Puzzled by torture scenes

Maybe I missed something when I watched this on Netflix last night -- what was the point of the torture scenes where the mob guy is using a drill on someone and then burning them? They seemed to be occurring concurrently with Poole's story, and yet at times it almost seemed as if Poole was recalling them? I didn't know if we'd ever find out who the victim was, or if he tied into the story somehow, but we never did. And if it was just to show how ruthless they were, then it was odd that they let him go. For me, they were very jarring as a part of a touching love story.