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Vito: My name is Vito Scaletta. I was born in Sicily in 1925. That little guy’s me. I’m standing there with my parents and my sister Francesca in front of our old house. I don’t really remember too much about the old country… except that we were pretty hard up. And then one day, my father decided it was time to move away. Away from Sicily. Across the ocean to start a new life in America. Never in my life had I seen anything as fantastic as Empire Bay. It was beautiful. On the other hand, I’d never seen anything filthier or more disgusting than our new shithole of an apartment. "The American Dream." It was more like a nightmare. My father started working at the part for the guy who arranged our emigration. It was back-breaking work, and what little money he made mostly went towards booze. Eventually parents sent me to school. I had to learn English, and I sure as hell wasn’t gonna do that in a neighbourhood full of italians. That’s where I met Joe…
Joe: C’mon, Vito. Hurry it up. We ain’t got all night.
Vito: Over time, Joe and I got to be best friends. And since we both poor, and there were wasn’t much work around, we started a little business of our own…
Policeman: Freeze! Police!
Joe: Vito! This way! Throw me the bag!
Policeman: Stop or I’ll shoot! OK, ye bastard, spread yer legs and put your hands on the fence!
Joe: Fuck, I’m sorry, Vito.
Vito: Well, that one time it didn’t work out so good. The year was 1943. America was at war end the Army was lookin’ for guys who spoke the language to help with the invasion of Sicily. I was eighteen and anything seems better than jail. Who say you can’t go home again?
Chapter 1 – THE OLD COUNTRY
SICILY, JULY 1943Vito: Operation Husky: I was assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry. On the 11th of July we were supposed to be dropped over of the southern coast of Sicily, but we got hit by flak to bail out - way behind enemy lines. Only three of us made it. If it wasn’t for the local resistance we wouldn’t have had the chance. So when Mussolini’s soldiers came into the town and started rounding everybody up, we decided to return the favor.
Mussolini’s Officer: Why does no one talk? Now this man must die… Ha, ha?
Villager: No, no please… uh, uh…
Officer: Alright, Scaletta. Take the shot.
[Scaletta eliminates the soldiers of Mussolini and the unit moves into the building.]
Mussolini’s Soldier: So, your traitors!
Corporal: We gotta clear that balconies, Scaletta! They’re falling back. Let’s move. On me! Get down! Get down! Shit! Ahhh! Shhthhhh! Fuuuuck. We must get inside and save the prisoners before the army arrives.
Vito: (listen to a villager) Corporal - this guy’s sayin’ there’s more troops headed this way.
Corporal: Terrific. Alright, you and Williams take out that machine gun nest, then find the prisoners. We’re gonna need every man we can get. Ain’t gettin’ through this way.
Soldier: Looks like we found the machine gun!
Corporal: If you got a grenade, Scaletta, this would be a GREAT FUCKING TIME to use it!
Soldier: Watch it!
Corporal: Put a grenade through the window!
[After the explosion that costs lives.]
Corporal: Scaletta, you alive?
Vito: Yeah. Just about.
Corporal: Well, then get off your ass and let’s move it. Grab all the ammo you can carry. This might be our last chance.
Soldier: Wh-hoo! Look at this shit!
Corporal: On the stairs!
Soldier: Hey, greaseballs, catch! No offense, Scaletta.
Vito: Must have the prisoners upstairs.
Mussolini’s Soldier: Kill the hostages!
Soldier: Right behind you, man.
Corporal: The door Scaletta. Kick it in!
Mussolini’s Officer: Surrender! Or I’ll blow his brains out!
Corporal: Shit, looks like we’re goin’ this way. Come on then.
Soldier: Ah shit! How many of these fuckers are there?
Corporal: Who gives a fuck?! Just keep shooting!
Soldier: What in the hell’s it look like I’m doing?!
Vito: More shootin’, less talkin’.
Soldier: Hey, fine by me asshole… Shit, this balcony isn’t gonna work.
Corporal: We gotta keep movin’, let’s get inside. Get inside, Scaletta! You’re gonna die out here!
Soldier: More fascists are coming!
[Vito takes a machine gun and starts shooting.]
Corporal: More of ‘em down by the church. Let ‘em have it! Ahhhhh, shit, they got artillery! Get inside, now!
Don Calo: (sitting in a tank) Don’t shoot, boys! You know me. I have an offer for you. The war is over!
Mussolini’s Soldier 1: The Americans have come to liberate us. They are our friends. They will rid of Mussolini for us.
Mussolini’s Soldier 2: Who the hell is that? You know him?!
Mussolini’s Soldier 1: Everyone knows him. Don Calo, he’s a man of honor.
Don Calo: If you don’t do anything stupid, you can go home to your families today. You’re safe. I guarantee this! You know you can trust me. What do you say?
Vito: Don Calo, the head of the Sicilian mob. An entire garrison of troops surrendered that day. Why? Because he told ‘em to.
Chapter 2 – HOME SWEET HOME
2 YEARS LATER – EMPIRE BAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, 1945[Vito returns to Empire Bay.]
Vito: A few years later, the Nazis put a bullet in me. I was in a hospital for a bit, then I got a month’s leave, so I could go home… at least for a little while.
Joe: Vito! Over here!
Vito: Joe!
Joe: He, heh, hey! Welcome home, buddy!
Vito: How’d you know?
Joe: I got my sources. Come on, let’s take a ride.
Vito: Nice car.
Joe: Comes with the territory. I know you’re itching to get home, but first let’s get a beer.
Vito: Yeah, sure.
Joe: There it is… Empire Bay. Tell the truth. You miss it?
Vito: Hey does a bear shit in the woods? Not like this plate ever done me any favors, but anything’s better than a foxhole. What’s with this shitty weather?
Joe: They’re saying this is the coldest winter on record. Papers say it’s gonna keep up like this for weeks. Don’t worry though, a drink’ll warm you right up. How long’s it been since we had a drink together, Vito? Two years?
Vito: Almost three. Tony Sachelli’s party, right?
Joe: Come on, Vito, came on. The last drink we had together was right after your old man’s funeral, right before you shipped out. You remember?
Vito: Ah, five minutes, we’re already talking about my deadbeat father. Can we change the subject please?
Joe: So tell me pal, what was it like over there anyway? I kept reading the papers to see what was going on, and you know how much I hate reading…
Vito: Yeah I know.
Joe: You guys kicked Mussolini’s ass, right?
Vito: Ah sort of… We had a little help from a guy named Don Calo.
Joe: No shit! Don Calo I heard of him!
Vito: Really?
Joe: You bet. I know guys like him over here. Wiseguys? You work for them, you’re set. You fuck with ‘em, you die.
Vito: Nice to see you been busy!
Joe: Yeah, and I heard you got a medal, right?
Vito: From Old Man Patton himself.
Joe: Whoa, so you’re a real war hero, huh! Hahaha… And then what, you screwed a couple of Sicilian broads and came home?
Vito: Yeah, right…
Joe: Hehehe! The old country. Over here you can screw anything with a heartbeat - No one gives a shit. What a country! Here’s do the US of A, and to having you back home.
[They come to a bar.]
Vito: Salut!
Joe: A’salute Cent’anni. So how come you’re back? They let you out early for good behavior?
Vito: No, I took a bullet couple of months back, spend some time in a hospital, and now I’m on leave.
Joe: Wait, wh-wh-wh-hold it… you mean you gotta go back?
Vito: Hehe, what did you think? The war ain’t over yet.
Joe: You don’t want to go back, do you?
Vito: Ah, of course not, but what can I do?
Joe: One minute! Wait right here. (he go to the counter to pick up the phone) Hey, Giuseppe, it’s Joe. Remember last week, you know… the guy, the guy’s name is Vito Scaletta… Thanks, Giuseppe. Alright, I’ll see you later.
Joe: (back at the table) OK, listen up. It "appears" that your injury is much more "serious" than it first appeared and the doctors say you can’t fight no more.
Vito: What!? Oh, whoa, whoa - Did you just…!?
Joe: Like I said, I know people. You get all the official paperwork tomorrow. When it comes to the right stamps and signatures, it’s just a question of money…
Vito: You’re kidding me, right? Isn’t that a bit risky? It’s me that could end up in the slammer, you know. And how am I going to pay for it?
Joe: I got it covered. Think of it as a welcome home present. And don’t worry. The documents will be clean. Trust me.
Vito: Well… thanks…
Joe: You’re welcome, come un frate, you’re like a brother to me… Now you can start thinking about what you’re gonna do next.
Vito: Sure, but first I gotta go home.
Joe: Alright. You want a ride?
Vito: No thanks. I want to walk around a little, see what’s changed since I been gone.
Joe: No problem. Say hello to your sister for me, come see me tomorrow. We got a lot to talk about.
Vito: I can’t believe you just got me out of the service. Thanks again.
Joe: No problem.
Vito: I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.
[Vito exits the bar and the scene ends. In the next scene, he rides on a taxi to his mother’s house.]
Taxi driver: Here we are.
Vito: All right, thanks. Keep the change.
[Getting out of the car, he walks down a narrow alley and goes up to a shabby house with a lot of tenants. Vito presses the doorbell and an elderly woman comes out to the stairwell.]
Vito: Hi, Momma. I’m back.
Vito’s Mom: Vito! Vito, my boy! My boy is home! I thought I never see you again! Francesca and me, we wait and we wait for you!
Vito: Hey, sis, what’s going on? C’mere…
Francesca: Vito! Oh, I’m so glad you’re finally home!
Vito’s Mom: Sit down, sit down, you must be hungry, Vito. Francesca made you a special dinner. Zuppa di pollo… (Chicken soup…) It’s good for you.
Vito: Wow, looks good, Frankie…
Vito’s Mom: It’s a shame your papa didn’t live to see this. He would be so proud,Vito.
Vito: Yeah, sure…
Vito’s Mom: Vito! You know better.
Vito: Sorry, Momma, sorry… Bless us, O Lord! And these Thy gifts for which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[After dinner.]
Vito’s Mom: You should get some sleep. Your room is just like you left it.
Vito: I’ll see you two in the morning.
Vito’s Mom: Sleep well, mio bambino (my child).
The next day
Vito: This ain’t gonna wait, I gotta find a place to stay.
Vito’s Mom: So you have to go back soon?
Vito: Actually, uh, it looks like I won’t. Uh, Joe’s taking care of it for me.
Vito’s Mom: JOE! Do you want to get into trouble again?
Vito: Momma, would you rather me go back and get shot again?
Vito’s Mom: No, no…
Vito: Exactly. Joe probably saved my life.
Vito’s Mom: Promise that you won’t get in any more trouble with that Joe. You know, your papa used to work for this man at the waterfront named Pappalardo. He’s in the union. You could talk to him, work hard like you were your papa. Talk to him. Please, promise me you go talk to him today.
Vito: OK, Momma, OK. I promise.
Vito’s Mom: Grazie o Dio! (Thank God!)
[On the street near the house.]
Mafioso: I don’t care if you gotta sell everything you got -
Francesca: I’m sorry. We’ll get the money, I promise.
Vito: What the hell’s going on here?!
Francesca: Vito.
Mafioso: You mind your business, asshole!
Vito: Oh yeah?
[He pushes him and the fight begins. Vito teaches this idiot a lesson.]
Mafioso: Aw, fuck this!
Vito: Yeah, that’s right, get the fuck out of here!
Mafioso: You’re gonna be sorry the both of you’s!
Vito: (to Francesca) What the hell was that all about?
Francesca: I’m sorry, Vito. We didn’t want to bother you with this.
Vito: Bother me? Bother me with what? C’mon, tell me what’s going on here, Frankie!
Francesca: Right before he died, Papa borrowed money – a lot of money – from a loan shark, thinking he’d get a better job and pay him back. We found out right after you left for the war.
Vito: How much?
Francesca: Two thousand dollars.
Vito: What? Shit…
Francesca: The worst thing is this guy wants it all back by the end of this week, otherwise… the debt goes up again.
Vito: I ain’t gonna make that kind of money working at the port. Who is this guy?
Francesca: I don’t know, Momma won’t tell me. It’s OK, Vito. We’ll manage somehow.
Vito: Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this… I promise.
Francesca: Thanks, Vito. Take care of yourself.
Vito: (thinking) I gotta get my hands on two grand, last… I bet Joe could help me out.
[He goes to Joe’s place.]
Vito: Excuse me, ma’am? Um, do you know where Joe Barbaro lives?
Old lady: To the right of the stairs. And tell him that racket last night has to stop if he don’t like it he can find another place to live.
[From Joe’s apartment loud music can be heard. Vito knocks. Joe opens the door in his underwear.]
Vito: Oh, is this a bad time?
Joe: Haha what are you kidding, no not at all! Come on in, let’s talk.
[Joe looks at the old lady and makes a jerking gesture in the air.]
Old lady: Ugh… you disgusting pig.
Joe: (to Vito) I picked up these broads on my way back from the store. I’ve been waiting for you. Alright, girls, that’s it for now. I got business. Stop by tomorrow, OK? We’ll pick up where we left off. Chop chop.
Whore: Come on, Joey! Why do we have to stop when we can all have fun?
Joe: The fun’s over, baby, later, I said. Me and Vito here haven’t seen each other for a long time. We got a lot of catching up to do.
Vito: Looks like you’re doing OK, Joey boy.
Joe: Not bad. I tell you, that little Spanish broad is fucking wild. So how’d it go at home?
Vito: Good. Momma wasn’t thrilled when I mentioned your name, though? You know how she is. She wants me to get a straight job.
Joe: You gonna look for one?
Vito: I don’t know, but I sure as hell ain’t gonna make the same mistakes my old man did. I got to pay all his debts then get back on my feet and get my own place. I need to make some real money and punching a clock ain’t gonna rut it.
Joe: Hey, you can stay with me as long as you need to. And we’ll find you a tab where you can make good money without killing yourself, alright?
Vito: Music to my ears. Right now I’m living off the twenty bucks the state gives me every week.
Joe: Hehehe, I know lots of people who pay well for, uh, "risky" jobs, so to speak… I’m sure I can line something up for my oldest friend. The working man’s a sucker, that’s for damn sure.
Vito: You said it.
Joe: OK, step one - I gotta introduce you to Giuseppe so we can pick up them discharge papers. Let’s go.
Vito: You made enough cash for all this in the last three years?
Joe: More like the last three months. I barely had time to furnish the place.
Vito: Three months? Holy shit…
Joe: So, you thought about what you gonna do now?
Vito: You said you were gonna introduce me to that guy Giuseppe.
[They go to Joe’s garage.]
Vito: Hey, uh, you think I could, uh.
Joe: What - drive Vito? The roads are icy, and you ain’t never drove a car before.
Vito: Joe I was driving almost the whole time I was over there!
Joe: Yeah, but this ain’t no tank, Vito. This is one of the nicest cars money can buy…
Vito: I didn’t drive a tank, I drove a jeep.
Joe: What the hell’s a jeep?
Vito: It’s a… never mind. You gonna let me drive or what?
Joe: Alright, alright here’s the keys. Just be fucking careful. Alright, when it’s cold as fuck outside, you gotta give it a little more gas than usual. That’s the pedal over there on the right…
Vito: I know, Joe, I know…
Joe: OK, now make a right here. Then just go straight for a while. Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow it down a bit! No need to get pulled over for no reason. Hey Vito! You know that time it is?
Vito: It’s daytime, how the fuck should I know?
Joe: It’s time for you to get your own fucking car.
Vito: Yeah, I’d love to if I could afford one.
Joe: Who says you’re gonna pay for it? You know, you wasn’t kidding. They really taught you to drive over there. At least something good come out of it.
[They stop in the alley behind the houses.]
Joe: Ooh get a load of that baby.
Vito: Nice, that’s a ’42 Jefferson.
Joe: Beautiful car like that, it’d be a shame to smash the window. You should grab yourself same look picks over at Giuseppe’s. (they enter the house) Welcome to Giuseppe’s General Store, a thieves’ paradise… You name it, he’s got it. He even sells phony gun permits and discharge papers for guys tired of getting their asses shot all…
Joe: Hey. Giuseppe! I brought you a new customer.
Giuseppe: Hello, Joe. He’s, uh, straight up, right?
Joe: Yes, sir, all the way. This here’s Vito, my oldest friend. This is Giuseppe, the best safecracker in Empire Bay.
Giuseppe: Retired, please. How are you? The papers for you?
Joe: Yeah, they are. You got ‘em finished already?
Giuseppe: It was a pain in the ass, but sure they’re done.
Vito: Well, thanks. This really gonna work?
Giuseppe: Nobody from the army will bother you again, trust me.
Joe: You see? What’d I tell you? Here’s the money. Take your papers, Vito.
Vito: Uh, we need a set of fork picks, too.
Joe: That we do. And guess who’s payin’ for them.
Giuseppe: Grazie. You can test it right now. Here, take this lock. You just need to to insert the pick into the lock and tilt off the pins. You use the wrench to hold the pins one by one. When all of the pins are set, just turn the wrench and the lock, she opens. Easy.
Joe: See you around, Giuseppe. Sia benedira (Bless you).
Vito: Easy, huh?
Joe: Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. I do it all the time when I lock my keys in the car. Okay, you still feel like snagging that car?
Vito: You kidding me? Absolutely.
Joe: Well, here’s your chance.
[Vito picks the car’s lock and then sits in it with Joe. The police notices them.]
Joe: Step on it!
Vito: Oh fuck, that was dose.
Joe: Yeah, well, it’s not over yet! Lose ‘em quirk! Alright. Looks like we lost him. So how do ya like the car?
Vito: Not too bad. I think I’ll keep it.
Joe: Alright, let’s go find ourselves a body shop. They provide the kind of services we’re looking for.
Vito: Hey that don’t sound cheap.
Joe: Don’t worry about it, I got it covered. Just find any body shop. I know the guy who runs ‘em.
Joe: Here, park right here in front of the garage door.
[Vito drives into the garage where some guy changes his plates.]
Joe: Alright, next you should introduce yourself to Mike Bruski. He’ll probably have some work for you.
Vito: Alright, where is he?
Joe: He owns a junk yard over in Riverside. You can’t miss it.
Vito: Hey, who’s that guy back there?
Joe: What guy?
Vito: The guy at the body shop.
Joe: Oh, Tommy. He’s my buddy’s nephew. He’s kinda quiet, but let me tell you, the kid’s some hell of a dancer. Saw him at the old dance hall in Oyster Bay a couple of weeks ago. He had all the broads going nuts.
Vito: Do I detect a hint of, uh, jealousy?
Joe: Are you kidding? I don’t need no dance moves. I got charm, my friend. Here, I’ll give you some of my lines, so maybe you won’t have to spend so many nights with Rosie Palm and her live sisters. Hey here’s one. Hey, is that a mirror in your pocket? ‘Cos I can see myself in your pants.
Vito: Ha, ha, ha.
Joe: Ah here, I got another one. If I could rearrange the alphabet I’d put U and I together.
Vito: Oh, oh, come on.
Joe: Or this one never fails. Hey, baby, that’s a nice outfit. It would look good crumbled up at the foot of my bed in the morning.
Vito: And this works for you?
Joe: Aww here, here’s a good one. Hey, do you know the difference between sex and conversation? No? You wanna go back to my place and talk?
Vito: You got problems, you know that?
Joe: How about this one? Why don’t we go back to my house and play house? You’ll be the door and I’ll slam you.
Vito: Oh that was bad.
Joe: Hey, when you measure seven salt, you don’t have to be good with words, you get my drift? That’s Mike’s junkyard for there. Just drive through the gate.
[They come to the place.]
Mike: Hey, look who’s here.
Joe: Hey, Mikey Boy, what’s going on? Shit, Mike! You could wash your fucking hands once in a while. Now I need a fucking bath!
Mike: Hey, I been working. Working people occasionally get dirty, you know. Besides, I just wiped them all.
Joe: With what? The same fucking rag you use to clean the toilet, you filthy fuck?
Mike: Put a lid on it. What are you, from the health department or do you want to do some business?
Joe: Business, of course. This here’s my friend Vito. Vito, this is Mike Bruski; but don’t shake his hand, I ain’t got that much soap at home.
Mike: Nice to meet you, Vito.
Joe: Uh, me and Vito go way back. He just come back from overseas and he needs some cash. So, I figure he can help with your, uh, "supply problem". I can vouch for him.
Mike: Uh huh. OK. Joe told you about our side business, right?
Vito: Yeah.
Mike: I only want regular cars, nothing fancy. You get a cut of every car. I take as many as I can handle. And don’t bring no cops around, OK? If they follow you here, I don’t know your ass from Jesus. You get me?
Vito: Got it.
Joe: Goddammit Mike! You put your grubby mitts on my fucking coat! I paid a fortune for this thing!
Mike: Alright, calm down or I’ll stick ‘em up your ass, your sissy.
Joe: Do you know what dry cleaning costs these days?
Mike: Jesus Christ.
Joe: Plenty, and who knows if they can even get this filth out.
Mike: Will you shut up? Vito listen to me - I need a Walter coupe today. I got a few people looking for parts, but I can’t find a car.
Joe: …Because you don’t know where to look. Every time I drive down Hunters I see one parked by a bar there I think the plate is called The Lone Star.
Vito: Isn’t that a mulligan neighborhood? I’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
Mike: Alright look, I’ll give you three hundred and fifty bucks for it. It’s worth the risk, right?
Vito: Four hundred.
Mike: Haha. Alright… Deal.
Joe: Alright Vito, come on, let’s go. Andiamo (Go). Meantime, I’ll be sending you the cleaning bill for my root!
