Quotes

Dialogue

Jimmy: [To young Henry, after he gets cleared in court] Congratulations, here's your graduation present [Puts money in Henry's pocket] Henry: For what? I got pinched. Jimmy: Hey, everybody gets pinched, but you did it right. You told 'em nothing and they got nothing. Henry: I thought you'd be mad. Jimmy: I'm not mad, I'm proud of ya. You took your first pinch like a man, and you learned the two most important things in life. You listenin'? Never rat on your friends, and ALWAYS keep your mouth shut. [Gives Henry an affectionate light slap on the cheek and leads him out of the courtroom. Outside, Paulie and many of the other gangsters are waiting for him.] Paulie: Hey, you broke yer cherry! [The other gangsters cheer and congratulate Henry]

Dialogue

Henry: You're a pistol! You're really funny. You're really funny! Tommy: What do you mean I'm funny? Henry: It's funny, you know. It's a good story, it's funny, you're a funny guy! Tommy: [dangerously] What do you mean? You mean the way I talk? What? Henry: It's just, you know, you're just funny. It's funny, the way you tell the story and everything. Tommy: Funny how? I mean, what's funny about it? Anthony: Tommy, no, you got it all wrong — Tommy: Oh, oh, Anthony. He's a big boy, he knows what he said. [to Henry] What did ya say? Funny how? Anthony: You're right. Henry: Just — Tommy: What? Henry: Just, ya know, you're funny. Tommy: You mean, let me understand this, 'cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm funny how? I mean funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to fuckin' amuse you? What do you mean funny? Funny how? How am I funny? Henry: Just... you know, how you tell the story — what? Tommy: No, no, I don't know. You said it! How

Dialogue

Karen: [narrating, at a makeup party with other wives] Well we weren't married to 9 to 5 guys but the first time I realized how different was when Mickey had a hostess party. They had bad skin and wore too much makeup I mean, they didn't look very good. They looked beat up. And the stuff they wore was thrown together and cheap. A lot of pant suits and double-knits. And they talked about how rotten their kids were and about beating them with broom handles and leather belts, that the kids still didn't pay any attention. When Henry picked me up I was dizzy. [later in her bedroom] I don't know, I don't know if i could live like that. God forbid, what would happen if you had to go to prison? Henry: Karen! [laughs] Karen: Vicki said that Jeannie's husband- Henry: You know why Jeannie's husband went to the can? Because of Jeannie! Because he wanted to get away from her that's why! Let me tell you something; nobody goes to jail unless they want to. Unless they make themselves get caught. They

Dialogue

Tommy: Just don't go bustin' my balls, Billy, okay? Billy: Hey, Tommy, if I was gonna break your balls, I'd tell you to go home and get your shine box. [to his friends] Now this kid, this kid was great. They, they used to call him Spitshine Tommy. I swear to God! Now he'd make your shoes look like fuckin' mirrors. 'Scuse my language. He was terrific, he was the best. He made a lot of money, too. Salud, Tommy! Tommy: No more shines, Billy. Billy: What? Tommy: I said no more shines. Maybe you didn't hear about it, you've been away a long time; they didn't go up there and tell you. I don't shine shoes anymore. Billy: Relax, will ya? You flipped right out, what's got into you? I'm breakin' your balls a little bit, that's all. I'm only kiddin' with ya. Tommy: Sometimes you don't sound like you're kidding, you know? There's a lotta people around... Billy: Tommy, I'm only kiddin' with you. We're having a party and I just came home, and I haven't seen you in a long time, and I'm breakin' your

Dialogue

Tommy: Hey Henry, Henry, hurry up, will ya? My mother's gonna make some fresh peppers and sausages for us. Jimmy: Oh hey, Henry, Henry, here's an arm! Henry: Very funny, guys. Jimmy: Here's a leg. Tommy: Here's a wing! [laughing] Whaddya like, the leg or the wing, Henry? Or do you still go for the ol' hearts and lungs? Henry: [retching] Oh, that's so bad.

Dialogue

Tommy: [to Spider, whom he shot in the foot earlier] Hey, Spider, that bandage on your foot is bigger than your fucking head. Next thing you know he's gonna have one of these fucking walkers. But you can still dance. Give us a couple of fucking steps, Spider. You fucking bullshitter, you. Tell the truth. You're looking for sympathy, is that it, sweetie? Spider: Why don't you go fuck yourself, Tommy? Jimmy: I didn't hear right. I can't believe what I heard. [giving Spider cash] This is for you. Attaboy! I got respect for this kid, he's got a lot of fucking balls. Good for you! Don't take no shit off nobody! A guy shoots him in the foot, he tells him to go fuck himself. Tommy, you gonna let him get away with that? You gonna let this fucking punk get away with that? What's the matter with you? What's the world coming to?! Tommy: That's what the fucking world's coming to, how do ya like that? How's that, all right? Jimmy: What's the matter with you?! What is the fucking matter with you?! W

Dialogue

Paulie: [about Henry's cheating] Karen came to the house. She's very upset. This is no good; you gotta straighten this out. Jimmy: We gotta have calm now, ya understand? We don't know what the hell she's gonna do. She's getting all hysterical, she gets very excited. Paulie: She's wild. And you, you gotta take it easy, you got children. I'm not saying go back to her this minute, but you got to go back. It's the only way. You got to keep up appearances. Jimmy: I got the two of them come to my house every day commiserating, the two of them. I can't have it. I can't have it. I can't do it, Henry. I can't do it. Paulie: Nobody says you can't do what you want to do. Jimmy: Do what you wanna do, we all know that. I mean, this is what it is. Ok? You know what it is. You have to do the right thing, you have to go home to the family. Understand? You gotta go home. Ok? Look at me. You gotta go home. Smarten up. All right? Paulie: All right. I'm gonna talk to Karen. I'll straighten this thing out.

