Episode 8 | Live: On National Television

In the season finale of American Hostage, Tony pulls Fred in closer, as the TV cameras record his last hope for retribution.

Starring: Jon Hamm, Joe Perrino, Dylan Baker, Carla Gugino and Becky Ann Baker
Directed by: Shawn Christensen
Written by: CD Carpenter

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
American Hostage is an Amazon original andCriminal Content production. This podcast is based
on a true story of a hostagecrisis that took place in Indianapolis in nineteen
seventy seven. Listener discretion is advisedEpisode eight, Live on national television.

(00:29):
Death It's either slow or sudden.Maybe our loved ones are prepared. Maybe
they have a chance to sit byour bedside, holding our hand as we
go gently into the good night evers. Very well, are we rolling?
Or I'm gonna show you all something. Maybe a couple million people witness your
murder on live television, just secondsbefore they cut to a soap commercials become

(00:53):
you now live from downtown Indianapolis,where a hostage price continues to unfold.
It's not often we find ourselves turningthe spotlight to Indiana, but you really
can't ignore what's happening there today.To read that tall reading, Okay,
to turn the cameras on all threechet holding Oh, I want on national
television. I've been called a kidnapperand extortions, the thug and everything else.

(01:15):
I want it on all three nationalchannels. I've got friends all over
the country. I have been advisedto let our viewers know that we do
not have a seven second delay onour channel. This broadcast is life to
the second. Have. Given thevolatility of the matter at hand, you
may be exposed to graphics, sounds, and imagery. Recommend those of you
with small children escort them out ofthe room. You'll read it. Sick

(01:40):
February tenths Okay, cameras, Iwant them to see this guy. God
damn it, I want you godAx, get out of the way.
Where's mister Heckmann? Right over here? Tony? Come here, friend,
you're hell of a man. Baby. Where's my brother, Jimmy? Today
marks day three of Dick calls imprisonmentof the Hands with Tony Carrizo. They're
joined at this conference by local radioman Fred Heckman, who appears to be

(02:05):
there for moral support, but it'snot clear whom he is supporting. Come
here, friend, Hi, baby, hither, Look where we are?
Look how far will you come?Look at what this man made me do?
Just look at what he made medo, jim they're really going through
with it. We've got Cliff downthere, don't we Yeah, Cliff and
Fred? I can see Fred Roy. Why aren't you down there? Galliger

(02:27):
kicked me out. Guess he's stillmet about that swack hole. Now,
you guys be good and quiet.We're gonna let this gentleman read that.
How's stick gonna read that with thenoose around his neck? You'll find a
way, Jim, Barbara, youthey said I could find you back here.
I I didn't want to watch homealong. Okay, Um, come

(02:51):
on in, Barbara. Thanks,they got damn made me near me.
He's always goddamn Braden's out. NowI'm the only motherfucker mean enough to withstood
this without happening goddamn or a heartattack. Hold on, hold on,
wait, wait, wait, where'sKeith Gallagher? Where is he? There?
He is? Chief? Oh,I got in them bottles upstairs as
gasoline. I just wanted a Fridaythe sun of a bitch, but I
had a rig pal. Don't youshoot yourself? Believe Tony. Okay,

(03:14):
read it, Dick, February tenth, nineteen seventy seven. This statement is
being made, mister crits old holdit. I want this goddamn being illegal,
all right, then I'll read it. February tenth, nineteen seventy seven.

(03:37):
I want a glass of water.This statement is being made. To
try and state the items that misterChrissus eludes and I don't like that word.
I charged and they admitted it eludesto being illegal and non not to
go acts of the Hall Group numberone, this least negotiation, approved the
Critsus site and had a definite interestin building there. Give me a drink,

(03:59):
it down, Give me a drinkingnow, sober friends. I had
six drinks in nineteen seventy six andI haven't had any this year. And
I don't miss them a fucking bit. Bred Heckman, a noted radio personality
in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, isvery close to the action today, but
curiously does not appear to be reporting. Information on his involvement of the crisis

(04:19):
is still incoming, but he appearsto be a stable presence during all the
chaos. Oh my god, lookat his eyes. Don't forget his eyes.
Watch for Leo's hand. Why,because Leo's calling it. You've got
a handkerchief in his jacket pocket.If he pulls out the handkerchief, mars
handles up. If Marx hand goesup, they kill the cameras, jam
the shotgun, and shoot Tony inthe back of the head. Oh my

