Snakes

Bill Crouse AKA Snake was a Saldernarro Family capo and the boss of Johnny Foody at the start of the film. He acts as the tertiary antagonist of Angels With Filthy Souls.

"Set you up? Me!? I'm your friend Johnny and in a town like Chicago you need friends. So Sammy was a rat how was I to know?" -Crouse attempting to explain the reason behind the botched drug deal to Johnny.

## Overview

Crouse is a caporegime for the Saldernarro Crime Family. Despite being one of the gang's highest ranking members, Crouse is treated with very little respect by the family's Don Alex Saldernarro. He also acts as the Mafia's debt collector and regularly extorts money from his lieutenant Johnny Foody. He belittles Foody constantly and secretly views him as a liability.

## Early Life

Crouse was born in Chicago to Italian parents. His father worked for Al Capone and was gunned down in a botched deal. In 1924, Crouse saved the life of Don Alex 'Acey' Saldernarro from two would be hitmen. Crouse killed the two hitmen with his bare hands and as a thanks was recruited into the Saldernarro Crime Family as a hitman. He eventually got Made and over the years climbed up the ranks to become a caporegime. He acts as the family's top capo though he is treated with very little respect by Saldernarro. As such, Crouse is forced to do collections for Saldernarro acting as the family's debt collector. In the 1920's, Crouse was heavily involved in Saldernarro's smuggling operations during Prohibition. It is implied that Crouse has bad judgement as he recruited local thug Sammy into his gang unware that Sammy is an NYPD informer. In 1933, Crouse was owed money by a man named Johnny Foody. He offered Foody work in his organisation instead of paying the debt. Foody was soon Made into the family and sometime prior to 1935 became Crouse's lieutenant. He is desperate to take over the family and run the show himself as is Foody. He believes himself to be a great leader with amazing judgement despite letting an NYPD informer into the organisation.

## Angels With Filthy Souls

Bill Crouse is under fire with Don Saldernarro who believes isn't getting his money back fast enough. Crouse is forced to extort more money from Foody. He then forces Foody to strongarm several businesses which owe Saldernarro money. He laments his lack of power in the gang to Foody who seems uncaring about the whole thing. Foody begins doing odd jobs for Crouse and eventually becomes a capo. Crouse begins feeling jealous and lies to Saldernarro about Foody being a NYPD informer. Saldernarro sends two gunmen named Jimmy The Think and Derek Triggers to whack Foody but he is able to kill both gunmen. He is able to expose Crouse's lie, and Crouse is then berated by Saldernarro.

## Deal With The Triads

Three months later, Foodie has continued to rise through the Mafia's ranks and has become one of the Don's most trusted and closet confidants. On Crouse's orders, Foodie accompanies Crouse's enforcer Sammy to purchase heroin from the Chicago outfit of the Red Dragon Triad. The deal turns out to be a bust after Sammy is revealed to be an undercover NYPD informant. The Triads kill Sammy and steal the money and the drugs leaving Foody to fight off against the entire NYPD. Foody escapes and rings Crouse up and it is clear that Crouse had set him up.

## Final Dance

Foody realises that Saldernarro and Crouse are exchanging kickbacks to the government in exchange for protection. Foody worsens the relationship between the government and Saldernarro. Foody begins doing jobs for rival gangs behind Saldernarro's back. He is able to swing the government over to his side with Senator John Green agreeing that the Saldernarro Family would be better under Foody. He crosses the line however when he does a major diamond deal with the Albanian Mob. Saldernarro visits Foody's bookmakers personally to ask for his cut of the money. Foody kills Saldernarro just as Crouse arrives to ask where his boss is. Foody implies that he killed Saldernarro and will be running the show from now on. At that point, Foody has enough and unleashes his tommygun onto Crouse. Crouse dies instantly from the gunshots and collapses dead on the wooden floor of the bookmakers.

## Aftermath

With Crouse and Saldernarro dead, Foody takes over the Saldernarro Crime Family renaming it the Foody Crime Family.