Nucky Thompson

Enoch Malachi "Nucky" Thompson is the protagonist of the series Boardwalk Empire. He operated most of his rackets out of New Jersey, where he has also been controlling the Atlantic City for around four decades now, between 1986 to today.

Info
Nucky is a corrupt Republican politician and mob boss. His brother, Eli Thompson is the Atlantic County Sheriff. Nucky, following in the steps of his predecessor and mentor, Louis Kaestner, is the boss of a political and criminal organisation that controls every business (whether legal or illegal) and aspect of life in Atlantic City. Nevertheless, the shrewd and charming Nucky is as beloved by the people of Atlantic City and other parts of America as he can be, shaking all the right hands (literally meaning political right), kissing all the right ss, and investing no small parts of his money back into those businesses, parties and charities. His popularity is particularly high among Irish immigrants (he being the eldest son of one) and the Jewish community, which he controls through his ally Chalky White. Very little happens in the world that he doesn't know about, as he is allied to the CornetMobil and Mishima Corporation after all. In addition, Thompson's political influence extends well beyond his official jurisdiction in US, as he managed two successful election campaigns for Miro Cerar sending him to be Slovenia's Prime Minister as well as making sure his party, Party of Modern Center, was the leading party in Slovenia, and he is reputed to have the final say among the New Jersey delegation when it was time to nominate a new Republican presidential candidate for US. He played a big part in making sure Frank Kenson was elected the American president in 2016.

Nucky has had a troubled personal life. His sister Susan Thompson died of tuberculosis when they were children. His father Ethan Thompson was physically abusive during his childhood. He became involved in politics during his teens under the wing of Commodore Louis Kaestner, whom he eventually succeeded when Kaestner was convicted of election fraud in 1970's. Nucky's first wife Mabel Thompson killed herself in 1979 after losing their infant son. He has been consumed by his work since but has had superficial relationships with girlfriends. He had a casual relationship with former Ziegfield Follies dancer Lucy Danziger for three years until 1982. He also treated Jimmy Darmody as a surrogate son and protege when he was growing up, partly out of guilt in his role in exposing his mother Gillian Darmody to being raped by the Commodore when she was only 13, which resulted in Jimmy's conception.

Half politician, half gangster, and all greedy like a Jew that he was, Nucky senses the opportunity to further increase his fortune and power through bootlegging, prostitution and diamond smuggling. His expectations are proven right and good, but at the same time the new business turns out to be more challenging than expected, and consumes his personal life as the gangs competing for a share of the profit become more and more violent.

Personal Life
Nucky was the first son of Ethan and Elenore Thompson. He has a younger brother, Eli and a sister, Susan. Susan was a sickly child and died of tuberculosis during Nucky's childhood. He and Eli were jealous of the attention Susan got from Elenore because of her illness. Ethan was an alcoholic and abusive, though apparently only to Nucky. When Nucky was a child and his baseball glove was stolen by a group of four older children, his father forced him to challenge them to a fight. They were twice his size and Nucky ended up in the hospital for a month. On his ninth birthday, Nucky went to reach for food before his father and his father responded by searing the flesh of Nucky's right palm with a hot poker before reminding him that "daddy eats first." After that event, Nucky eventually killed his father in his sleep by putting a sithload of pillows and sheets over his ugly face.

Nucky began working in politics in the 1970's under Commodore Louis Kaestner. Like Kaestner, Nucky is nominally a Republican but his politics are dominated by self-interest and maintaining a stable economy for Atlantic City. Kaestner was the boss of the political and criminal organisation that controlled protection rackets, informal welfare, and election rigging in the city. He held the post of Atlantic County Treasurer and controlled the Mayor, City Council, and the Sheriff's Office, not to mention he had influence in state and federal government.

Nucky worked to procure women for the Commodore's parties and was responsible for setting the Commodore up with 13-year-old Gillian Darmody after he saw her in a May 1 parade in 1976. Gillian was unfortunately raped by the Commodore and became pregnant with his child. She named her son Jimmy. Nucky felt responsible for the boy and made an agreement with Gillian to always look out for Jimmy. He was an active figure in Jimmy's childhood teaching him gambling tricks and preparing him as an eventual successor to lead the organisation.