(04:41):
god, boy, can they jamthe shotgun in time? I don't have
a good answer for that question.Oh my god. Number two restaurant.
I went up there to borrow moneyto build a ten thousand foot restaurant that
would have rows between a million andtwo million bucks a year. And these
motherfuckers shouted to somebody else and unlet'ssee who guaranteed me one hundred thousand dollars

(05:02):
a year rate plus they we're sayingover a million dollars and I, oh
my god, I can't watch this. I can't watch him. Friend's too
close to all this. Yar,Fred knows how to play it. No,
Jim, I want you to calldown to the station and have him
move back right now. I can'tdo that part. You get him to
move back right the hell now?He is too close to that shotgun.

(05:24):
Jim, ma'am, don't you touchme. I know that it's just a
situation to you people, but thatis my husband. If you're not calling,
then I'm calling there. I'll godown there the second. Here's what
I could do. I can geton the horn and tell through his ear
piece to move back. But we'lltry to do anything we can right now,
not to set Tony off. Canyou tell him to move back?

(05:45):
Fred, here's the priority. Geton the horn or whatever and tell them
to move back. Okay, whothis goddamn thing ought to go off?
Some seem good enough to die?Creg cred Fred boy Peterson. Look if
you and hear me, okay,can give me a quick finger up to
the camera. Heckman is making somekind of hand signal there. Okay.

(06:06):
Now look, can you scoop backa bit? Your wife saying you're a
bit too close? Yeah, alittle more to left, and he's stepping
away from Caritzus grt. Where areyou going? I just didn't want to
be in your way. You're notin my way, Fred, this is
our moment. You come on uphere now? Can you come right next

(06:26):
to me? Bathe okay. Caritusis not happy that Heckman has tried to
distance himself. He is now makingHeckman stand right next to it. One
tends not to disagree with the manholding the gun. Don't you say get
away from that? You gotta letFred handle friends. Jill. They get
all my hard work and try togive it back to me. Seeing that

(06:48):
the land I was allowed to havewas the land where all the hob shit.
Pardon my friends, ladies and gentlemen. I cursed like that because it's
good for my answer number seven,mister Bronson Hall. This gentleman's father also
states that he personally takes responsibility forthese improprieties. I'm gonna frame that,

(07:09):
all right. Where's my lawyer,where's my attorney? Bring him up here.
I'm the guy who was called akidnapper, an extortionist, a man
who had failed, and they weregonna foreclose in my property. They haven't
got enough money to settle with me, but they're giving me five million dollars.
Come here, baby, this ismy lawyer, and you got me
five million dollars and immunity. Immunity. You hear that someone has bumped into

(07:34):
Christa take don't push me. Youdon't push me. You step back,
motherfuckerperial he's touching the pushing off it. You're all seen it. Look look
marks Ham is off. Oh mygod, they didn't kill the feet.
Who are watching? Oh my god, he's reaching. He's reaching to the
jackets. He's gonna shoot. Mygod, come the feet, what are

(07:55):
you doing around? Just give ase he just tripped. I saw it
happened. He's got two left feet. Let me look at him? What's
that? I said, he's gottwo left feet. Look how big as
shoes are? Look at that?What's wrong with you? Man? It's

(08:18):
unclear what happened there, but I'mthankful that Heckman was there to de escalate
the situation. Heckman has successfully conqueredthis clear to us now that there is
some kind of bond between the humanright. All right, this here is
Fred Heckman, and I I haveto say that this gentleman, this gentleman

(08:39):
right here, mister Fred Heckman ofWIBC. He hadn't put my interview on
that radio station, I'd still bea common goddamn kidnapper, That's right.
I don't know how I'll ever thankhim. And now I'm not kidding anybody
either. Fred say hello, Hello, have you ever been on TV?
No? I have not got abetter face worth than me. I'm lucky

(09:01):
the cameras still rolling with this uglymug. Now, I gotta thank some
people. There are people who stoodby me through all of this, and
I'm eternally grateful Fred, my brother, Jimmy, my lawyer. But I
want to think the people who calledinto the interview yesterday, because they showed
the world just I understood a mancould be and a man isn't anything if

(09:22):
he isn't understood. This world hasso many good people. You just have
to ask to be understood. Asurprising display of remorse and emotion here from
Coritus. He really does seem tobe softening it. This world is a
hard man, but there's good peoplein it. I know that much.

