Boardwalk Empire/Characters

The Main Trio
Enoch "Nucky" Thompson



The primary Villain Protagonist of the series. He is the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic County and ends up somewhat accidentally in the world of organized crime after he begins investing in bootlegging. Played by Steve Buscemi.


 * Abusive Parents: His father was horribly physically and emotionally abusive to him.
 * Affably Evil
 * Aloof Big Brother: To Eli.
 * Anti-Villain: While he's certainly corrupt, Nucky is also motivated by a desire to help his constituents and is a very sympathetic figure because of his kindness to others and tragic backstory.
 * Badass Boast:
 * "Wanna be a gangster in my town? You pay me for the privilege"
 * "Want to see how I do business? Show your face in Atlantic City!"
 * "I will ruin you. All of you."
 * Beware the Nice Ones: He can be a pretty nice guy, just don't cross him.
 * Calling the Old Man Out:
 * The Chains of Commanding: His enemies think that his job could be easily done by anyone. They are so very, very wrong.
 * The Chessmaster: Nucky is trying to become one following Rothstein's advice. Since he has no real options left at the moment, he will retreat, put all his pieces back on the board, maneuver them into position and then strike back.
 * Clothes Make the Legend: Colorful shirts and suits, red flower and bowler hat.
 * Deadpan Snarker: And a master of the Stealth Insult.
 * Equal Opportunity Evil: While not without prejudice, he's one of the least bigoted characters in the series.
 * Expy: Based on the real historical figure Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, with the name changed so the writers have more leeway for telling his story. The character also seems to be older than his real counterpart, who was 37 in 1920.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Despite being fine with political corruption among many other crimes, he strongly disapproves of spousal and child abuse.
 * Friend to All Children
 * Grammar Nazi
 * Honorary Uncle: To Margaret's children.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Although sometimes it can be really deep.
 * Karma Houdini: The show's plot could be summed as "watch Nucky Thompson weasel out of the problems he's getting into".
 * Kavorka Man
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch:  in "Gimcrack and Bunkum",   It's a long time coming.
 * Lonely At the Top: While he has wealth and prestige and is known for his charm, he manages to alienate Jimmy and his brother Eli, and has no friends except for Margaret.
 * The Man Behind the Man: Mayors, senators and even presidents owe him their position in some way.
 * Mangst: Childhood abuse, dead wife.
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Nice to the Waiter: He is nice to constituents who he patronizes, but he's a pretty big jerk to Eddie.
 * He also gets more and more jerkish to Harlan after he begins working directly for him. This pretty much confirms that Nucky has a problem dealing with people on a regular basis, and that after a while he begins to take them for granted and stops being polite altogether - thus his problems with Eli, Jimmy and even Margaret.
 * Only Known by Their Nickname
 * Parental Substitute: First to Jimmy and later to Margaret's children.
 * Promotion to Parent:
 * Redemption Rejection: Just a few scenes after  he tells Jimmy   Right before
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: This has become something of a personal philosophy as a result of all of his experience with corrupt pols and the benefits of graft. It's also probably Nucky's Fatal Flaw, as he's very prone to throwing money at friends and loved ones in circumstances where he should be taking an active emotional interest.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Connections: Usually Nucky is the connection that people call on to get out of trouble. However, when he gets into legal trouble himself, he is not shy calling up his connections in the White House and later, New York, to get out of it.
 * Sleazy Politician
 * Thicker Than Water: Proves that Eli means more to him than.
 * This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself:
 * The Unfavorite: His father constantly expresses scorn toward him, yet secretly feels that he's the only son who can handle himself.
 * Villain Protagonist
 * Wicked Cultured
 * Would Not Hit a Girl: Although comes perilously close to it in "Under God's Power She Flourishes".
 * Would Not Hit a Girl: Although comes perilously close to it in "Under God's Power She Flourishes".

James "Jimmy" Darmody



Smart and resourceful, Jimmy was the product of a relationship between his teenage mother and. He was more or less raised by Nucky, who pressured him to pursue an education in Princeton, during which he also met his fiancée and later wife, Angela. However, he abandoned all of them to join the army during World War One and came back different - and a lot more ambitious. Played by Michael Pitt.

"Richard: Would you fight for me? Jimmy: Down to the last bullet."
 * Abusive Parents: The more is known about his relationship with Gillian, the more that it looks like an evident case of this.
 * Amazingly Embarrassing Mother: Oh, boy.
 * Affably Evil: He's an intellectual who is a good friend and tries to be a good father and husband, but he's also a cold-blooded killer.
 * Badass in a Nice Suit
 * Berserk Button: People lying about military service/expressing "chickenhawk" attitudes seems to be this for him.
 * Never make lewd comments about Jimmy's mom. Don't assault her, either. In fact, just be very polite to her in his presence.
 * Blood Brothers: With Richard Harrow.

"Gillian: Did you talk to your father? Jimmy: Which one?"
 * The Chains of Commanding: In Season 2.
 * Clothes Make the Legend: His blue suit, a gift from Al Capone.
 * Daddy Issues:  is his actual father, Nucky pretty much raised him. Lampshades this in "What Does the Bee Do":


 * Dark and Troubled Past: And not just World War One, either. We don't realize until "Under God's Power She Flourishes" just how dark.
 * Dawson Casting: Michael Pitt is 29 at the start of the series, Jimmy is 22-ish.
 * The Dead Have Names
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Don't hit him. You'll regret it.
 * Seeing as
 * Genius Bruiser: Nucky and Angela remind him constantly that he has brains to be something better than a gangster, but he won't listen.
 * Guns Akimbo: In "The Age of Reason".
 * The Gump: He's a completely fictional character who has an important role in the development of organized crime in America.
 * Hookers and Blow: Pushed Up to Eleven in "Under God's Power She Flourishes".
 * Hot-Blooded: A bit of a hothead since the beginning, but gets more and more so as the series goes on.
 * Hot Dad
 * Hypocrite: Probably because of the attitudes of the time, he has no problem cheating on Angela while he is away and even considers abandoning his family altogether and moving to California, but he reacts violently when he merely suspects that Angela was having a relationship with a photographer while he was in the army. He is, however, surprisingly cool when he learns that she was actually seeing
 * It's Personal:, which makes him decide to take down Sheridan's entire gang and kill the mook that personally targeted her.
 * Jumping Off the Slippery Slope / Took a Level in Jerkass: As soon as, he gets a lot more vicious and assholish.
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch: In "Under God's Power She Flourishes",
 * Mommy Issues: Probably the understatement of the century.
 * Mugging the Monster: He is the "victim" of one in "Ourselves Alone", and it ends exactly like you'd expect.
 * My God, What Have I Done?: In "Under God's Power She Flourishes".
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Pretty much any time a fight devolves into physical violence. Once he lays out the first punch, he just can't stop himself.
 * Oedipus Complex: He and Gillian are very close, and he only wants to take out his adopted father, Nucky, because Gillian insists he do so.
 * Played up during "Under God's Power She Flourishes" when we flashback to Jimmy's time at Princeton to see that  which drove Jimmy to join the army. The present day storyline of the same episode has
 * Punch Clock Villain
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue, to Al Capone's Red.
 * He's becoming the Red to Richard Harrow's Blue.
 * Returning War Vet
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran
 * Slashed Throat: Does wonders with a combat knife.
 * The Starscream:
 * Son of a Whore
 * Start of Darkness: The second season episode "Under God's Power She Flourishes" flashes back to his time at Princeton, which lead him to join the army.
 * The Strategist: To Torrio in Season 1. He tries to be one for Nucky, but Nucky's actually a better planner than Jimmy is.
 * Villain Protagonist
 * Villainous BSOD: Hits this three times in "Under God's Power She Flourishes". First, he hits it in flashback,, then hits it after being informed of   in the present day, then again.
 * Slashed Throat: Does wonders with a combat knife.
 * The Starscream:
 * Son of a Whore
 * Start of Darkness: The second season episode "Under God's Power She Flourishes" flashes back to his time at Princeton, which lead him to join the army.
 * The Strategist: To Torrio in Season 1. He tries to be one for Nucky, but Nucky's actually a better planner than Jimmy is.
 * Villain Protagonist
 * Villainous BSOD: Hits this three times in "Under God's Power She Flourishes". First, he hits it in flashback,, then hits it after being informed of   in the present day, then again.
 * Villainous BSOD: Hits this three times in "Under God's Power She Flourishes". First, he hits it in flashback,, then hits it after being informed of   in the present day, then again.

