chicago in a dispute over a bill?”

“I don’t remember nothing in the choking department.”

Chuckles came from many of the attendees, including one named Hoffa, waiting his turn, who threw me a quick, discreet wink.

Bob’s eyes bore down on the witness. “You’re associated with leading gangsters and racketeers all over America, so it’s not so shocking to think you might be involved with taking the Green-lease money.”