Mike: Yeah, I’ll change my address, you rat prick.
Joe: OK, listen up, this is your maiden voyage, so to speak. So try not to fuck it up, huh? Here, Vito, take this. Just in case…
[He gave Vito a gun.]
Vito: Hey… nice. Hey Mike! You mind if I test this thing out here?
Mike: Sure, knock yourself out. Here ya go, aim for that old wreck over there. (Vito blew up the car) Ah shit, did I leave gas in that thing?
Joe: There’s a Polack joke there but I’ll leave it alone.
Mike: Oh yeah, that reminds me… Fuck you.
Joe: Alright, that’s enough shootin’, we got work to do. Alright, go out the way we come in and get an the main highway going west. Don’t go back through the city. Go right up here. So how’s it feel to be back?
Vito: Good. I’d feel a lot better with some money in my pocket.
Joe: Hey what’s the rush? Money don’t buy you happiness, you know…
Vito: …Get the fuck out of here.
Joe: Ah, I was just fucking with you… Don’t worry about the money. This little tab is just the beginning. Pretty soon you’ll be rolling in it.
Vito: So… Sand Island still the same shithole it was when I left?
Joe: No no - the place actually ain’t too bad now.
Vito: No shit. How the hell’d that happen?
Joe: All the moolies flew south for the winter. Of course, it’s still a shithole, Vito. You only been gone a couple years. Gone take a lot longer than that for THAT neighborhood to turn around. Them people multiply like rabbits. Where are you gonna do. It’s even worse than when we was kids. They even got some kind of gang there now. What’s their fuckin’ name uh… the Beamers, the Boomers, something like that. I don’t fuckin’ know.
Vito: Oh, that’s just fucking great…
Joe: Hey, what are you worried about? They’re animals. All they do is sell dope and kill each other. They ain’t gonna bother a guy like you. And even if they do, that’s why I gave you that pistol.
Vito: Oh by the way – you’re carrying a gun now? What’s the deal with that?
Joe: Can’t do business without it these days. Especially in this fuckin’ neighborhood.
Vito: You uh, really know how to inspire confidence, you know that? Wow, I forgot how nice this neighborhood was. You know something - one of these days, I’m gonna buy a house here.
Joe: Look at this guy. Ain’t even back or day and he’s too good for his old neighborhood…
Vito: Hey, what’re you breaking my balls for - I’m just window shopping. It’d be years before I could afford a place like this.
Joe: Haha. You got champagne taste and beer pockets, my friend… don’t worry though, I’m gonna help you change that. It’s that cream-colored baby over there. Be careful. Do it quick and get the fuck out there. Break a window if you have to and go. I’ll wait for you back at Mike’s.
Vito: What if I run into problems?
Joe: Then you deal with ‘em, look, consider this a test. If you fail, I hear they’re hiring down at the factory.
Vito: Right. Just asking.
Joe: Good luck, pal. I’ll see you back at Mike’s.
[Vito goes to steal the cream-colored Walter Coupe.]
Black guy: Hey! Hey what the fuck are you doing over there?
Vito: Ah shit.
[He beats his ass a goes to the car.]
Black guy 2: Hey! Hey, what you doing motherfucker!
[Vito shoots him and drives the car to Mike’s.]
Joe: Hey! Mission accomplished! How’d it go?
Vito: Piece of cake, except for the loot that the car belonged to a bunch of moolies who immediately tried to kill me right after you left!
Mike: Eh, probably the Bombers. Hunters’ their neighborhood. Guys like that you don’t have to worry about them. They just hang out the street, talk shit, steal shit and smoke dope. Let’s see what’we got here… Where’d that lowlife get the money for this? Probably stole it himself. It’s nice, though. How much did I say I’d give you for it again?
Vito: Six hundred.
Mike: Hahahaha! I like your buddy, Joe! Here’s your four hundred bucks. (to Vito) Stop by again, OK? We can do some more business.
Vito: Yeah, you bet, Mike.
Joe: I’ll see you, Mike, I’ll stop by real soon.
Vito: Me, too.
Mike: Alright, boys. See you later.
Joe: Here’s your three hundred bananas. I’m taking my out as the middle man. Next time, you’re on your own.
Vito: Alright! Thanks, Joe.
Joe: Alright, let’s go home. I’m exhausted.
[They go back to Joe’s.]
Joe: You should take the highway, Vito. Alright, you pulled off that tab without fucking it up. Nice going.
Vito: Yeah but I almost got my ass kicked. I didn’t live through the war just to die in Sand Island.
Joe: Hey, that’s all part of the deal, pal. Take it or leave it. Besides, it ain’t like you’re qualified for anything else.
Vito: Ah, I guess you’re right…
Joe: Don’t worry about it. It’s all gonna be a piece of cake.
Vito: So, uhh what’s the story with Bruski?
Joe: Mike’s a good guy to know. He’s a little grouchy, but he’s always got a scam going. He deals with stolen cars mostly. Spent same time inside a while back, I heard he used to stick up gas stations back in the day.
Vito: You gonna make him pay the cleaning bill for your jacket?
Joe: No, I’ll let that one slide. I do a lot of business with the guy, plus he’s got one hell of a temper. One time we was at the track and some mick spilled a beer on his win ticket. Mike beat the shit out of him ’til he went blind in one eye. For a lousy ten bucks… Would you believe that shit?
Vito: Sounds like kind of a scumbag.
Joe: Hey you just gotta know how to handle these people. And Mike’s a pussycat compared to some of the guys I meet since you shipped out. You’ll see.
Vito: Hey, is there a sale plate to park around here? I don’t want to leave this thing out in the street.
Joe: Yeah, that’s why you’re parking your car next to mine in the garage. These streets are full of criminals these days.
Vito: Yeah, the neighborhood ain’t what it used to be, huh?
[Vito parks the car in Joe’s garage. They go up the stairs to Joe’s apartment.]
Joe: If you’re hungry there’s some food in the ‘fridgerator.
[Vito eats a sandwich out of the fridge and goes to sleep on the couch.]
Chapter 3 – THE ENEMY OF THE STATE
JOE’S APARTMENT, FEBRUARY 10TH, 1945[Vito wakes up from a phone call. He picks it up.]
Vito: Joe’s Pleasure Palace, Vito speaking…
Vito’s Mom: Vito, why didn’t you came home last night? I was worried sick.
Vito: Mama? I didn’t know you had Joe’s number, and whose phone is this?
Vito’s Mom: So have you spoken to Mister Pappalardo, find yourself a job?
Vito: Yeah, he told me to came by and see him today. Hopefully he’s got some work for me.
Vito’s Mom: OK, Vito. Good luck, mio bambino (my child).
Vito: Alright. Bye, Momma.
[He dresses up and goes to the Southport docks to see Mr. Pappalardo.]
Eating Man: Whoa, close the door, it’s windy! What do you want?
Vito: Uh, yeah, I’m looking for Mister Pappalardo.
Eating Man: Oh, yeah? Why?
Vito: My name is Vito Scaletta. My old man used to work for him and I’m looking for a job, so I came here.
Eating Man: Well… You’re in the right spot, sonny boy. Federico Pappalardo at your service. You can call me Derek. I think I remember your dad. Good guy, but drank like a fish. What’s he up to these days?
Vito: He’s dead.
Derek: Oh… Well, we all got to go some time, right, Steve?
Steve: Sure, Derek.
Derek: So, you need a job, huh? Well, you’re in luck. We just got a new shipment to unload. Steve will show you around. Now scram, my steak’s getting cold.
Steve: Eh, follow me. Load this pile of crates onto that truck. When you’re done, you get ten bucks. If something gets lost or broken, you get nothing. Start now and don’t take all day.
[Vito starts unloading the crates.]
Steve: Hey, you done?
Vito: Yeah I’m done. And you can keep the ten bucks! When I said I needed a job I didn’t mean slave labor.
Steve: Whatever. Get the fuck out of here then. Don’t show your face around here again.
Vito: Yeah, don’t worry. I can make a hundred times more working for Barbaro Incorporated.
Steve: Wait… You said Barbaro? Joe Barbaro?
Vito: Yeah. So what?
Steve: Shit! Nobody who works with Joe would carry crates for ten bucks! What the hell are you doing? Come with me.
[Vito follows Steve to Derek’s office.]
Derek: What now!
Steve: Well, this one don’t like manual labor.
Derek: What the fuck!
Steve: Said he works with Joe Barbaro.
Derek: Bullshit. Who’d want to load crates if he works with Joe? You’ll have to explain this one to me, sonny boy. What’s your story?
Vito: Eh, well, my mother wanted me to came talk to you about an honest job, but it need some real money, so this ain’t going to get it.
Derek: Hehehe, damn women! They’re all the same. Right, Steve?
Steve: Sure, Derek.
Derek: She doesn’t want you hanging around with Joe, right? Hehehe. My mother was the same way and look what became of me! Union boss! I got the whole fucking waterfront under my thumb. So how’s Joe?
Vito: Pretty good, I guess.
Derek: How’d you meet up with him?
Vito: Uh, we go way back to the old neighborhood. I just came back from overseas and he’s putting me up until I can get back on my feet.
Derek: Listen, you gotta understand a person in my position’s gotta be careful.
Vito: Certainly.
Derek: So you won’t mind if I'll give Joe a call, right?
Vito: No, go ahead.
Derek: Now where’d I put his number… Oh! Here it is. (he puts a gun on his table)
Vito: He might not be home…
Derek: That wouldn’t be good. (to the phone) Hi, Joe! Hey, this is Derek… Listen, I got this guy here… Uh, what’d you say your name was?
Vito: Vito.
Derek: Vito. He’s looking for a job, says he’s a friend of yours. A good friend. I just wanted to check with you first… Sure. War hero and all that shit. Alright, alright, thanks then. I talk to you later. (to Vito) Sorry pal, I had to check you out. Joe says you just came back from Italy. You must be able to handle yourself. You want to make a little more money, I got just the thing. The guys here at the part are supposed to pay a monthly fee to the barber, but half of them never tough it up. I need so give ‘em a little nudge… Ten bucks a man.
Vito: What if they don’t need a haircut?
Derek: Well, then you’ll have to convince them otherwise.
Vito: I see. What if somebody makes a fuss?
Steve: Then you kick the shit out of them!
Derek: Well, let’s say you teach them a lesson that doesn’t require that they miss work, you got it? Which is why Steve ain’t doing the tab. Right, Steve?
Steve: Right, boss.
Derek: Collect at least a hundred and fifty bucks and I’ll give your fifty. Just for walking around, taking in the sea air, and meeting new people. Easy fucking money, huh? What do you say?
Vito: Yeah, hey, it’s better than lugging crates around.
Derek: All right then, get going.
[Vito goes to collect Derek’s fee from the dockworkers.]
Vito: Ahem, I’m here to collect the fee for the barber.
Dockworker 1: Sure, here it is, I-I don’t want no problems.
Vito: Thanks, appreciate your cooperation.
[Next guy.]
Vito: Hey, pal. Derek needs you to pay the fee for the barber.
Dockworker 2: Oh, yeah, I must have forgot or something.
Vito: Next time try to pay on time, OK? Thanks.
[Next guy.]
Vito: Hey, Derek needs you to pay the fee for the barber.
Dockworker 3: Hey, what kind of game are you playing here?!
Vito: The kind where you pay what you awe and you don’t get hurt. You got a problem with that?
Dockworker 3: I got a problem with you. Now get out of here before I kick your ass.
[Vito makes him pay.]
Dockworker 3: Here’s your fucking money.
Vito: Yeah, glad you decided to reconsider.
[He comes to a black guy sitting on a pile of crates and smoking.]
Vito: Hey, pal. Derek needs you to pay the fee for the barber.
Back Dockworker: Look, asshole, I’m not in the mood. Why don’t you get out of my lore before you get hurt!
Vito: No can do, pal. Derek wants his money.
Back Dockworker: Derek can kiss my ass! What’s that fat fuck gonna do? Have me killed?
Vito: Hey, you said it, not me.
Back Dockworker: Why can’t you give it a try then, asshole!
[Vito kicks his ass.]
Vito: Okay, anybody else… got a fucking problem with paying for the fucking barber?!
[He takes the cash back to Derek.]
Vito: Here’s the money, boss man.
Derek: Good job. Here’s your share. I watched you take care of Bill. You were good. Steve damn near got his ass kicked when he tried that, right, Steve?
Steve: Yeah. Right, Derek.
Derek: Here’s a bonus for sorting him out.
Vito: Thanks.
Derek: That guy’s been a real fucking pain. Now get outta here kid. I gotta be getting back to business. And say hello to your mother for me! Tell her you got yourself a job as my new assistant!
Vito: Yeah, will do. I’ll see you later.
Derek: And Vito, I almost forgot. Joe called, he wants you should meet him at Freddy’s.
[Vito drives to Freddy’s in Little Italy.]
Joe: Hey, where the hell you been?
Vito: I came right over as soon as you called. What’s going on?
Vito: You remember the wiseguys we used to see when we was kids?
Joe: Yeah, why?
Vito: The guy we’re meeting here is one of them. His name’s Henry Tomasino. I think he’s got something big for us.
Vito: Yeah, no shit?
Joe: Yeah. We’re done with the small-time jobs. It’s time to make some real scarole (dough). Here, he’s coming… Don’t say nothing stupid. Hey Henry! How are you?
Vito: Hiya Joe… This the guy?
Joe: Yeah, this is Vito, an old friend of mine.
Vito: Good to meet you, Henry.
Henry: You vouch for him?
Joe: Absolutely, Henry. Trust him with my life.
Henry: OK, listen. I got a tab for you. The money’s good. I need gas stamps. They’re worth a fortune now because of the gas shortage.
Joe: Where can we get ‘em?
Henry: In the Office of Price Administration.
Vito: Ah, that’s a federal government agency. Isn’t that a little risky?
Henry: What? Too much for you?
Vito: No… no, no… Just trying to think of how we can pull it off.
Henry: Ah, can’t be that hard. The stamps are kept in the sale at night, but the keys are probably around there somewhere.
Vito: You got somebody inside?
Henry: Yeah, one of our guys, his sister works there.
Vito: Can she help us out?
Henry: Ask her yourself. Her name’s Maria Agnello. Here’s the address. Tell her I sent you.
Vito: Alright, what about the safe? What if the keys aren’t there?
Henry: That’s your problem.
Vito: What’s the job pay?
Henry: I’ll give you six hundred bucks for ten thousand gallons worth of stamps.
Joe: OK, we’re in.
Henry: No, no, I need Vito to do this alone. I got another job for you, Joe. So, what do you say, Vito?
Vito: Yeah. Sure.
Joe: Hey, and don’t forget to take a piece with you. You never know what’s gonna happen. Better to be safe than sorry. A capiche?
Henry: Wait, wait, wait… This isn’t some liquor store stick-up. I want this to be a clean job. If you kill anybody, your cut drops to a third. Capiche?
Vito: Yeah, I got it, no problem.
Henry: OK. When you’re done, you come back here, and we’ll settle up.
Vito: Alright, I’ll see you.
Joe: Good luck, Vito.
[Vito drives to Maria’s place.]
Maria: Yeah, can I help you?
Vito: Yeah, hello, ma’am, Henry Tomasino sent me. He said you might be able to help me with a little "problem" down at the Office of Price Administration.
Maria: Yeah, I heard about that. What do you need from me?
Vito: Uh… I need to get in there tonight.
Maria: Alright, tell you what, my sister’s in the hospital right now. If you give me a lift over there, I’ll tell you everything you need to know. It’s right across the street from the OPA, so it ain’t like you’re gonna be going out of your way.
Vito: Sure no problem.
[She sits in Vito’s car.]
Maria: OK, let’s go. And take it easy behind the wheel, alright? I seen the way you kids drive these days. Alright kid… the place is locked up pretty tight at night, so you gotta get in through the back.
Vito: They keep the back door open at night?
Maria: No, but the basement window usually is, so that’s how you can get in. You’re looking for the sale, right?
Vito: Yeah, how’d you know?
Maria: Lucky guess. It’s on the top floor. So’s the Director’s office. That’s where the keys are.
Vito: OK, so I go in through a window round the back and then head upstairs to the office right?
Maria: Right. And be careful, there’s guards in there at night. Don’t let ‘em see you. Alright kid, drop me at the hospital right here. The office is across the street. OK, thanks for the ride, kid.
Vito: Thanks Maria, I’ll see you.
[Vito sneaks in the Office of Price Administration.]
Vito: Shit, I need the key to open it. Maria said it was in the Director’s office… OK, this is the Director’s office. This is where the key should be. Alright, here’s the key… now I gotta get to the sale.
[After stealing the stamps and leaving the office Vito returns to Henry.]
Henry: Well? How’d you make out?
Vito: Piece of cake. They’re in for a shark in the morning.
Henry: That’s good. I see Joe knows how to pick his friends. Argh, let’s see what we got here. Ah, shit!
Vito: Something wrong?
Henry: You bet your ass there’s something wrong. These stamps you took have an expiration date, and that date is tomorrow!
Vito: So uh, what exactly does that mean?…
Henry: It means they’re gonna be fucking worthless. But wait… if you can get them to the gas station attendants by midnight, they’ll be able to stamp ‘em and redeem ‘em. You better bring ‘em to every gas station in town. They go get there by midnight or we’re screwed. You don’t sell ‘em in time, you get nothing.
Vito: Wait a minute! That wasn’t our deal! You didn’t say anything about any expiration dates.
Henry: Well, shit happens, doesn’t it? Look, you pull this all, I won’t forget it, trust me. Now get going… The faster you unload ‘em, the more money you get.
[Vito drives to a gas station.]
Vito: Listen, I got these extra gas stamps. You want ‘em, they’re yours. Cheap…
Gas Station Manager: Yeah, alright. I’m good with that.
Vito: Alright, here you go. And keep your mouth shut about this, alright?
Gas Station Manager: Sure thing buddy. It’ll be our secret.
Vito: It better be…
[He visited 2/6 stations.]
Vito: Hey, uh, I got some "extra" gas stamps. You interested?
Gas Station Manager: Yeah yeah, sure, I’m interested.
Vito: Alright, here you go. Fork over the dough.
Gas Station Manager: Sure, sure. Here’s your money.
Vito: Thanks, pal. Now forget you saw me.
[He visited 3/6 stations.]
Vito: Hey uh, interested in buying some gas stamps?
Gas Station Manager: Sure. Just keep this between you and me, alright?
Vito: No problem. Just make sure you do the same…
Gas Station Manager: Sure. Sounds good to me…
[He visited 4/6 stations.]
Vito: Hey uh, interested in buying some gas stamps?
Gas Station Manager: Sure. Just keep this between you and me, alright?
Vito: No problem. Just make sure you do the same…
Gas Station Manager: Sure. Sounds good to me…
[He visited 5/6 stations.]
Vito: Hey uh, you in the market for some surplus gas stamps?
Gas Station Manager: Sure. Where’d you get ‘em? On second thought I don’t even want to know.
Vito: Smart man. Alright now fork over the dough.
Gas Station Manager: Yeah, alright. Just hope I don’t get into trouble for this.
Vito: Don’t worry about it. Just keep your mouth shut.
[He visited 6/6 stations.]
Vito: Hey, uh, I got some "extra" gas stamps. You interested?
Gas Station Manager: Yeah yeah, sure, I’m interested.
Vito: Alright, here you go. Fork over the dough.
Gas Station Manager: Sure, sure. Here’s your money.
Vito: Thanks, pal. Now forget you saw me. (to himself) Alright, that’s the last of them. At least I got some cash. I should head back to Joe’s.
[He drives back to Joe’s and gets some sleep.]
Chapter 4 – MURPHY’S LAW
LITTLE ITALY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 1945[Vito wakes up.]
Vito: Ahh… Jeez.
[He sees a note on the table.]
Vito: Look at this. Didn’t know Joe could even write.
Joe: (in Vito’s head) We got another job! Something really big. Stop by Freddy’s tonight. Bring a piece and some lockpicks.
[Vito drives to Freddy’s.]
Joe: Hehehehe… A’hey look who’s here ahehe? And where the hell you been, laying around in bed all day?
Vito: Hey, I’m entitled to a little rest after that last job, don’t you think?
Waiter: What can I get you, sir?
Vito: Coffee.
[We overhear some well dressed man talking on the phone.]
Well Dressed Man: Alright, alright. I’ll only take what he owes for now. Just for now. But when Alberto hears about this, the shit is gonna hit the fan, believe you me.
Joe: So uhh… I heard you didn’t stare too big last night.
Vito: Well, it wasn’t exactly my fault. Shit happens.
Henry: Alright, c’mon, relax fellas - this is a high-risk business. If you don’t like it, you can always go break your back working for peanuts down at the docks.
Joe: Sorry, Henry, I was just breaking balls, you know. Uh, so, how about tonight? We still on for what we talked about yesterday?
Henry: We’ll see in a minute.
Well Dressed Man: Only two months?! That is two fucking months too fucking many. I want, my, money!
[He hangs up the phone angrily and walks over to the table where Henry, Joe, and Vito are sitting.]
Well Dressed Man: What does he think I’m running some kind of fucking charity here? (to Henry) Do it! Now…
Vito: Who was that?
Henry: Somebody you don’t need to know right now. Right, listen up. There’s a guy who owes the boss some money. He borrowed it to open some big jewelry store and he’s not paying it back last enough. We’re gonna collect his payment tonight. In jewels. Plus, uh… a little extra for our trouble. Joe, fill him in.
Joe: The jewelry store’s in the shopping mall in the middle of town. There’s no guards at night, so all we gotta do is pick the lock and waltz right in.