Margaret Catherine Sheila Rohan Schroeder 



A poor, young Irish mother of two and (thanks to Nucky) widow. She is initially aided by Nucky only out of pity, but they fall in love with each other and begin a relationship as the series progresses. Margaret begins a luxury life as a kept woman and is probably Nucky's closest emotional connection. Played by Kelly Macdonald.


 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: Nucky is an obvious improvement over Hans, but he's still a mob boss.
 * Armor-Piercing Slap
 * Betty: To Lucy's Veronica.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: A non-violent example. She's way smarter than other people credit her for and has a lot of determination.
 * Black Sheep: Was one when she left home, although her younger sisters (too young to remember the reasons anyway) consider her their Cool Big Sis. Her older brother Eamonn is still wary of her.
 * Cool Big Sis: To her sisters, especially the youngest, Ayllesh.
 * Dark and Troubled Past
 * Deadpan Snarker: Occasionally.
 * Determined Widow
 * Domestic Abuse: Suffered this from her drunken, lazy husband.
 * Everything Sounds Sexier in French: Nucky prefers her to keep her speech Irish-accented and free of Americanisms.
 * Face Heel Turn: Her awesome moment in "Ourselves Alone" probably qualifies as this.
 * Fake Irish: Kelly MacDonald is actually Scottish.
 * Hot Mom
 * Hypocrite: An increasingly prominent aspect of Margaret, what with her disapproving almost everything Nucky does, but being fine with paying the Church (with his money) as an easy way out of her own sins.
 * It's All My Fault / It's All About Me: After Emily gets sick in the second season, she gets paranoid thinking that it is nothing but divine punishment directed to her for her "sinful" life.
 * Lady Macbeth: Seems to be going in this direction in "Ourselves Alone", but by "Two Boats and a Lifeguard" (after Nucky ), pleads with him to leave the gangster life.
 * Lie Back and Think of England: While still attached to Nucky, she loses interest in having sex with him as season 2 goes on.
 * Morality Pet: She and her children are this to Nucky.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Saves the day using this in "Ourselves Alone".
 * Overly Long Name
 * Precision F-Strike and C Strike: Margaret generally never swears, which makes the moments she does significant, as Lucy finds out.
 * Raised Catholic
 * Rags to Riches
 * Shut UP, Hannibal: To Lucy, in two different occasions.
 * Silk Hiding Steel: A morally ambiguous example.
 * Teen Pregnancy: Revealed in "Family Limitation". Her immigration file notes that she was 16 and pregnant when she sailed from Ireland, but lost the child on arrival.
 * The Teetotaler: Begins the series as one, but abandons it as she is corrupted by the good life.
 * Token Wholesome
 * Took a Level In Badass: In "Ourselves Alone", when she  and again in "Gimcrack and Bunkum" when she
 * Took a Level in Jerkass: She's pretty mean to her maids in the second season, although it's presented as somewhat understandable in light of her own background in service and continued feeling of uncertainty about her family's future/her place in society.

Other Fictional Characters
Elias "Eli" Thompson



The corrupt sheriff of Atlantic County and Nucky's younger brother. Through the series he develops an increasing desire for recognition which he feels denied because everyone else only sees him as Nucky's muscle, and that eventually leads him to. Played by Shea Whigham.

"Eli: You are one nasty prick. Nucky: And you're a frightened little boy with no place else to go."
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: To Nucky.
 * Bad Boss
 * Bad Liar
 * Clothes Make the Legend: He didn't appear without his trademark police uniform on until well into the first season.
 * Dirty Cop
 * Dirty Coward: Turns tail at the first sign of trouble.


 * The Dutiful Son: Cares for his aged father and generally does whatever his brother says.
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He is devoted to his father and children.
 * Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Sometimes comes across as this because of how desperate he is for respect and often out of his depth. On the other hand, he's also frequently a reprehensible brute.
 * Karma Houdini: in season two; gets.
 * Kick the Dog: Most prominent in Season 2, where almost, if not every time he does something nice is immediately followed by him doing something terrible.
 * Malaproper
 * Officer O'Hara: Doesn't have the stereotypical accent, but he is Irish-American.
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: Unlike Nucky, he is pretty racist and frequently uses ethnic slurs, and by his commentary in one scene where he advises Nucky on how to deal with Margaret, it's implied that he beats his wife.
 * Stating the Simple Solution: Tells Jimmy to simply shoot  to Jimmy and Harrow's horror.
 * Ten-Minute Retirement: A scandal breaks out after he is shot while collecting bribes for Nucky, forcing Nucky to suspend him until the upcoming election is over. Although he is restored immediately, the relationship between the two brothers is considerably damaged.
 * Thicker Than Water: Nucky certainly proves so in "To the Lost".
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Eli realizes that his father, while seeming to favor him, doesn't have any respect for his intelligence. His relationship with Nucky also sours because of Nucky's lack of respect for him.
 * You Have Failed Me: He has  beaten up to dissuade him from testifying against him. It fails, at first, because  does testify against him, but  will be spending much more time in jail than Eli, with his connections to Nucky, will.
 * You Never Did That for Me: In season 1 he feels that Nucky gives Jimmy more slack than he ever got, and it is one more thing added onto a long list of things he resents Nucky for.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Eli realizes that his father, while seeming to favor him, doesn't have any respect for his intelligence. His relationship with Nucky also sours because of Nucky's lack of respect for him.
 * You Have Failed Me: He has  beaten up to dissuade him from testifying against him. It fails, at first, because  does testify against him, but  will be spending much more time in jail than Eli, with his connections to Nucky, will.
 * You Never Did That for Me: In season 1 he feels that Nucky gives Jimmy more slack than he ever got, and it is one more thing added onto a long list of things he resents Nucky for.

Gillian Darmody



Jimmy's surprisingly-young showgirl mother to whom he is a bit too close. While certainly an unconventional parent, she'll do everything for her son's well being. Played by Gretchen Mol.


 * Absurdly Youthful Mother: She was impregnated at 13.
 * Amazingly Embarrassing Mother: To Jimmy.
 * Best Served Cold: She waited a long time to get revenge on
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Underneath a polite and vivacious surface, she's extremely warped and calculating.
 * Broken Bird
 * Christmas Cake: Jimmy comments that she tried at least once, but never got married.
 * Deliberate Values Dissonance: The scene in “Nights in Ballygran” where she offers to raise her grandson so Angela can live her life is loaded with this. She makes the kid sleep by giving him milk mixed with whiskey and chain smokes while babysitting him. Angela is outraged, but by the proposal only.
 * Evil Matriarch: Definitely slipping into this by the end of Season 2.
 * Femme Fatale: Could have cost Luciano too much if he wasn't "Lucky" Luciano.
 * Hot Mom: And Jimmy's son Tommy qualifies her as a Hot Grandma too.
 * Kick the Dog: One after another in "Under God's Power She Flourishes", all the way to the Moral Event Horizon and beyond.
 * Lady Macbeth: She becomes this for  in season 2.
 * May-December Romance:  is Jimmy's father. She doesn't regret having Jimmy but
 * Has another one, with the age-difference reversed, with Lucky Luciano.
 * Ms. Fanservice: The second most frequent source of nudity in the series, after Lucy.
 * Mrs. Robinson
 * My Beloved Smother: To Jimmy.
 * Parental Incest: As season two goes along, the hints of Incest Subtext increasingly become text.
 * Playing Gertrude: Gretchen Mol is only 9 years older than Michael Pitt. Justified by the character's background.
 * Promoted to Opening Credits: In Season 2.
 * Pretty in Mink: When she has something on, it's usually furry.
 * Rape as Backstory
 * Really Gets Around
 * Single Mom Stripper
 * Stepford Smiler: Beneath her vivacious façade there is a very damaged person.
 * Teen Pregnancy: In her Backstory.

Albert "Chalky" White



Nucky's political connection to and equivalent in Atlantic City's black community, and also partner in the bootlegging business. He often makes clear how much Nucky owes him and he treats Nucky as an equal rather than his superior. Played by Michael K. Williams.


