Ranking All Main Characters From Boardwalk Empire
5. Arnold Rothstein
Amidst all the drinking, debauchery, gun-shooting and swearing, it was always comforting to see Arnold Rothstein on screen. It let us know there was at least one civilised adult in the room. Civilised might be a stretch, given that he openly admits to allowing a man to choke to death on a snooker ball, but at least Rothstein would be well-mannered about his business.
Throughout the series, Nucky encountered a variety of characters who were his equal within the regions and demographics they represented. And his respectful-but-uneasy relationship with Rothstein might have been one of the more interesting.
What starts off as a full-on war between New York and Atlantic City (thanks to the events of the first episode), later becomes a mutual and respectful business arrangement. In a perfect world, at a different time in history, who's to say Nucky and Rothstein wouldn't be the best minds on the East Coast?
Rothstein commands as much respect with his goons as he does with Nucky. As mentor and business partner to Luciano and Lansky, viewers got to see how Rothstein groomed and nurtured the legendary duo, and his absence in the fifth season is definitely noticed as his proteges are let off their leashes to hit at Nucky with everything they had.