Quotes

Dialogue

Sonny: So you must be pretty upset after the Yankees lost? Calogero: Bill Mazeroski. I hate him! He made Mickey Mantle cry. The papers said the Mick was crying. Sonny: Mickey Mantle? Is that what you're upset about? Mickey Mantle makes $100,000 a year. How much does your father make? Calogero: I don’t know. Sonny: You don't know? Well, see, if your father can't pay the rent, go ask Mickey Mantle. See what he tells you. Mickey Mantle don't care about you, so why should you care about him? Nobody cares! Calogero: Can I ask you something? Did you shoot that man over a parking space? Sonny: When you get older, you’ll understand.

Dialogue

Priest: Don't be afraid, my son. No one is more powerful than God. Calogero: I don't know about that, Father. Your guy may be bigger than my guy up there, but my guy is bigger than your guy down here. Priest: You got a point.

Dialogue

Lorenzo: You don't see me going to the bar, do you? Calogero: Mommy won't let you go there either? Lorenzo: What am I going to do with this kid?

Dialogue

Calogero: [excited] Mommy, Mommy! Look what I got! Some peaches for… free. Lorenzo: [shows C the dollar bill] What’s this? Calogero: What’s what, Dad? Lorenzo: Where did you get this?! Your mother found this behind your drawer. Calogero: It’s my savings, Dad. Lorenzo: Six hundred dollars you’ve been saving? What? Did you become a brain surgeon overnight, son?! Rosina: Tell your father where you got the money. Calogero: Dad, I worked for it. Lorenzo: Doing what? Calogero: Things. Lorenzo: Things? Whaddya mean things? What things? Calogero: Old things. Ya know, things. Lorenzo: Hey. Don’t lie to me. Just tell me the truth. I won’t get upset. Calogero: I worked the crap games and the guys gave me tips. Rosina: The crap games? Lorenzo: What crap games? What crap games? What tips? [Calogero doesn’t answer] [yells angrily] WHAT CRAP GAMES?! Calogero: I told ya you weren’t gonna get upset, dad. Lorenzo: I LIED! Now tell me everything! Calogero: I told you, I worked for Sonny and he gave me ti

Dialogue

Sonny: First of all, I respect you, Lorenzo, you're a stand-up guy and we're from the same neighborhood, but don't ever talk to me like that again. I tell your kid to go to school, to go to college... Lorenzo: You don't understand: it's not what you say, it's what he sees, the clothes, the cars, the money, it's everything. He tried to throw away his baseball cards because he said Mickey Mantle will never pay the rent. Sonny: [laughs] He said that to you? I don't believe this kid. Lorenzo: That's not funny. Not when your kid has a bigger bank account than you. Sonny: I offered you a job, you said "No" to me. Lorenzo: That's right, and I say "No" now. Just leave my son alone, please. Sonny: Hey! [Stands up] Don't you see how I treat that kid? I treat him like he's my son. Lorenzo: He ain't your son, he's MY son. Sonny: He's what? Lorenzo: He's MY son! Sonny: Hey, get the fuck outta here! Lorenzo: [Shoved by the gangsters towards the door] I'm not afraid of you. Sonny: You should be. Lore

Dialogue

Sonny: Alright, listen to me. You pull up right where she lives, right? Before you get outta the car, you lock both doors. Then, get outta the car, you walk over to her. You bring her over to the car. Dig out the key, put it in the lock and open the door for her. Then you let her get in. Then you close the door. Then you walk around the back of the car and look through the rear window. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in: dump her. Calogero: Just like that? Sonny: Listen to me, kid. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in, that means she's a selfish broad and all you're seeing is the tip of the iceberg. You dump her and you dump her fast.

Dialogue

Sonny: You like her? Calogero: I do, but I don't want to hear the guys. Sonny: Fuck them. Half of them are gonna end up dead or in jail. Nobody cares. The only thing that matters is what's good for you and how you feel about each other. Let me tell you something, when you're alone late at night in bed just you and her under the covers, that's all that matters. You gotta do what your heart tells you to do. Let me tell you something' right now. You're only allowed three great women in your lifetime. They come along like the great fighters, every ten years. Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis. Sometimes you get'em all at once. Me? I had my three when I was 16. That happens. What are you gonna do? That's the way it goes, you know? Tell you right now. See this girl? Maybe this girl, she put wind in your sails. Maybe she's your first great one.