 * Advertised Extra: He was deliberately kept at a minimum in the first season, often chaining one One-Scene Wonder after another. His role was later expanded after he had proven to be popular with the audience.
 * Affably Evil
 * Anti-Villain: He's a gangster in order to help his community and is very protective of his employees. He's also revealed in season two to be a loving husband and father, and given the era, it's clear that his upper class life wouldn't be reachable within the law.
 * Badass in a Nice Suit
 * Berserk Button: Looks like a Bad Boss at first, but touch any of his workers, I dare you!
 * Breakout Character: When you compare his role in the pilot to his role in late season one and season two, you can tell his plot relevance has increased exponentially.
 * Bullying a Dragon: Picked on by clueless Dunn Purnsley in "Ourselves Alone".
 * Clothes Make the Legend: Square-patterned suits, red coat and fedora.
 * Cold-Blooded Torture: That's what his Daddy's tools are for.
 * Evil Parents Want Good Kids
 * Guns Akimbo: In "The Emerald City".
 * Ironic Nickname
 * Overlaps with Ironic Name, as in addition to his nickname, the name Albert also means white.
 * Jive Turkey: 1920s Jive Turkey.
 * Never Learned to Read: The second episode of the second season all but says this outright. He doesn't even seem to know that the book his son's given him isn't "Tom Sawyer", it's "David Copperfield".
 * Nouveau Riche: A major part of his character. Chalky is an uneducated, self-made man from a humble background. He has married an educated, light-skinned trophy wife from a wealthier background who gives their children classical educations. He's an outsider in his own family.
 * Only Known by Their Nickname: His wife is the only person that calls him by his real name.
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: His carpenter father was killed by white supremacists, and now he uses his father's tools on them.
 * Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner:
 * "I ain't building no bookcase."
 * "How you know I drive a Packard?"
 * "It says... take your finger outta ma face."
 * Punny Name
 * Scary Black Man: Particularly if you are a Klansman.
 * Token Minority: Good characterization shows that not even this trope is bad.
 * Tranquil Fury: Whether it's shooting back at a Klansman or strangling a bad-mouthed gangster, he's not going to lose his cool.

Richard Harrow



A shy, socially stunted former World War One sniper who lost half his face in the battlefield and carries a tin prosthetic mask to hide what is missing. Very desensitized to violence, but at the same time craves human relations. He meets Jimmy at a military hospital in Chicago, and becomes his right-hand man. Played by Jack Huston.


 * Affably Evil: He's a sensitive and polite young man who is really likable. On the other hand, his suggested strategy for drawing out an enemy was to kill their innocent family members and associates.
 * A Man Is Not a Virgin: Averted. The first thing Jimmy does for him is get him laid, though.
 * : In "Gimcrack and Bunkum".
 * Breakout Character: Like Chalky White, his popularity in the first season made him quickly promoted to a series regular.
 * Blood Brothers: With Jimmy.
 * Can Not Tell a Lie: In his first scene, he claims not to be able to lie. Jimmy gets him to tell a small lie to the hospital staff, and a friendship is born.
 * Cleanup Crew: Twice in "Under God's Power She Flourishes". There's a straightforward instance at the end of the episode when Jimmy wakes up to see Richard, and a heartbreaking allusion earlier in the episode when Richard.
 * Cold Sniper
 * The Conscience: The one guy out of the Young Turks who will be completely honest with Jimmy, as well as question why Jimmy wants to do something.
 * Disproportionate Retribution: In "Gimcrack and Bunkum", a crony of The Commodore disrespects Jimmy and bloodies his face. Harrow, under Jimmy's orders,.
 * The Dragon: To Jimmy.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: While, Richard himself absolutely refuses.
 * Eye Scream / Facial Horror / Nightmare Face: There. Are. No. Words.
 * Fake American: Jack Huston is English.
 * The Grotesque: A very sympathetic version who you want to hug (at least when he's not killing people).
 * Guttural Growler
 * Handicapped Badass
 * Hitman with a Heart: Cold-blooded sniper who dreams of having a family and loves children.
 * I Just Want to Be Normal
 * It Gets Easier
 * Kick the Dog: "I could kill their mother. The sisters. And the dentist. That would make [the D'Alessios] stick their heads up".
 * Morality Pet: To Jimmy.
 * Ominous Walk: Tends toward these when "working".
 * Promoted to Opening Titles
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Sleater's Red. Blue to Jimmy's Red, too.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran: To the point where he's so desensitized to violence that he has no qualms about becoming a contract killer.
 * The Stoic
 * Throw It In: Jack Huston came up with Harrow's guttural voice himself, using Marlon Brando's cotton-in-the-mouth trick from The Godfather.
 * Two-Faced: Literally, and metaphorically.
 * Undying Loyalty: To Jimmy.
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds

Eddie Kessler



Nucky's bumbling and put-upon German butler who is extremely loyal to him. Played by Anthony Laciura.

"Asshole."
 * Acceptable Ethnic Targets: In-universe. He has the misfortune of being German in a country that just fought in World War I.
 * Battle Butler: Surprisingly.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Shows in "Belle Femme" that he's apparently more than just a loyal butler.
 * Big "NEIN!": In "Belle Femme".
 * Bumbling Sidekick
 * Butt Monkey
 * The Cast Showoff: Besides being an actor, Anthony Laciura is a voice instructor and opera singer. He displays his talent in "What Does the Bee Do?".
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He saves Nucky from an assassination attempt, takes the gun from the shooter and shoots him in the back.
 * The Driver: Doubles as Nucky's chaffeur after Jimmy decides to pursue his own business.
 * Fake Nationality: Anthony Laciura is Italian-American.
 * Funny Foreigner
 * The Funny Guy
 * Gratuitous German
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: He takes care OF EVERYTHING, but Nucky doesn't compliment him at all. More like the opposite.
 * Ja Man
 * Kavorka Man: No less surprisingly.
 * Servile Snarker: A hilarious blink-and-you'll-miss-it comment in "Two Boats and a Lifeguard", to a soldier making anti-German comments:


 * Undying Loyalty: When he is concerned, Nucky is always innocent and always means well.

Nelson Van Alden



One of the primary antagonists, an overzealous Prohibition agent who vows to bring down Nucky. As stoic and ruthless in his private life as he is in his professional life, he and his wife are extremely Christian and trying to have children. Secretly lusts after Margaret Schroeder, but finds himself disgusted when she sets up house with Nucky. May possibly. Played by Michael Shannon.


 * Abusive Parents: Or at least fanatical ones that were the source of his preoccupations. In "A Dangerous Maid", he reveals total ignorance about the concept of theatre. When questioned about it, he reveals that an aunt once took him to a Christmas pageant, which enraged his fundamentalist parents, who subsequently cut off all contact with her
 * Reveals in "Under God's Power She Flourishes" that his parents were followers of a fanatical reverend who believed in the Rapture. His father sold (or just "gave away") their farm and they lived penniless for two years, waiting for a Rapture that did not come. Apparently, his father somehow blames Nelson for all of this.
 * Ambiguous Disorder: Something seems to be wrong with him, given his excessive stoicism.
 * And Call Him George:
 * Armor-Piercing Slap
 * A Taste of the Lash: His back is completely scarred because he whips himself when he has impure thoughts.
 * Bad Boss
 * Chew Toy: Nothing goes right for him. Ever.
 * Clean Up the Town: His main aim, at least before the task breaks him emotionally.
 * The Comically Serious
 * Cowboy Cop: A Knight Templar variant - he's good at his job, just maybe too zealous.
 * Expy: A Holier Than Thou Hero Antagonist with a secretly vicious and sinful nature, who flagellates himself over his inappropriate desires for a red-headed woman? Hi there, Justin.
 * Family Values Villain
 * The Fundamentalist
 * Give Me a Sign: At the end of the first season he decides to leave Atlantic City unless God gives him a sign.
 * Good People Have Good Sex: Inverted. Van Alden is shown to be sexually repressed, which is the cause of some of his corruption. He has a stiff relationship with his bland wife and has to go through some pretty extraordinary lengths to get them both in the mood.
 * Hair-Trigger Temper: His hot-bloodedness frequently contrasts to Nucky and Rothstein's more cool, collected natures.
 * Hero Antagonist: Briefly, although he soon becomes just a Knight Templar.
 * Holier Than Thou
 * Hookers and Booze:
 * Jerkass
 * Karma Houdini: Two victims and counting...
 * Averted in "Under God’s Power She Flourishes" when his karma catches up to him.
 * Or not, seeing how
 * Kick the Dog: In the third episode he tortures a wounded witness to death to get information and it mostly goes downhill from there.
 * Knight Templar
 * Oh Crap: Michael Shannon turns these into a form of art, but the golden award goes to the scene where Van Alden
 * Pet the Dog: He's somewhat humanized in "A Dangerous Maid" and does something nice for . He also shows his wife a nice evening in "21", although besides her, no one else would probably find his behavior very sympathetic.
 * The scene where he first  is tremendously humanizing for him.
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: Is shown to have some pretty racist attitudes towards Jews, and refers to Nucky's black supporters as "darkies". Plus, he considers Chinese food "filth" without even tasting it.
 * Sex Is Evil and I Am Horny
 * Stalker with a Crush: Toward Margaret.
 * Surrounded by Idiots: The other Prohibition agents working in Atlantic City don't seem very competent and Van Alden does not really trust them. He even walks in on two of them wrestling on the office floor during business hours. When Prohibition started the government was not picky when it came to hiring agents and the low pay did not attract many competent candidates.
 * Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist
 * The Un-Smile: Done when he tries to "seduce" Margaret.
 * You Can't Go Home Again:

