Dance Hall Racket

Umberto Scali's Dance Emporium is frequented by merchant marines who are unaware that the establishment is a front for a diamond smuggling business. After Scali pays a smuggler named Doggie for stolen diamonds, he tells Rose, his dancer, to drug Doggie and steal back the money. While Rose is working on Doggie, Scali informs his chief henchman, Vincent, that they will be hosting a party the following night for Victor Pappas, Scali's former partner, who is being released from prison after stealing a quarter of a million dollars of gold bullion that had never been recovered. When Doggie sees through Rose's ruse and tries to put out a cigarette on her face, Vinnie kills the man with a blow to his neck and dumps the body. Meanwhile, Scali's girl friend Fortuna visits, and becomes more interested in his oft-repeated marriage proposals after he reveals that he has accrued $100,000 worth of smuggled diamonds, and intends to find Pappas' bullion. After reprimanding Vinnie for losing his temper with Doggie, Scali warns Rose and Icepick, another henchman, that killing the smugglers will ruin his business. Unknown to Scali, customs agents have discovered Doggie's body and connected him to the dance hall because of two dance tickets in his pocket. New York detective Charlie Edson is assigned to work undercover as a seaman and infiltrate the dancehall. While Charlie familiarizes himself with the dance hall, a new taxi dancer named Dottie changes clothes in the dressing room and chats with Maxine, Scali's jaded former girl friend. Charlie introduces himself to Punchy, a Swedish sailor who frequents the dance hall and steals drinks. Their coversation is interrupted by Icepick, who remembers seeing Charlie on board a ship that was raided by customs agents looking for smugglers. Charlie pretends to be a smuggler interested in doing business, so Icepick invites him to meet Scali at the party. Later, at the dance hall, Icepick sends Punchy home after he learns that he was passing homemade tickets. When Icepick orders Wilma, a dancer, to send home a drunken dancer, the inebriated woman attacks Wilma, and the bouncers have to break up the fight. Afterward, Charlie secretly makes contact with the customs agents to advise them he has identified Scali as the head of the smuggling ring. After learning about the party for Pappas, they promise to have a special squad ready for a raid. The night of the party, Scali tells Vinnie that he plans to turn over the dance hall business to him if he manages to find Pappas' money. Moments later, Scali grudgingly agrees to release Icepick from the racket so he can get a legitimate job and marry his girl friend Mary. Late that evening, a patron discovers that taxi dancer Lois has stolen his wallet and demands his money back from Scali. Vinnie silences the man by stabbing him in the gut and dragging him outside. Scali then confronts Lois, who vehemently denies the theft until Vinnie slices open her dress and discovers the money hidden in her bodice. Scali warns her that she must give him a cut of anything she steals, and after taking his share, sends her home. However, Lois stays on and sells kisses. Maxine and Punchy entertain at the party for Pappas, whose tongue was cut out when he refused to reveal the location of the bullion. When Rose attempts to seduce Pappas, Vinnie, who is in love with Rose, becomes enraged that Scali is using his girl friend, and confronts his boss in his office. Although Scali assures Vinnie that he wants only Rose to find out the location of the stolen bullion, Vinnie shoots and kills Scali, then shoots Rose, grabs Pappas and runs. Charlie follows him into an alley where they exchange gunshots, and Vinnie is killed when Pappas pushes him into the line of fire. Later, a reporter interviews the customs agents, who reveal that Scali's henchman Burt has taken over the business, and they expect to have more trouble with the dance hall soon.