(09:45):
And I haven't ever been good.But I minded my own business and work
my ass off. I worked myass off and that's good enough for a
second place. Oh wow, Ithink Fred just saved his life. Things
are calming down right, right,Roy, I need I need a call
wish and they should have cut thefeet. They should have cut the feet.

(10:05):
Wait, wait, wait, Iwant everyone who called me to know
damn won't appreciate it because I do, and they were sympathetic. I'm grateful.
No oh no, oh god,no oh god. Hey, you
call Cliff Anderson right now and havehim get a message to Gallagher Stack.

(10:26):
What's wrong. He's crying, he'sswinging, he's going into a depressive state.
And I'm sorry for everyone who gothurt. From this. He's gonna
kill Hall. He's gonna kill him. Call him now, call him right
down. I'm sorry, call thisall right, all right, because I
embarrassed him, because I bade himnothing. Cliff, you get to Chief

(10:46):
Gallagher right now. You force allthose cameras off. You gotta swing your
body into the And I never likenotoriety, and I don't like it now.
But to my aunt's in Ohio,and my cousins and some damn good
Greek friends in the state of Order, and some people I was in the
army with the New England. Iwant him to know that God, I

(11:07):
was right. I was right.Just went the way because I was right.
Tony back, I don't care whatyou have to do. Do it
now here that Fred? You gotsomeone in your ear? Fred, Fred,
Yes, yes, I do.Get it out, okay, Tony.
Not just get it out, look, Tony, it's just people making
sure I don't do anything stupid,Okay, people making sure I don't get

(11:31):
in the way. They're nervous aboutme being here. Get it out.
Look here, it's out. It'sout. It's a shame when you can't
trust people, friend, it's agoddamn shame. Tensions are once again rising
here. Caritzas has turned his angeron the one man who seems to be
on his side. What's I feltwe're doing over there? Right? Well,

(11:52):
hey, what are you doing?Run around like that? Get away
from those cameras. I just needto talk to Fred. You need to
get back behind the line. Ijust need to talk to Fred. Up
to him right after you talked tohim after Okay, you hear me,
you talked to him after. I'mdone. Now I'm trying to wrap all
this goddamn shit, Tony. You'remaking Fred uncomfortable. Look, Tony,
I know him. Okay, that'sCliff, Cliff, Cliff Anderson w IBC.

(12:13):
That's right. Tony Coritzis appears tobe getting more emotional. This is
clearly a critical moment for him.It's a tense situation, to say the
least. And I'm passion to pleadfrom WIBC newsman. Fred Heckman does seem
to be calming and listen to me. Okay, we've been through all of
this together. We've gotten through thistogether because you put your trust in me.

(12:35):
I got you everything you need.It didn't I, Tony, Oh
my god, Oh my god.I made it so easy. Didn't then
I could just pop his head rightoff right here and now, Tony I
said, you can trust me,but it be so easy, Fred,
you'll lose everything I already lost becauseof this sucker. What's the good new

(13:00):
having a friend if you can't trustthem. It appears as though Curitzis is
turning on Heckman Now. I'm notsure how, but Heckman ha sparked a
new fury in I'm unsure how thiswill resolve. What if you don't want
to be my friend, Fred?What if I want I did all this
wrong, and you're saying what you'resaying because you feel like you have to.

(13:22):
Curritzus has dropped his prepared remarks.I'm not sure what he might do
next. If unnerving is what itis, I can't tell what he's thinking.
Hal looks like he may be onthe brink of collapse. This has
been an arduous three days for him. One can't even imagine what he's been
through. Our hearts are with himand his family. Haul is closing his
eyes. It's like he's bracing forsomething. I knew Dick Hall. I

(13:48):
knew his family, his friends.I'd been to his bank, dozens of
times over the years for various reasons. I knew he was a good man,
but sometimes I wondered if people weretuning in because they wanted to hear
the gun go off. They wantedto witness the shot heard around the world.
Well, banker or no banker,I wasn't about to let that happen.