Louis "The Commodore" Kaestner



Nucky's mentor and predecessor as city boss before being imprisoned as part of a PR campaign by Woodrow Wilson in the 1910s. Played by Dabney Coleman.


 * Badass Grandpa: After he recovers from his illness, he exercises to the point of being able to lift a heavy elephant tusk over his head.
 * Call It Karma:
 * The Collector of the Strange: Live and stuffed animals, weapons, Asian statues...
 * Dirty Old Man:
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Want to know his real name? Check the HBO website. Nucky, Eli, Gillian, and Damian occasionally call him "Lou", though it's very rare.
 * Evil Mentor: To Nucky.
 * Evil Old Folks
 * Expository Hairstyle Change: He stops shaving and combing his hair as he gets sicker in season 1. Then he feels healthier in season 2, so he dyes it.
 * Foreshadowing:
 * Great White Hunter: Was one when he was younger.
 * Grumpy Old Man
 * He-Man Woman Hater
 * Jerkass: In the first season, he's unpleasant to pretty much everyone, and is one of the most bigoted characters in the show. It does seem that this had something to do with his illness, since when he's recovered in the second season, while not a better person, he's rather avuncular.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Ironically, some of the people he wins to his side are convinced by his claim that  is a Manipulative Bastard.
 * Nice to the Waiter: Averted. His nastiness is showcased by the deplorable treatment of his maid
 * Strangely,.
 * Perfect Poison:
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: He's a vocal misogynist and white supremacist.
 * Right-Hand-Cat: Averted with Jerry, his little pet dog.
 * The Scrooge:
 * Sir Swearsalot: He is probably the worst in a very bad mouthed cast. This could be due to his illness, his age, or most likely because he was always that way.
 * Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: He doesn't want killed,.
 * Right-Hand-Cat: Averted with Jerry, his little pet dog.
 * The Scrooge:
 * Sir Swearsalot: He is probably the worst in a very bad mouthed cast. This could be due to his illness, his age, or most likely because he was always that way.
 * Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: He doesn't want killed,.
 * Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: He doesn't want killed,.

Lucy Danziger



A former Ziegfeld Follies dancer, she is Nucky's lover at the beginning of the series but is destituted in favor of Margaret in the course of season one. . Played by Paz de la Huerta.


 * Black Lingerie Scene: She's either particularly attached to her last purchase with Nucky's money, or it is the only thing she still can fit in while in her third trimester.
 * Bottle Fairy
 * Brainless Beauty: Sometimes bordering Adult Child.
 * Character Development: Quite a bit in season 2.
 * Dark Mistress
 * Fluffy Fashion Feathers
 * Gold Digger: Like whoa. With a disturbing tendency to call her paramours "Daddy" and demand pretty things.
 * Jumping Out of a Cake: In "Anastasia", for Nucky's birthday.
 * Law of Inverse Fertility
 * The Mistress:
 * Ms. Fanservice: By far the most frequent source of nudity in the series. It's harder to find an episode where she doesn't show something.
 * Pretty in Mink: Has a giant fox-fur coat.
 * Put on a Bus
 * Really Gets Around
 * Riches to Rags
 * Take That, Audience!: Lucy is often considered The Scrappy by the fandom, who extend their revilement to the actress behind her. Thus, the scene where she rehearses a monologue from the play of the same name in "A Dangerous Maid" while staring at the camera (standing for a mirror) can only be taken as an open comment by Paz de la Huerta that yes, she can act. To ice the cake, the character in the play is also a former showgirl, like Lucy, and the monologue in question is about how she knows that people talk bad about her behind her back and how she is better than other people think.
 * Unlucky Busty Girl
 * Veronica: To Margaret's Betty.
 * Woman Scorned: To Margaret, but not Nucky.

Angela Ianotti Darmody



Jimmy's wife and the mother of his son, Angela finds herself torn in many ways. She loves Jimmy, but his extensive trips away lead her to cheat on him with a female painter. She loves her son, but frequently has tension with Gillian, who lives with them. Played by Aleksa Palladino.


 * Acceptable Feminine Goals: Painting isn't one of them; both Jimmy and Gillian discourage her talent and urge her to pay more attention to taking care of Tommy.
 * An Offer You Can't Refuse: After her attempt to leave Jimmy at the end of season one is busted, he threatens her indirectly to take Tommy away. By the beginning of season two they have married.
 * Bi the Way
 * Break the Cutie: The downward spiral of her relationships with Jimmy and Mary. Evolves into later.
 * Women Are Wiser: Moreso in season two than season one, though she's still the one to worry about the practicality of things.
 * Good Adultery: In her defense, Jimmy did not bother to write even once while he was in the most destructive war seen by the world up to that point, and he's still an occasional jerk after his return. He is also an adulterer although she doesn't know it.
 * Gratuitous Italian: Speaks it in "A Dangerous Maid" with Al.
 * Hot Mom
 * Housewife
 * Important Haircut: She cuts her long hair at the end of the first season to punish Jimmy.
 * Bob Haircut
 * I Never Got Any Letters: Her relation with Jimmy sours further while he is in Chicago because Van Alden is intercepting their mail.
 * The Pollyanna
 * Slap Slap Kiss: When Jimmy basically forces himself on her after returning from Chicago.
 * Shallow Love Interest: Her "friend" Mary has been accused of this.
 * Doubles as
 * The Quiet One: On account of her rather depressing situation.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: She prefers to concentrate on her artistic career rather than seeking a job while Jimmy is away. Later, she accepts fleeing to Paris as soon as Mary proposes it, and she still retains a soft spot for her just because Mary sent her a postcard a month after dumping her in the last minute.
 * Woman in White: Fittingly enough, she wears a white dress throughout "Under God's Power She Flourishes",
 * Doubles as
 * The Quiet One: On account of her rather depressing situation.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: She prefers to concentrate on her artistic career rather than seeking a job while Jimmy is away. Later, she accepts fleeing to Paris as soon as Mary proposes it, and she still retains a soft spot for her just because Mary sent her a postcard a month after dumping her in the last minute.
 * Woman in White: Fittingly enough, she wears a white dress throughout "Under God's Power She Flourishes",

Michael "Mickey Doyle" Kozik



A highly unlikable bootlegger who is not actually Irish, but gives himself an Irish name because "it sounds better". Yes, the other characters also roll their eyes when they meet him. He is also a rival to Chalky. Played by Paul Sparks.