Vito: (sips some coffee) Sounds a little too simple.
Joe: Because it is simple. Why’s everything gotta be so fucking complicated with you?
Vito: Yeah, says the guy who can barely change a lightbulb.
Joe: Look, don’t worry. I thought of everything. I got these phone company uniforms so we can pretend to be fixing something.
Vito: Fair enough, let’s go.
Joe: Alright! We’re gonna rob this fuck blind. All we gotta do is wait until dark…
Six hours later…
[Vito drives with Joe to the jewelry store.]
Joe: Hey, so how’d it go at the port?
Vito: What, you mean with Derek?
Joe: Yeah, he’s a piece of work, ain’t he?! He give you a job?
Vito: Yeah, I worked some guys over, but it was small-time crap. He shakes down these hard-up dockworkers just like he did my old man.
Joe: Well, didn’t have to do it, it’s not like he forced you to work for him, is it?
Vito: My mother almost did…
Joe: Quit whining and keep in touch with Derek. Trust me, he’s got better jobs than shaking down wharf rats.
[They get to the store and rob the place then suddenly a car rushes into a store window.]
Joe: What the hell is this?!
Man: Come on, boys the cops will be here in a minute. Move it!
Joe: Brian fucking O’Neill?
Brian: What the fuck is this!
Joe: You crazy bastard. What the fuck are you doing?
Brian: Barbaro, what the hell are you doing here, you fuck?!
Joe: Hehe, you’re a little late, chief! There’s nothing left here for you.
Brian: Fuck off, fatso! This is our heist! If you want to get out of here in one piece you better hand over everything you’ve got.
Joe: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, the sign outside didn’t say Brian O’Neill’s place. If it did I wouldn’t have robbed it. Instead, I would have set it on fire –
[Meanwhile outside…]
Dispatcher: All units, 10-31 reported at the West Side mall. Repeat: 10-31, burglary in progress.
Policeman: This is car fifty-four. We’re on it.
Joe: And I suggest you get lost before the cops show up.
Brian: Ahh, fuck!
Joe: Kiss my ass!
Vito: Let’s get the fuck out of here!
Brian: What the hell are you waiting for?! Get ‘em, lads!
Brian’s Thug: Brian! What about the cops?
Joe: Come on, let’s get outta here!
Vito: I’m trying!
Joe: Shit, cops! Watch my ass while I open this door! Keep those assholes off my back! Almost got it! Hold ‘em off just a little longer! Come on, you piece of shit, open up! OK. Got it! We’re out of here, Vito, come on!
Policeman: Freeze! Police! There’s no way out!
Joe: Fuck! Shit, another dead end! Come on, Vito! Move your ass!
Vito: What are you fucking crazy? It’s covered in ice. One slip and we’re dead!
Joe: We got no choice. I ain’t going to the joint!
Policeman: Freeze! Police! There’s no way out!
[Joe trying to get across another roof.]
Joe: Come on! Get your ass over here! You waiting for a formal fucking invitation?
Policeman: (from the street) Over there, shoot!
Vito: Jesus, be careful! Almost lost you there.
Joe: Yeah, I think I just shit myself…
Policeman 1: Where’d they go?!
Policeman 2: They must’ve gone this way, Sarge!
Policeman 1: Oh fuck that! I don’t get paid enough for this.
Joe: This way! This should take us to the street! Shit, cops!
Policeman: Freeze! Police! There’s no way out!
Joe: Almost got it! Hold ‘em off just a little longer! OK. Got it! We’re out of here, Vito! Come on! Henry’s never gonna believe this… Stupid bastards, let’s go.
[Vito and Joe manage to escape from the police, but Brian is not so lucky.]
Brian: Fuck off, copper. I didn’t do nothing. I want me lawyer.
Joe: Luck of the Irish my ass.
Vito: Who the hell was that?!
Joe: Brian O’Neill. Crazy mick bastard, not too bright, usually works as hired muscle…
Vito: Yeah, I didn’t think he was the brains of the operation. Shit, the cops! C’mon, get out of the light, let’s go! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!
Joe: Don’t worry, give me your bag. I’ll go ditch the goods. Alright pal, meet you back home. Try not to get pinched on the way there.
[Vito goes to Joe’s and goes to sleep.]
Chapter 5 – THE BUZZSAW
JOE’S APARTMENT, FEBRUARY 20TH, 1945Girl from the Bar: Hey there, handsome.
Vito: Uh, hi there.
Girl from the Bar: Joe ain’t here right now. He said for you to meet him for lunch at Freddy’s.
Vito: I see.
Girl from the Bar: Too bad you were passed out when I came in. We could’ve partied. Hmm… Maybe next time, doll. Bye.
[She leaves.]
Vito: Ahh, that was something…
[Vito goes outside and sees a car crash into the girl’s car from behind.]
Driver: Fuck you! Stupid broad! Get the hell back here!
Girl from the Bar: But I…
Driver: If you can’t drive, you should stay home where you belong!
Vito: Hey, isn’t that Joe’s girl over there? Well, one of ‘em anyway…
Driver: You smacked up my car, I’m gonna smack up yours! Look at my fucking car!
Vito: Hey, pal. Knock it off.
Driver: And who the fuck are you?
Vito: Somebody who doesn’t like hearing you talk to a lady like that. So why don’t you shut the fuck up, and leave while I’m still in a good mood, huh?
Driver: What, she is your girlfriend or something? Well, if she is not gonna pay for it, you will!
Vito: One more word, and you’re gonna need a new set of teeth. Now, get the fuck out of here!
Driver: I…
Vito: That was the word…
[He punches him in the face. The driver runs away.]
Girl from the Bar: Thanks, handsome. I owe you one. Do you wanna come over to my place for a… piece of pie?
Vito: Yeah, thanks, but, uh look, I, I really gotta get going.
Girl from the Bar: Mmmmm, you’ll like it, I promise. I gotta get going now. I’ll see you around!
[Vito drives to Freddy’s to have a lunch with Joe.]
Henry: Hey, Vito, this is Luca Gurino. He’d like to talk to you and toe. Luca, this is Vito…
Vito: Good to meet you, Mr. Gurino.
Luca: No need to be so formal, call me Luca. Take a seat, Vito.
Waiter: What can I get you?
Luca: Same thing I’m having, and hurry it up. I heard about your run-in with the micks. Heh. Great fucking story! Hehe. And I want to congratulate you two… on a tab well done. Salut!
Vito: Ah salut.
Luca: You guys did a hell of a tab. Not too many guys got the stomach for this line of work. So now, uh… I’m wondering if you’s are ready to take the next step.
Vito: Yeah, sure, uh, what next step?
Luca: I’m talking about taking somebody out… just ’cause someone points his finger at him and tells you to do it.
Vito: I was in the war Mr. Gurino. All I did was kill people I was told to kill. People the president pointed his finger at.
Luca: Hehehehe, that’s good, the president, yeah, I like that. Yeah. But you’re uh… You’re talking about the krauts, right? You know, the… “bad guys.” That’s not what I mean. Understand?
Vito: Yeah, I understand.
Luca: Good. We need guys like you. Guys who can follow orders without asking questions. You handle this next job like you handled the lost one, and there’s a good chance you’ll be accepted into the family. After you pay the initiation fee, of course.
Vito: And how much is that?
Luca: Five grand apiece.
Joe: That’s a fucking fortune!
Luca: Hey! Nobody said it was cheap, ha? But trust me, the benefits far outweigh the cost. I’ll leave it up to you two to deride. Henry’s gonna fill you’s in on the rest. I’ll see you’s guys later.
Man: There you are.
Luca: Heya boss.
Man: You take care of the thing we talked about yet?
Luca: Yeah yeah. It’s all under control. Henry’s -
Man: That’s what you said the last time. Don’t disappoint me again.
[Luca tries to defend himself but the boss slaps him.]
Man: Don’t. Now come with me, we got some other business to discuss.
Vito: So Henry, what kind of job we talking about here?
Henry: I gotta take a guy out. It’s my contract, but I need some help.
Vito: (to waiter) Thanks.
Henry: That’s where you two come in.
Joe: Who’s the lucky guy?
Henry: Some fat fuck from across the river. The guy’s been warned, but he thinks he’s untouchable.
Vito: Huh. And is he?
Henry: Well somebody tried to take him out once before…
Vito: And?
Henry: Let’s just say they slightly underestimated him…
Vito: How much is slightly?
Henry: Fatally.
Joe: That’s a fancy way of saying they’re dead, right?
Henry: Hey, they fucked up. We won’t. I rented an apartment across the street from his business. We’ll sit there, and we’ll wait ’til that fat fuck shows up and then boom! …We blast his ass.
Vito: How we gonna do that?
Henry: With an MG-42.
Vito: Uh… where are we getting an MG-42 from?
Joe: Harry.
Henry: Yeah.
Joe: He’s a vet, like you. He’s got a private little gun shop over in Kingston. He can get you anything from a pea shooter to a bazooka. And you don’t need no fucking gun license neither.
Henry: OK, Joe and me will go to the apartment. You go pick up the machine gun at Harry’s shop in Kingston. It’s all paid for, just tell him I sent you. Alter that, meet us at the apartment. It’s in Sand island, the building across from the distillery, apartment two thirty-three.
Vito: OK, apartment two thirty-three, got it. I’ll meet you fellas there in a bit.
Henry: Alright, see you later.
Joe: Good luck, pal.
[Vito drives to “Army Navy”.]
Vito: Hello?
Harry: So, uh, you’re the guy Henry was telling me about, huh?
Vito: Yeah. You got his merchandise?
Harry: Hehehe, yeah. Well here it is! MG-42. Made in Germany. Hitler’s Buzzsaw we called ‘em! She’s a beauty. 25 pounds, 7.92 caliber, 1200 rounds per minute - latest in the world - 250 round belt, 3/4 of a mile effective range, and extremely reliable. I don’t know what the hell you’re hunting, but unless it’s in a fucking tank, sayonara baby! Hey, you need me to show you how to use it?
Vito: No, thanks. I’m familiar with ‘em - I was in the service, too.
Harry: No shit! Wait, you’re kidding me? Wait, where were you? What was it, Normandy, huh? No, Africa? Alright, let me guess, uh…
Vito: Operation Husky.
Harry: Yeah? What unit were you in?
Vito: 504th Parachute.
Harry: No shit, you were a paratrooper?! That was kind of hairy, I heard.
Vito: Yeah, well, it was no picnic, I tell you. I got hit so they sent me home.
Harry: Yeah… any medals?
Vito: Yeah. Purple Heart and the DSC.
Harry: Whoa! Wait, you got a cross! Let me tell you, they don’t give those babies out for nothing. I was in Normandy. We hit Utah Beach, that wasn’t no picnic neither, but…
[They talked for quite some time.]
Harry: …I was crawlin’ over the face on the way back, I poked my eye out on a fucking branch, heh. Well, hey, it was good enough for a discharge.
Vito: Uh, look, I really gotta get going.
Harry: Alright. Hey, by the way, I’m Harry. Hey, Vito. Hey, good to meet you, Vito, real good. If you ever need some hardware, you know where to find me. Oh, hey - here you go. I hope you drove here, she’s a big girl. Hmph! Good luck. The gun’s in the crate, and there’s a couple thousand rounds in the van out in the yard. Take it, it’s all paid for.
[Vito drives to the place.]
Apartment 233, Misery Lane
2 HOURS LATER
[Joe sleeping on a chair. Vito and Henry talking.]
Vito: Where you from, Henry?
Henry: Sicily.
Vito: What brought you to the States?
Henry: Mussolini.
Joe: (through sleep) What, did he buy you a ticket?
Henry: Don’t be a smartass, Joe. My father was a… man of honor. Things got pretty bad for us after Mussolini came into power. My old man figured I’d either get drafted or locked up… So, he sent me to America and got me a job working for Clemente.
Vito: So what happened to your father?
Henry: He said he was too old to make the trip. Mussolini had him arrested… and he died in jail. They wouldn’t even turn his body over for a proper burial.
Joe: Gee… That’s rough.
Vito: So how’s your English so good?
Joe: They’re coming. Those black cars.
Henry: Vito, aim for the fat bastard. We gotta nail him before he gets in the building! Get ready.
Vito: Alright, I’m on it.
Bypasser: They got guns! They got guns! Up there, in that window!
Joe: Alright, it’s showtime.
Bypasser: They got guns! They got guns! Up there, in that window!
[This is the beginning of a real massacre. Vito tries to shoot the fatty with large-caliber bullets of his MG-42.]
Joe: That’s him, Vito! Waste that fat fuck! We got ‘em all! Stop shooting that fucking thing I’m going deaf over here!
[They’re going outside to finish off the rest of the gangsters.]
Henry: Move it. Vito! We can’t let that fat bastard get away!
Joe: OK, you first Vito! You’re the fucking war hero.
Henry: Go! Go! We'll cover you!
[Vito walks into a liquor factory building.]
Joe: We’re coming for you, Porky!
Porky: Let me out of here! Open the fucking door! Let me out! Hey! Come on, help! Help! Let me out!
Joe: Oh fuck, watch out!
Gangster: Burn, assholes!
Vito: What the fuck was that?!
Joe: Goddamnit! Now this whole fucking place is gonna burn to the ground! What a waste of booze! Vito, come on, ho? We gotta move.
Worker: Oh no, no! Oh god. Oh god no!
Porky: Stop! Stay where you are!
Joe: OK, hit the button, Vito.
[They go up in the elevator. Joe opens a bottle of expensive alcohol.]
Henry: What the hell are you doing, Joe?
Joe: What? I’m thirsty. Pretty good stuff - you should try it.
Henry: Drinking on the job, huh? When’d you turn Irish?
Gangster: Here they come!
Joe: Shit, they got Tommys!
Gangster: Take the boss upstairs! We’ll take care of ‘em.
Henry: Shit! There’s an army of ‘em!
Joe: Come on! Porky’s upstairs!
[They’re killing the rest of the gangsters and pressing Porky against the wall.]
Porky: Don’t kill me… please!
[Henry puts his gun in Porky’s mouth.]
Porky: I got a wife… Don’t do it! I’ll do anything you want!
Henry: You should’ve thought about your wife before.
Porky: Just don’t kill me! …Oh, for chrissakes!
Henry: Don Clemente sends his regards.
[He pulls the trigger.]
Henry: Oh fuck…
[There’s a gun in Porky’s hands.]
Joe: The fuck, you’re sorry, you…
Vito: Mother… fucker!
[Vito and Joe are shooting Porky with two guns.]
Joe: Henry! You OK? Where’d he hit you?
Henry: Of course I’m not fucking OK, he shot me in the fucking leg… urgh… (shot the corps couple of times) Ugh… oh god … son of… Ugh! Get me to El Greco.
Joe: The fucking painter?
Henry: No, the fucking doctor, you idiot!
Vito: OK, OK, take it easy. We’re going to get you there in a minute!
Henry: The Greek guy! Lives up in Highbrook! Ugh…
Joe: Ugh, oh Madonna you’re heavier than you look.
Vito: Alright, let’s get you to the car! Ugh…
[They’re coming out of the building. Joe helps Henry and Vito protects them.]
Henry: That fat fuck! He almost shot my balls off!
Joe: Take it easy, he missed ‘em by a mile.
Henry: Hey! Careful! This fucking hurts!
Joe: Yeah, well, you can walk if you don’t quit your moaning!
Henry: Hey, yeah right, no need to get pissy. I’m the one bleeding to death here!
Worker: No, please! I don’t want to die.
[An explosion is heard.]
Vito: Oh, fuck! Oh! This whole fucking place is coming apart!
Joe: Vito, cover us!
Vito: Gotta hurry, the fire’s spreading!
Henry: Goddamn it! I knew it! This is my thirteenth contract… it’s a fucking jinx!
Joe: Who do you mean, you lucky bastard?
Vito: Damn smoke…
[They take Henry out of the building and put him in the car. Police sirens are heard.]
Vito: Aaaah, fuck…
[Vito drives to El Greco’s.]
Henry: If I don’t make it…
Joe: Hey, hey, don’t go saying that, pal. It’s just a scratch. The doc will give you a few stitches and then we’ll all go out and celebrate.
Henry: No, really…
Joe: Shhh… you shouldn’t talk right now. Helps conserve your strength. I saw that in a movie once.
Henry: Yeah? And what happened to the guy in the movie?
Joe: He died.
Henry: Argh…
Joe: Jesus, your drive like my fucking grandmother. Hey, Vito, step on it! Henry is sweatin’ like a whore in church back here!
Vito: You know what would make me drive faster? You, statti zitto! (shut up!)
Henry: Vito! Come on, can’t this thing go any faster?!
Vito: I’m going as fast as I can, dammit!
Henry: Well, it ain’t fast enough!
Vito: Just relax, would ya!
Henry: I got a hole in my leg the size of a fuckin’ golf ball, and you’re telling me to relax. Just get me to El Greco, dammit!
Vito: So fellas, who is this guy?
Joe: What guy?
Vito: This guy we’re taking Henry to.
Joe: El Greco? He’s a doctor. Throw him a couple of bucks, he patches you up-no questions asked.
Henry: He’s the guy you go see when you can’t go to the hospital, genius.
Vito: Why the hell wouldn’t you be able to go to the hospital?
Joe: Because you go to the hospital with a bullet in you, first thing they do is call the cops.
Vito: Yeah…So El Greco deals with a lot of guys in our line of work.
Joe: You shouldn’t need to visit him, though, Vito. You always been a quick healer. Must be your diet. Aw come on, Vito! At this rate we’d get there faster if we walked! Hey, Henry, you awake? Stay with me now.
Henry: Yeah…
Joe: Just hang in there, pal, we’ll be at El Greco’s in a minute. I can smell the souvlaki from here. Hey, step on it or Henry’s done for. If he dies, you’re burying him. Vito, there, that house! Park right in front.
[Vito parks the car and rings a doorbell.]
Vito: You El Greco, the doctor?
El Greco: No. I’m the fucking painter.
Vito: Our friend needs help or he’s gonna bleed to death.
Joe: Thanks, doc. We owe you one.
El Greco: Good God, Henry! Get him inside. Ellado! (maybe Ελλάδα! - Hellas! but with Italian accent)
Henry: (to Vito) Wait, I got money for you. For the job, take it… (hands him some cash)
Vito: You know this could’ve waited, but thanks.
Henry: And hey… thanks for everything.
Vito: I hope you’ll be OK.
Henry: Yeah, me too.
Joe: I’ll stay here with Henry. Meet me at my place later.
Vito: Alright.
[Now Vito has enough cash to repay his family debt. He goes to his sister.]
Francesca: Vito! Hey, how you doing?
Vito: Shh… no no no no, I just wanted to give you the money to pay off papa’s debt.
Francesca: Oh Vito, that’s great… I was gonna try and see if I could pay it back in installments… I got a little money… He wouldn’t hurt us…
Vito: Don’t be so sure. But… it doesn’t matter now. Here, take it.
Francesca: Where’d you get all this money, Vito? You haven’t done nothing you’ll be sorry for, have you?
Vito: Hey, don’t worry, everything’s fine.
Francesca: Thank you, Vito, thank you…
Vito: No problem. Alright, look, I better be going, I don’t want Ma to see me. She’ll be asking where I got the money, too.
Francesca: Don’t worry, I’ll make something up.
Vito: Alright. Give her a big kiss for me, OK?
Francesca: I will. Take care of yourself, Vito.
[He goes back home and goes to sleep.]
Chapter 6 – TIME WELL SPENT
LITTLE ITALY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 1945[Next morning. Vito wakes up and leaves the house where the long arms of justice are waiting for him.]
Mustached Man: Vito Scaletta?
Vito: Yeah… What’s it to you?
Mustached Man: You’re under arrest for the illegal distribution of federal ration stamps. You’re coming with us.
Vito: (offscreen) One of the gas station attendants ratted me up. The guy fingered me and they strong armed Mom into telling ‘em where I was staying. But they had no idea who I was working for and I wasn’t about to tell ‘em. Henry was able to get me a lawyer, courtesy of his boss Clemente. I was up shit’s creek but at least I had a paddle. Could’ve been a hell of a lot worse if the feds knew about any of my "other" activities.
Judge: …and I find your crime to be even more serious considering the fact that you stole national resources of a time when our country needs them the most. An act the gravity of which, you, Mr. Scaletta, a decorated war veteran yourself, should clearly understand.
Vito: (offscreen) The guy was good but even he couldn’t get me out of this one. It was a lost cause from day one. Three months later they handed down the verdict.
Judge: Vittorio Antonio Scaletta, for your crimes against the people of this city and of this great country… this court hereby sentences you to ten years in a federal penitentiary.
[Vito is brought by a prison bus to the prison and taken out in handcuffs. The prisoners cheerfully greet the new arrivals with cheers and promises of reprisals.]
Vito: (offscreen) The federal pen. Thieves, murderers, child molesters… they were all here. The worst of the worst.
Guard: Alright, get in line, gentlemen. Follow me single file, and no monkey business or else.
[Vito, along with the other prisoners, walks into the prison building.]
Guard: Let’s go assholes. You want to make problems, you son of a bitch?
Prisoner: I… I’m sorry. I can’t.
Guard: What’s the matter? No speak the English? Here, let me "teach" you!
[He beats him with a baton several times.]
Guard: What do you enjoy this you sick fuck?!
Prisoner: No please. No…
Guard: Now, get your ass up and get back in the lines. Move!
[He throws Vito to the ground and beats him with a baton.]
Guard: (to Vito) Hey, smart ass, don’t make me repeat myself. Back in line. Move it!