(14:16):
Heckman is sliding right up to corretchus. Now, Courtchius appears to be
surprised by the moon. I thinkhe's whispering something to corintzis to quiet for
any of the field might to pickup. But mister Heckman is saying something
to mister Courrichis, Tony. Iwant you to look around. There's a
hundred guns in this room, andthey'd go right through me to get to
you. So now I'm risking mylife to make sure you keep yours.

(14:39):
I'm here because I care about you, because i'm your friend. Now,
if there's another way for me todemonstrate that, you just tell me.
You just tell me, Tony,because I'll step right up to that plate.
I am right here for you,buddy. I'm here right to the
end. Tony. You take abreath, Okay, Tony, I said

(15:07):
you could trust me. I've gotyou everything you needed, didn't I Tony
bail all right, I've Haddie.Let's get at it here. Where's it
cooled? Fred? You come withme now. It's hard to say why,

(15:28):
but for some reason, the maintrio of Exuancharriza's in the hall are
being led out of the limelight andback into the apartment film There seems to
be a lot of confusion. It'simpossible to see where they're going or why.
For that matter, we really don'tknow what's happening. We're gonna try
and get a closer look. Onething gets clear. Whatever they've decided to
do, they are not going tohave any video open that Charrizza's attitude has

(15:54):
swung wildly from positive to negative duringthis press conference. I am completely unsure
of what's going to happen inside thatbuilding. That Critis does still the hostage,
he would be doing it off camerabecause we have no updates on the
status of what's going on inside thatroom. There has been a gunshot.

(16:22):
That was another shot fire. Therewere there's been two shots fired. Cryptis
appears to have fired the gun severaltimes. We're fearing the worst here.
We're fearing the worst. We've heard. Two gunshots been about three seconds apart
from each other. Kret Heckman mightbe dead dead. When the media hypes

(16:45):
a hostage situation up to the nationalstage, why would someone want to tune
in because they want to see thevictim live. I'm not so sure for
listeners just tuning in. Curtis appearsto have fired the gun several times as

(17:07):
a show of seriousness. We canreport to you that the hostage has not
been shot. Thankfully, no onehas been. Hard Courts shot off to
bullets to prove that there were bulletsinside the gun. Apparently the hostage is
alive. After Hall is alive.He's done, I mean, they're done.

(17:29):
He did it. Oh my god, he didn't. Good mister Peterson,
thank you. Yeah, yes,ma'am. I'm just glad it swung
this way, very good. Barb. That is a hell of a man
you got there. I have neverbeen this man in my life too.

(17:52):
I don't think anyone could blame you. Oh all right, Dick, don't
squirm, don't squirm, all right, don't move. I'm sorry, it's
coming up. All right, you'refree. Oh my god, all right,

(18:17):
Tony how about you give me thegun now, I got five million
dollars coming to me, five milliondollars immunity. I'm going to home,
Tony, Yes, sir, detectivealone, sir, how can I help
you? Can you put your handsbehind your back for me? Tony?
See what now? Can you putyour hands behind your back? Well?

(18:38):
What? What? What are youteaching me to dance? What is this
shit? Tony? You're under thekidnapping. This is cap cock sucking the
right girl, I got immunity.This is not the right to an attorney.
He fashes you. It's just fuck. I'm gonna stick by attorney.

(19:02):
So far up your ass. Thisis horse, go pack. Why are
you just gonna stand there? Yougonna stand there and let me fash ruin
our country? Fred, Fred,get my attorneys. Fred, you tell
him I need him. I needhim. Baby, we need to review
my paper. Or if you tellhim, Fred, you tell them.
Okay, horsh it. I wasmade an American promise. They're retracting on
an American promise. Cursus is currentlybeing processed by the Indianapolis PD. We

(19:30):
aren't nature of all the charges,but we can assume that there will be
many Somewhere in the middle of thewhole thing. They took a national poll
of how many people related to TonyCuritzis get call. It's being checked out
at the hospital as we speak,but authorities say he's expected to make a
full recovery. Seventy percent of thecountry related to him, the man with

