The Hamptons Lawyer Chapter 116 Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 116, titled “One Hundred Sixteen,” takes place at Sonny Blum’s home in Port Washington. Blum summons hitman Robby Sassoon to discuss recent events, including the shootout in Water Mill. Blum explains his long-standing system of paying off cops, having controlled officers like Champi, Licata, and Harrington for decades. He reveals that he has blackmailed the Jacobson and McKenzie families ever since the two teenagers accidentally shot Jacobson’s father and his girlfriend while high. Blum also discloses that Rob Jacobson later made a side deal with Joe Champi, and that Jane Smith eliminated Champi before Blum could. After a seemingly friendly conversation, Blum retrieves a second drink and then shoots Sassoon in the head, killing him instantly.
Key Events
- Blum and Sassoon meet late at night in Blum’s den for a private conversation.
- Blum reveals he has a Southampton cop on his payroll and has long controlled law enforcement through bribes and scholarships.
- He recounts the origin of his hold over the Jacobson and McKenzie families: a high-school shooting committed by Rob Jacobson and his friend McKenzie, covered up by corrupt cops.
- Blum explains that Rob Jacobson later cut a side deal with Joe Champi, who possessed evidence that could imprison Blum for centuries.
- Sassoon admits he was sleeping with Jacobson’s wife and took photographs that Blum sent to Jacobson as a threat.
- Blum signals it is time to kill Jane Smith and Eddie Cunniff.
- Just as Sassoon agrees, Blum shoots him in the head, eliminating his own hitman.
Character Development
Sonny Blum – This chapter gives the clearest portrait yet of Blum as a ruthless strategist. He is not merely a gangster; he is a long-term, big-picture thinker who uses information as his primary weapon. His decision to kill Sassoon—his own trusted asset—shows he values no one above his own security. The casual way he watches the body bleed onto the rug reinforces his cold pragmatism. He is aging and tired (the coughing fit, the slow movements), but that does not dull his brutality.
Robby Sassoon – Up until the final moment, Sassoon is confident, even smug. He smiles at the memory of killing Harrington and boasts about his affair with Jacobson’s wife. Yet he is completely blindsided by Blum’s betrayal. His final scene shows that even an expert killer can be outmaneuvered by a man who plays several moves ahead. Sassoon’s death underscores his role as a disposable tool.
Rob Jacobson – Though not present, Jacobson’s past actions are examined. Blum reveals that the genesis of his blackmail was a teenage murder—Jacobson and McKenzie killed Jacobson’s own father and his girlfriend. Jacobson later tried to protect himself by aligning with Champi, a move that only delayed Blum’s wrath.
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
The Power of Information – Blum explicitly states that information combined with power is his core philosophy. He bought cops, controlled families, and built a network of secrets. The chapter illustrates how knowing someone’s darkest act gives you leverage that money alone cannot buy.
Loose Ends – Blum’s mantra, “I hate loose ends,” drives the chapter. He kills Sassoon not because Sassoon failed him, but because Sassoon knew too much. The image of the ruined rug symbolizes the messes Blum is willing to create—and simply replace—to maintain his control.
Poetic Justice/Retribution – Blum calls the murder “poetic justice” – a hit man getting hit. The phrase echoes the cyclical violence of the novel’s world, where no one who deals in death escapes that fate.
Corruption as a System – Blum’s description of putting cops on “scholarship” shows corruption not as occasional bribery but as an institutionalized network. He mentions specific names (Champi, Licata, Harrington) to underscore the breadth of his reach.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 116 is a turning point that clarifies the entire conspiracy. It explains why the Jacobson family has been under Blum’s thumb for decades, why Rob Jacobson feared exposure, and how corrupt cops protected the cover-up. It also raises the stakes dramatically: with Sassoon dead, Blum will likely move directly against Jane Smith and Eddie Cunniff. The chapter resolves Sassoon’s arc while deepening the threat to the protagonists. Blum is now personally and actively involved in the next phase of the conflict.
Study Questions & Answers
1. Why does Sonny Blum decide to kill Robby Sassoon at the end of the chapter?
Blum explains that he hates loose ends. Sassoon knew too much about Blum’s operations—the cop payoffs, the murder of Harrington, the affair with Jacobson’s wife. By eliminating Sassoon, Blum removes a witness who could be turned against him. The killing also serves as a warning: no one, not even a loyal hitman, is indispensable.
2. How does the chapter reveal the original crime that gave Blum power over the Jacobson family?
Blum tells Sassoon that when Rob Jacobson and McKenzie were high in high school, they shot and killed Jacobson’s father and his girlfriend. Blum’s corrupt cops collected the evidence and immediately blackmailed both families. This single event created a source of money and leverage that Blum has exploited for years.
3. What does Blum mean when he says he is a “big-picture guy” and how does that philosophy shape his actions?
Blum contrasts himself with a “detail guy” like Sassoon. He focuses on long-term control through information, not just immediate violence. This view led him to bribe cops early in their careers and to keep Jacobson alive as a revenue source. Yet the same philosophy also makes him willing to sacrifice a loyal soldier like Sassoon if that protects the bigger picture of his empire.