 * Annoying Laugh: Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
 * Butt Monkey
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: To be fair, the people he betrays have all done him wrong and/or threatened his life. He is simply a tad quicker slipping the knife in their back.
 * Dirty Coward
 * Fake Irish: In story, a trait he takes from his inspiration, Mickey Duffy.
 * Harmless Villain: Only directly.
 * The Hyena: In every scene he appears in, he's always laughing in an annoying way.
 * Jerkass: Quite possibly the biggest in the series, as everyone who meets him hates his guts.
 * Karma Houdini: He brings the D'Alessios to town and makes them target Nucky. The worst that happens to him for that is somebody spitting in his drink.
 * A season later, Jimmy dishes up a little payback, but it's because Mickey pissed him off, not over Nucky. Even this proves to be a blessing in disguise since Mickey used his injuries to prove that he wasn't a willing ally of Jimmy. This saved him from being killed by Manny Horvitz.
 * And then Lucky and Lansky use the life insurance policy he signed for Rothstein during the D'Alessios incident to cheat him into giving away his part of their shared business in Season 2. Call It Karma, indeed.
 * Not that the life insurance has stopped him - in "To the Lost", he turns around and sets up a meet between Nucky and Manny Horvitz, which facilitates.
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch: Not many people feel sorry for him when Jimmy in "Two Boats and a Lifeguard".
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: While he often seems Too Dumb to Live, he's smarter than he looks and continues to live and succeed due to his amazing talent for backstabbing his associates at the right time.
 * You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He is regularly the intended target of this trope and barely manages to avert it each time. People are just not interested in having him around once he is no longer useful.
 * You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He is regularly the intended target of this trope and barely manages to avert it each time. People are just not interested in having him around once he is no longer useful.

Owen Sleater



A former bodyguard for a Sinn Féin politician named John McGarrigle who decides to stay in America and work for Nucky rather than go back to Ireland. He used to work as an enforcer for the IRA. Played by Charlie Cox.


 * Affably Evil: He's a cheeky, likable guy whose back story (as discussed in this interview) is that he was a member of some fairly ruthless IRA partisans and is in America because he's wanted in Ireland for his involvement in the 1920 Bloody Sunday.
 * Badass
 * The Casanova: He admits that he has a history of entering houses through the balcony and loses interest in Katy altogether after he gets in her bed.
 * The Driver: Becomes one for Nucky in Season 2.
 * Expy: Seems to be one for Furio of The Sopranos. Both are from "the old country" and are sent to aid the ethnic-American gangsters, and are characterized by being likable Mr. Fanservice but also more ruthless than their American counterparts. That Margaret seems to have some Belligerent Sexual Tension with him is not a good sign.
 * Fake Irish: Charlie Cox is English.
 * Genre Savvy: It does not take him long to figure out what the situation in Atlantic City is and how to make himself useful to Nucky. He also immediately identifies Harrow as a former soldier during their first confrontation and points a gun at him rather than trying to lay a punch.
 * The Irish Question
 * Mad Bomber: Revealed to be one in "What Does The Bee Do?"
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Harrow's Blue.
 * Replacement Goldfish: In-universe. "To the Lost" has Owen and Jimmy commenting on how he's taken over for Jimmy.
 * Western Terrorists
 * What Could Have Been: Early casting calls suggest that this character was also going to be Margaret's long estranged brother.
 * It's made very clear in "Peg of Old" that they won't be the same character now - we meet her estranged brother, Eamon, and Margaret and Owen.
 * Worthy Opponent: Recognizes Richard Harrow as one and is likewise recognized by Richard as this.
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Well, he could, but it's implied he's a wanted criminal there. When he is later given a choice to return to Ireland, he declines and says that America is his home now. He can spot the growing schism in the IRA and does not want to take sides.

Manny "Munya" Horvitz



A part time kosher butcher, part time capo of Philadelphia's Jewish quarter who has a personal feud with local gangster Waxey Gordon. He becomes Jimmy's partner in crime after Mickey Doyle introduces them to each other in season 2. Played by William Forsythe.


 * Badass Grandpa
 * Bait the Dog: He initially comes across as a likable Alter Kocker who loves jokes and is an "old school" man of honor, and then he begins to talk about stuffing the pieces of the guys that cross him in his fridge...
 * The Butcher: Both literally and figuratively.
 * Determinator: In "Battle of the Century"
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Do not betray him. EVER.
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: If we believe him, he's pretty deferential to his wife.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: He's a kosher butcher... he won't kill an already-injured man in the same freezer as his meats..
 * Also in line with Kashrut standards, when he sees the Commodore's hunting trophies he shows immense disapproval of killing animals purely for sport/status.
 * Faux Affably Evil
 * Holier Than Thou: "What? We all have to live by (some) rules..."
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch: Brutally subverted when  which places this firmly into Kick the Dog territory, if not outright Complete Monster.
 * Murder Is the Best Solution: Played seriously. Jimmy tries to restrain him at one point, telling him that "You can't kill everyone."
 * Only Known by Their Nickname
 * The Rival: To Waxey Gordon.
 * Screw the Money, I Have Rules: In an evil version of this, after an attempt is made on his life, he considers no amount of blood money sufficient to stop him from taking revenge.
 * We Have Ways of Making You Talk
 * Yiddish as a Second Language: You better believe it, boychik.
 * You Kill It, You Bought It: While he dislikes killing for sport he is even more offended when someone claims the kill of another man. He believes that the only way for Jimmy to really take over Atlantic City is for Jimmy to personally kill Nucky. He sems impressed by the fact that

Minor Fictional Characters
Agent Eric Sebso



Van Alden's Jewish partner at the beginning of the series and The Mole in the Prohibition Unit for Nucky. . Played by Erik Weiner.


 * Affably Evil: While he's corrupt and on the take, he's a rather likable guy and is presented much more sympathetically than Van Alden.
 * And Call Him George:
 * Beleaguered Assistant: With a twist - Van Alden is crazy, but he is really more efficient than Sebso.
 * Bumbling Sidekick: As part of Obfuscating Stupidity.
 * The Danza
 * Dirty Cop
 * Face Heel Turn
 * Informed Judaism: He is completely secular and at first his heritage seems to bear no relevance to the plot other than making him a Yiddish speaker in order to set a joke in "Broadway Limited". However, this changes in "Paris Green" when
 * Last-Name Basis: His first name isn't even revealed until
 * The Mole
 * Preemptive Declaration: Uses this before
 * Wounded Gazelle Gambit: After, he hits himself in the head with a rock to make it look like he was attacked.
 * Yiddish as a Second Language
 * Yiddish as a Second Language

Hans Schroeder



Margaret's abusive husband, an unemployed baker assistant with a gambling addiction. He is killed under orders of Nucky at the end of the pilot and used to pin the Woods Massacre on. Played by Joe Sikora.


 * Acceptable Ethnic Targets: In-universe. His German heritage makes him an easy scapegoat in post-World War One America.
 * Asshole Victim
 * Deceased Fall Guy Gambit: With him as the fall guy.
 * Domestic Abuser: Beats Margaret repeately during the pilot. Season 2 confirms that he also beat the children.
 * The Gambling Addict
 * Karmic Death:
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: His death ain't precisely pretty.
 * Sacrificial Lamb: You don't actually expect Nucky to whack him in the pilot.

Pearl



A 18 year-old prostitute from the brothel that Torrio runs his operation out of, who wishes to move to California and become an actress. She and Jimmy have a relationship and plan to run away together. Played by Emily Meade.


 * Break the Cutie
 * Fan Service: She's topless in her first appearance.
 * Fan Disservice:
 * Functional Addict: She is addicted to opium.
 * Hooker with a Heart of Gold
 * The Mistress: To Jimmy.
 * Functional Addict: She is addicted to opium.
 * Hooker with a Heart of Gold
 * The Mistress: To Jimmy.

Ethan Thompson



Nucky and Eli's old and progressively more senile father. He was abusive to the first and protective of the second during their childhood, and still remains more attached to Eli in the modern day - in part, however, because he knew that the more intelligent Nucky was more capable of making his way into life. Played by Tom Aldredge in his last role.


 * Crazy Cat Guy: In his old age.
 * Domestic Abuser: To Nucky and Eli.
 * Grumpy Old Man
 * : Averted in "Two Boats and a Lifeguard". It's debatable if he even realized what was going on.
 * Jerkass
 * Loners Are Freaks: He lives alone in what was once the family home, in the middle of nowhere.
 * Very narrowly averted
 * Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Or as he puts it: "Ah, what do I give a shit?"
 * Shown Their Work: "Ethan"'s popularity as a baby name was nonexistent from the 1880s-about 1970 and spiked in the '80s to a peak around 2000. Therefore it just doesn't conjure up an old man in viewers' minds, however it might've in The Roaring Twenties.
 * Shown Their Work: "Ethan"'s popularity as a baby name was nonexistent from the 1880s-about 1970 and spiked in the '80s to a peak around 2000. Therefore it just doesn't conjure up an old man in viewers' minds, however it might've in The Roaring Twenties.