(19:52):
a gun. But I mean,let's be honest about it. Does anyone
really root for the banker? Longtimelisteners of WIBC will no doubt recall the
events of last February when a gunmannamed Tony Kuritzus paraded Indianapolis streets with a
shotgun tied to the neck of amortgage man named Dick Hall. The hostage

(20:12):
situation was a media sensation and onlycame to its conclusion through the combined efforts
of the Indianapolis Police Department and theFBI. Today, the trial of Tony
Kuritzis is set to come to aclose, with attorneys making their closing arguments.
They'll keep you updated on that newsand more. Good morning, I'm
Fred Heckman, and this is thenews of the day. Friday, October

(20:33):
twenty first, nineteen seventy seven.Honey, I don't know about fish tonight.
How about we try that new Italianplace down over on Broadway's right,

(21:00):
that's right. We now receiving newsthat the verdict has been read. What
is this. It's Tony's trial,Tony, and the verdict is that Tony
Kuritzz has been found not guilty ofall charges. I repeat, Tony Kuritzz
has been found not guilty for thealleged kidnapping an assault of Richard Hall just
eight months ago by reason of insanity. We'll see if they'll let court if

(21:25):
she said by reason of insanity that'swhat she said. Oh god, no,
I don't don't believe that. Thatdoesn't make any sense. You said,
he was saying, He said,he was saying, why are you
laughing? Oh my god, He'san amazing son of a bitch. Fred
Baby, it's Tony. I'm out, Hell, I'm free. They got

(21:47):
me free. Good David, Howyou been failed? Yeah? I just
I just saw the report there,Tony. I just got back in the
country. Oh, bank in thecountry. Where are you well off too?
I'm so here at the court.How but I got so excited.
You're the first person I wanted toknow. I owe it all to you,
Fred, that jury acquitted me becausethey knew I was right. They

(22:07):
knew it. That's great, Tony, Fred. I'm taking you out.
Oh you dat or pot? Whenare you free? I'll tell you what?
How about tomorrow night? Yes,sir, tomorrow night will be Ain't
okay? You like steaks? Fred? Yes, I do. We're getting
steaks, Bunny Matre. You gladat how it all worked out, Fred.
The rules of life are complicated,especially when you're a reporter. People

(22:30):
you idolized suddenly aren't so impressive.Why because you meet them and they always
disappoint One thing I'll say about Tonykuritzis he never let me down. But
somewhere by the people for the people, became twisted by the media, that
noblest institution which was meant to connectus and unite us as a nation.

(22:52):
It was a circus, of course, and you either watched it with fascination
or became part of it. WasAmerica watching the media cover hostage crisis?
Or were we the hostages the willingparticipants? For me, it took almost
three full days of a hostage crisisto realize that America was the biggest hostage

(23:15):
of them all. American Hostage isan Amazon Original and criminal content production written

(23:52):
by C. D. Carpenter,directed by Sean Christiansen, produced by Adam
Volerich and Brendan Hubbard. Executive producedby John Hamm, Shaun Christiansen, and
Gabriel Mason, Starring John Hamm,Carla Gugino, Joe Perino, Dylan Baker,
and Becky Ann Baker, with additionalperformances by James O'Connor, Christina Brucado,

(24:18):
Mara Casson, Michael Dreyer, ShawnChristiansen, Ryan Willard, Nancy Nagrant,
Frank McElroy, Nick Massidy, EricSlick, Robert Rowe, Chris Davis,
Adam Volerich, C D. Carpenter, Sound design by Brandon Jones,
composed by Darren Morsey, Editing byThomas Beach, Shawn Christiansen and Adam Volidge.

(24:45):
Recording and engineering by Dave Williams,Mixing, mastering and additional editing by
Nick Missidi I d Reads by NataliePrass for Amazon Music. Executive producers are
Morgan Jones and Dave Easton. Seniorproducer is Eliza Mills. Special thanks to
Jacob Braunstein, Phil Sanchez, ChrisDavis, Jack Parker, Marcelino Valpondo,

(25:12):
Stephanie Walknein Blad, Norman, VanessaRebert, Sam Petherbridge, Cale Bittner,
Alice Zoe, Trevor McNeil ty,Jacobsen, Rich Sherman Marshall, Louie w
IBC, WISH TV, and CreativeArtists Agency