Dialogue

Henry: [narrating] In prison, dinner was always a big thing. We had a pasta course and then we had a meat or a fish. Paulie did the prep work, he was doing a year for contempt and he had this wonderful system for doing the garlic. He used a razor and used to slice it so thin that it used to liquify in the pan with just a little oil. It was a very good system. Vinny was in charge of the tomato sauce. I felt he used too many onions but it was still a very good sauce. Paulie: Vinny? Don’t put too many onions in the sauce. Vinny: I didn’t put too much onions, Paul. Three small onions that’s all I did, three onions. Johnny: How many cans of tomatoes did you put in there? Vinny: I put two cans! Two big cans. Johnny: You don’t need three onions. Henry: [narrating] Johnny Dio did the meat. We didn’t have a broiler so Johnny did everything in pans. And it used to smell up the joint something awful and the hacks used to die, but he still cooked a great steak. Johnny: Vinny? How do you like yours

Dialogue

Guard: Mrs. Hill, this way. Sign this book, please. Name of Inmate: Henry Hill Name of Visitor: Janice Rossi Henry: What are you talking about? Karen: I saw her name in the register. Henry: Jesus Christ. Karen: You want her to visit you? Let her stay up all night, crying and writing letters to the parole board. Henry: What am I doing here? Where am I? I'm in jail. I can't stop people from coming to see me. Karen: Good. Let her sneak this stuff in for you every week. [Karen dangles a bag of illegal drugs in front him] Let her fight these bastards every week! Henry: Look what you're doing! Stop it! Karen: I'm sorry. Let her sneak this shit in for you. Henry: Will you stop it, Karen? Will you stop it? Karen: Let her do it! Let her do it! Henry: STOP IT!!! Karen: Nobody is helping me. I am all alone. Belle and Morrie are broke. I asked your friend Remo for the money that he owes you, you know what he told me? He told me to take my kids down to the police station and get on welfare. Henry:

Dialogue

Henry's Children: Daddy! Oh, we missed you! Are you out here to stay? Did you see our pictures? I did the one with the house and the rainbow. Henry: Karen, get packed, we're moving out of here. Karen: With what? Henry: Don't worry with what. You just start looking for a new house, ok? I gotta go to Pittsburgh in the morning. Those guys out there they owe me 15 grand. We'll be all right, I got things lined up. Karen: Pittsburgh? You have to go see your parole officer tomorrow. Henry: Karen, don't worry about it, everything's gonna be fine. Who wants to go to Uncle Paulie's? Paulie: I do not want any more of that shit. Henry: What shit? What are you talking about? Paulie: Just stay away from the garbage, you know what I mean. Henry: What-- Paulie.. Paulie: I'm not talking about what you did inside, you did what you had to do. I'm talking about now. From now. Here and now. Henry: Paulie why would I want to get into that? Paulie: Don't make a jerk outta me, just don't do it. Just don't do

Dialogue

Henry: [sniffling] Paulie, I am really sorry. I don't know what else to say. I know I fucked up. Paulie: You fucked up. Henry: You know but I'm all right know. I can be trusted now, Paulie. I'm clean. On my kids, I'm clean. Paulie: You looked me in the eye and you lied to me. You treated me like a fuckin' jerk; like I was never nothing to you. Henry: Paulie, after what you said, I couldn't come to you. You know, I--I was ashamed. I--I'm ashamed now. But I got nowhere else to go, Paulie. You're all I've got and I need really, really need you help. I really do. Paulie: Take this.[pulls a wad of cash out of his pocket and hands it to Henry] Now I gotta turn my back on you. Henry: [narrating] 3,200 bucks. That's what he gave me. 3,200 bucks for a lifetime. Wasn't even enough to pay for the coffin.

Dialogue

Henry: [narrating] If you're part of a crew, nobody ever tells you that they're going to kill you. Doesn't happen that way. There aren’t any arguments or curses like in the movies. See, your murders come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who've cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you're at your weakest and most in need of their help. So I met Jimmy in a crowded place we both knew. I got there 15 minutes early and I saw Jimmy was already there. We took the booth near the window so we could see everyone who drove up to the restaurant. He wanted to make sure I wasn't tailed. He was jumpy. he hadn't touched a thing. On the surface, of course, everything was supposed to be fine. We were supposed to be discussing my case. But I had the feeling Jimmy was trying to sense whether or not I'd rat him out to save my neck. Jimmy: I been telling you your whole life, don’t talk on the fuckin' phone, right? Now you understand? Huh? But it's gonn