Warden: Stop right there, turn to your right. Your other right! Listen up, assholes! My name is captain Terence Stone, and this is my prison. You’re here on the inside because you can’t behave like normal human beings on the outside! Make no mistake your ass belongs to me now, and you’ll do what I say or you’ll be sorry that you didn’t. Fuck with me and I’ll fuck with your sorry ass all day long. You were sent here to be rehabilitated and rehabilitate you, we will.
[Warden’s Hitler-style mustache with bulging eyes makes us realize that we’re looking at a real villain.]
Guard: OK, you assholes, we’re gonna cut you loose just long enough to get you’s cleaned up. Now get in line and follow me!
[Vito gets a haircut.]
Guard: Welcome to the salon, ladies. You’re gonna look just fucking beautiful.
Prisoner: Hey, me too?! I ain’t got nothing op my head to cut.
Guard: Shut your face, cueball. OK, let’s go!
Guard 2: Hey, shit for brains! Do what you’re fucking told!
[Vito is being led to his cell, where he will spend the next ten years.]
Prisoner 1: Listen, pretty boy, if you ain’t gonna do what you’re told, we’re gonna stick you in the hole.
Guard 2: Follow me.
Prisoner 2: Mmmm, I can smell you, new fish. And you smell good.
Guard 2: Welcome home. Get in. Lights out! And be quiet, assholes! If you know what’s good for you…
Vito: (offscreen) This was gonna be my new home for the next ten years. Looked like shit and smelled like piss. I would’ve preferred dodging bullets in Europe to this.
3 days later
Vito: (offscreen) After three action-packed days of staring at the well, I got a message from Joe to contact a guy named Leo Galante who could supposedly help me out in here. This wasn’t the kind of place where you could survive on your own.
[Out for a walk, Vito turns to various inmates to find out where he can find Leo Galante.]
Vito: Excuse me, did you know where Leo Galante is?
Inmate 1: Leave me the fuck alone!
Vito:I'm looking for Leo Galante.
Inmate 2: Beat it.
Vito:Hey, I need to talk to Leo Galante. Do you know him?
Inmate 3: You find that you seek. Patiance.
[Suddenly Vito meets a familiar face…]
Brian: I know you! You’re that fucking guinea who was with Barbaro in the jewelry store! I’m in this fucking hell hole ’cause of you!
Vito: You got locked up cause you’re a stupid, crazy fuck.
Brian: Hehehehehe… You know fellas, me Ma was right. There is a God! (laughs) And He sent you here you guinea bastard, so that I could pay you back!
[He tries to sucker-punch Vito, but he dodges and hits back. A fight is noticed by some serious people sitting at a table.]
Old Man At A Table: This looks interesting. Want to make a small bet?
[Vito wins the fight. The Warden gives the signal to the guard and he hits him in the back with a baton.]
Guard: Step back! Did you hear me?
Guard 2: OK, that’s enough! Break it up! Both of you are going to the hole!
Guard: Get out of here! Move it!
[Vito is being thrown in solitary confinement and severly beaten.]
Guard: We’re gonna give you a little time to think about what you’ve done. Close it up!
Vito: (offscreen) So, O’Neill almost took my head off, but… I made a stand. Let me tell you something when you’re inside, that counts for a lot more than you might think.
2 days later
[The old man from before and the warden walk along a corridor.]
Old Man: How long you planning on keepin’ him in here?
Warden: Long enough to learn his lesson.
Old Man: That’s gonna have to change. Is he in any shape to fight?
Warden: Should be. The boys didn’t knock him around too bad after the brawl in the yard. Alright, open it up. Rise and shine, Scaletta. You got yourself a visitor.
Old Man: My name is Leo Galante. I heard you wanted to speak to me.
Vito: Yeah. One of Clemente’s guys said I should contact you… said maybe you could help me out?
Leo Galante: Fuck Clemente. I don’t provide protection for his guys in here. But I saw how you handled that mick who’s after you, O’Neill. You could prove useful… Come with me, boy.
[He takes Vito to the gym where the inmates train.]
Leo Galante: Now listen up fellas! This is Vito. He’s gonna be helpin’ us out. Pepé here’s got a big fight comin’ up… against O’Neill. He needs a sparrin’ partner… and from what I saw of you out there in the yard, you’re just the man for the job. You’re gonna help us out, kid. In return, you’ll be under my protection. And who knows, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two along the way.
Vito: I guess I can’t say no to that offer, eh?
Leo Galante: I don’t remember asking. Alright fellas, let’s get this show on the road. OK, today we’re gonna work on your counter-punching. Vito, I want you to hit Pepé. Try and bust that big jaw of his. Pepé, you avoid the punch like I showed you, then use that momentum to throw a punch of your own. Alright fellas, let’s get going.
[After Vito performs a successful counter attack.]
Leo Galante: Whoa! Would you look at that!
Pepé: Hey! We supposed to be sparring or training?
Leo Galante: Change of plans big fella. This kid’s got fire in him. So now you both are gonna practice your counter-punches. Alright, Vito, see if you can do that again. It’s a handy tool to have in the box, huh? Most guys ain’t gonna see it coming. Pepé here, hehe… He ain’t most guys, though…
[Vito practices counter attack.]
Leo Galante: Alright fellas, that’s enough for today. Nice work. So how close did you get to Clemente, Vito?
Vito: Actually, I never met him. I always dealt with either Henry Tomasino or Luca Gurino.
Pepé: Hmph… I can’t believe that cocksucker Gurino’s still breathing…
Leo Galante: What was your deal with them?
Vito: Well, you know — we did a couple of jobs for ‘em and uh, Luca said he’d bring us into the family… for uh, five grand.
Pepé: What?
Leo Galante: Typical fucking Alberto. He’s always been a crooked bastard.
Vito: Uh, so, what, is that like more than usual?
Pepé: Yeah, like five grand more than usual.
Leo Galante: You don’t gotta pay to get in, Vito. You’re brought into the family once you prove that you’re loyal, a good earner, and you can handle… you know, the life. In any case this is an interesting piece of news. When this gets out, Alberto and Luca are gonna have got of explaining to do.
Vito: To who?
Pepé: Jeez…
Leo Galante: Don’t worry about that. We’ll talk about it some other time…
[Vito tries to come out of the gym, but he’s being stopped by a Chinese guy.]
Chinese: Watch where you walk, gwai-lo!
Vito: Maybe if your eyes were all the way open, you would’ve seen me coming, asshole.
Chinese: Galante… Crooked white devil.
Leo Galante: Nice to see you too, Mister Wu. Crooked? You bet on your own guy and he lost. That’s the way it works in this country.
Wu: Then Wu offer you rematch.
Leo Galante: I think I can arrange that. You up to it, Vito?
Vito: Chinaman, huh? Yeah, get him a stepladder and send him over.
Leo Galante: Alright Wu, it looks like you got yourself a rematch. And none of that chopsuey crap this time.
[The match begins.]
Leo Galante: Now listen - these chinks are quick little bastards. No point in throwing big punches early on, you’ll never connect.
Vito: Alright, what am I supposed to do then?
Leo Galante: You hit him quick and tire him out. When he’s weak he’ll put his guard down, then you swing for the fences. Now get out there and show ‘em what you’re made of.
Prisoner: Hey, does Vito get a fortune cookie after eating your guy for breakfast? Haha!
[Vito kicks some Chinese ass.]
One week later
Guard: Let’s go, Scaletta. You’re late for work.
Galante’s Man: Hey listen, Vito here’s got the day off, courtesy of Mr. Galante.
Guard: Gotcha. Don’t get used to it, Scaletta.
Galante’s Man: Alright, come with me, Vito.
Vito: What are we gonna train some more?
Galante’s Man: Sort of. You’ll see.
Pepé: Morning, kid.
Vito: Morning, Mr. Galante. What no training today?
Leo Galante: Not exactly… We got a challenge from the spooks, and I don’t want to risk Pepé getting all banged up before his big tight with O’Neill. So I want you to take this one. It’ll be good practice for you. Come on. Now the guy you’re gonna be fighting is a strong bastard, but he ain’t too bright. Fights with his heart, not his head. You piss him off, he’ll lower his guard… That’s when you let him have it. Alright, here we go. Make me proud, kid.
Fighter: Oooh, looky here. I’m take this skinny-ass white boy to school. Gonna hit him so hard his mama’s mama gonna reel it.
[Vito kicks his ass.]
Leo Galante: Hell of a job kid, hell of a job. Here’s your cut, Vito. You earned it.
Galante’s Man: Yo, one of the hacks is coming!
Pepé: What the hell is this some kind of circle jerk?
Guard: Alright, come on Scaletta. You got a visitor.
Francesca: Hi Vito.
Vito: Hey, Frankie… How you doing?
Francesca: I’m doing good. Real good… Thanks.
Vito: So uh, how’s things?
Francesca: Well… I got something to tell you. I’m getting married, Vito!
Vito: Oh Madonna! That’s great! I mean it would’ve been nice if he asked my permission first but… Hey, I’m happy for you.
Francesca: Vito, you’re in jail! Look at yourself… How’d you let this happen?
Vito: Hey, I already got a lecture from the judge, huh? I don’t need another one. Just… just drop it, alright?
Francesca: Vito. There’s something else… It’s Momma.
Vito: What do you mean? What about her?
Francesca: She’s sick, Vito. She’s been like this for weeks and she’s not getting any better.
Vito: Look Frankie… Go to Joe’s. He’s holding onto my money for me. You get her the best doctor you can find. And up you keep the rest as a wedding gift.
Francesca: Vito…
Vito: No no I mean it. Looks like I’m not gonna need it for a while… Alright, looks like I gotta go… Uh, look, you take care of Ma… Tell her I love her.
Francesca: I will And thanks Vito. Bye.
One week later
Guard: Let’s go Scaletta. Those toilets ain’t gonna clean themselves.
Guard 2: So you’re the new cleaning lady, huh? Follow me.
[They’re walking past the shower room. A prisoner sings some Italian song.]
Prisoner 2: Hey pal, you mind? Yo practice that shit someplace else.
Prisoner 3: C’mon man, you’re killing us. Jesus… Your singing is the second worst thing that happened to me in here.
Guard 2: There you go. Make ‘em sparkle, and hurry it up. Hey, pipe down NOW, ALL OF YA’S!
Prisoner: Relax, fellas. I’m just giving the old pipes a workout.
Prisoner 2: Any more of that shit and I’m a give yo faced workout, you dig?
Prisoner: Alright, alright. Jeez, you guys got no culture.
Guard: (peeing into the toilet) What’s the matter? Keep clearing or else… Hey, looks like this one’s still dirty. Clean it again. Alright, that’s enough. Now you’re gonna go join the rest of the animals in the showers. Get moving. Alright Scaletta, get your clothes off and get cleaned up would you kindly?
[Vito takes a shower with other prisoners.]
Guard: What’s the hold-up here! Move your asses!
Prisoner 2: Hey Frankie, we got a little "business" to take care of here, huh? Why don’t you go have a smoke?
Guard: Hahaha, yeah, sure, have your fun, you sick bastards.
[He leaves the shower. Several prisoners encircle Vito.]
Prisoner 2: Hmmm, I like your scars, pretty boy. Where’d you get ‘em?
Vito: Sorry, asshole. You picked the wrong ass to drill.
Prisoner 2: We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice.
Vito: I got a better idea - why don’t you go fuck your buddies instead. Or better yet, go fuck yourself.
Prisoner 2: OK, I guess you want it rough!
[Vito defends himself. A few guards are running into the shower room.]
Guard: Who - hey, hey! Whoa, whoa, what the hell’s going on. And where’s Frank?
[Naturally, only Vito is beaten with batons. After he’s been beaten up, they put him back in his cell.]
Guard: Go on, boy, you know the drill. Oh, and uh, this came today. Might want to read it. Looks important.
[Vito’s reading the letter.]
Vito: No, no, noo! Fuck!
[The guard turns off the lights in the cells, but the warden stops his hand with a baton. Only for a moment.]
Vito: (offscreen) Mamma died while Francesca was visiting me. Instead of going towards a good doctor and a wedding gift… every penny I had went to the funeral.
[The next day.]
Prisoner: Mr. Galante wants to talk to you. Come with me.
Leo Galante: Good to have you back, kid.
Vito: What the hell happened?
Leo Galante: Looks like the micks weren’t up for a fair fight. A couple of ‘em jumped Pepé yesterday.
Pepé: It was a lot more than a couple…
Leo Galante: Yeah, well, we sure as hell ain’t gonna let this go.
Vito: What do you got in mind?
Leo Galante: Pepé’s got it all worked out.
Pepé: Took a little persuading, but O’Neill’s all by himself right now, in the gym. Guards won’t be back for a while. You’re just gonna give him a good beating, break a couple of bones, some as they did to me. Got it?
Vito: Yeah, I got it.
Pepé: Alright, come with me.
Leo Galante: Break a leg, kid.
Pepé: I’ll wait out here. If the guards get back early, I’ll warn you. Alright, go for it.
Vito: Hey, O’Neill, I got a little business to settle with you.
Brian: Just the man I wanted to see!
[Vito settles the score with O’Neill.]
Vito: Jesus, what the fuck are you made of?
Brian: You’ll have to do better than that, little girl.
[Brian pulls out the shiv. He tries to hit Vito with it, but he pulls it out and cuts Brian’s throat.]
Vito: Shut the fuck up!
Vito: (offscreen) It all worked out just fine. They never found out who did it. Leo arranged for me to relocate to his cell… Well, actually, it was more like a suite. Life was getting better by the minute.
Leo Galante: So Vito, what do you plan on doing when you get out of this shithole?
Vito: I don’t know… I sure as hell ain’t gonna go back to working for Clemente, I can tell you that.
Leo Galante: Yeah, you’re better off just forgetting about that old bastard. Trust me, Alberto’s a real cocksucker and you can bet that lawyer he’s hired was just there to make sure you didn’t rat. But don’t worry, he’ll get his. Letting guys into your family for money like he offered to you, is against the rules. He’s gonna have a lot of explaining to do.
Vito: To who? I thought Clemente was the boss.
Leo Galante: You obviously don’t know how things work around here. You see, there’s more than one family in Empire Bay. There’s three. Each family controls their own neighborhoods. There’s system of rules, and if there’s any disagreements, the bosses of all the families meet to work things out. That’s the Commission.
Vito: Great, so what do I do now? Am I in trouble too?
Leo Galante: No, no, no… Nothing like that you’re young, you’re smart and you’ve proven you can keep your mouth shut. You’re exactly the type of guy everybody wants working for ‘em.
Vito: Yeah, but I don’t even know who these other guys are…
Leo Galante: There’s two other bosses besides Clemente. One is Carlo Falcone, and the other is Frank Vinci. Carlo is young and ambitious…
Pepé: The guy’s a frickin’ nutjob…
Leo Galante: He’s new blood, whereas Don Vinci is a man of honor, he respects the old ways.
Vito: You know these guys?
Leo Galante: You could say that. I’m Frank Vinci’s consigliere. You think being just a regular old man gets you all of this? But listen, Vito. I’m getting out in a few months. When I do, we’ll see what we can do about “adjusting” your sentence. Pepé, come here, have a taste.
[He gives him a wooden spoonful of sauce that he makes.]
Chapter 7 – IN LOVING MEMORY OF FRANCESCO POTENZA
EMPIRE BAY, APRIL 10TH, 1951Vito: (offscreen) Galante wasn’t lying. He called in a few favors and arranged for me to get out early. Knocked almost four years of my sentence. Now Joe used to come visit me and you know, kind of fill me in on what was happening on the outside, but I tell you as soon as I walked out of that prison gate, it was like a whole new world.
[Vito goes to Joe’s.]
Joe: Vito! Hey, you break out of jail? Ah jeez, it’s good to see you in regular clothes - and on the right side of the bars again! Welcome home! Come on in, come in, come in…
Vito: Man, I tell you. A lot has changed since I went away.
Joe: Yeah, I guess it has. And hey, it ain’t much, but I hooked you up with a nice little apartment, just like you said.
Vito: Thanks.
Joe: Now I got a surprise for you. We’re going out tonight to celebrate and I’m going to introduce you to somebody.
Vito: Eh, sounds good to me.
Joe: You’re gonna need a little cash ’til you can get things going again. I got a piece for you too if you want it. Ah, here. Always comes in handy. So uh, what do you want to do now that you’re a free man?
Vito: Hey, what do you think? I want to go back to working with you again.
Joe: Alright! I was worried they might have turned you straight in there. Hahahaha…
Vito: Nah, I actually met a lot of people and learned a lot while I was on the inside. Got a much better idea of how things work now.
Joe: Good thing, because I wasn’t exactly sitting around on my ass while you was in there. Don’t worry, though. I’ll show you the ropes, like always.
Vito: Alright, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.
Joe: Jesus, I didn’t expect you to be raring to go like this! But, what the hell. C’mon. Let’s go see your new place. We’ll take my car and go meet your new landlord. You do the driving so’s you’s can get back into the swing of things. Just hope you didn’t forget how to drive while you was in the can.
Vito: Hey, what are you worried about? It’s like riding a bicycle…
Joe: Sure, but when you smack up your bicycle it don’t cost a fortune to fix the friggin’ thing.
Vito: Alright, alright, I get it. You’re like an old lady.
Joe: Yeah… sure as hell hope so. And if you ain’t noticed cars are a lot different since you went away. You’ll see. Your new place is just down the street, right near the boardwalk. You’re gonna love it. Damn, it’s good to have you home. I done pretty good while you was locked up, but now that you’re out, the sky’s the limit.
Vito: You seen Henry lately?
Joe: Nah, not for a few years now… He really felt bad about what happened, you know.
Vito: So what you been up to? We couldn’t really talk about much when you visited me.
Joe: Well, after the shit Clemente and that little asshole Luca tried to pull on us, I got hooked up with the Falcone family and I started working for them.
Vito: Really?
Joe: Yeah, you’ll see tonight. I told you, I got a nice surprise planned for you. But don’t bother asking ’cause I ain’t gonna tell you.
Vito: Oh, boy…
Joe: Don’t worry, I been planning this for weeks!
Vito: That’s what I’m afraid of.
Joe: Alright, this is close enough. Park here. Go check the place out, it’s on the top floor. I already paid the first month’s rent for ya. And hey, the entrance to your garage is on the side street over there.
Vito: Thanks, Joe. I appreciate it.
Joe: Hey and about tonight… we’re going to a real classy joint. So buy yourself a nice suit. They won’t let you in this place looking like an ex-con.
Vito: My kind of place.
[Vito enters the apartment.]
Seller: Ok here we are! I’m sure you’ll find it to your liking. I live in a similar apartment myself. As you can see, it even comes with a telephone, at no extra charge. And here’s the bathroom - clean and modern with all the hot water you could ever want! And here is the master bedroom… and there is the master’s bed. It’s comfy, with room enough for two… Maybe three. And it doesn’t squeak - always a plus in my book. I sure hope you like your new apartment, sir! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Vito: Just one question - when are you leaving?
Seller: Now if you’ll pardon me, I have to go and check on another client. Goodbye now!
Vito: Yeah, see you.
[He exits the apartment and goes to “Dipron apparel” where he buys a classy Casual suit and raincoat complete with a hat. He goes back to Joe’s.]
Joe: Jeez, I thought you was going to be a no-show. Not bad, nice material…
Vito: Thanks. So, uh, what’s the plan for tonight?
Joe: You’ll find out. A friend of mine’s coming to pick us up. I met him when you was on your little vacation. Hey, show him some respect, he’s kind of an important guy.
Vito: Oh yeah?
Joe: You’ll see in a minute. Here he comes.
Man: Hey, Joe! Here I am!
Joe: Hey, Joe! Here I am! Hey, Eddie! How is it going?
Eddie: Not too bad, not too bad. What, this your buddy?
Joe: Yeah. This is my pal, Vito. Vito, this here is a good friend of mine Eddie Scarpa.
Vito: Nice to meet you, Eddie.
Eddie: Same here, Vito. OK, fellas, I’m dying for a drink, let’s go! Hey Vito. You wanna drive? I had a couple of drinks already. So, uh, you tell him where we’re headed, Joey?
Joe: Nope. All he knows is that it’s a surprise.
Eddie: Hahaha… Oh, he’s gonna love it.
Joe: I fucking hope so. Unless he got into the, uh… "funny business" in the can.
Vito: Hey, what are you two talking about?
Joe: Hehe, don’t worry about it, you’ll see.
Eddie: Hey, come on we might as well tell him now.
Joe: Alright, let’s go, Vito!
Vito: Hey, you know it would help if you told me where we’re going.
Joe: Head to Oyster Bay.
Eddie: OK, so Vito, who was the one thing you missed the most where you was in the can?
Vito: Freedom.
Eddie: Yeah, but… besides that.
Vito: Ah, you know, uh… Booze, broads, baseball… everything.
Joe: Now you’re getting closer! He he.
Vito: What, are you guys taking me to a baseball game?
Joe: No! We’re taking you to the classiest cathouse in the city, Vito!
Vito: Cathouse, huh? Wow…
Eddie: Whoa, you don’t sound too excited, Vito. C’mon… Don’t tell me you don’t want to have some fun after all that time?
Joe: Hey, don’t worry, Vito, these girls are real professionals. If you forgot how to do it, they’ll get you back in shape in no time, hehehe.
Eddie: Hehe, we’re gonna have a ball! Hehe… oh, hey, uh, remind me not to drink too much, there’s something I gotta take care of later.
Joe: What’s more important than pussy and booze?
