spoiler the film be obviously base on the notorious and mob up tom pendergast missouri political machine that get future president of the united state harry s. truman and play by joe flynn use the name ernie jackson in the movie and elect senator . the bos follow the career of a crooked politician matt brady and john payne and from run the state of missouri and that never mention in the film and to run from the law and end up spend his golden year in a federal penitentiary . come back home from wwi a a decorated u army captain brady be uninterested in follow his old brother tim and roy robert and footstep in take over the city third ward . it be after a night of drinking and fight with his best friend bob herrick and william bishop and and while barley sober marry a complete stranger lorry reed and gloria mcghehee and that brady finally come to his sens . it be also after be dump by his girlfriend and who would later marry his best friend bob and elsie reyonolds doe avedow and his brother tim suddenly drop dead and after have a violent argument with him and that change brady way of thinking . change it for the bad not the good . be the top political king maker brady control every politician in the state from governor beck and harry cheshire and on down to the local dog catcher . ruthless and vindictive at anyone who as much a meekly disagreed with him brady nurture a slew of enemy who and when the time come and descend upon him like vulture on a die corpse in the wild . brady go so far a get involve with the mob who head man johnny mazia and robin morse and he help out and from go to jail and when he be a teenager . this happen when brady get wipe out in the stock market and be deeply in debt to mazia gang in him lose over $ 200 and 000 . 00 in his gambling with mazia illegal bookie . with brady have no choice but let mazia gang have their way they turn the entire state of missouri into a den of political corruption and mob drive by shootout and sponsor hit job . the final shoe to drop be when brady give the go ahead for mazia to whack former gang member morris lazetti and john mansfield and who be to turn state evidence against both him and mazia in their criminal activity . this lead to what be now know a the kansa city massacre that cost the life of a number of fbi agent who be take lazetti and who be also kill and to washington to testify . with public outrage reach it hight the city father lead by newly elect district attorney stanley millard and rhys williams and have brady kick out of his position a head of the third ward . on top of all that there also a federal charge in the murder of the fbi agent and as well a fix both federal and state election and also hang over brady head . in the end even bob herrick and brady best friend and turn on him perjure himself in order to save his own hide by falsely testify that brady take over a million dollar in kickback from a number of city insurance company . what hurt brady most be that he risk his life in save bob from be murder by the mazia mob . and this be the gratitude he end up get from him . in the end a beaten and broken man and look at least twenty old then he actually be and matt brady who even his long suffering and abused wife lorry couldn not quite bring herself to feel sorry for be see walk into the state penitentiary leavenworth with his trademark cuban cigar drop to the ground a he prepare himself to spend the rest of his life behind prison bar .