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The following is a list of characters from the HBO television show Boardwalk Empire . The show dramatizes the prohibition era in Atlantic City and the early history of the American Mafia . Many of the characters on the show are fictional. Some are (loosely) based on historical figures; of these, some use the name of the person upon which they are based, while others have had their names changed for the program.
Characters
Main characters
Actor
Character
Season(s)
Character notes
Based on
Steve Buscemi
Enoch "Nucky" Thompson
Regular Seasons 1–5
The corrupt treasurer of Atlantic County and its most powerful political figure.
Enoch L. Johnson [1]
Michael Pitt
James "Jimmy" Darmody
Regular Seasons 1–2
A former Princeton student who served in World War I. After returning home, Jimmy is hired by Nucky Thompson as his driver.
Jimmy Boyd [2]
Kelly Macdonald
Margaret Thompson (formerly Schroeder, née Rohan)
Regular Seasons 1–5
A young Irish widow and mother, she turns to Nucky for help and eventually becomes his lover and later, his wife.
Mary Ill[1]
Michael Shannon
Nelson Van Alden / George Mueller
Regular Seasons 1–5
A former Prohibition agent on the run after the murder of his former partner. Under the alias George Mueller, he inadvertently gets caught up in the conflict between Dean O'Banion and Al Capone.
William Frank[1]
Shea Whigham
Elias "Eli" Thompson
Regular Seasons 1–5
Nucky's younger brother and former sheriff of Atlantic County.
Alfred "Alf" Johnson[1]
Aleksa Palladino
Angela Darmody
Regular Seasons 1–2
Jimmy's wife and the mother of his young son.
Michael Stuhlbarg
Arnold Rothstein
Regular Seasons 1–4
A powerful and intelligent New York gangster who enters into business with Nucky
Arnold Rothstein
Stephen Graham
Al Capone
Regular Seasons 1–5
A low-level Chicago gangster with ambitions of leading the Chicago mob
Al Capone
Vincent Piazza
Charles "Lucky" Luciano
Regular Seasons 1–5
A Sicilian-American gangster and close associate of Rothstein
Charles "Lucky" Luciano
Paz de la Huerta
Lucy Danziger
Regular Seasons 1–2
Nucky's mistress and a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer
No historical basis[2]
Michael Kenneth Williams
Albert "Chalky" White
Regular Seasons 1–5
Nucky's counterpart in Atlantic City's black community
No historical basis
Anthony Laciura
Edward "Eddie" Kessler
Regular Seasons 1–4
Nucky's German personal assistant and valet.
Louis Kessel[1]
Paul Sparks
Mickey Doyle
Regular Seasons 1–5
An Atlantic City bootlegger
Mickey Duffy [1]
Dabney Coleman
Commodore Louis Kaestner
Regular Seasons 1–2
Nucky's mentor and predecessor in Atlantic City, Jimmy's biological father.
Louis Kuehnle [1]
Jack Huston
Richard Harrow
Recurring Season 1; Regular Seasons 2–4
A former Army marksman who allies with Jimmy and later Nucky. Disfigured during the war, he wears a mask over half of his face.
Gretchen Mol
Gillian Darmody
Recurring Season 1; Regular Seasons 2–5
Jimmy's mother and an old friend of Nucky's. She is also Luciano's former lover.
Charlie Cox
Owen Sleater
Recurring Season 2; Regular Season 3
An Irish immigrant and IRA member. He has an affair with Margaret, while working his way up in Nucky's organization.
Bobby Canavale
Gyp Rosetti
Regular Season 3
Sicilian gangster backed by Joe Masseria, who challenged Nucky.
No historical basis
Ron Livingston
Roy Phillips
Regular Season 4
A wealthy out-of-town businessman who finds himself getting involved with Gillian Darmody.
Jeffrey Wright
Dr. Valentin Narcisse
Regular Seasons 4–5
Harlem racketeer who challenges Chalky.
Casper Holstein [3]
Recurring characters
Actor
Character
Season(s)
Character notes
Based on
Greg Antonacci
Johnny Torrio
Seasons 1–5
Capone's boss in Chicago
Johnny Torrio [1]
Erik Weiner
Agent Sebso
Season 1
Van Alden's partner.
William Hill
Alderman George O'Neill
Seasons 1–2
One of Nucky's political cronies and ward bosses.
Robert Clohessy
Al Neary
Seasons 1–2
One of Nucky's political cronies and ward bosses
Dominic Chianese
Leander Whitlock
Seasons 2-5
Atlantic City lawyer and ally to the Commodore
William Forsythe
Manny Horvitz
Season 2-3
Philadelphia gangster
Anna Katarina
Isabelle Jeunet
Seasons 1, 3
A French woman who owns an haute couture shop on the boardwalk.
Max Casella
Leo D'Alessio
Season 1
A Philadelphia gangster Doyle owes money to.