Eddie: Ah you know how it is… Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Hey Vito, come on, step on it, huh?
[They enter the classy whorehouse. One of the servants sucks Eddie’s cock.]
Eddie: So I talked to Leo Galante about you, Vito. He said you were a real standup guy, and he told me all about the shit that Clemente tried to pull on you guys. But between you and me, why’d you get into that line of work, eh? I mean, we all got our reasons.
Vito: Well, uh, because, uh you know, I don’t want to end up like my old man. And uh…
Eddie: Oh no! Yeah.
Vito: Look, I figure nobody’s gonna help me, so I gotta help myself.
Eddie: Hmmm, you do. O-ok? Yeah… OK, scram baby… So Vito, listen. I work for Carlo Falcone and uh, we’re looking to expand our operation. Joe’s been working for us for a while now, and, uh… since you’re a friend of his, we’d like to extend that offer to you as well. What do you say?
Vito: Yeah, sure I’m interested!
Eddie: Alright! Let’s drink to it! Here’s to you guys.
Joe: Alright. And to a bright future together. Cento anni! (Cheers! / One hundred years!)
Eddie: I can’t be drinking too much tonight, I got some business to take care of.
[They’re getting to drinking and relaxing.]
Eddie: No, no… Really! Carlo’s a real smart guy, he’s into, uh… you know, astrology!
Whore: You mean astronomy?
Eddie: Ah fuck you, you fucking cum dumpster.
Joe: Hahahahahahaha!
Whore: ’Excuse me? Fuck you, tucking cocksucker! You fucking prick, fuck you!
Vito: Sorry, ladies, looks like I gotta get going…
Eddie: You shut your goddamn pie hole! If you want to use your mouth…
Vito: You fellas ready to go?
Eddie: Vito! Yeah, let’s go! Hey, get up, Joe!
[He catches a random guy.]
Eddie: I’m going home… Good night, you whores! Hey, where the hell is my car? Somebody stole it! Hey, hey, call the fucking cops, man!
Joe: You’re staring at it, you lush.
Eddie: Huh? Oh, oh yeah, good. Hehehe. Hey, where’s my keys?
Joe: Vito’s gonna drive. He’s the least fucked up out of all of us.
Eddie: Yeah! Next time for us, Joe, more pussy, less booze… hehehe… So, how’d you like the place, Vito?
Joe: Lot better than playing hide the salsiccia (sausage) in the showers, huh?
Eddie: Hahahahaha!!
Vito: Aggaah… Oooph - what the hell’s that stink? Eddie, you puke?
Eddie: What?! I wouldn’t puke in my own car!
Joe: What the - what the hell is that smell then?
Vito: Aw, yeah, I’m smelling it too.
Eddie: Must be Frankie Pots…
Joe: What, that asshole puked in your car?
Eddie: Ah, naw, he’s in the trunk.
Vito: What?!
Eddie: Hey, it’s all your fault, Joey! I told you I had some fucking business to take care of, and you went and get me drunk!
Vito: Hey since when does “business to take care of” mean “dead guy in the trunk?”
Joe: Hey, whoo, whoo, whoahey, calm down, Vito. Hey – aspetta (wait up). We’ll figure something out.
Eddie: What’s to figure? All we gotta do is bury the stiff. I already got a spot picked out up the old observatory.
Vito: Ooooh… You got a shovel?
Eddie: Sure, it’s in the trunk. And the hole is already dug. All we need to do is chuck him in and cover him up.
Vito: Alright, alright, where’s this hole?
Eddie: A little ways outside of town, there’s a path in the forest to a small clearing. That’s where the hole is. And hurry it up, will you? God, I need some fresh air. The stench back here is fucking killing me! Ugh… oh… oh… Stop! Now! I’m gonna hurl! Ugh…
[Vito pulls out the car.]
Eddie: Blaaargh - Blaaargh… Jesus where’s this shit coming from? Oh shit… Whoa, I don’t remember eating calamari…
Joe: Hehehehehe, can’t hold your booze, can you?
Eddie: All right, we’re here.
Joe: Vito, go pop the trunk.
Vito: Is that a joke?
[Joe smiles at him and throws up.]
Vito: That’s great, that’s just great. Uhhh.
Eddie: God dammit… new shoes. Jesus Christ, uh.
[Vito opens the trunk.]
Joe: Argh… Fucking Christ Almighty… How long this guy been in here, Eddie?
Eddie: Ah, just a couple days…
Joe: You’re going to have to get him out of there, Vito.
Vito: Ah, that’s just great!
Joe: I can’t handle the smell.
Vito: Some fucking welcome home this is!
Eddie: Hey, mother… hey, hey, here’s the hole! Right here. Dump him in.
Vito: Urggh… finally… madonna. OK, now who’s gonna bury him?
Eddie: (hands him a shovel) What?
Joe: Hey, give me a minute to get a hold of myself… Can you just do it? Every time I get a whiff of the guy, it makes me have to puke. And Eddie’s not going to be any help either. He-
Vito: Argh, fine, whatever…
Eddie: Hey, fellas! How about a little music, eh?
Vito: You gotta be kidding me…
Eddie: Good night, sweetheart, well it’s time to go. Da dodo de do! Good night, sweetheart, well… it’s time… to… fuck.
Joe: This wasn’t supposed to be part of your homecoming party, but it’s nice out here, ain’t it? I ain’t been in the woods for a while…
Vito: Yeah, you won’t be liking it so damn much after I smack you with this shovel!
[He’s burying a corpse. Heroes get in the car and leave. Eddie and Joe Eddie and Joe are singing the radio in a drunken haze.]
Vito: You guys kidding’ me with this? Oh my God… poor Dino.
[He goes to Joe’s home.]
Joe: Sorry Vito, not exactly the best way to end the night, huh? But thanks, I owe you one, big time. Leave Eddie’s car here so he can get home in the morning.
Eddie: You’re a good man, Vito. I’ll settle up with you tomorrow. Hey, you coming in for some drinks?
Woman: It’s three in the morning. Shut the hell up.
Eddie: Agoo, shut up, you whore. Come on, we’ll call some girls, we’ll get you know…
Joe: You had enough, Eddie. You’re going to bed. Come on, I’ll call you tomorrow, Vito. Goodnight.
Chapter 8 – THE WILD ONES
UPTOWN, APRIL 11TH, 1951[Vito wakes up from a whistle under the window.]
Vito: Argh… What the fuck?
Marty: Hey Vito! Rise and shine!
Joe: Jesus! Marty, stop fucking yelling, will you. My head’s killing me!
Marty: Uh, hehehehe, sorry, Joey.
Joe: And stop calling me fucking Joey! What the hell wrong with you? Vito, come on down!
Vito: Jesus Christ!
[Vito’s coming down and approaching the truck.]
Vito: Who the hell was that? Guy’s got a voice like Woody Fucking Woodpecker…
Joe: That was Marty. Remember the little kid used to live down the street from me. I had to pick up the truck here so he give me a lift.
Vito: What’s going on with the truck?
Joe: It’s gonna make us some nice cash. Hop in. I’ll explain on the way. You drive.
Vito: Where to?
Joe: Riverside.
Vito: Alright, Riverside it is.
Joe: Some night, huh?
Vito: Yeah, you could say that.
Joe: What, you ain’t still mad, are you?
Vito: Na, burying a stiff… that’s the first thing I wanted to do when I got out.
Joe: Hey, come on … You had fun at the cathouse, right?
Vito: Yeah yeah, I did. And thank you for that… But uh, everything between then and now, not so much.
Joe: Alright, alright… Well, listen, today’s gonna be a lot better, I promise.
Vito: I sure as hell hope so… So what’s the deal?
Joe: It’s simple. We just gotta go to a couple of places and unload these smokes. Then we bring the truck back to Eddie and get our cut of the take. Piece of cake.
Vito: Wait a minute. I seem to remember getting thrown in the clink for “piece of cake” just like this…
Joe: Don’t worry. I done this before. First stop: Riverside.
Vito: If you say so…
Joe: Trust me, you’re gonna thank me later.
[Vito’s approaching a warehouse.]
Vito: What now?
Joe: Now we take care of our customers. These guys here buy in bulk from us. Come with me. OK, climb up and hand me the goods.
Customer: Hi, one carton of Reds.
Joe: Hand me a carton of Reds, Vito! Yeah, that’s the one! Here it is.
Customer 2: Hey! Good to see you, I’m all out of smokes. Give me a carton of Blues.
Joe: One carton of Blues, Vito. Yeah, that’s the one! Here.
A few hours later…
[When there’s almost no cigarettes in the truck, a police car pulls up to them.]
Joe: Hey Sarge, how you doing?! Carton of Blues, as usual?
Policeman: Uh, I think… I’ll take the Whites this time.
Joe: You hear that, Vito, let’s go! Carton of Whites. Alright, hand it over!
Policeman: Thanks, Joe. Now, get the hell out of here will you?
Joe: OK, time to go. Get in, Vito. Next stop is Millville. It’s going great today. We’re making some serious dough here.
[They’ll get in the truck and leave.]
Vito: So the kid Marty, he works for Eddie too?
Joe: Aa ha, in his dreams. Kid’s not even eighteen yet. He does jobs for me, drives me around, makes deliveries, that sort of stuff. Thinks he’s a gangster, though. Spends too much damn time at the movies.
Vito: Well, if the kid’s got you for a role model he’s in for a lot of trouble.
Joe: Oh yeah, wise guy? He reminds me a lot of you when you was his age.
Vito: Exactly. And I spent two years dodging bullets in Europe and six years in the can since I met you. That’s what I mean by trouble.
Joe: What’s the matter somebody shit in your coffee this morning? It’s like you forgot about all the good times.
Vito: Yeah, remind of those someday, would ya?
[They’ve been silent for a while.]
Joe: See, what’d I tell you? It’s going like butter today.
Vito: Alright, this almost makes up for last night… Almost.
Joe: C’mon, what’s better than this? You got fresh air, good company, and you’re making a shitload of dough. Not too bad for a guy who just got out of the slammer.
Vito: Alright, alright. Listen, if the next few hours are anything like the last few hours, all’s forgiven.
Joe: There’s the Vito I know. Alright, we’ll be there in a sec.
[They’re pulling up to the side of the road outside the city.]
Customer: Hey, a carton of Blues if you please.
Joe: Give me a carton of Blues. Bingo! Here it is.
Customer 2: Hi, I’ll take a box of Reds.
Joe: Carton of Reds, Vito. Yeah, that’s the one! Here it is.
[There are three cars coming up to the truck, of which the luxurious Pontiac. Vito realizes that problems will begin now. From the Pontiac comes the gangster-looking man.]
Man: What you selling, mac?
Joe: You buying or just window shopping?
Man: Maybe.
Joe: We’re selling smokes. Two bucks a carton, a hundred bucks a crate.
Man: Heh. I’ll make you a deal. You fork over ten cartons, and maybe we’ll let you and your buddy get out of here in one piece.
Joe: Hey, look pal, how about you get back in your cute little car with your little friends there, and I’ll pretend I’ve never seen you. Sound good?
Man: Heh. You don’t get it, you fat motherfucker? This is our turf. And it’s gonna cost you to operate here. Now pay up!
Joe: You’re the one who doesn’t get it. You have any idea who you’re talking to? One last chance. Walk away now and…
Man: Yeah, I’ll tell you who I’m talking to. A fat, two-bit fucking dogo door-to-door salesman hawking stolen cigarettes on my turf. And it’s time to close up shop, asshole. OK, boys, I think it’s time for a fire sale!
[One of the bandits is throwing a Molotov cocktail in the truck.]
Vito: Shit! Joe… ungh! Fuck…
Man: Haha. What do you say now, Porky?
Joe: What do I gotta say?
[He pulls out a gun and shoots a man in the head.]
Joe: That’s what I gotta say.
[Bandits get in their cars and leave. He sits in the Pontiac.]
Joe: Come on, hop in that car and let’s go. Alright, let’s get one of these fucks and teach him a lesson! Step on it Vito, he’s getting away!
Vito: I got it floored, Joe. This thing won’t go any faster.
[Bandits manage to get away from the chase.]
Vito: Ah shit… now what?
Joe: Shit. We should check with Eddie. Stop at the nearest phone booth and call him.
[Vito calls Eddie from a payphone.]
Vito: Eddie, it’s me Vito. Listen, we got a problem. We were moving the smokes, and then these, uh, these greasers come out of nowhere and set the fucking truck on fire…
Eddie: What!? You fucking kidding me?! You couldn’t handle a bunch of greaseballs? What the fuck happened?
Vito: Look, look, Eddie! Eddie! Hey, listen - it’s not our fault, OK? They set the fucking truck on fire before we knew what was happening and everything burned up. Alright, we popped one of the guys, but…
Eddie: What do I fucking care?! Just bring me my money! I paid two grand for the truck and I want it back. Lucky for you two retards, I got Derek’s guy Steve here with me, and we were just talking about what to do with those punks. We’re gonna take care of them, now. Steve will meet you off the Crazy Horse - you know it?
Vito: OK, Crazy Horse, yeah, I know where it is.
Eddie: Steve’s gonna have a few guys with him. Show ‘em that nobody fucks with us. No shooting though, so it looks like just another gang fight. I don’t wanna read about a bloodbath in the papers tomorrow.
Vito: Alright, sure, Eddie. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it. Alright, we gotta meet Steve in front of the Crazy Horse. The good news is that he’s gonna help us out. The bad news is Eddie wants his money back. All two grand of it.
Joe: Shit. You really think we’re gonna get two G’s out of these guys?
Vito: I don’t know. We’ll see what Steve’s got in mind. You know he ain’t doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Let’s go. Ah, Eddie was fucking PISSED on the phone.
Joe: Sure he was. Just like I’m pissed right now. Even if these assholes ain’t got a dime I’m gonna kick two thousand-dollars worth of shit out of ‘em.
Vito: Ah, I’m with you. But what’s Steve doing working for Eddie? He works for Derek, and Derek’s with Vinci’s crew.
Joe: How the hell should I know? But hey, you’re still gonna take jobs from Derek, right? Even though you’re working for Eddie? We all gotta do what we gotta do to get by…
[They’re approaching several shacks on the outskirts of town. Steve and his men are already there.]
Vito: Hey, Steve.
Steve: Hey…
Joe: Hey, guys… Marty?! What are you doing here?
Marty: Hey, Joe! I’m going with you on this one! Steve needed help, he said I could come along!
Joe: Steve, uh, isn’t his uh…
Steve: Eh. Kid’s gotta learn sometime.
Vito: OK, why are we here, Steve, huh? The guys we’re looking for are all headed to the foundry.
Steve: This is where they usually meet, so we’ll start here, then head over to the foundry to finish the job.
Joe: And, uh, why’d you volunteer to help us?
Steve: Those bastards trashed my cousin’s car. They robbed him and knocked out three of his teeth.
Marty: Yeah, those fucking assholes, they make problems all over the city. Well, just the other day…
Steve: Shut up, kid. I’m talking here. So like the Bible says - on eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and well, we’ll just start with this joint.
Joe: So what’s the plan?
Steve: First we’re gonna trash this place.
Vito: And how we gonna do that?
Steve: (pulling out Tommy gun) With this! Go ahead boys!
Marty: Hey, c’mon, guys!
Steve: Now, you can either help us, or stay out of our way.
Marty: Hehe… Let’s go teach these fuckers a lesson! Hehe… hehe…
Vito: What the fuck was that?
[They stand in line and shoot the shack with Tommy guns.]
Marty: Hahahaha, that’s fucking beautiful! Ah hahahahaha! Yeah! Yeah! Haha! Oooops! Hahahahaha!
Steve: OK that’s enough! Let’s leave ‘em a little present. Vito, Marty, I got some Molotov cocktails in the trunk. Go get ‘em and throw ’er in.
Marty: Heh, my pleasure, Steve!
[They throw a few Molotov cocktails into the shack and it explodes.]
Marty: Hmph, nrgh! That’ll teach ‘em! Hahahaha! Yeah! Hehe.
Steve: Alright, now we go to the foundry. Get in, boys. We’ll meet you two of the main gate.
Joe: See you there.
[They get in the car and go to the Empire Bay Forge. Steve’s gently knocking on the gate. The others are standing next to the bats. Someone’s opened the gate.]
Guy: Hey, how’d you get in here?!
[Steve hits him in the face with the bat handle.]
Steve: We followed the fucking yellow brick road.
[He knocks down another guy.]
Steve: Next!
Marty: Heh, nice one.
Man: You fuckers are dead! (pulls out a gun)
Marty: Joe, watch out!
[He pulls out a gun and kills the man.]
Joe: (in shock) Thanks, kid.
Steve: Shit, they got guns! Let ‘em have it!
[Shootout begins. Vito, Joe, Steve, Marty and others kill all the greasers in the Forge.]
Vito: Listen, this go way out of hand. Eddie’s not gonna be too happy.
Steve: Eddie’ll be fine. What were we going to do out ’er kill us? These fucking dirtbags won’t be bothering nobody no more.
Marty: What now, Steve?
Steve: Now I’m gonna go home and see if that castor oil’s working. I been blocked up for weeks. I’ll see you’s later.
Vito: Enjoy. Joe and I still got a lot of work to do. We’ll catch you later.
Joe: Shit, where are we gonna get the two G’s for Eddie?
Vito: You got any idea how much a car like this goes for?
Joe: Damn, Vito, you’re a genius! These babies ain’t cheap, right? I bet Derek would give us at least a grand for that one. Alright, I’m gonna drive this baby over to Derek’s. I’ll meet you back of the Falcon.
Vito: Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you at the bar.
[He drives to the docks to sell the hot rod to Derek and then to the Maltese Falcon to return Eddie his two grand.]
Joe: So?
Vito: Here’s the money.
Eddie: Well, that’s a fucking relief. Stupid fucking junkies! Now they know their place. Good work boys, here’s your cut.
Joe: Thanks, Eddie. So you need anything else from us today or is that it? I got something I gotta take care of.
Eddie: No, no, no, that’s all for today. I’ll call you if I need anything.
[Vito returns home and goes to sleep.]
Chapter 9 – BALLS&BEANS
UPTOWN, MAY 6TH, 1951[In the morning, Vito wakes up from a phone call.]
Vito: Hello?
Joe: Yeah, Vito? We got a situation here. Grab a gun and meet me at the bar. And make sure you’re driving a decent set of wheels.
Vito: Alright, I’ll be right there. There goes my Sunday.
[He dresses up, jumps into his Pontiac Indian and goes to the Maltese Falcon.]
Vito: Morning, Eddie.
Eddie: Hey, Vito. I’d like to introduce you to somebody. Vito, this is Carlo Falcone.
Vito: Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Falcone.
Carlo Falcone: Vito. So Vito, how do you feel about Alberto Clemente and Luca Gurino?
Vito: Well, honestly, Mr. Falcone, the way I see it, those assholes tried to steal five thousand bucks from me and then left me to rot in jail.
Carlo Falcone: That’s good. Because the two of them are planning to make a move on us. So it looks like we’re going to have to do something before they do something. Eddie will tell you the rest. I’m sure you won’t let me down.
Vito: Goodbye, Mr. Falcone.
Carlo Falcone: Nice to meet you, Vito.
[He leaves.]
Vito: So what the hell’s going on?
Eddie: A car with three of our guys in it disappeared last night, and word around town is that Luca might’ve had something to do with it.
Vito: Who’s missing?
Eddie: Harvey Beans and the two guys who were supposed to be protecting him. Tony Balls and Frankie the Mick. Beans is Carlo’s accountant. If he talks, we’re all fucked.
Vito: What do you need me to do?
Eddie: I need you to wait for him in front of Freddy’s and follow him to find out if he’s involved.
Vito: And then?
Eddie: If you find out that he had anything to do with this, you whack the bastard. And if any of our guys are still alive, try and rescue ‘em. Hopefully you can find them before they spill the beans about our operation.
Vito: Where do you think he'll go?
Eddie: I got no idea. So go prepared. Make sure you got a fast car and some firepower.
Vito: Alright, no problem.
Eddie: OK. Stop by here when you’re done. And Vito, don’t tell nobody about this.
Vito: Got it.
[He goes to Freddy’s.]
Vito: This is Luca’s car… Now where are you, Luca? There you are! OK, here we go. I shouldn’t get too close. I gotta make sure Luce doesn’t see me. Where you going, Luca? Riverside? Bruski’s junkyard maybe? No, Mike doesn’t get involved in shit like this. Clemente’s slaughterhouse. Of course! Looks like Eddie was right. OK, I gotta get in there without being seen. The sewer! Maybe that’s the way in. Looks like I can pry this off. Jesus Christ, that reeks! Shit, that dog could be a problem…
Gangster: Shut up, you mutt! What’s wrong with you?!
[The sewage water pours on him.]
Vito: Agh, fuck! Argh… if Luca just stopped by to pick up some steaks, I’m gonna kill somebody.
[He comes out of the sewer, stinking like a dumpster. He is noticed by a dog, but Vito has a chance to hide.]
Gangster: Jesus, would you shut up! What, is somebody there? There’s nobody there, see?! So shut up before we turn you into meatloaf! Move it, assholes! Lousy mutt…
Vito: Shit, there they are… Now I got you, you skinny little prick… OK, time to move…
[Vito notices the guys from his gang and goes to rescue them. The guard goes to take a leak.]
Guard: Uh, be right there!
[Vito pulls out a gun and enters the room.]
Gangster: (to Falcone’s guy) Think I don’t know about the dope? I know where you got the money! Falcone thinks he’s got a good racket going, but he ain’t gonna get away with it! C’mon… How’d you get it into the states?
