Dito Montiel, who made his directorial debut with ‘A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints,’ imbues his 2013 real crime heist film ‘Empire State’ with anxious intensity. The plot revolves around the 1982 Bronx robbery, which is remembered as one of the most horrific burglary crimes and the largest cash heist in US history. Chris gets a job at a dubious logistics firm, where he is in charge of a room full of illicit money. When the locals learn about the stash, the tale goes haywire. Although the ending is satisfactory, some unanswered questions may remain. Let us help you if you can’t get your head around the ending. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

Synopsis of the Empire State Plot

Chris Potamitis, a Greek Diaspora American living in the United States, makes ends meet by doing odd jobs. Tommy, his father, was a cop in Greece, but now he works as a janitor in the notorious Spiro club in New York. Eddie, Chris’ best friend in the neighborhood, is prone to job loss and has a volatile personality. Chris and Eddie carry a statue from who knows where for Chris’ garden. Chris aspires to be a cop like his father, but he can only find a job at Empire New York Securities Incorporated.

Tony, a corporate veteran, takes Chris under his wing. As Tony reveals to Chris, a lot of shady stuff happens at the Empire, but it’s none of their concern. When Tony is killed during a burglary attempt at the Empire, Chris discovers that the corporation is only paying Tony’s family $5000 – 10% of the total insurance amount – as compensation.

Outraged, Chris sets aside $25000 from the office’s secret stockpile, giving part to Tony’s family. Meanwhile, Eddie sees an opportunity to steal more from the Empire and informs Mike and Jimmy of his plans. While their initial nocturnal visit is thwarted by the entrance of Detective James Ransome, Eddie intends to go alone. With about $10 million missing from the safe and Ransome closing in on the suspects, Chris’s prospects look gloomy.

Empire State Ending: Is Eddie Arrested By The Cops? What happened to him?

Eddie bursts through the roof and begs Chris to hand over the keys. He then smashes the camera in front of the safe and smacks Chris in the head. The city is in shambles the next morning, and there is no evidence of Eddie near the crime scene. The FBI originally believes that this is the work of the organized crime syndicate Cosa Nostra. Detective James Ransome, on the other hand, could be onto something.

Ransome follows Chris, listening in on Chris and Eddie’s talk. The latter, high on cocaine, informs (or rather screams at) the former that he is delivering him $8 million. Ransome continues to follow Eddie as he meets Mike and intends to travel to Colombia for a dirty cocaine deal. Ransome even visits Spiro’s den, showing Mike is aware of the dramatic burglary. Following that, Ransome discovers the faces of Mike and Eddie in the crime database, as they are both small-time crooks.

Chris arrives to the police station to answer some standard inquiries, unaware that Ransome has Mike and Eddie’s photographs. Furthermore, Ransome asks Chris whether he believes Eddie is chatting to someone in the recordings as he shows Chris the video footage of the camera near the safe shortly before it goes dead. Ransome later visits Eddie’s office, where he discovers a rough sketch of the heist in Eddie’s locker.

Meanwhile, Mike drives Eddie to the Colombian. They hand up the money to the mobster without even inspecting the cocaine, but it’s not like they’re going to receive it anyhow. After the money has been counted, the Colombian requests that the party turn around and go. Eddie flees for his life as Mike becomes a martyr in the firefight. He arrives at Chris’ house and bargains with Chris for more money on the back porch. Meanwhile, Tommy storms out the door, brandishing a revolver at Eddie.

Eddie and Chris are arrested shortly after the police arrive. While the film offers a final interview clip of Chris, it does not reveal anything about his destiny. Eddie Argitakos, on the other hand, received a 15-year sentence for helping with authorities in their investigation. Argitakos’ father, on the other hand, received a four-year prison sentence for concealing the money. However, many decades have passed since the heist, and the real-life Eddie appears to have been released in 1990.

What Happens to Chris?

Chris Potamitis is the undisputed protagonist of the story because his cheerful energy radiates through. Although Liam Hemsworth plays Chris Potamitis for the most part, the concluding seconds gives us a peek of the real Chris. And it’s true video footage of the investigators and Chris, the man of the hour himself, in the conclusion. Chris is sentenced to nine years in jail for his role in the robbery.

Chris, on the other hand, has been reintegrated into society thanks to his family. You may be wondering what happened to Chris. The actual Chris Potamitis, on the other hand, went on to co-produce the film based on his life, the one we’re talking about. As a result, he appears to amass a sizable sum of money. When we think of money, we ask ourselves the following question.

What Happened to the Money?

The conclusion reveals that the cops are still seeking for the money. Despite the fact that the police made multiple arrests, the cash has remained elusive until this day. In the final moments of the interview, the reporter asks Chris if the money was missing even while he was filming the video, to which Chris responds with an affirmative nod. Chris then goes on to persuade the interviewer, adding, “The way it disappeared out of the money room, it disappeared out of our hands.”

The interviewer is still not convinced. When he teases Chris by saying, “It looks like you were going to say something,” all he gets is a hesitant, “No.” As a result, the ending implies that Chris may know something about the missing money. We see another shot of the statue shortly before the credits begin to roll. As Chris tells Nancy immediately before the climax, the money appears to be still within the figure. However, the money is still missing in broad daylight.