The D'Alessio Brothers

A violent gang formed by six out of nine brothers from Philadelphia (not counting sisters). They are brought to Atlantic City as associates of Mickey Doyle's bootlegging business and lead to confict with Nucky after Doyle is arrested and Nucky gives his business to Chalky.


 * Big Bad: Leo, the eldest brother. Played by Max Casella.
 * Boom! Headshot!:
 * The Brute: Teo, the third brother, who also cuts their hair. Played by Al Linea.
 * Deceased Fall Guy Gambit:
 * The Dragon: Ignatius, the second brother. Played by Edoardo Ballerini.
 * The Driver: Apparently Pius, despite being 14 at most.
 * Enfant Terrible: Pius, the sixth brother. The fact he has a police file as big as any of his big brothers leaves little doubt about it. Played by Nicholas Martino.
 * Family Theme Naming: They are all named after Popes.
 * The Quiet One: Sixtus, the sixth-oldest brother, who has no lines whatsoever. Played by Eric Schneider.
 * Ruthless Out-of-State Gangsters
 * Siblings in Crime
 * Slashed Throat:
 * Too Dumb to Live: Lucien, the fourth brother,  Arguable Butt Monkey of the team. Played by Louis Vanaria.
 * White Sheep: There is apparently one adult brother in Philly, Adrian, that did not pursue a criminal career, and instead became a dentist.

Isabelle Jeunet



The French owner of the haute couture dress shop La Belle Femme, set next to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Nucky forces her to fire her long time assistant and give the job to Margaret in order to help her, and she doesn't take it well at all (nor makes any attempt to hide it). Played by Anna Katarina.


 * Bad Boss: To Margaret, and after she leaves, to her replacement.
 * French Jerk
 * Grande Dame
 * Gratuitous French
 * Hoist By Her Own Petard: She asks Margaret to use her influence on Nucky to get a lower rent for the shop, but then has to give her one of her most expensive dresses for free as a payment.
 * Last-Name Basis: She makes Margaret call her Madame Jeunet. Nucky is amused when he founds out because to him she is just "Isabelle".
 * Old Maid: She is "a woman alone".
 * This Is Your Name On Foreign: She addresses Margaret as "Marguerite".

Annabelle



A long-time mistress for rich men, she becomes Margaret's neighbor and sort of friend after she accepts to move to a mansion paid by Nucky. Played by Megan Reinking.


 * False Friend: She ceases all contact with Lucy after she's thrown out and only hangs out with Margaret because she's with Nucky now, showing she holds friends in the same esteem as boyfriends.
 * Five-Finger Discount: She has amassed almost $4000 by stealing whatever is in Harry's pocket when he is sleeping. Unfortunately for her, he discovers her stash and invests it in the original Ponzi scheme.
 * Gold Digger: It doesn't take her long to find a new sugar daddy after breaking up with the previous one.
 * The Mistress: For Harry, Nucky's overweight friend.
 * Pink Haired Girl: She loves wigs.
 * Single Mom Stripper

Rose Van Alden



Agent Van Alden's very proper, very Christian wife. She wants to be a good woman and desires a child more than anything in the world. She also worships the ground her husband walks on, at least for now. Played by Enid Graham.


 * All Women Are Prudes: She dresses conservatively and only has sex with the lights off.
 * Women Are Wiser: Though a conservative Christian, she has the common sense to put her beliefs aside when the situation requires. She considers surgery in order to cure her sterility and  She also has an easier time displaying her emotions and showing preoccupation for her husband's well being, in contrast to her spouse's icy demeanor.
 * The Dog Bites Back: Rose is not okay with Nelson, no matter how desperately she wants a child. She.
 * Extreme Doormat
 * The Fundamentalist
 * Law of Inverse Fertility

Lenore White



Chalky's wife, a highly-educated and well-spoken woman. She tries her best to "civilize" him and further the educations of their three children. Played by Natalie Wachen.


 * Apron Matron
 * But Not Too Black: In the language of the times, she's referred to as "high-yellow".
 * Women Are Wiser
 * Education Mama
 * Grande Dame: Chalky is no Henpecked Husband, though.
 * Hot Mom: You'd think she was way out of Chalky's league.
 * Pass Fail: She wants to be seen by people (especially eligible suitors for her daughter) as upper-class, to the point of refusing to serve Hoppin' John at dinner because it is "not fit for company". Chalky really doesn't take her pretension well.
 * Proper Lady

Esther Randolph



The current Assistant US Attorney prosecuting Nucky for election rigging. Unlike her predecessor, who was on the take, she represents a challenge to Nucky because of her profesionalism and the fact that she can't be bought by the usual means since she is a teetotaler and a woman. She is also assigned the same room where Van Alden has his office, causing conflict with him. Played by Julianne Nicholson.


 * Brainy Brunette
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Emotionless Girl
 * Expy: Based on the real Assistant Attorney General during the Prohibition era, Mabel Walker Willebrandt.
 * Hello, Attorney!
 * Heroine Antagonist
 * Jurisdiction Friction: Has a brief case of it when she moves in and takes over a part of Nelson's office, including his desk.
 * Silk Hiding Steel
 * The Smurfette Principle: The only female employee in the building, for obvious historical reasons.
 * Stealth Insult: Pulls a few on Halloran.
 * Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist

Raymond "Ray" Halloran



Eli's trusted, big, and dumb as a brick Number Two in the AC Police Department. Played by Adam Mucci.


 * The Brute
 * Butt Monkey
 * Completely Missing the Point: He never gets other people's jokes, even though he often makes (questionable) ones himself.
 * Dirty Cop
 * The Ditz
 * Dumb Blonde
 * Dumb Muscle
 * Fat Idiot
 * Last-Name Basis
 * Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal:
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: On the receiving end of one in "Georgia Peaches".
 * Number Two: To Eli.
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: He is racist and possibly misogynist.
 * : Becomes one in "Georgia Peaches", in contrast with his behaviour up to that point.
 * Undying Loyalty: To Eli again.

Dunn Purnsley



A large and intimidating Baltimore criminal that Chalky meets in jail. After being on the receiving end of a beatdown from Chalky and his men, he becomes Chalky's Number Two. Played by Eric LaRay Harvey.


 * Angry Black Man: The 1920's version thereof.
 * Ascended Extra: Was supposed to only be in "Ourselves Alone", but the creative team loved his performance so much they brought him back as Chalky's new Number Two.
 * Bullying a Dragon: To Chalky in "Ourselves Alone". He learns his lesson.
 * Defeat Means Friendship: After Chalky gives him a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown (without even lifting a finger), he becomes deferential to him.
 * The Dragon: To Chalky.
 * The Gadfly: While part of it is his political convictions, he also just seems to enjoy aggravating people.
 * Gold Tooth: As a gesture of good-will, Chalky paid for a nice set of gold teeth to replace the ones kicked out during the aforementioned No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
 * Jive Turkey
 * Large Ham: "HOLD DA LIIIIINE!" Among many, many others.
 * The Mole: Planted in the kitchen of the Ritz to kickstart a strike among its black workers.
 * Never Learned to Read: The first time they meet, he wants Chalky to admit that he can't either.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: On the receiving end of one in "Ourselves Alone".
 * One-Scene Wonder: His appearance in "Ourselves Alone" was very much talked about.
 * Scary Black Man
 * Third Person Person: Occasionally.
 * You Shall Not Pass: In "Georgia Peaches". Didn't work, but he tried his best.

Chicago Gangsters
Al Capone



Introduced as a low-ranking thug, he will soon become a notorious crime boss. He develops an odd friendship with Jimmy and is Torrio's right-hand man. Played by Stephen Graham.