Harvey Beans: I don’t know anything, I’m just an accountant!
Gangster: Don’t fuck with me, you egghead bastard! You want to end up just like your buddy here? C’mon, take a good look. You think you’re tougher than him?
Luca: After we’re done with you’s we’re gonna grind you up in one of these machines here. It’s it’s just a question of whether I am going to be nice enough… to fucking kill you first! Argh… Hey, what’s that fucking stench? Argh!…Argh…
Gangster: Hey! Hey, somebody’s over there!
Gangster: Drop ‘em!
Gangster: Hey, who the fuck are you supposed to be? Jesus Christ. What, what, is Captain Shitbag here to save the day?
Vito: Shut the fuck up, Luca!
Luca: Hey, I know you! You’re that chump who was hanging around with that moron Barbaro. I thought you was still rotting in the can. What the fuck you think you’re doing here?
Vito: Falcone sent me. He isn’t too fond of skinny little cocksuckers trying to turn his guys into mincemeat.
Luca: So you joined up with Falcone, huh? Well, I’ll tell you what. If you knew what was really going on, you’d realize that you was better off in jail. But that don’t matter now anyway…
[Vito defends himself. He beats one of Luke’s men, Sammy, but he’s not going to give up. He is thrown an axe, and one of the hostages kicks Vito’s gun. Several shots are heard.]
Luca: (fleeing) Boys, take care of him!
Gangster: Oh, for crying out loud… Will you get me down, please?!
Tony Balls: You fucked with the wrong guys, assholes! Ugggggachahaha! Thanks, Vito. We owe you one. Eddie send you?
Vito: Yeah, he noticed he was a couple of guys shy at roll call.
Tony Balls: Shit… poor Frankie. I’m gonna kill that son-of-o-bitch. Beans, stay here… and don’t come out until we come get you.
Harvey Beans: OK, OK. Just don’t forget about me. OK, fellas?
[Vito goes to find Luca.]
Tony Balls: Alright, Vito. Let’s get that little fuck! Little cock sucker’s gonna piss his pants!
Luca: What’s going on, they dead yet?!
Tony Balls: Yeah, they are. And guess who’s next!?
Luca: A lot of guys with a lot of guns are already on their way over here. And they can’t wait to put you back on that hook.
Tony Balls: Shit, too late! Here they come!
Luca: Finally! What took you so fucking long? Kill those motherfuckers! There’s only two of ‘em. One smells like shit and the other one’s a retard. They ain’t got a chance!
[Vito fights them off.]
Tony Balls: OK, boys, find those bastards and kill ‘em. Then we grab Luca and get out of here. Go, go, go, move it! One more to go. Alright. Nice job. Now let’s go get that little cocksucker…
Vito: Yeah, before he makes any more fucking phone calls…
Tony Balls: Let me in.
Luca: Fuck you! Come on, just try and get in! Ha! Can’t do it, can you?Aw, that’s too fucking bad!
Tony Balls: Shit, I ain’t gonna be able to open it like this.
Vito: Yeah, we need something heavy like… like a battering ram.
Tony Balls: I know! We’ll use that cart!
[Meanwhile in Luca’s office…]
Luca: Ah, fucking… Son of a fucking… What the… Prick! Think he’s so fucking smart? Think you so fucking smart, huh? Go ahead! Try! Son of a bitch, what’s he doing over there?
[A cart coming into his office.]
Luca: Aaah - shit! Aaah, no! Aaah, God!
Tony Balls: Come here, you fuck!
Luca: Leave me alone! Leave me alone, you fucking bastard… No, wait, no, no! Wait! Aaah…
Tony Balls: (punching him) Now I’ll show you what it feels like you no good cocksucking son of a bitch!
Luca: Aaah, ugha, aaagh, eeegh…
Tony Balls: I’m gonna have a little fun with Luca before I grind him up. Want to join me?
Vito: Uhh… Thanks for the invitation, but I think I’ll pass on that…
Tony Balls: Hate the sight of blood, huh?
Vito: No, just hate the sight of Luca.
Tony Balls: Hehehe… I hear ya, but you’re missing out. I think I’m gonna try out the cattle prod he was yapping about.
Vito: Uh… yeah… Eddie wanted me to take care of him personally…
Tony Balls: Don’t worry about that, I’ll just take little longer that way. This fuck don’t deserve a quick death.
Vito: I can’t argue with that. OK, I’m gonna go. I stink like an outhouse, I gotta get cleaned up.
Tony Balls: And tell Eddie he don’t gotta worry about Luca. Yo, Beans! Open the door, it’s all over!
Harvey Beans: You?… You’re still alive?
Tony Balls: Yeah, what’d you expect? Look, before we go home you want to give me a hand with Sleeping Beauty here?
Harvey Beans: You know, that’s not such a bad idea…
[Vito goes to the Falcon to see Eddie.]
Eddie: (to his friend) So anyway, so… I got there a little late, right? And I walk in, no shit… and this girl I mean she’s built like a fucking brick shithouse, right? So she’s going down on him and he’s going "Oh God, oh God, oh God, ah" - Jesus Christ! Was that you? Vito? Oh Jesus Chr…! Why didn’t you take to fucking both before you came back?
Vito: You told me to come right back when I was done. You think I’m enjoying this?
Eddie: OK, OK, OK, what happened with Luca?
Vito: It’s done.
Eddie: Alright… How 'bout our guys? You find them?
Vito: Yeah, Luca had them in the slaughterhouse. Frankie’s dead, but Balls and Beans are fine. Luca was, uh, interrogating them when I got there.
Eddie: Any witnesses?
Vito: Well, except for a dozen or so of Luca’s bodyguards we ran into, nobody.
Eddie: Whoa, whoa. Back… back up, ok?
Vito: It was rough, Eddie.
Eddie: Yeah, it sounds like it got pretty hairy. But hey, you pulled it off you got out of there in one piece, right? So go get cleaned up before you ruin everybody’s appetite. And burn those fucking clothes you’re wearing… My God…
[Vito buys new clothes and goes back.]
Eddie: Hey, Vito. You made it.
Vito: Hey, Eddie.
Eddie: Oh nice threads.
Vito: Thanks. So uh, what’s the plan, fellas? What’s with the suits?
Joe: Vito! Mr. Falcone is going to bring us into the family tonight! You and me! We’re gonna be made!
Vito: No shit! Tonight?!
Joe: Yeah!
Vito: Really? Why didn’t you tell me before? What do we gotta do?
Eddie: You’ll find out. But first, there’s somebody who’d like to have a little word with you.
Vito: Leo! Good to see you! What are you doing here?
Leo Galante: Hehehehe… Hey, kiddo. I want to talk to you about what’s gonna happen today. Come here, have a seat.
Vito: Alright… Sure. And hey, thanks again for doing whatever you did to get me out of the can early.
Leo Galante: And now I’ve made good on my second promise to you.
Vito: Second promise?
Leo Galante: Yeah, I told you the next time we open the books, we’d recommend you, didn’t I? And now it’s done.
Vito: You had something to do with this? But you work for Frank Vinci…
Leo Galante: Yeah, I would’ve liked to have had you in our family, but I figure Joe there’s your best friend… you guys grew up together, just like me and Frank. And since Joe was working for Carlo the whole time you were inside, I recommended they take you in too when he got made.
Vito: Thanks, Leo. I… I don’t know what to say…
Leo Galante: You don’t gotta say nothing. Not to me or anybody else. That’s kind of the way this whole thing works, Vito.
Vito: Hahaha… Yeah.
Leo Galante: Now come on. We don’t want to keep ‘em waiting. Alright, I’ll see you fellas upstairs.
Joe: What was that all about?
Vito: Ahhh nothing, just you know, talking about old times.
Joe: Like that time when old Leo dropped the soap?
Vito: Fuck you!
Eddie: Alright, alright, alright that’s enough. Let’s go. You’s are like two school kids, I swear to God. Alright, wait here. Now listen to me, fellas, it’s one at a time. Once you’re inside, just do as you’re told, ok? Joe, come on in.
Vito: Hey, good luck.
[Vito’s got a long time to wait…]
Eddie: Alright, your turn, Vito.
[Vito enters a large room with a long dining table with mafia bosses sitting at it.]
Carlo Falcone: Gentlemen, this is Vito Scaletta. Vito, know that this family of ours is a secret. You are entering the society of the chosen. A society which does not exist to the rest of the world. Our family means more to you from now on then your own family, or God, or your country. If I ask you to kill your own brother, you must do it. Show me, which finger would pull the trigger?
[Eddie pierces Vito’s finger with a dagger and some drops of blood fall on the picture of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus. Eddie sets the picture on fire.]
Carlo Falcone: Repeat after me, Vito: If I were to betray the secret of our way of life…
Vito: If I were to betray the secret of our way of life…
Carlo Falcone: …May my soul burn in hell, just like this saint.
Vito: …May my soul burn in hell, just like this saint.
Carlo Falcone: Amico nostra. (Our friend.) Gentlemen, I give you our new friend, Vito Scaletta.
[He kisses Vito on the cheek.]
Carlo Falcone: I am very pleased to have these two talented and honest men join us. And I’m happy this has happened in the presence of our esteemed guests, especially Don Frank Vinci.
Vito: (offscreen) You might wonder why I’d take this risk again after spending almost seven years in the can. You see, where I grew up, the only guys who mattered were the guys who had the balls to take what they wanted.
Carlo Falcone: You’ll receive payments for your services from Eddie. Would you like to add anything, Frank?
Don Frank Vinci: Whatever you do gentleman, stay away from the dope! No dope! That’s our policy. You can make plenty of money, but it’s a filthy business.
Vito: (offscreen) And after years of doing everybody else’s dirty work, I was willing to risk anything to finally be somebody.
[We’re seeing Vito’s gangster’s life in motion. He breaks heads, buys expensive cars, cheats with papers, buys a house and kills people with his best friend. He lives a happy and busy life.]
Chapter 10 – ROOM SERVICE
VILLA SCALETTA, JUNE 15TH, 1951[Vito wakes up from a phone call.]
Vito: Ugh… Hello?
Eddie: Hey, Vito, it’s Eddie.
Vito: Hi, Eddie, what’s up?
Eddie: I need you to come over to Joe’s, right now.
Vito: Yeah… OK, alright… What’s happening?
Eddie: I-I-I can’t tell you over the phone.
Vito: Alright, I’ll be right there.
[He goes to Joe’s. He sees Marty and some gangster at his apartment door.]
Marty: I went at ‘em with a baseball bat and they looked like they was scored ‘til yesterday.
Vito: Morning, fellas.
Marty: Oh, hey, good mornin’, Vito!
Vito: Marty? What are you doing here?
Marty: Joe said you needed help, and since I did good with the greasers, he said he’d take me along again.
Vito: Take you along again, for what exactly?
[He’s knocking on the apartment door.]
Man behind door: They’re waiting for ya…
[Vito goes inside. The door behind him closes quickly.]
Marty: Yeah, well ah, I - I’ll talk to you later… heh. Yeah, that’s my man Vito.
Vito: Morning, Mr. Falcone.
Carlo Falcone: Hiya, Vito. Take a seat.
Vito: Hey, guys. Ugh… So what’s happening?
Carlo Falcone: I heard how you got rid of Luca, Vito. Good job. Thanks to you we have proof that Clemente was behind the attack on our guys. We couldn’t do anything to him openly ’til now. He just cut his own throat, he kidnapped and tortured our guys and that means war. Anything we do now, I’m gonna be able to justify before The Commission, Alberto knows this, so he’s gonna act quickly and try and come after us first.
Vito: So we’re gonna take out Clemente…
Eddie: Exactly. Turns out Clemente called a big meeting in the Empire Arms Hotel today. This is our best chance to get rid of him and his top guys.
Vito: Oh, sure, yeah. We’ll just waltz right in there and kill a few dozen heavily armed men, in broad daylight, in the nicest hotel in town. Is that about right?
Joe: Don’t worry. I got a plan.
[He pulls out a bunch of dynamite.]
Eddie: Shit! Joe. Put that thing away!
Joe: Eddie, don’t worry, it’s safe. I just gotta press this…
Eddie: For Chrissakes, put it away now! What’s the matter with you?
Joe: OK, OK. You’re such a chickenshit.
Vito: OK, OK, so now we’re gonna waltz right in and blow up the nicest hotel in town. Isn’t that overkill?
Joe: Don’t worry. This thing ain’t that powerful. It won’t blow up the whole building, but everybody in the room where it goes off… is deed meat.
Vito: How are we gonna know when to detonate it?
Joe: We’ll use a window washing platform. We’ll almost be able to watch it explode.
Vito: Since when are you the smart one?
Carlo Falcone: OK, fellas, I’m counting on you. If all goes well, I’ll have something for you. When it’s over, call Eddie of this number. Oh, by the way, I closed the bar today, just in case Alberto tried something.
Eddie: Hey good luck, fellas.
[Carlo Falcone and Eddie leave the apartment.]
Vito: Hey, what about that kid in the hallway?
Joe: You mean Marty? Uh, he ain’t part of the organization so he had to wait outside.
Vito: I mean… why is he here at all?
Joe: Why do you think? He’s going with us because we need a getaway driver and somebody to cover our asses. What do you got against him anyway? I known him since he was a little kid and he saved my ass with the greasers.
Vito: Yeah, but we’re not fighting a bunch of drunk dirtbags this time! We’re about to take out the most powerful family in this city, and you’re bringing a kid!
Joe: And how old were you when you started doing this shit? You’re talking like you’re some old fart. Look, Vito, he’s gonna wait in the car outside and drive us away. That’s it. He ain’t even gonna know what we’re doing there. He’s a great driver and that’s exactly what we need on this one.
Vito: OK, Joe, whatever. But I’m telling you right now. This is a bad idea.
[They leave the apartment.]
Marty: Hey, hey, Joe? So, uh, what kind of job is it?
Joe: The kind you don’t need to know about, capiche?
Marty: Uh, OK, but hey if you need it, I got my piece, right here.
Joe: Yeah, alright… Slow down, Billy the Kid alright? It’s not gonna be necessary. Let’s just go. We’ll take my car.
Vito: Alright. I’ll drive.
Joe: Just don’t go busting it up on the way there. This is our getaway car. Plus, I’m pretty sure that explosives and car crashes don’t go together too good.
Marty: Explosives!? Hahaha…
Joe: We’re going to the Empire Arms Hotel. Park in the underground parking lot, and use the back entrance.
Marty: So, uh, fellas, c’mon, tell me! What’s going on at the hotel, huh?! C’mon…
Joe: What, are you writing a book? I already told you everything you need to know!
Marty: Hey, I’m… You know, I’m just curious, you know? All this secrecy…
Vito: Marty, all this secrecy’s important. The less you know, the better off you are.
Joe: And if you keep asking questions, I’ll just gonna have to find somebody else to drive us next time.
Marty: OK OK! No more questions. Sure, sure, whatever… So you’re going to blow the hotel sky high, huh?!
Joe: Marty!
Marty: Sorry, sorry.
Joe: One more word out of you…
Marty: Alright, sorry! Not another word… Cross my heart!
Joe: Alright here’s the hotel. The entrance to the garage is on the other side. Park in there. And hey we gotta leave all our guns in the car. The last thing we need is one of Clemente’s goons searching us and finding them. Alright, Vito and me’ll go in and do what needs to be done. You wait for us here. When you hear a big boom, start the car up cause we’re gonna need to get the hell out of here pronto. And you won’t need that gun unless somebody follows us, but that shouldn’t happen.
Marty: OK, OK, I got you, Joe.
Joe: Clemente rented the entire 18th floor, the third one from the top. There’s a couple of suites and conference rooms up there and guards.
Vito: So how we gonna get up there?
Joe: Round the back through the laundry room.
Vito: What, you want to wash your shorts before we do this?
Joe: Wiseass. The meeting hasn’t started yet. We’ll grab some hotel worker uniforms, then we’ll go do a little "cleaning" upstairs.
Vito: Seriously - when did you become the smart one?
Joe: Fuck off. There’s supposed to be a guy waiting for us inside with the uniforms. Let’s go. And we don’t want to make a ruckus before Clemente gets here, so don’t go doing nothing stupid.
Vito: Haha. Shouldn’t I be telling you that?
Joe: (to Marty) Stay here.
Marty: Aah…. Always the fucking bridesmaid.
[Vito and Joe go to pick up the uniform.]
Joe: Ahh shit, it’s closed! The idiot was supposed to leave it open for us! Now we gotta wait and hope that asshole shows up. Fuck!
[Vito finds a way to get to the other side of the gate through the workshops.]
Idiot: Look, I’m really sorry I couldn’t get here sooner…
Joe: Another minute and you would’ve been late to your own damn funeral.
Idiot: Sorry, I was -
Joe: Alright, enough. Just get the hell out of here. See? I got it all under control. C’mon let’s go pick up our uniforms.
[They’re changing into cleaner’s uniforms.]
Joe: Vito, one more thing… here, put this on.
Vito: Are you fucking serious?
Joe: So nobody recognizes us, just put it on!
[He’s gluing a mustache.]
Vito: Great.
Joe: OK, let’s go.
Gangster: Hey, you two! Get over here! Clean up this fucking mess, you idiots. Clean this shit up, will you? Somebody’s gonna slip and break their neck.
[They’re starting to clean the floor. That’s when the doors of the nearby elevator open. Some poor worker covered in blood is pushed out of it.]
Henry: Let’s go, move it!
Gangster from the elevator: Hey you do. You got some more work upstairs waiting for you. Get moving.
Henry: Hey Richie, come with us.
Joe: That was fucking Henry!
Vito: Yeah.
Joe: Alright, c’mon, let’s get up there before he gets back.
[They’re getting into the elevator.]
Joe: Haven’t seen Henry in a while.
Vito: Hasn’t changed a bit.
Joe: Haha, yeah. I hope he don’t come back before we do our thing. Henry’s good people, even if he does work for Clemente.
Vito: Yeah… but what if he does?
Joe: Don’t even think about that…
Vito: I feel like an idiot with this thing on my lip.
Joe: Yeah? Well, what if we run into somebody we know? This way, they won’t recognize us.
Vito: Fucking hope so.
[They’re getting off the elevator.]
Gangster 2: About damn time. Where the hell you guys been? Somebody spilled something in the conference room. You’s ain’t gonna ask what it is, or how it got there. You’re just gonna clean it up. There’s a big meeting starting soon, and the boss ain’t gonna be too happy if the place ain’t sparkling by then. So if you’s know what’s good for you, you’ll get the place spick n’ span, and then get the fuck out of there. These two are here to clean up the uh… "mess."
Gangster 3: The mess? Oh! That mess… Alright, come on, you two! One of the guys, who was uh, here before. He uh… tripped and fell. The poor guy hit his head pretty hard… About five or six times… So now there’s blood all over the fucking place… And we got a meeting that’s supposed to start soon. So you gotta get this shit cleaned up, and you gotta make it snappy.
[They’re alone in the conference room.]
Joe: Fucking pricks!
Vito: Hey, calm down, will ya? They’re not gonna be around to bother you much longer.
[He’s setting up the explosives.]
Joe: Hehe. Yeah. Give me a hand here. Oh shit…. Oh fuck… the yellow… The blue… the plus into plus… the red and match in… negative…oh… the blue… and cross… perfect! Ok. The hard part is almost over.
[They’re scrubbing the blood on the floor so they don’t cause suspicion.]
Gangster 3: You miss a spot, asshole… Ah, looks like you’re done. Alright, you’s can get out of here.
Joe: OK, now let’s get to the roof.
Vito: That’s Clemente! We could take him out right now! If we had a gun…
Joe: Yeah, and we’d be dead in two seconds. Just take it easy and stick to the plan. Damn, I ain’t used to this much exercise. Why do they gotta put so many fucking stairs…. Vito… Vito! Hold on, I forgot something. Here, this is for you. Just in case something goes wrong.
[He pulls out a stashed gun.]
Vito: This is nice!
Joe: Some piece of work, huh? 1911 Cole with a modified dip.
Vito: Where the hell did you uh…
Joe: Holds twenty-three bullets, so the ammo goes quick. And don’t go losing it. These are the only two in the whole world.
Vito: Thanks.
Joe: Never mind. We gotta go to the window washing platform, c’mon. Shit! Clemente’s guys.
Vito: Ah, fuck me. Alright, let’s get outta here.
Gangster 3: Oh, this is like an oyster, hold on, hold on, check it out. (spits from the roof) Hey, what the fuck are you doing here? Get lost! Shit! They got guns!
[Vito shots him in the head. The second gangster starts shooting.]
Joe: OK, Vito, here we go! Be careful, there might be more of them.
[They kill all the gangsters on the roof and raise the window washer’s cradle.]
Window Washer: What the hell are you two doing? I wasn’t done with my - oh shit. Jesus OK… OK don’t shoot! I’ll do whatever you say!
Joe: Alright, put your hands behind your back. We aint’s gonna hurt you. Here’s some tape, tie him up.
Vito: You should consider your self lucky. Everybody else got shot.
Joe: OK, get on. We got work to do.
Vito: Hey… how much wire you got?
Joe: Enough.
Vito: How much is “enough”? Will it reach up to the roof?
Joe: Of course not! We’ll just go up one or two floors and blow it.
Vito: So much for you being the smart one.
Joe: What?
Vito: This is crazy. What if the explosion takes us out too?
Joe: It won’t. We’ll barely feel it.
