Following Dean O'Banion's orders, Van Alden muscles for Al Capone. Harlem gangster Dr. Valentin Narcisse arrives in Atlantic City, clashing with Chalky and Nucky over the loss of an employee. In Washington, Agent Knox aligns himself with J. Edgar Hoover.

Nucky gets to know Arnold Rothstein over a card game and sizes up an unexpected partner for his Tampa deal. Al and Frank Capone enlist Van Alden to tag along on one of their "collections". Knox fills Hoover in on the Thompson op, vowing to exploit Nucky's weakest link.

Nucky heads to Philadelphia to deal with the fallout from Willie's liquor fiasco. Eddie Kessler is detained by Agent Knox, who uses physical and psychological tactics to elicit information. Van Alden is recruited by the Capones to pay a visit to local factory workers.