Lonnie Farmer

Tommy Caffee is a rising star in Rhode Island politics and the prince of his home ward, a working class Irish district known as the Hill. Local gangster Patty Mullin’s murder opens the door to the return of Tommy’s brother Michael, whom Patty had sworn to kill. As Michael starts reclaiming his lost criminal enterprises, Irish mob boss Freddie Cork threatens to whack Michael unless Tommy throws state contracts Freddie’s way. Meanwhile, Michael gets into a beef with Moe Riley, one of Freddie Cork’s underlings, who is currently in control of Michael’s old turf. Eileen Caffee, Tommy’s wife, has secrets of her own: she’s meeting an old boyfriend, now a postman, at a local motel, where they smoke dope and have sex. In the end, Michael achieves a tenuous treaty with Freddie.

When Declan and Ralph mistakenly shoot an undercover Federal agent, Michael steps forth to help them get rid of the body. Though Declan and Ralph get away clean, their partnership is now contaminated. Tommy’s embarrassed that he had to borrow money from his in-laws and sets out to pay them back. Using his political pull with the zoning board, Tommy lands himself a big fat real estate commission. Eileen’s substance abuse gets out of hand and causes her to abandon the family cat out in the woods. Guilt-stricken, she returns to retrieve the cat and is arrested for erratic behavior. Forced to bail her out, Tommy can no longer deny the problems in his marriage. Mary-Rose finds a joint in Eileen’s pocket and can’t resist trying it. When her uncle Michael catches her, her fascination with him only intensifies. She ends up working in his liquor store after school.

Michael takes his old girlfriend Kath Perry (Episode 103) on a milk run to New Jersey to pick up some money for Freddie. When things get messy, Michael resorts to what he does best –- violence. Because Kath sticks by him, he realizes how much he cares for her. Sensing Michael drifting away from her, Rose goes overboard in planning a surprise birthday party for Michael, only to be angered when Michael shows up with Kath in tow. Determined to stay sober, Eileen fends off her demons as best she can. The stress proves too much and she falls off the wagon and is caught drinking by Pete. The Speaker of the House tumbles in a scandal, and Tommy plays on the insecurities of the new Speaker to get himself promoted to Majority Leader, the number two position in the House.