Eliot Ness

Eliot Ness was an American federal agent known for his efforts to bring down the gangster Al Capone while enforcing Prohibition in Chicago in the 1930s. He was leader of a team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables, handpicked for their incorruptibility.

Eliot Ness was born on April 19, 1903 (123 years ago), in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. His parents, both Norwegian immigrants, operated a bakery. 

Ness attended Christian Fenger High School in Chicago. He was educated at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1925 with a degree in political science and business administration.

Ness began his career as an investigator for the Retail Credit Company of Atlanta assigned to the Chicago territory, where he conducted background investigations for the purpose of credit information. 

In March 1930, attorney Frank J. Loesch of the Chicago Crime Commission asked President Herbert Hoover to take down Al Capone. Agents of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, working under Elmer Irey and Special Agent Frank J. Wilson of the Intelligence Unit, were already investigating Capone and his associates for income tax evasion.

In late 1930, Attorney General William D. Mitchell, seeking a faster end to the case, implemented a plan devised by President Hoover for sending a small team of Prohibition agents to target the illegal breweries and supply routes of Capone while gathering evidence of conspiracy to violate the National Prohibition Act. 

U.S. attorney George E.Q. Johnson, the Chicago prosecutor directly in charge of both the Prohibition and income tax investigations of Capone, chose the 27-year-old Ness (now assigned to the Justice Department) to lead this small squad.

With corruption of Chicago's law enforcement agents endemic, Ness went through the records of all Prohibition agents to create a reliable team (initially of six, eventually growing to about ten) later known as "The Untouchables." 

Raids against illegal stills and breweries began in March 1931. Within six months, Ness' agents had destroyed bootlegging operations worth an estimated $500,000 (almost $9.9 million in 2022) and representing an additional $2 million ($39.5 million in 2022) in lost income for Capone.

Failed attempts by members of the Chicago Outfit to bribe or intimidate Ness and his agents inspired Charles Schwarz of the Chicago Daily News to begin calling them "untouchables". George Johnson adopted the nickname and promoted it to the press, establishing it as the squad's unofficial title.

^{On October 17, 1931, Capone was convicted on three counts of income tax evasion.  He was sentenced to eleven years in prison (where he died) and began his sentence in 1932.} 

^{Beginning in 1959 there was a TV series called The Untouchables, which starred Robert Stack as Ness and was narrated by Walter Winchell.  In 1987 there was a film called The Untouchables, directed by Brian De Palma, which starred Kevin Costner as Ness, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro as Al Capone.  As a result, Eliot Ness has become an American folk hero.}

Ness died of a heart attack at his home in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, on May 16, 1957. He was 54 years of age.

Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet and based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie.

It has an all-star cast including Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Albert Finney, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Widmark and Michael York.

The film received six Academy Award nominations.  Bergman won for Best Supporting Actress.

On a budget of $1.4 million, the film grossed $37.7 million at the box office.  

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 46 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Murder, intrigue, and a star-studded cast make this stylish production of Murder on the Orient Express one of the best Agatha Christie adaptations to see the silver screen."

In December 1935, Hercule Poirot travels from Istanbul to London on the Orient Express. His old friend, Signor Bianchi, a director of the company that owns the rail line, arranges Poirot's accommodation after all the first-class compartments are uncharacteristically sold out during the off-season. 

Other passengers include American socialite Harriet Belinda Hubbard; English governess Mary Debenham; Swedish missionary Greta Ohlsson; American businessman Samuel Ratchett, with his secretary/translator Hector McQueen and English valet Edward Beddoes; Italian-American car salesman Antonio "Gino" Foscarelli; elderly Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff and her German maid Hildegarde Schmidt; Hungarian Count Rudolf Andrenyi and his wife Elena; British Army Colonel John Arbuthnott; and American theatrical agent Cyrus B. Hardman.

The day after the train's departure, Ratchett requests to hire Poirot as a bodyguard as he has received death threats, but Poirot declines despite a very generous fee. During the night, a snowdrift in Yugoslavia strands the train.  

Poirot is awakened by a moan from Ratchett's compartment. Conductor Pierre Michel is told through the door that it was just a nightmare. Ratchett is dead the next morning; drugged and stabbed twelve times.

Who done it?

 

Macy

Macy Bea Lasky was born in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, January 17, 2026.  She is my first granddaughter.  And Macy is MARVELOUS.  

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, Cristina and I flew to Jacksonville (via Miami) to meet Macy face to face.  What a joy to hold her in my arms, whether she was sleeping or she was awake and moving her arms and legs.

As I have said, the key to happiness is choosing your parents well.  And Macy's parents, my son Bret and Pam, are doing a great job.  I was very impressed.

In addition to the above three, my daughter Rachel, son-in-law Mike, and grandsons Nate and Leo flew from New York to complete the family get together.  I had opportunities to have heart to heart conversations with each.

I enjoyed watching Bret, Rachel, Mike, Nate, Leo and Pam play pickleball at a nearby court. The first pickleball game was played 50 years ago, on Banbridge Island, Washington. Three fathers decided to use a badminton court, paddle tennis rackets, and a plastic wiffle ball. 

By coincidence, my friend Joe was driving to St. Augustine on the very same day as Cristina and I were as well.  We were able to meet that evening.

When I travel, I enjoy eating different food, especially food in the USA unavailable in Brazil.  Top of my list were the pancakes Bret made for me served with real maple syrup.  

I should also mention shrimp and grits at the St. Augustine Fish Camp, a hamburger at Harry's Seafood and Grill, chocolate ice cream at Kilwin's on St. George's Street, a waffle at Waffle House, soup and sandwich at Panera Bread, a chocolate chocolate doughnut at Parlor Doughnuts and Cold Stone Creamery ice cream.

We also enjoyed going up and down every aisle at Publix Supermarket in St. Augustine, buying a few things like Jello pudding, Paul Newman's salad dressing and an apple pie.

Cristina and I have said where ever you go, you always find a Brazilian.  Four times in St. Augustine, we had the same Uber driver, Paulo, originally from Brazil.

This time, flying Sao Paulo to and from Miami, we chose American Airlines Premium Economy.  It was worth the extra price with more space and amenities including a total of three small bottles of Bailey's The Original Irish Cream.  We also took advantage of wheelchair service (once without a driver) in Miami and Sao Paulo airports.

When will be our next trip to visit my family in the USA?  Or when will they visit me in Brazil?