 * Brooklyn Rage
 * Dawson Casting: Capone is supposed to be 21 in the pilot, Graham is in his 30's.
 * The Dragon: To Torrio, though history tells us he's likely a Dragon with an Agenda.
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: A loving father, husband, and son, but do not cross Al.
 * Fake American: Stephen Graham is English.
 * Friendly Enemy: With Luciano. He can't seem to resist winding "Sal" up.
 * Gratuitous Italian: Speaks it fluently, being from an old-country family.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Before appearing on Boardwalk Empire, Stephen Graham was famous for playing the violent, but sympathetic, skinhead Combo in This Is England.
 * He's also Shan, the Number Two to Leonardo DiCaprio in Gangs of New York.
 * And Baby Face Nelson in Public Enemies. Yep, he has a history of Mafia-related roles.
 * Hot-Blooded
 * The Hyena
 * Kick the Dog: He speaks very ill of after  dies and casually abandons Jimmy in the season 2 finale. Even Mickey Doyle,, is a bit disturbed by it.
 * Leeroy Jenkins
 * Morality Pet: His deaf son is one for him.
 * Phony Veteran: Although he stops such claims after being called on it by Jimmy.
 * Psychopathic Manchild: He's like a big kid who loves practical jokes. A pretty violent kid, but a kid.
 * He's trying to improve on that front. To an extent.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red, to Jimmy's Blue.
 * Took a Level In Badass: This and his Character Development is signaled by his trading a newsboy cap for a stylish fedora.
 * Trigger Happy: Al's solution to everything is generally a combination of Kill It With Bullets and Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?.
 * Young Future Famous People

Giovanni "Johnny" Torrio



The current Italian crime boss of Chicago, he was the Number Two to Big Jim Colosimo before he made the error of not getting into the illegal alcohol business and was forcibly retired. Torrio is, however, far from being ruthless and always tries to use diplomacy first when dealing with other gangsters. Played by Greg Antonacci.


 * Affably Evil: Easily the nicest mafioso seen in the series.
 * Benevolent Boss: For a mob boss, he's pretty nice to his employees. He treats the girls at the bordello well, and takes Al under his wing.
 * Dawson Casting: Either this or Playing Hamlet since his age is left vague, but the real Torrio was only 38 in 1920.
 * The Don
 * Dragon Ascendant: Is one to Colosimo, and Al also will become his.
 * Dragon with an Agenda: He wanted to get in the alcohol business. Big Jim didn't. So now there is no more Big Jim.
 * Equal Opportunity Evil: He makes no distinction between Italians and Irish in his gang, and at some point invites Al to respect the Jews and learn from them.
 * Evil Mentor: To Al.
 * Gratuitous Italian: Occasional, although some dubs exaggerate it.
 * Murder Is the Best Solution: As shocking as it is, he does suggest this to Nucky. When Nuckys asks Torrio and Rothstein what he should do about Jimmy, Torrio immediately snaps "Kill the prick". Doubly surprising because Torrio likes Jimmy too.
 * Non-Action Guy
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: He accepts Jimmy's advice while conducting the war against Sheridan when he could easily blame losses on him and Al.
 * Team Switzerland: For now, at least. In season one, he spent most of his time mediating between New York (Rothstein and Luciano), Philadelphia (the D'Alessios), and Atlantic City (Nucky). In season two, he seems to be staying out of things entirely, and the Young Turks seem to regard him as less of a threat than Nucky or Rothstein - probably due to Capone's protectiveness.

Giacomo "Big Jim" Colosimo



An old style mafioso and mob boss of Chicago till he retired in early 1920 on account of a bullet to his head. Played by Frank Crudele.


 * Completely Missing the Point: Due to his limited understanding of English.
 * The Don
 * Don't Explain the Joke: Because he'll never get it.
 * Failed a Spot Check: His death.
 * Funny Foreigner
 * Gratuitous Italian
 * Idiot Ball: You should have invested in the alcohol business, Jim.
 * Plot-Triggering Death: Nearly all of the events and violence of the series occur because Colosimo is killed.
 * Pretty in Mink: A rare male example.
 * Running Joke: His 'retirement', to the young gangsters.
 * Sacrificial Lamb: He's set up to be a pretty big deal... and then he gets killed during the pilot.

New York City Gangsters
Arnold Rothstein



A high-level Jewish gangster with his fingers in every pie in New York. He rigged the 1919 World Series and is being investigated for it, but is a much more level-headed crime boss than any of the others. Played by Michael Stulhbarg.


 * Badass in a Nice Suit
 * Bad Guys Play Pool
 * Card Sharp: In the odd case that his natural ability is not enough.
 * Crazy Prepared: He even makes his Mooks sign life insurance policies with himself as the beneficiary.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He has a rather cute interaction with his wife in season 2, in which she advises him about an upset stomach. Right after that, he's basically shown "putting on" the ruthless persona he displays at all other times.
 * Evil Mentor: To Luciano and Lansky.
 * Faux Affably Evil: He's always polite and well-spoken and particularly witty, but is utterly ruthless.
 * For the Evulz: Once caused a man to choke to death simply for fun.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: We've mentioned that Michael Stulbarg is Larry Gopnik, right? Talk about Playing Against Type.
 * Historical In-Joke: There are chips from the Brook casino on his desk in "To the Lost", which was the real Rothstein's most infamous business venture.
 * Kick the Dog: He mentions that he once forced a man to choke to death for his own amusement, adding, "what do you think I'll do to you, if you don't tell me who hired you to kill "Big Jim" Colosimo?"
 * Pragmatic Villainy: When it's in his interest, he is very willing to call off taking revenge and work with his enemies.
 * Professional Gambler: And he wins loads of money that way because he is that damn good.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Not a nice guy at all, but he is fairly protective of his associates and is willing to listen to and reward good advice.
 * Even Nucky turns to him for advice when things in Atlantic City turn bad. Rothstein could have held a grudge and said nothing but instead he gives him solid advice on how to approach the situation. Nucky is visibly impressed.
 * Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
 * Soft Spoken Sadist
 * Stepford Smiler / Slasher Smile: The more he smiles, the more one should worry they're in trouble.
 * Straight Edge Evil: Doesn't swear, drink, or womanize.
 * The Stoic
 * The Teetotaler: He likes to stay sharp at the table.
 * You Have Failed Me: There's definite hints of this in season 2, when after being displeased by Luciano and Lansky, he has them serve as muscle in transporting a liquor shipment. They begin to plan accordingly.
 * Wicked Cultured

Charlie "Lucky" Luciano



Rothstein's number two, an angry, hot-blooded young man prone to violent outbursts. Really doesn't like Jimmy, especially when his plan to sleep with Jimmy's wife goes sideways and Lucky ends up having an affair with Jimmy's mother instead. Played by Vincent Piazza.

"Luciano: What are you, my priest? Back off."
 * The Aggressive Drug Dealer: He's just starting this aspect of his business, but he spends most of season two trying to get Jimmy and Capone to sell heroin. He succeeds in bringing Rothstein into the heroin trade in "To the Lost".
 * The Brute
 * Butt Monkey
 * Cluster F-Bomb
 * The Dragon: To Arnold Rothstein.
 * Foil: To Jimmy. Number Two to a powerful man, hot-tempered, and involved with Gillian. Unfortunately, they're also both holding a grudge over the Gillian thing.
 * Friendly Enemy: He and Jimmy team up at the end of "Age of Reason", due to Lansky's suggestion. He has aspects of this with Capone, too.
 * Hair-Trigger Temper
 * Hot-Blooded
 * I Have Many Names
 * Jerkass: Unlike his more polite (and intelligent) boss.
 * Likes Older Women: Doesn't actually mean to be this, as he initially slept with Gillian thinking she was Jimmy's wife, not his mother. Although that doesn't stop him from continuing to sleep with her...
 * Male Frontal Nudity: In "Family Limitation", so far the only male character to have shown as much.
 * May-December Romance: With Gillian Darmody.
 * Only Known by Their Nickname: Very few people get to call him "Charlie" (Rothstein, Lansky, Gillian); everyone else uses "Lucky" or "Mr. Luciano".
 * Even fewer people (Capone among them) call him by his birth name - Salvatore. Not that he particularly enjoys it:


 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Lanksy (and Rothstein's) blue.
 * The Starscream: Turning against Rothstein is really more Lansky's idea, but Lucky doesn't really protest too much and begins to embrace the idea.
 * Those Two Bad Guys: Not so much in season one, but in season 2, he and Lansky become this.
 * Young Future Famous People

Meyer Lansky



Rothstein's other main enforcer, he instead relies upon his intelligence and guile (as opposed to brute force) to get ahead in the world of bootlegging. Played by Anatol Yusef.


