User Reviews

I enjoyed the balance of police action versus sentimentality in this offbeat segment of "Naked City" dealing with the numbers racket. It's a showcase for the talented TV actor Ross Martin.

Future star of "Wild, Wild West", Martin is beyond dependable in his performances, and here gets to occupy center stage rather than the familiar sidekick role. He's a Latino working as a dishwasher in Leonardo Cimiino's restaurant when he hits the jackpot: betting big $10 instead of the customary 10 cents on a number taken for inspiration from his ten-dollar bill.

Inspired casting has Al Lewis, of all people, as the kindly stationery store owner who takes his bet and then runs away with the $6,000 winnings, giving poor Ross brand-new counterfeit bills instead. An interesting subplot has the boss man of the racket seeming almost a good guy -McIntire hauls him in and sweats him for info, but the boss had ordered a real payout to "lucky" Ross. With Lewis absconding with the money, substituting the counterfeit bills.

Master of accents Martin is utterly convincing as a little guy with a terrifically supportive wife, on the lam from police and even breaking down in church over his dilemma. I expected him to suffer a tragic fate, but instead a happy ending in which he belatedly sees the light (regarding gambling) is satisfying.

"***SPOILERS*** It's when Mexican immigrant dishwasher Carlo, Ross Martin, saw the serial number of a dollar bill that he got back as change from a newspaper stand that he realized that fate had smiled on him. The three last numbers of the dollar bill had significant meanings to his and his wife the church going Maria, Kay Chaque, lives and was determined to play it. In him knowing that it will come out and he'll, by putting $10,00 on it, clean up with it paying him $6,000.00 if , which he's sure as hell, it will come out!

Playing the number #437 with his local numbers man grocery store owner Mr. Pike, played the future Grampa of "The Munsters" TV series Al Lewis, sure enough the number #437 did come out the next day!The problem is that Mr. Pike didn't have the $6,000.00 in cash to pay Carlo off with and instead gave him $6,000.00 in worthless and criminal phony $20.00 dollars bills! Happily going to the bank to disport the cash Carlo and Mari's dreams turn into nightmares with the alerted, by the bank president, police being there to arrest them!

With Mr. Pike flying the coop to Miami Carlo & Marie are left holding the bag that can put them behind bars for 5 years unless he's located and brought to justice. It's a in fact Mr. Pike's boss mobster Mr. Solid, Richard X. Slattery, who in order to save his own hide who fingers him to the police and where they can find him. As for both Carlo & Maria there, or at least Carlo, freed to be material witness at Mr. Pike's trial. But as for the $6,000.00 in cash that they won playing the numbers with Mr. Pike that ended up only as as a "Pike Dream" for them. But at least they didn't have to end up behind bars for having it.

This episode, as in many 'Naked City' episodes is a little drawn out in with drama in parts. All 'Naked City' plots are good, but the director can give too much time to bad guy gun fights and scenes of emotion. On the other hand the drama is what makes 'Naked City' such a classic. The BEST part about this episode is the character who plays grandpa on 'The Munsters' is one of the a bookies.