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It's September 12, 1971 in Westchester County, New York.

Inside a bedroom in his family mansion, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller sets down his phone and rises from a desk.

It's a Sunday afternoon in late summer and Rockefeller should be outside enjoying this sprawling property.

Beyond the 20 bedrooms of this mansion are pristine gardens, hilltop terraces, statues, grottoes, and a state that was built by his grandfather, the oil magnate John D Rockefeller.

But Nelson Rockefeller can't go outside. He's tethered to his phone to deal with an ongoing crisis.

Over on the western edge of New York, inmates rose up and took control of the Attica Correctional Facility.

They're demanding sweeping changes, claiming that living conditions at the prison are inhumane, and the inmates are holding prison guards' hostages until their demands are met.

It's now day four of the standoff, and with endless coverage from the national media, Rockefeller is under intense pressure to end the crisis.

The question is, how to do it?

Rockefeller just got off the phone with his advisor Robert Douglas.

Douglas warned Rockefeller that the governor may be asked to visit Attica to help put an end to the uprising, but he argued it's the wrong move.

It could be politically damaging.

Rockefeller trusts his advisor, and the two came up with a plan to evade this imitation.

Still, Rockefeller's inaction can only last so long.

At some point, he's going to need to find a way to bring this crisis to a close.

Rockefeller is staring out the window when his phone rings. He grabs the receiver.

Yep, this is Rockefeller.

Governor Rockefeller, you don't know me, but my name's Tom Wicker. I'm one of the observers over at Attica. I'm also a reporter for the New York Times.

No, I don't believe we have met, but I admire your work a great deal.

Well, thank you, sir. That means a lot coming from someone in such a high position.

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