 * Affably Evil: Lansky is excruciatingly polite to almost everyone.
 * All Jews Are Cheapskates: Wants very much to dispel this assumption, thinking that if he and Luciano carry around fake watches to sell, they'll look bad.
 * Bastard Understudy: To Rothstein.
 * Dawson Casting: There is no way this guy is 18.
 * Don't Explain the Joke: Yes, he got it, thank you.
 * Evil Genius
 * Evil Mentor: Despite his young age, he already has one disciple, "Benny" Siegel.
 * Face Palm: His reaction to Lucien D'Alessio taunting Jimmy in "The Emerald City" can only be described as this, even though his hands were tied.
 * Fake Nationality: Anatol Yusef is English of Turkish descent.
 * From Nobody to Nightmare: It's odd to think that a man whose introduction consisted of Chalky taunting him for his age will be one of the most powerful men in the United States in only a few decades.
 * Jewish and Nerdy: In as much as a ruthless gangster can qualify as this.
 * Non-Action Guy: Although "The Age of Reason" shows that he also knows how to use a gun, brains were the thing that got him out of trouble again.
 * Only Sane Man
 * Pragmatic Villainy: Takes after his boss in this regard, believing that one shouldn't "let the past get in the way of the future."
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Luciano's red.
 * Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
 * Stepford Smiler: Almost as much as his mentor, Rothstein. Though Lansky's are less evil and more "can't we all just cooperate and make money?"
 * Stiff Upper Lip: Displays this as a kind of Refuge in Audacity when dealing with other gangsters.
 * The Starscream: Believes he and Luciano - with the help of Jimmy and his associates - can overthrow the old guard of Rothstein and Nucky.
 * Those Two Bad Guys: He and Luciano are sliding into this in season 2.
 * Wise Beyond Their Years: Well, he is supposed to be a teenager in the first two seasons.
 * Young Future Famous People

Other
Eddie Cantor



A prominent Vaudeville actor and comedian of the era. He is also a personal friend of Nucky and Lucy. Played by Stephen DeRosa.


 * The Cast Showoff: Stephen DeRosa sings the Crowning Song Of Awesome of the season 1 finale while in character as Cantor.
 * Catch Phrase: "Ooooh, nooo!"
 * Camp Straight: While as in history, he's presumably straight, he has rather flamboyant mannerisms that would qualify him as this due to Values Dissonance.
 * Deliberate Values Dissonance: His most acclaimed numbers are about liking stupid women.
 * Famed in Story: Even Van Alden, who has never been to Vaudeville, knows his name.
 * Pet the Dog: His efforts to cheer up an extremely depressed Lucy in "A Dangerous Maid", although giving a heavily pregnant woman booze and cigarettes probably wasn't the greatest idea.
 * Plucky Comic Relief
 * Seinfeld Is Unfunny: His comedic number in the pilot can come as this.

Frank Hague



The corrupt mayor of Jersey City. Unlike his homologues in Atlantic City who are just pawns of Nucky, he is in full charge of his town and deals with Nucky himself. Played by Chris Mulkey.


 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He could apparently side, backstab and come back to Nucky multiple times in the same week. History tells us that he was already doing that years before the timeframe of the show.
 * Demoted to Extra: He only appears in the second season to introduce Jack Dempsey to Nucky.
 * Only in It For the Money: Even when compared to other characters.
 * Pet the Dog: Arguably gets such a moment when he tells Nucky that Senator Edge is backstabbing Nucky, even though said backstabbing benefited Hague.
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: He is a corrupt whoremonger that does not believe in female suffrage and defends women battering.
 * Pragmatic Villainy: He is a Democrat, but doesn't bat an eye at doing nefarious deals with Republican politicians.
 * Sleazy Politician
 * Straw Misogynist: He is put in his place by Margaret right after his introduction.

Nan Britton



Former mistress of Senator and later President Warren Harding and mother of a baby daughter, she is completely deluded that Harding is in love with her and that he will dump his wife and take her to the White House as soon as he wins the 1920 election. She meets Nucky during a Republican convention in Chicago, who decides to take her to Atlantic City and place her in Margaret's house until the election is over in order to avoid a scandal. Played by Virginia Kull.


 * Clingy Jealous Girl
 * The Ditz: Not the brightest bulb in the box.
 * Hollywood History: Evidence indicates that Harding could not be the father of Britton's daughter in Real Life (among other things, because he was known to be sterile) and that their affair probably existed only in Britton's head. However, the show portrays it as real for the sake of drama.
 * Love At First Sight
 * May-December Romance: She fell in love with Harding when she was 16, well before he started his political career.
 * The Mistress
 * Stalker with a Crush
 * Unrequited Love
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist

Harry Daugherty



The massively corrupt campaign manager of Warren Harding and US Attorney General after his presidential election. Nucky uses his connections to help Harding get the nomination in exchange for some favors in the future, but when he finally needs them Daugherty just keeps making excuses. Played by Christopher McDonald.


 * Actor Allusion: He takes Nucky to golf in "Gimcrack and Bunkum". (McDonald played the bad guy in Happy Gilmore).
 * I Lied: He phones Nucky twice to tell him that, in essence, he is not saving his ass.
 * The Man Behind the Man: To Harding.
 * Sleazy Politician: And almost open about it. Nucky is baffled to find that he has already things to hide when he has been in office for less than three months.
 * Visual Metaphor: He puts on green shoes when he decides to sell Nucky down the river in order to save himself.

George Remus



George Remus is a prominent Cincinnati lawyer and major supplier of "legal" alcohol, as Remus exploits a loophole in the Volstead Act that permits its trade for medicinal purposes. Played by Glenn Fleshler.


 * Amoral Attorney
 * Double-Speak: Remus is a master of it.
 * Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club: Remus sells alcohol for medicinal purposes only. Now, if somebody "steals" that alcohol while en route, it's not Remus's concern - after all, that somebody is either Remus himself, or someone that has paid Remus beforehand.
 * Loophole Abuse
 * Rules Lawyer: Remus has studied all the Prohibition laws and is a master in exploiting the loopholes.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Connections: Remus has powerful political connections and is thus unafraid of prosecution.
 * Small Name, Big Ego: While Remus is deservedly influential, Remus is incredibly smug and his Third Person Person shtick makes Remus rather insufferable. As a result, Remus' verbal tics get increasingly mocked by everyone who deals with George Remus (generally behind Remus' back, although at least once to Remus' face).
 * Third Person Person: In case you didn't notice, Remus has a habit of referring to himself in the third person, constantly.
 * Verbal Tic

William "Bill" Fallon



Arnold Rothstein's silver-tongued lawyer, tasked with keeping him out of being prosecuted for rigging the 1919 World Series. He returns in Season 2 to take Nucky's defense in his election-rigging case. Played by David Aaron Baker.


 * Amoral Attorney
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Expy: Fallon himself isn't an expy, but he is the basis for Billy Flynn and indeed, the entire silver-tongued, amoral lawyer archetype.
 * Hyper Awareness: Unlike Nucky, he notices that Harlan has something important to say, which turns out to be the key to destroy Randolph's attempt to use Van Alden as a witness. Granted, Nucky could have realized it by himself if he wasn't a Jerkass, but it's notable that Harlan had been working in the house for almost a month by then and no one else had bothered to ask him either.
 * Only in It For the Money
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Connections: Fallon has all the judges in New York in his pocket, and has a self-described "talent at winning over juries".

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel

A teenaged hoodlum, working as a gofer for Lansky and Luciano. He's a bit strange, but he hasn't started shooting people yet. Played by Michael Zegen.


 * The Artful Dodger: Is most likely all of 15, yet hangs around gambling dens and gangsters.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * From Nobody to Nightmare: The kid making chicken noises? He's going to become one of the most feared mafia hitmen in history.
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Plucky Comic Relief: The kid is witty, from his nonchalant inquiry of what Lansky and Luciano want him to do about Rothstein ("oh, so I should tell him to fuck a duck?") to his mother-henning Lansky when told to go out and pick up some hulvah ("that stuff'll rot your teeth"). His sense of humor is lost on Jimmy, however.
 * Young Future Famous People