Dialogue

Biker: We just wanted a couple beers then we'll be on our way. Sonny: Couple beers? That's all? Biker: That's all. Sonny: Spoken like a gentleman. [to Tony] Get 'em the beers. Satan's Messengers: You got some brews down here. Nice cold ones. Get us some nice cold brews, come on. Two over here, huh? One more here, one more. Alright, brothers. If I may. A toast to our host. [They all salute, then shake their drinks and spray them all over the bar] In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost! Tony Toupee: Look at all the shit all over me! Sonny: Hey! Biker: Oh, you again. Sonny: That wasn't very nice. Now youse gotta leave. Biker: I'll tell you when the fuck we leave, alright. Get the fuck away from me. [the bikers laugh at Sonny as he walks to the door] Go watch the bikes eh! Sonny: Now youse can't leave. Calogero: [narrating] I will never forget the look on their faces. All eight of them. Their faces dropped. All their courage and strength was drained right from their bodies.

Dialogue

Calogero: Sonny was right. The working man IS a sucker, dad. He's a sucker. Lorenzo: He's wrong! It don't take much strength to pull a trigger, but try and get up every morning, day after day and work for a livin'! Let's see him try that! Then we'll see who's the REAL tough guy! The working man's the tough guy! Your father's the tough guy! Calogero: Oh, I don't wanna hear this. Lorenzo: You don't wanna hear it, but you're gonna hear it. I might not have any money, I might not have a Cadillac, but I'm proud of what I do and I don't answer to anybody. My mother and father came to this country with nothin'… Calogero: And they died with nothin'. Lorenzo: Hey! Don't you dare disrespect your grandparents, do you hear me? They tried to give me a better life, and that's what I'm trying to give you! Calogero: What better life?! We don't even own a car! We ain't got money, we ain't got nothin'! Don't take it out on me because you're a bus driver! The workin' man is a sucker.

Dialogue

Calogero: He owes me 20 dollars. It's been two weeks now, and every time he sees me he keeps dodging me. He's becoming a real pain in the ass. Should I crack him one, or what? Sonny: What's the matter with you? What have I been telling you? Sometimes hurting somebody ain't the answer. First of all, is he a good friend of yours? Calogero: No, I don't even like him. Sonny: You don't even like him. There's your answer right there. Look at it this way: It costs you 20 dollars to get rid of him. Right? He's never gonna bother you again, he's never gonna ask you for money again. He's out of your life for 20 dollars. You got off cheap. Forget him.

Dialogue

Sonny: That's what it comes down to- availability. The people in this neighborhood that see me that're on my side, they feel safe, because they know I'm close. And that gives them more reason to love me. But the people that wanna do otherwise? They think twice, because they know I'm close, and that gives them more reason to fear me. Calogero: Is it better to be loved or feared? Sonny: That's a good question. It's nice to be both, but that's very difficult. If I had my choice, I would rather be feared. Fear lasts longer than love. Friendships that're bought with money mean nothing. You see how it is around here; I make a joke, everybody laughs. I know I'm funny, but I'm not that funny. It's fear that keeps them loyal to me. But the trick is not to be hated. That's why I treat my men good, but not too good; I give them too much, then they don't need me. I give them just enough where they still need me, but they don't hate me. Don't forget what I'm telling you.

Dialogue

Calogero: How ya doing, Sonny? Not so good, huh? I passed the test. That's what I wanted to tell you. She might be my first great one, and I'm going to go out with her. Thanks for helping me. I want to thank you for saving my life. I never got a chance to tell you. They all died. Slick, Alto, Mario, Ralphie, all of them. [hears footsteps and turns to see someone else walking in] Sorry, I thought I was alone. I'm just thinking out loud. Carmine: That's okay, it's understandable. [steps to Sonny's coffin and crosses himself] Calogero: See this man here? He’s a great man. He saved my life. Carmine: Yeah? [takes a long look at Calogero] You're Lorenzo the bus driver's kid? Calogero: Yeah. Carmine: "C", right? Calogero: Yeah. Carmine: Sonny told me all about you. Calogero: Sorry, but I don't even know who you are. Carmine: My name's Carmine. We go back a long way together, Sonny and me. He saved my life, too, once...You don't remember me, do you? [Calogero shakes his head] Many years ago, t

Dialogue

Calogero: Dad, what are you doing here? Lorenzo: I came to pay my respects to your friend. You okay? Calogero: Yeah. Dad, I’m sorry if I ever hurt you in any way. Lorenzo: [Hugs him] It’s okay. [Kisses him] Everything’s gonna be okay. [To Sonny in the coffin] Sonny, I wanna thank you for savin’ my kid’s life. I never hated you. I guess it’s… that I was just mad at you because you made him grow up so fast. May God have mercy on your soul. [Crosses himself, to Calogero] I’ll wait for you over here. [Steps away to let Calogero talk to Sonny one last time] Calogero: Sonny, did you hear that? My father didn’t hate you. Nobody cares, huh? You were wrong about that one. [Kisses his fingers and touches them to Sonny’s forehead] Wasted talent. [Throws up three fingers] See you round, Sonny. [Walks away from the coffin] Lorenzo: Let’s go home, “C.” [They leave the funeral home]