Vito: We better not. If we fall off of this thing you’re gonna be dead before we hit the ground
Joe: OK, this is the right floor. Vito, grab the squeegee and start washing windows so we don’t look suspicious. I gotta connect the wires. Ahh… That’s it. OK, got it. Take us up a bit. Payback’s a bitch. Ahh… Yeah, most like clockwork. Hehehe. Ah, here we go. These assholes ain’t gonna kno…
[Suddenly the explosives go off.]
Vito: Jesus, fuck. Uoooh… Oh my God, what the fuck is it?
Joe: What the hell was that?
Vito: I don’t know… The thing just blew. We’ll barely feel it, alright?
Joe: Alright, alright. Let's go take a look.
Vito: I don’t know why I fucking listen to you. I swear you’re like a half a retard sometimes. (peels of the mustaches)
[They lower the cradle to conference room. ]
Vito: Shit.
Alberto Clemente: Ugh! What the… Jesus Christ, I almost pissed on my fucking shoes in here!
Vito: What a fucking mess.
Alberto Clemente: Felt like a fucking earthquake. What the fuck! (sees Vito) Oh, shit!
Vito: Lucky bastard…
Alberto Clemente: You assholes. You’re gonna die for this!
Joe: Fuck, we can’t let him get away! Come on, Vito!
[Clemente’s family boss runs away.]
Joe: Hey! We sure mode one hell of a mess.
Vito: Yeah, but it wasn’t enough. Move it!
Alberto Clemente: You… You assholes. I’ll get you’s…
[He shots a waiter.]
Waiter: Noo! I didn’t do anything… No!
Joe: Must’ve watered down his martini. Watch out! Behind them glass walls! Get that guy with the Tommy! Whoa, easy - that’s top-shelf hooch! All this good booze… going to waste!
Vito: I see you with a bottle in your hand, I shoot you myself!
Joe: Take the other door, Vito. I got the right side.
Vito: Fuck!
Joe: Ah, shit! This way, Vito, you won’t get through there! Ahh, fuck! The sprinklers are going off.
Vito: Really? ’Cause I thought it was raining…
[Clemente’s running into the elevator.]
Gangster: Quick, sir!
[The other elevator is starting to go up to the floor.]
Joe: Fuck! There’s more of them coming! Come on, assholes, I’m waiting for ya… Three… two…
[There’s an old cleaning lady inside.]
Lady: Hey, what the heck’s going on here?
Joe: Get out of there, lady. We ain’t got nothing against you.
Vito: Next time, bring a bigger bomb, will you?
Joe: Hey, how the fuck was supposed to know Clemente would be the bathroom?
Vito: He wouldn’t have been if the bomb didn’t go off early.
Joe: Don’t worry - we’ll get him.
[They get in the elevator and go down to the parking lot.]
Joe: Get that asshole on the catwalk! Watch it! Up there!
[Vito and Joe are running out to the parking lot. Clemente and the rest of his men are leaving in a car. Next to their car lies the corpse of their driver.]
Joe: Marty! No! No! Fuck! They shot him! He’s dead, Vito! Motherfuckers!
Vito: Alright, Joe… Joe, come on, we got to get out of here! You can’t help him now. Clemente’s getting away!
Joe: Let’s go! I’m gonna kill that fuck! Yeah? You think it’s over? Wrong, assholes! Alright, there’s two of ‘em. If they split up, make sure you follow Clemente, not the other guy.
Vito: I know how to drive, alright? Just be ready with the gun!
Joe: Don’t worry about that. Just follow Clemente. He’s in the black limo!
[He comes out of the car and starts shooting Clemente’s car with his Tommy.]
Vito: Hey, Joe. I got eyes too, you know…
Joe: Be careful, Vito!!!
[As soon as Vito catches up with Clemente’s car, Joe shoots the head of a mafia clan.]
Vito: That’s the end of him.
Joe: Can’t be sure unless to check.
[Joe gets out of the car reloading his tommy. He shoots Clemente’s car.]
Joe: This is for Marty. Now it’s over. Let’s go to my place.
[At Joe’s apartment…]
Vito: Eh, you wanna beer? Eh?
Joe: Give me Eddie’s number. I’ll call him.
Eddie: Hello?
Joe: This is Joe. It’s done.
Eddie: Everything went smooth?
Vito: No. It didn’t.
Eddie: Why?
Joe: Marty’s dead.
Eddie: What?
Joe: They got Marty, we left him there!
Eddie: Uh, OK- OK - what about Clemente?
Joe: Done.
Eddie: Alright! Hey don’t worry about the kid, small price to pay. The main thing is it’s done.
Joe: (screams) S… sm… small price? That’s my fucking friend you’re talking about!
Eddie: Hey, Joe don’t go taking it out on me! Calm down now, Joe. Joe, take it easy. Hey, Joe, don’t go taking it out on me! It was your idea and nobody forced the kid to go. I’m sorry but shit happens, right? Come by the Falcon tomorrow to get your money.
Joe: Yeah… whatever. (hanging up) The fuck you’re sorry!
Vito: Alright, take it easy now, alright? Calm down. I’m sorry too. More than you think, but you knew the risks.
Joe: You too?
Vito: Hey, this was a dangerous job. You took him along, he died. What you think the war was any different? And Eddie didn’t even know the kid, so don’t blame him.
Joe: You should go home.
Vito: Ok, well… Just give me a minute to get changed.
Joe: (to himself) Eh… I’m sorry kid, I am so sorry.
[Vito goes to Villa Scaletta and goes to sleep. At night, he wakes up from a phone call.]
Vito: Hello?
Man: Yeah, uh, i-is this uh, Vito?
Vito: Who’s asking?
Man: Name’s Leon. I’m the bartender at the Lone Star. I’m ringing you ’cause Joe Barbaro gave me your number. Says he’s a friend of yours?
Vito: Yeah, what about him?
Leon: Well, old Joe been guzzling my top-shelf hooch all night long dribblin’ on about some cat named Marty, and now he done just gone plain salty on me.
Vito: What the hell are you talking about?
Leon: Your friend is out of control, man! He all waving his gun around and shit, and we can’t talk no sense to him.
Vito: Great…
Leon: Now look, I ain’t looking for no trouble with you fellas. Could you please come pick his drunk ass up before he shoots somebody, or somebody calls the police? Vito, you got to come on down here and pick his ass up! You comin’ or not?
Vito: Alright, I’1l be right there. And hey! Don’t give him any more booze ’til I get there.
Leon: I’m a dry, but your friend, he ain’t gonna be down with that, you dig?
Vito: Hey if you don’t cut him off right now, I’m gonna cut you off when I get there, got it?
Leon: Alright man, alright. Just hurry!
Vito: Alright, how many people are in the bar right now?
Leon: Just me now. Joint was jumping about an hour ago, but now everybody done gone and split!
Vito: Alright, listen - lock the place up ’til I get there. I’ll be there in a minute.
Leon: OK, gotcha.
[Vito dresses up and goes to the bar.]
Leon: Vito, you here!
Vito: Alright, where is he?
Leon: Over in the corner there. Now look I tried to cut him off, but the motherfucker was gonna air my ass out if I did!
Vito: OK. Lock that door and just give me a minute with him.
[Vito’s coming up to the table that Joe’s sitting at. He’s holding a gun, and he’s clearly drunk.]
Vito: Had a couple, huh? How you feeling?
Joe: Vito! About time you showed up. Everybody went home already…
Vito: Gee, Joe, I wonder why?
Joe: (looks at the gun) Oh… Heh… Right.
Vito: You drive here?
Joe: No, I took a cab! I wouldn’t park my car in this neighborhood.
Vito: Alright, finish your drink and let’s go.
Leon: You fellas about to leave? I’ll let you out.
Joe: Well, Marty. Here’s to you kid. You went out like a man.
[He drinks from a huge bottle of whiskey.]
Leon: Shit, now where’d I put my keys?
Joe: (mumble) I’m so sorry kid.
Vito: Ehm… Ehm…
Joe: (mumble) This never should’ve happened. Never should’ve happened!
[He’s knocking a gun on the table and it’s shooting unexpectedly.]
Joe: Wow, Jesus!
Vito: Ahh shit.
[Leon falls on the floor.]
Vito: You gotta be kidding me. (screams) What… the fuck… is wrong with you?!
Joe: I was just…
Vito: You were just what? Shut your fucking mouth, and get your drunk ass outside!
Vito: Alright… Alright… I’m going…
[Vito drags the body to the bartender’s car and takes Joe home.]
Vito: Alright, we’re here. Try not to shoot anybody on the way to the front door, huh?
Joe: Thanks, Vito. And hey, I’m sorry about -
Vito: Look, just… Call me tomorrow, OK?
[Vito dumps the body and goes to his home to sleep the rest of the night.]
Chapter 11 – A FRIEND OF OURS
VILLA SCALETTA, JULY 27TH, 1951[Vito wakes up from the doorbell.]
Vito: Who the hell is that?
[When he walks out the door, he sees Henry Tomasino.]
Henry: Hey, Vito, long time no see.
Vito: Sure. Long time. What do you want, Henry?
Henry: A drink. Let’s take my car.
[They get in the car and leave.]
Henry: Well, I guess you know Clemente’s dead, along with everybody else. Listen, Vito, I know Falcone had something to do with this. And, I’m worried that he’s gonna wanna take out what’s left of the family.
Vito: And I should care about this why?
Henry: Well… yeah. Look, about you going away… I’m sorry for what Clemente did to you… But he got what was coming to him, right? I don’t give a rat’s ass about that old bastard. Matter of fact, I’d work for Falcone just the same…
Vito: You’re saying you want to join up with us?
Henry: Yeah, and since you work for him I thought uh, maybe… You think you could put in a good word for me?
Vito: Yeah, sure. Me and Joe can vouch for you.
Henry: Thanks, Vito. I owe you one.
Vito: So uh, how’s life?
Henry: You mean before or after half the guys I know got killed? That business at the hotel, you wouldn’t know anything about that would you?
Vito: Got no idea what you’re talking about…
Henry: That’s funny, ’cause a buddy of Joe’s got popped in the parking lot that day, so I just figured you two were in on it…
Vito: Buddy of Joe’s? Who you talking about?
Henry: You know that fuckin’ kid used to come into Freddy’s with Joe all the time - what’s his came uh, Mikey, uh, Micky… Whatever the fuck his name was…
Vito: You mean Marty?
Henry: Yeah yeah, that’s the kid. Kid has a voice like fucking Minnie Mouse.
Vito: Yeah yeah, I heard about that…
Henry: So you’re sure you weren’t there that day. You’re positive…
Vito: Let’s put it this way - me and Joe were out taking care of something for our boss that day. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Henry: You know what? It don’t matter anyway. But do me a favor, would you?
Vito: Yeah, sure.
Henry: Next time get a better disguise than a phony fucking moustache. I saw you two pricks from a mile away…
Vito: You know what, can we please not talk about this right now? Or ever again.
Henry: Don’t worry about it. You did what you had to do.
Vito: You ever get the feeling you’d be better off in a different line of work?
Henry: To be honest with you, not really. This is what I am. What I’m good at.
Vito: Yeah… And I guess it pays a hell of a lot better than being a fucking taxi driver.
Henry: I was thinking about skipping town after that business of the hotel, but where am I gonna go? What am I gonna do? That’s why I came to see you.
Vito: So I was your last resort, huh? Thanks. Hey, not for nothing how come you come to see me and not Joe?
[They enter the Maltese Falcon.]
Eddie: Hey, Vito.
Vito: You got that money for me?
Eddie: Always keep my word, don’t I? Here you go. Don’t spend it all in one place.
Vito: Thanks. Where’s Joe?
Eddie: Uh. He was here before, but then he left. Looked pissed off. Though lately, he always looks pissed off.
Vito: Yeah. Can you blame him? Listen, uh… I need to talk to you about something.
Eddie: What? Is it important? I’m busy with Vinci right now. He’s planning to make a move on us and we don’t know how or why… I-I… I gotta sort this shit out.
Vito: Yeah, well, I think it’s worth hearing me out.
Eddie: All right, go ahead. But make it quick.
Vito: Alright, a guy I know who worked for Clemente called me. He’s worried. He’s not sure if we’ll be going after the rest of Clemente’s guys or not.
Eddie: Hehe, oh that’s good. As far as I know, the boss ain’t planning nothing at this point. Unless they try something stupid.
Vito: OK. Well this guy also asked me if he could come work for us.
Eddie: Yeah? Who is it? What is he a friend of yours?
Vito: I did a few jobs with him for Clemente. Really knows his shit.
Eddie: Yeah… OK. Tell him to stop by.
Vito: Well, uh. He’s here right now.
Eddie: Hahaha, he is? Alright, go get him then…
Vito: Eddie, this is Henry Tomasino. Henry, this is Eddie Scarpa.
Henry: Pleased to meet you, Mr. Scarpa.
Eddie: Don’t call me Mr. Scarpa. My friends call me Eddie. And take a seat, Henry. So, Vito tells me you want to join up with us.
Henry: Yeah, I’m out of work right now, and I don’t want to make a big deal out of what happened.
Eddie: Now, that’s good thinking. Tell me something first, Henry - were Clemente and Vinci planning anything against our organization?
Henry: OK… I usually keep my nose out of things like that. But I was with Luca Gurino once at Leo Galante’s place and Luca was going on and on about Falcone being involved in some dirty business and that something should be done about it. I think he was trying to turn Vinci against you.
Eddie: That bastard! bet he was talking about drugs all the while he’s dealing them himself. He knows that Vinci is totally against this. Yeah, probably fooled the old man good. So that’s why he’s plannin’ to move on us… Now, we gotta hit him first.
Vito: Again?!
Eddie: Hey, if we don’t act, Frank will. First we’ve got to get rid of Galante. Without him, Frank’s fucked.
Vito: Leo!?
Eddie: I wanted to keep you out of it, but I didn’t have anybody else who could pull off a job like this. Now I’m thinking this could be the perfect opportunity for Henry here to prove himself. What do you say, Henry, you up for it?
Henry: If it means I’m in when the job’s done, sure…
Eddie: Exactly! Take care of Leo. And what about you, Vito? I’d feel a lot better if you went with Henry to make sure everything goes smooth. I don’t mean you gotta whack the guy. Just drive there, wait until it’s done and drive back. But if it don’t feel right I can ask somebody else instead. What do you say?
Vito: Sorry, Eddie. I can’t do this. Leo was like a father to me back in the can.
Eddie: Yeah, I understand. Well, looks like you gotta take care of this yourself, Henry. You can hire some help if you want, but you gotta do this so nobody suspects it was us. Leo lives in Highbrook.
Henry: Got it. Don’t worry. It’ll be done today.
Eddie: OK, you better get going then.
Henry: See you later, Eddie.
[He leaves.]
Eddie: It’s a good thing you brought him here. Even if he screws up, nobody will know it was us.
Vito: I don’t think Henry’s gonna screw it up.
Eddie: That’s good. Well, Vito, got nothing else for you today, but, drop by tomorrow, OK?
Vito: Yeah. I’ll see you later, Eddie.
Eddie: See you.
[Vito decides to make something stupid for a change and warn Leo Galante. He goes all the way to his mansion, breaking the gates and running into the hallway screaming.]
Vito: Leo! Leo, you here!?
[Leo didn’t appreciate the heroic deed and thought it was going to be robbed.]
Leo Galante: How the hell did you get in here!? Get out of here or I’ll shove this gun up your ass.
Vito: Leo, Leo, put it away. It’s me, Vito!
Leo Galante: Vito? What the hell are you doing here? You could have called first…
Vito: Leo, there’s no time to talk, you gotta get out of here quick, they’re after you!
Leo Galante: What? Come upstairs, Vito, my feet are getting cold. Want a drink?
Vito: Do I want a drink? What the fuck is wrong with you?
[Vito walks back and forth through the room like a virgin on a first date. Leo sits quietly in a chair.]
Leo Galante: OK, so what’s happening?
Vito: Look, Falcone wants you dead. The guys are on their way. You gotta get out of here!
Leo Galante: What? Why the hell would I do that?
Vito: Look, Falcone heard Vinci’s planning to make a move on him, because Clemente lied and said that he was in the dope business.
Leo Galante: Lied?! Vito Carlo Falcone is in the dope business. Everybody knows that. Clemente tried to muscle his way into the business, so Falcone got rid of him. Now he wants to get rid of us too… Before we make a move on him.
Vito: How do you know all this?
Leo Galante: I got my sources. Why did you come here again?
Vito: Why?! What are you getting senile on me? Because they’re going to kill you! Stop talking for Chrissake, get dressed and let’s go.
Leo Galante: Why don’t we just get rid of whoever Carlo sent to whack me? We got the advantage. They don’t know we’re expecting them.
Vito: I can’t do that. I know the guy… I’m actually the one who got him the job.
Leo Galante: What? You hired your friend to whack me?
Vito: No, not exactly. Look, I don’t have time to explain. He’s gonna be here any minute!
Leo Galante: OK. Wait here, I’ll get dressed.
Vito: Shit, too late, they’re here. Oh, shit… Henry can’t see me here! We gotta hide - quick, before he comes up here. Hey… We could hide under the bed!
Leo Galante: You gone nuts?
Vito: Hey, maybe we can hide in the shower.
[Soon Vito’s brilliant plans are over - Henry finds them.]
Henry: Vito!? What the hell are you doing here?!
Vito: All right, take it easy, Henry. Put the gun down and send the guys away. I’m gonna explain everything.
Henry: Boys! Wait for me outside! If I don’t come out in a few minutes, come looking for me. Take a seat. What the hell is going on here?
Vito: Look, Henry, Leo is a friend of mine, alright? He helped me out when I was in prison, he pretty much saved my life… And he’s the reason I got made. Look, I didn’t know Eddie was going to put a contract out on him. I had to warn him, you gotta understand!
Henry: Yeah, but you gotta understand that I can’t afford to screw this up. If I let Leo go, Falcone will think I fucked him on purpose and he’ll have me killed.
Vito: Dammit, Henry, I’m your friend here! I’d do the same thing for you and you know it!
Henry: This has nothing to do with friendship, Vito. This business, and if I screw up, I’m done. I can’t let him go. I took a contract and I gotta finish the job. If you don’t wanna watch, you can leave. And don’t worry about me. I won’t tell anybody you were here.
Vito: Look, Leo told me that all of this is because Falcone’s into drugs! He’s breaking the rules and he wants to get rid of anybody who knows about it!
Henry: So what? The only people who aren’t breaking those rules are Frank Vinci and Leo here. And those aren’t the people who pay me.
Leo Galante: Vito… Thanks for everything, but leave us now. I’ve had a long and good life. It’s not worth risking your neck to buy an old man a few more years.
Vito: No, Leo! There’s got to be a way…
Leo Galante: Vito… Go.
Henry: Sorry, Vito. I won’t tell anybody you were here. Just make sure nobody sees you leave.
[Vito comes out of the room and smokes a cigarette. A shot is heard. Henry leaves the room.]
Henry: You owe me big for this one, pal.
Vito: What?
Leo Galante: Hey, kid.
Vito: Leo?!
Leo Galante: You want a drink?
Vito: What the hell happened?
Leo Galante: Your friend and I made a deal. I’m gonna disappear. There’s nothing left for me in this town anyway since my wife passed. And I was planning to retire someplace warm anyway. Well, first, let’s get out of here before your friend charges his mind. OK, Vito, now get me over to the train station if you wouldn’t mind. This town’s been good to me, but now it’s time to say goodbye.
Vito: You gonna go there in your PJ’s?
Leo Galante: Damn right I am. I’d rather be drive in my pajamas than dead in a three-piece suit.
Vito: You uh, gonna tell Frank what happened?
Leo Galante: Sure I am, but don’t worry ain’t gonna mention your name. You’re going to have enough to worry about as it is.
Vito: Thanks, Leo. You know this whole thing got – complicated – real fast. You know?
Leo Galante: Of course, it did Vito… What’d you expect - you swear the oath, you put on a fancy suit, and then it’s one big party? Carlo’s always been a shady bastard, even for guys in this business. I’ve been warning Frank about him for years.
Vito: So what are you gonna do now?
Leo Galante: I’m gonna disappear let things to their course Gonna take the first train to Lost Heaven. Make a few phone calls, settle my affairs. Then I’m gonna head for the airport and I’m gonna go some are warm. This time tomorrow I’m gonna be sitting on a beach somewhere sipping one of them fruity drinks will the umbrella in ‘em. Alright, here it is. Thanks for everything Vito Just promise me that you’re never going to be as stupid as you were today. Risking your neck like this just to buy an old man a few more years…
Vito: Enjoy your vocation, old man.
[He goes home and finds his sister sitting on his doorstep.]
Vito: Frankie, what are you doing here?
Francesca: Vito, I don’t know what to do. I can’t go back home. I don’t want to see him ever again.
Vito: Whoo, what happened? See who?
Francesca: Eric!
Vito: Your husband? Why?
Francesca: He drinks, and he parties all the time… And he…
Vito: Whoa, whoa… Does he hit you?
Francesca: No, but he’s seeing somebody… I know he is.
Vito: (strict tone) Does he hit you?
Francesca: Sometimes…
Vito: Son of a bitch, I’ll kill him!
Francesca: No, Vito! Please don’t hurt him. I just thought you could talk to him. He’ll listen to you!
Vito: Where is he?
Francesca: I don’t know. He has a friend who lives on River Street. That’s usually where he is.
Vito: OK, OK, alright, it’s gonna be alright. Alright listen, hey, hey, when you feel better you go home. I’ll talk to Eric. If that bastard doesn’t come back today and apologize, you call me. But don’t worry. I have a feeling he will.
