"Lombard"

This article is about the Miami Vice episode. For the character, see Al Lombard.

Lombard

Season	1
Episode	22 (22nd overall)
Airdate	May 10, 1985
Repeat Airdate	August 9, 1985
TV Rating	TV-14 L-V
Writer(s)	Joel Surnow Teleplay: David Assael
Director	John Nicolella
Guest Stars	Dennis Farina John Santucci Vyto Ruginis Ned Eisenberg Michael DeLorenzo and Jon Bauman
Previous Episode	"Evan"
Next Episode	Season 2 "The Prodigal Son"

"Lombard" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of Miami Vice's first season. It premiered on May 10, 1985, and was rerun on August 9, 1985.

Summary

Crockett and Tubbs have to protect mobster Al Lombard so that he can testify against a fellow mobster.

Plot

Al Lombard and his son Salvatore are having a discussion about his choice of school and career. Lombard is not happy with Sal's decision to major in English Literature rather than Law, and it's obvious that father and son have major issues. Meanwhile, Crockett and Tubbs go to Lombard's yacht with a process server who serves a subpoena for Lombard to testify against his adversary Librizzi at his trial in exchange for immunity from prosecution (and Lombard cannot take the Fifth because of that immunity), meaning Lombard is trapped, because if he does take the Fifth, he will go to jail for contempt of court, and if he talks, he's "chopped meat".

Lombard discusses his dilemma with his confidante Charlie Fusco, insisting he would never go against Librizzi and nothing like this would be a problem if Librizzi's father were still in charge. Castillo wants Lombard alive and puts Switek and Zito on it. In an ice cream parlor, Charlie and Librizzi meet, Charlie tries to assure Librizzi Lombard won't talk, but Librizzi doesn't buy it, feeling Lombard won't hold true, and can't deal with Librizzi being Lombard's boss. Librizzi offers Charlie Lombard's action in exchange for "taking care of" him. Switek and Zito follow Lombard to a restaurant, when he leaves, two hitters (one male and one female) take shots at Lombard, he is hit and taken to the hospital, the male hitter is killed, the female hitter got away.

Shortly after, one of Librizzi's warehouses is put to the torch, possibly launching a mob war. Lombard is OK and out of surgery. Crockett and Tubbs track down Augie at a racetrack, who tells them Lombard is better off outside of the country and all his folks are abandoning him in droves, because Librizzi is taking over. Crockett and Tubbs go to see Lombard to offer protective custody, but Lombard refuses, saying protective custody is like jail, and checks himself out of the hospital. Castillo wants Crockett and Tubbs to be there if Lombard needs help, but Crockett is not thrilled about it. Lombard tries to get out of a Librizzi man who set him up, he tells Lombard to "ask him" - referring to Charlie - before Lombard makes an example of him "the old way" and has him shot. Lombard orders Charlie to set up Librizzi. Charlie calls Lombard at his yacht and tells him Librizzi is set up, but he needs to get out of the country for awhile because things didn't go as planned, and tells Lombard to meet him where they're building a bridge to pick up some papers, with Crockett and Tubbs tailing. At the bridge site, Charlie actually plans to kill Lombard, but Crockett and Tubbs kill Charlie first, and take Lombard into protective custody.

Lombard is taken to an apartment complex surrounded by police, and asks Tubbs to pick him up the ingredients for an old-fashioned vermicelli dinner. After getting stuffed by Lombard's meal, he proceeds to tell the story about his mob life and his estrangement from his son Sal. He also told about working with Librizzi's father and the trick he pulled in his casino, making hot Turkish coffee, so hot that it would still be in the cup when the player lost his money. Crockett and Tubbs take Lombard into the courtyard to stretch, at that time a truck pulls into the complex, guns blazing. While the shootout goes on, Lombard slips out. He turns up visiting his son Sal, who is still angry with his father, Lombard wants to patch things up, and Sal wants Lombard to testify to make amends, and to be there for him. Crockett and Tubbs find him and take him to the St. Vitus Dance.

Lombard will be going into the Witness Protection Program, and is getting his affairs in order. His testimony is the next day, and is prepared. That night, Augie and Lombard's woman stop by for dinner. Later, Crockett is taking in some fishing when Lombard stops by, tells Crockett they are a lot alike, Crockett says they're not alike because he has never murdered people, he hasn't forgotten about Barbara Carrow's death. Lombard said her death caused a lot of heat, but he had nothing to do with it, and he's done a lot of bad things. They get Lombard to court in time for his testimony, but instead of talking, he clams up and pleads the Fifth (later telling Crockett he would never rat on his friends), angering Sal, who storms out of the courtroom. Lombard gets contempt of court citations, gets out on bond and leaves, with gun men on his heels.