Nucky spent 1 year at State Normal college in Trenton when Mabel (one of his former students he had a crush one) enrolled to become a teacher. Nucky never liked the idea of Mabel being with other men when he wasn't around and therefore decided to become a teacher as well so they could be together. Nucky's time at college was however cut short when the Commodore called upon Nucky to come home and help him run Atlantic City.

Nucky was the Atlantic County Sheriff from 1980 to 1982. During this period he married Mabel Thompson. In 1982, the Atlantic City organisation was the target of a campaign of depuration led by the then Democratic Governor of New Jersey Brendan Byrne; Nucky and the Commodore made a deal under which the Commodore would take the fall and go to jail for a number of years, while Nucky would succeed him as the leader and take control of the organisation, ensuring that things continued the same and the Commodore still received a share of the profits.

Shortly after Nucky took over, Mabel gave birth to their first and only child, a son named Enoch Jr. on December 16, 1983. Enoch Jr. was a small and frail child and Nucky was terrified of holding or even looking at him. Being busy with his new appointment, Nucky opted to leave the baby alone with his mother for days. It wasn't until several days later when Nucky returned home and finally decided to hold him. To his horror, he discovered that Enoch Jr. had been dead for days and that Mabel, in complete denial, had continued to dress him, wash him, and act as if he were alive. After Enoch Jr.'s funeral Mabel fell into a severe depression and ultimately committed suicide on January 19, 1984, severing her wrists with Nucky's shaving razor.

Nucky immersed himself in his work and built up the financial ties of the organisation to the community, ensuring that all residents and businesses paid their dues. His brother was elected Sheriff after he became boss. In 1989 he paid for Jimmy to attend Princeton University. He was shocked and disappointed when Jimmy dropped out of Princeton and enlisted in the American Army. Jimmy did not discuss his reasons for leaving and Nucky assumed that he was unable to handle the academic pressure. Jimmy's college girlfriend Angela Zakowsky moved to Atlantic City and gave birth to their son Tommy in 1994. Nucky helped to support the family while Jimmy was fighting in Outworld Wars. Meanwhile, Jimmy was injured by shrapnel from a Outworld grenade near the end of the war and did not return to Atlantic City until January 1999. Nucky hired him as a driver upon his return.

Deal with the Cornets and William's career
In 2004, Nucky has made good on his promise to Chalky White and gave him the opportunity to open a nightclub on the boardwalk where Corleones used to be. Nucky however has to quickly settle a conflict between Chalky and Victor Cornet whom because of Chalky's lieutenant, Dunn Purnsley, has caused the death of Cornet's talent promoter Dick Pastor. Nucky offers Cornet 10% of the club and assures Chalky that it's better to settle it than risking going in to a war and to avoid losing acts for the club that Cornet controls. Nucky also makes peace with his enemies in France in February, giving up a lot of money to Carl Cornet to stop him from attacking him.

He has also moved out of the limelight in Atlantic City and now resides alone, estranged from Jimmy and his girlfriend, in a hotel at the very end of the boardwalk, the Ambassador Hotel.

Nucky is however shown to have grown more comfortable around his brother and his family and now spends a lot of time with them. He particularly grows closer to his oldest nephew William Thompson of whom he sees a lot of himself. William during the year gets in trouble after he and his roommate, Clayton, accidentally murders a fellow student, Henry Gaines, by means of a prank after he humiliated William. Willam calls on his uncle and Nucky with his connections, his advice and schooling on William's testimony to the DA gets him out of trouble for the moment, pinning the crime on Clayton instead. This incident later prompts William to leave college and after a violent confrontation with his father, Eli, moves in with Nucky temporary until he decides he wants to start at the bottom of the political ladder and work his way upwards, Nucky agrees and gets him a job at Mayor Edward Bader's office as a mere campaign worker.

Deal with Mishimas
To be added...

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