Leo Lanzetta [1]
Edoardo Ballerini
Ignacius D'Alessio
Season 1
Leo's brother and another gangster
Ignatius Lanzetta [1]
Anatol Yusef
Meyer Lansky
Seasons 1–5
A young protégé of Rothstein and partners with Luciano
Meyer Lansky [1]
Joseph Riccobene
Frankie Yale
Seasons 1, 3–4
Brooklyn gangster
Frankie Yale [1]
Kevin O'Rourke
Edward L. Bader
Seasons 1–5
Atlantic City mayor
Edward L. Bader [1]
Dana Ivey
Mrs. McGarry
Season 1
A prominent leader of the Women's Suffrage and Temperance Movements.
Susan B. Anthony [1]
Geoff Pierson
Senator Walter Edge
Seasons 1–3
New Jersey Senator who thwarts some of Nucky's plans.
Senator Walter Evans Edge
Pearce Bunting
Bill McCoy
Season 1-4
Sea captain and rum runner for Nucky Thompson
Bill McCoy [1]
Tracy Middendorf
Babette
Seasons 1–3
Owner of Babette's Night Club
Natalie Wachen
Lenore White
Seasons 2–4
Beautiful wife of Chalky White, and mother to his three children.
Michael Zegen
Benny Siegel
Seasons 2–3, 5
A low-level criminal working card-games for Lansky and Luciano.
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel
Glenn Fleshler
George Remus
Seasons 2–4
A major bootlegger based in Ohio; refers to himself in the third-person.
George Remus
Julianne Nicholson
Esther Randolph
Seasons 2–4
Assistant Attorney General who investigates Nucky for election fraud.
Mabel Walker Willebrandt
Ivo Nandi
Joe Masseria
Seasons 2–5
New York mob boss who backs Rosetti against Nucky.
Joe Masseria
Christopher McDonald
Harry Daugherty
Seasons 1–3
Campaign manager to Warren G. Harding, and later his Attorney General.
Harry M. Daugherty
Daniel Cox (Season 1); Ed Jewett (Season 2 on)
Jess Smith
Seasons 1–3
Aide to Harry Daugherty.
Jess Smith
Arron Shiver
Dean O'Banion
Seasons 3–4
Irish-American mob boss in Chicago and rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone.
Dean O'Banion
Stephen Root
Gaston Bullock Means
Seasons 3–4
Con artist, FBI agent, and "fixer" for bootleggers.
Gaston Bullock Means
James Cromwell
Andrew Mellon
Seasons 3–4
Secretary of the Treasury who testifies at a government hearing that, if Prohibition is to be effective, more money needs to be spent.
Andrew W. Mellon
Meg Chambers Steedle
Billie Kent
Season 3
A young Broadway actress who begins an affair with Nucky. Killed in an explosion meant for Nucky.
Billie Dove[4]
Chris Caldovino
Tonino Sandrelli
Seasons 3-5
Right hand man to Gyp Rosetti and Mafia lieutenant.
Brian Geraghty
James "Jim" Tolliver
Season 4
FBI agent under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover posing as a corrupt prohibition agent under the name Warren Knox in Atlantic City. Killed by Eli after trying to blackmail him.
Eric Ladin
J. Edgar Hoover
Season 4
Director of the Bureau of Investigation .
J. Edgar Hoover
Domenick Lombardozzi
Ralph Capone
Seasons 4-5
Al Capone's brother.
Ralph Capone
Morgan Spector
Frank Capone
Season 4
Al Capone's level-headed brother.
Frank Capone
Margot Bingham
Daughter Maitland
Season 4-5
Singer and ward of Dr. Valentin Narcisse who begins an affair with Chalky White.
Giampiero Judica
Salvatore Maranzano
Season 5
Powerful New York Mafia boss at war with his right hand man, Lucky Luciano.
Salvatore Maranzano
John Ellison Conlee
Louis Kaestner
Season 5
The Commodore as a young man.
Louis Kuehnle
Characters as performers
Characters as athletes
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
Johnson, Nelson (2010). Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City . Plexus Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-9666748-6-6 .
^ a b "Interview: 'Boardwalk Empire' creator Terence Winter" . September 9, 2010.
^ Moaba, Alex (2013-09-05). " 'Boardwalk Empire': Jeffrey Wright On The Real-Life Racketeer Who Inspired His Season 4 Character (VIDEO)" . The Huffington Post . Retrieved 2013-09-17 .
^ Billie Dove ,
^ Venutolo, Anthony, 'Boardwalk Empire' episode 4, 'Anastasia': Nucky's birthday bash and back room deals , The Star-Ledger , October 11, 2010
^ Venutolo, Anthony, 'Boardwalk Empire' recap: Van Alden busts up Nucky's Celtic bash , The Star-Ledger , October 18, 2010