Cast

Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett
Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs
Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese
Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek
John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito
Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin
Edward James Olmos as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo

Guest Stars

Co-Starring

Peter Daniel Foncesca as Lombard's Bodyguard #1

Notes

This episode features both Denis Farina and John Santucci. Both were frequent collaborators with Michael Mann and appeared multiple times in Miami Vice. The two actors first appeared together in Mann's 1981 film Thief, in which Farina played a gangster and Santucci played a cop; in real life, Farina had previously been a cop with the Chicago Police Department while Santucci had worked as a jewel thief in the city. In fact, Farina had arrested Santucci during his time with the Chicago PD. Furthermore, the main heist in Thief, involving the use of a thermal lance to cut through a vault door, was based on a real-life robbery orchestrated by Santucci.
This would be Dennis Farina's final appearance as Al Lombard until the season 5 "lost" episode "World of Trouble", in which Ned Eisenberg would also reprise his role as Librizzi. In the interim, Farina would be cast by Michael Mann (along with John Santucci) in his new series Crime Story, which ran from 1986-88.
Farina is also one of several Miami Vice guest stars to appear in Michael Mann's 1986 film Manhunter, alongside Garcelle Beauvais (from "The Maze"), Bill Cwikowski (from "No Exit"), Chris Elliott (from "Down for the Count (Part II)"), Kim Griest (from "Nobody Lives Forever"), Michele Shay (from "Theresa" and "Badge of Dishonor"), Bill Smitrovich (from "Brother's Keeper" and "The Prodigal Son") and Jim Zubiena (from "Calderone's Return (Part I)"). Miami Vice regular Michael Talbott also had a small role in the film, although his single scene was deleted from the theatrical cut of the movie.
Although this only Lombard's second appearance on the show, he has been mentioned in passing in two intervening episodes, revealing that the Vice unit has been actively investigating him for most of the season. Lombard would be the only villain in the series to have such a significant over-arching presence -- most other villains, even recurring ones, were never mentioned outside of the episode(s) in which they actually appeared.
Once again, the St. Vitus Dance plays an active role in one of the Vice unit's operations, this time being used as a secure location to stash Lombard after the motel safehouse is blown. Crockett would employ his yacht in a similar role in "Tale of the Goat", to hide Marie Sanserico from Legba and his thugs, as well as "Line of Fire", to keep Joey Hardin, posing as witness Keith Mollis, safe from the Carlos Cantero mob.
Though this episode was the first season finale, it was not the final first season episode repeated; that honor would go to "Evan".

Goofs

When the waitress is giving Librizzi and Charlie their milkshakes, she puts the tray on their table, but when the camera switches angle the tray is suddenly held aloft in her hand.
The amount of whipped cream in Librizzi and Charlie's milkshakes changes between shots.
When Crockett and Tubbs go to the track to find Lombard talking with his son, Tubbs' position on the fence changes between shots.

Production Notes

Filmed: March 15, 1985 - March 26, 1985
Production Code: 59529
Production Order: 22

Filming Locations

Watson Island on MacArthur Causeway (Scenes from Lombard's yacht)
Hollywood Dog Track 831 N Federal Hwy Hallandale (Crockett/Tubbs meet Augie)
1320 North Miami Avenue (Librizzi warehouse)
Watson Island–Brickell Ave Bridge-Rickenbacker Causeway–I95 at NW 20th Street–Ramp of I95 near W Flagler Street–Rickenbacker Causeway (Car chase with Crockett/Tubbs/Lombard)
Dania Beach Marina 101 North Beach Rd, Dania Beach (Attempted hit on Lombard)
Florida Villas 13645 Biscayne Boulevard ("Safe House" for Lombard, later demolished and today is a shopping mall)
Race track between 11th and 12th Street, Miami Beach (Lombard meets his son)
Dade County Courthouse Downtown Miami (Lombard pleads the 5th in grand jury hearing)

Music

"My Boy Lollipop" by Millie Small (Charlie and Librizzi in ice cream shop)
"Wire" by U2 (Crockett and Tubbs follow Lombard)

Jan Hammer Music

"One Way Out" (throughout episode, mostly scenes involving Lombard)
"Lombard Trial" (Attempt on Lombard's life, ending where hitmen pursue Lombard)
"Turning Point" (Crockett and Lombard talk in courthouse after Lombard pleads 5th)

Quotes

"Lombard's in a no-win situation with immunity. If he testifies he's chopped meat, if he doesn't, he'll be put away on contempt of court citations. Either way he's stuck." -- Castillo about Lombard's situation
"I prefer the chopped meat scenario!" -- Crockett in response
"I haven't forgot what you did to Barbara Carrow, pal!" -- Crockett to Lombard

Season 1 Episodes:

"Brother's Keeper" (Pilot) • "Heart of Darkness" • "Cool Runnin'" • "Calderone's Return (Part I)" • "Calderone's Return (Part II)" • "One Eyed Jack" • "No Exit" • "The Great McCarthy" • "Glades" • "Give a Little, Take a Little" • "Little Prince" • "Milk Run" • "Golden Triangle (Part I)" • "Golden Triangle (Part II)" • "Smuggler's Blues" • Rites of Passage • "The Maze" • "Made for Each Other" • "The Home Invaders" • "Nobody Lives Forever" • "Evan" • "Lombard"