Francesca: OK, Vito, but please don’t hurt him, please…
Vito: Don’t worry. I’ll go talk some sense into him, OK?
[He goes to the River Street apartment. He finds Eric at another party in the arms of a half-naked girl.]
Vito: Eric?
Eric: What the fuck do you think you’re doing? I’m busy here, OK? Get lost.
Vito: I think you should be "busy" taking care of your wife, asshole!
[He hits him over the head with an empty champagne bottle.]
Vito: I’ll teach you to hit a woman!
[He’s beating up Eric pretty good.]
Vito: Consider this a warning, you touch my sister again I will fucking kill you! Alright?
Eric: Yeah…
Vito: From now on, you’re going to stay home, stay off the dope, stop the drinking, and make sure she’s fucking happy. If I ever, ever hear she’s not happy, I’ll find you and finish the fucking job. You got it?
Eric: Ehh, yeah.
Vito: OK, everybody, party’s over! And there won’t be any more partying with this guy again, ever! Unless you want me to come back and do the same to the rest of you’s, got it?!
[He’s going home. When he walks into the house, he hears a phone call and picks up the phone.]
Francesca: Vito, it’s Francesca. Eric came home and he’s all beat up. You said you wouldn’t hurt him!
Vito: He probably got in a fight. You know he’s been hanging out with a very bad crowd.
Francesca: He apologized for everything, Vito. He promised he’ll be good to me. It’s all ok now. So, you’ll leave him alone, won’t ya?
Vito: Hey, whatever you want. But if he hurts you again, I’ll kill him.
Francesca: Listen to yourself, Vito! I-I-I don’t know you anymore. Look, you, you stay away from us, you understand? Just, just… Stay away!
[Vito, go to bed. At night three cars approach his house…]
Thug: Torch the place! Do it now! Burn, you dago cunt. Burn! Hahahahaha!
[They’re throwing Molotov cocktails at Vito’s house. It’s burning up.]
Vito: My house! Fuck!
[He gets out the window in his underwear and runs to Joe’s house under fire.]
Vito: C’mon, Joe! Don’t tell me you’re not home. Let’s go! You better not be passed out. C’mon!
Joe: Hold your horses, I’m coming, I’m coming… What, were you barbecuing in your underwears?
Vito: Yeah. Can I come in?
Joe: Oh! Yeah, yeah, of course, I’ll fix you a drink.
[Vito’s noticing that Joe’s done some redecoration.]
Vito: What the fuck…
Joe: Nice, ain’t it?
Vito: What the hell happened to this place?
Joe: I spruced the joint up a little. What do you think?
Vito: Yeah, it’s really uh… Different.
Joe: Yeah, huh? I decorated it myself! So what the hell happened? Here, take this. (gives him a glass of whiskey)
Vito: Those crazy fucking micks.
Joe: What about ‘em? What did they do??
Vito: They tried to fucking kill me!
Joe: What?!
Vito: And they burned my fucking house down.
Joe: Son of a bitch… So what are you gonna do? You want to go deal with the micks right now?
Vito: Damn right I do.
Joe: Alright. Relax, have a drink, let me make a few phone calls. And uh take a look in my closet. Unless you want to go on a rampage in your skivvies.
Vito: Thanks. Thought you’d never ask.
[The only thing in the closet is that Joe wears - a red shirt with flowers and trousers.]
Vito: Oh, great. A fucking clown suit. Can get down to any worse?
Joe: (calling) Hey. It’s Joe. Yeah, I know, I know. But I need a favor. A bunch of micks tried to kill a good friend of mine tonight. Burned his house down. I wanna know who they are and where they’re operating out of.
[Meanwhile, Vito is looking at Joe’s apartment.]
Vito: Ah, the bed’s not too bad. Wow kitchen’s pink too…
Joe: Hey. You’re gonna have a lot worse to worry about if you don’t tell me. Mickey Desmond… Oh, oh, he is. Well, that explains it. Where she now?
Vito: (about Joe’s bathroom) Now THIS place deserves to be burnt down.
Joe: Yeah, yeah, I know the place. Alright, thanks. (hangs up) Hey, you finally got some style. I’m gonna want that shirt back by the way they do make threads like these no more.
Vito: Yeah, there’s a reason for that you know. Where we going?
Joe: The Hill of Tara, the mick point in Kingston. C’mon, I’ll tell you the most in the car.
[They’re getting into the car. Vito drives as usual.]
Joe: Alright… so you heard anything about the micks lately?
Vito: No, nothing. Why?
Joe: The micks got themselves a new boss, name’s Mickey Desmond. There’s a few other guys who want to take his spot, so he’s trying to show everybody that he means business.
Vito: What the hell does that have to do with me?
Joe: Brian O’Neill. He was Desmond’s cousin.
Vito: Ahh, should’ve known.
Joe: My money’s on him being down at that shithole joint right now, laughing it up with the rest of those fuckin’ yo-yos.
Vito: So, let’s get over there and deal with him.
Joe: That’s the plan. Sounds like there ain’t many of ‘em left, so I guess we should just storm the place. Surprise the shit out of ‘em.
Vito: I like this plan. Assholes… Burnt my fucking house down…
Joe: Relax, we’ll be there in a minute. Shit, you’re gonna need a piece. I almost forgot.
Vito: Yeah, if you got one that would be good. If not, I’ll just beat ‘em to death with my bare hands. Makes no difference to me.
Joe: Should be one in here somewhere… Ah, here it is, here you go.
Vito: Thanks.
[He’s pulling up to the café.]
Joe: Ready, Vito? C’mon, let’s go get these fucks.
Thug: (to his friends) I told you! I chased him, but I lost him! That coward ran away! But I’ll find him, and when I do…
Vito: You were the one who ran away, asshole.
Thug: Ah fuck! You… You’ve got some balls…
Vito: Yes, I do.
[He kills everyone in the café.]
Vito: Hey, there’s more of ‘em in that car! Let’s go, they’re getting away.
Joe: Alright, come on. You drive.
[Vito catches up with them and shoots them in the head.]
Vito: That takes care of that. Stupid fucks…
Joe: Well, that takes care of that, huh?
Vito: Yeah. But it don’t give me my house back.
Joe: Don’t worry. Business is looking good, you’ll have the cash for a new one real soon.
Vito: Yeah, I sure as hell hope so.
Joe: Alright, let’s go back home.
Vito: So, it’s ok if I crash on your couch, right?
Joe: I can do one better than that. Here, take these keys. They’re for Marty’s apartment. I’m trying to get rid of it right now for his mother. So uh, you might as well use it while I do.
Vito: Thanks. I guess.
Joe: Don’t thank me buddy. You’re too old to be sleeping on my couch. Plus I just bought the thing. I don’t want you lousing it up. Marty’s apartment’s over in Oyster Bay. So, you feel better now?
Vito: Not really. What we did back there doesn’t even start to make up for it.
Joe: Hey, all that stuff that got burnt up, it’s just things, Vito.
Vito: Just things? Hey, those were my things, Joe. Why do you think I do the shit we do anyways? It’s to buy things, ya know, suits, cars, broads, houses. Now I’m back to scratch. And all my damn cash was in that house too. I promised myself I’d never be poor again, end up a fucking wharf rat like my old man.
Joe: Hey, hey, I understand. Don’t worry, we’ll think of something. You’ll be back on your feet in no time.
Vito: The glass is always fucking half full with you, isn’t it? OK, I’ll see ya around, I guess…
Joe: See ya, buddy. Sorry about tonight.
[Vito goes to Marty’s apartment.]
Vito: What a fucking dump. God, wish I had the cash for a hotel. (looking at girls pics near Marty’s bed) Fuck, this is creepy.
[Suppressing disgust, Vito goes to bed.]
Chapter 12 – SEA GIFT
MARTY’S APARTMENT, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 1951Vito: (thinking) My house burnt to the ground, along with almost every penny I had. There was even some trouble with the cops, but Eddie took care of that. And since I didn’t have any insurance, I had to live in this shithole of an apartment ’til I could get back on my feet… At least I managed to save Leo. He disappeared without a trace. I doubt Frank Vinci ever knew where he went. And even though Henry failed to deliver on the contract, Eddie still brought him in when he heard Leo had skipped town. Me and Joe had a new partner.
[Vito picks up the ringing phone.]
Henry: Hey, Vito, it’s Henry.
Vito: Hey.
Henry: Listen, I’m setting up something big - I want you to come in on it. If you’re interested in hearing more, come meet me at Lincoln Park. And bring a piece.
Vito: OK. I’ll see you there.
[He drives to Lincoln Park.]
Henry: Hey, here he comes.
Joe: Hey.
Vito: What’s up?
Henry: Hey, Vito, take a seat. Alright, listen. I’ve been doing some research into Carlo’s business.
Joe: So?
Henry: So, the only reason he had Clemente killed was because he was selling dope too and he was stealing his customers. Now he just needs to get rid of one last obstacle. The one guy who could fuck things up and ruin his plan to become the main supplier for the whole city. Frank Vinci.
Vito: Where’d you get all this?
Henry: I talked to a few people I trust.
Joe: OK, so what does this have to do with us?
Henry: Because… if he can do it, why can’t we? A kilo of heroin costs twenty-hundred bucks over in France. Then it’s another thousand bucks to get it here.
Joe: And?
Henry: And we pickup eleven grand for just driving the stuff to the dealers! That’s seventy-five hundred bucks profit a kilo!
Joe: Hmmm.
Vito: Yeah, but what about Falcone?
Henry: Carlo won’t find out. And even if he does, he’ll just threaten us and demand a cut.
Vito: Alright, but if Carlo’s the only big supplier in the city, where are you going to buy the stuff from?
Henry: I’m way ahead of you. What do you two know about the Tongs?
Joe: The chinks?
Vito: Some kind of organization for Chinese immigrants, right?
Joe: That’s what I said, the chinks.
Henry: Right. But it’s also a front for their "other" operations. They run the Chinese quotes, and they keep to themselves. But some of them are interested in doing business with outsiders, and they need middlemen since most people are afraid to deal with them.
Vito: And we’re the middlemen…
Henry: Yeah. They’ll give us ten kilos to start.
Joe: For how much?
Henry: Thirty-five grand.
Joe: And we can sell it for?
Henry: A hundred and ten.
Joe: (whistling) Nice…
Vito: OK, well, where the hell we are going to get our hands on thirty-five grand?
Henry: I know a loan shark. The Yid over on Palisade. I think he’ll loan us thirty-five if we give him forty-five back. Now that means our take is over twenty grand apiece. Not bad for just moving the shit from one place to another.
Vito: Yeah… But you know, who’s going to end up using this crap?
Henry: What do you care? As long as it isn’t in our neighborhood.
Vito: Because Vinci was right! Drugs are bad news, they kill people.
Henry: Look, only idiots do drugs - deadbeats and losers. If they wanna kill themselves so badly, I’ll gladly help them out. Especially for twenty grand. I got buyers in the ghetto. They’ll take core of the distribution, so we don’t need to worry about that. Are you guys in or not?
Joe: I’m in. C’mon, don’t be stupid, Vito. Twenty fucking grand in one afternoon!
Vito: Ah… When?
Henry: Right now. If we don’t take the offer the Tongs will just find somebody else.
Joe: Come on, Vito, it’ll be a piece of cake.
Henry: Let’s go see Bruno then. Vito, how about you run us all down there. He’s on Palisade Street.
Vito: OK, let’s go.
[They’re going to Southport to visit the loan shark.]
Joe: So who is this guy we’re going to see, Henry?
Henry: His name’s Bruno. He’s one of the only guys in town who can do a loan this big.
Vito: What if he doesn’t give it to us, then what?
Henry: Then the deal’s off. But don’t worry, I know this guy. He’ll give us the money.
Joe: There ain’t nobody else we can get this kinda money from
Henry: There’s three other guys that I know of. But if you want to ask Carlo or Frank Vinci for thirty-five grand, be my guest.
Vito: Yeah, no thanks.
Joe: Who’s the third guy?
Henry: He ain’t in business no more. Somebody blew up a room full of his guys then shot him point blank in the face with a Tommy gun.
Vito: Oh, that guy.
Joe: Come on. We said we wasn’t gonna talk about that.
Vito: Alright. So, Henry, what is this guy rich or something?
Henry: I think he gets his money from some of the bosses from out of town who sit on the Commission
Joe: Yeah? No shit!
Henry: Yeah. Which is why we can’t stiff the guy… Besides, we gotta keep this quiet.
Vito: Can we trust him?
Henry: Sure. Wiseguys been borrowing money from this guy forever. Long as we pay him back on time, we won’t have a problem. Alright, stop right here, Vito.
[They’re walking down a narrow alley and Henry’s knocking on the iron door. A gloomy face looks out of the flap.]
Henry: Hi, fellas. We’re here to see Bruno.
[The door opens and the guys go inside.]
Guard: Hiya, Henry. If you got guns on you’s, put ‘em down there. I gotta search you’s.
[After the search, they come to the table where sits a middle-aged man with small round glasses. His eyes, voice and behavior immediately shows experience and intelligence.]
Henry: Hiya, Bruno.
Bruno: Hello, Henry. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?
Henry: I need thirty-five grand in twenty dollar bills.
Bruno: Ah, that’s a lot of money, Henry, a lot of money. Tell me, why should I give that much too smalltime guy like you, huh? Convince me.
Henry: I got a sure thing. You’ll have forty-five by the end of the week.
Bruno: What kind of sure thing?
Henry: Sorry, Bruno That’s a trade secret.
Bruno: Then forty-five is not enough. I’d be more comfortable with sixty-five.
Henry: That’s a bit steep, even for you. Fifty is all I can do.
Bruno: Henry, Henry… I have no guarantee I’ll get my money back, and you have nowhere else to go. So… How about sixty? Don’t think of it as interest, it’s more like my cut of the profits.
Henry: Fifty five, final offer. Anything more than that, it’s not worth my time,
Bruno: Deal. I’ll give you thirty-five thousand dollars today and you’ll give me fifty-five thousand by Friday. If you don’t pay it back by then, the debt goes up by ten thousand every week.
Henry: You’ll get it by Friday.
Bruno: OK. Isaac, prepare thirty-five thousand dollars in twenty dollar bills. Now you know I trust ya, Henry. But if you screw me, remember these wise words from the Bible: And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Henry: Exodus, Chapter 22, Verse 24.
Bruno: Hehehe. I’m impressed. You don’t seem like the churchgoing type. Eh, but just remember, the money isn’t mine, so even if you get rid of me that doesn’t get rid of your debt. So no funny business, OK, boys?
Henry: Sure, Bruno.
[Bruno’s man brings him a suitcase.]
Bruno: Thank you, Isaac. You want to count it, Henry?
Henry: I’ll take your word for it. And I’ll bring it back on Friday along with your "cut".
Bruno: I hope so. Good luck, boys.
[The guys go out of the building and go to the Sea Gift warehouse.]
Joe: Nice job Henry.
Henry: Of course. I told you he’d give us the dough, didn’t I?
Joe: So, how come you know the Bible so good, Henry? You read it or something?
Henry: Bruno always uses the same quote. I go to church on Sundays, so I asked the priest one time.
Joe: You go to church?!
Henry: Yeah, and I can understand why you don’t. They use big words, there’s no hookers, and the food’s lousy.
Joe: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
Henry: Jeez, I ain’t been there since ’45.
Joe: What that time your mother more you go to confession?
Henry: Yeah, that time she smacked me for checking out some chick’s coolie. Ah, God rest her soul.
Vito: How about you Joe? How long’s it been?
Joe: Easter…
Vito: Ah, that ain’t too bad.
Joe: …1941.
Vito: I take that back then. You’re going straight to hell. What you’re just figuring that out now?
Joe: Don’t worry, I’ll save seats for the both of you’s… You know I heard about a loan shark named Bruno once, must be the same guy.
Vito: Yeah. What did you hear?
Joe: Well, you know Micky the Crab, right?
Vito: What, the guy who cleans the bathroom of Carlo’s joint?
Joe: Yeah, the guy who’s only got a finger and thumb on his left hand. Guess how that happened? I heard he owed a lot of money to some yid from Southport. You get my drift?
Vito: Oh, right, I get the picture.
Joe: Haha, don’t worry, though. Crab’s a moron, nutn’ like that’s gonna happen to us.
Henry: Alright, we’re almost there. Drive through the gate, and into the yard.
[Once they get into the warehouse, they get out of the car.]
Henry: Alright, follow me, fellas. And let me do all the talking. Hey. We got some business with your boss.
Chinese guy: Greetings, Mister Tomasino.
[He’s taking the guys to the room behind the warehouse. They are searched again.]
Chinese Boss: Welcome, Henry.
Henry: Hello, Mr. Wong.
Mr. Wong: Let us get straight to business. Is your suitcase heavy enough?
Henry: See for yourself.
Chinese Guy: (speaking Chinese) Eleven pounds of twenty-dollar bills sir. Thirty-five thousand dollars.
Mr. Wong: Alright, take it away and bring the goods. You’re a good man, Henry. Here is your "merchandise." Each bag contains one kilo. Each kilo weighs a little more than two pounds. Which one do you want to test?
[Henry checks the weight and quality of the "product" by trying it from a knife.]
Henry: OK, we’re good.
Mr. Wong: I’m glad. Next time, we can give you twice the amount.
Henry: It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wong.
Mr. Wong: The pleasure was all mine.
[Henry’s handing over a suitcase with powder to Joe. He teases him, bowing in a Chinese way.]
Henry: Knock it off. See how easy that was? Let’s get back in the car.
[They’re coming out of the building.]
Henry: Alright, fellas. The hard port’s over. Now we just gotta make the exchange and we’re done.
Joe: Sounds good to me…
Vito: Where we headed?
Henry: Hunters. I got it all lined up.
[On the way out of the alley, they’re met by a lot of cops armed with machine guns.]
Policeman: Hello, gentlemen.
Joe: Fucking setup.
Policeman: I think you have something for us. Drop the suitcases.
Joe: Hmm, nice shoes!
Henry: Wait a minute, these guys ain’t cops!
Policeman: Kill the bastards!
Henry: Shoot, Vito!
[There’s a big shootout coming in.]
Henry: Vito, watch our back! Here comes more of ‘em!
Joe: Hold on… I got him… Bingo.
Henry: Nice, but there’s still too many of ‘em. Come on!
Joe: Aw shit, can’t go back that way… Run!
Henry: Move your asses! Vito, watch our back! Stay away from these windows, fellas.
Joe: No sense staying up here! Let's get down there!
Henry: Vito! Kick the door in!
Joe: These guys just don’t fucking learn…
[They make their way to the car, get into it and drive away, breaking through the warehouse gates.]
Joe: Shit, that was fucking close…
[They’re being chased right away.]
Vito: It’s not over yet! They’re coming after us.
Joe: Fuck, lose ‘em!
[Henry and Joe are having a real shootout with the thugs. Vito comes off the chase.]
Vito: What the fuck was that, Henry?
Henry: No idea. Somebody else must have known about the deal. Those definitely weren’t real cops.
Joe: Maybe it was the chinks trying to fuck us?
Henry: I doubt it. Look, I’ll figure it out, but first we gotta unload this stuff. Vito, take us to the old warehouse in Hunters.
Vito: Alright. Hope this next deal goes better than the last one.
Henry: It will. Not like it could go any worse, right?
Vito: So who we selling the stuff to?
Henry: A bunch of different guys.
Vito: Who who whoa! What do you mean "a bunch of different guys"?
Henry: A bunch of different guys. What did all that shooting back there make you deaf?
Vito: I thought you said we were just moving this garbage from one place to another.
Henry: Yeah, well ya make a lot more money if ya sell it in smaller amounts.
Vito: Would’ve been really nice to know before I agreed to go in on this.
Henry: If I did, from the way you were talking back in the park, you probably wouldn’t have.
Vito: Yeah. Exactly.
Henry: Hey, the best you could hope for right now is to spend the next 30 years of your life breakin’ your ass for Eddie and Carlo before you either get bumped off or end up back in the con. The only time you’re ever gonna see cash like this is if you stick your neck out. Besides, I ever steer you wrong?
Vito: Well… There was the OPA job and that time we almost got killed when we whacked that fat fuck in Sand Island.
Henry: Alright alright, enough. None of that matters after today. Let’s just get to Hunters. And don’t worry, we’re never gonna have to see these scumbags again after today.
Joe: Unless this turns into a regular thing for us…
Vito: Whoa… Alright, let’s just concentrate on getting through this one before we go making plans like that, alright?
Joe: Hey, I’m just saying…
Henry: Vito’s right. Let’s just get through the rest of the day. After that, smooth sailing, fellas. Here we are. Let me do the talking. These are tough guys so no wiseass comments. Alright, Joe?
[They get out of the car and come to the front door, where there are two black guys smoking weed.]
Henry: Hey, guys, how are you doing?
Guard: Hey, man. Come on in.
[Joe’s asking me to let him have a joint. He makes a puff and starts coughing.]
Joe: Shit, good smoke, fuck…
[Some time later, our novice drug dealers leave the building.]
Joe: We did it! We hit the jackpot…
[He starts dancing.]
Henry: Hey hey hey, take it easy, we’re not done yet.
Joe: Lighten up, will you, Henry? What’s the matter? All of a sudden, money don’t make you happy!
Henry: After we pay back Bruno and you get your cut, then you could be happy.
Joe: Alright, alright.
[In classical montage they sell drugs and have fun. Cheerful music is playing.]
Chapter 13 – EXIT THE DRAGON
JOE’S APARTMENT, SEPTEMBER 24TH, 1951Whore: You ain’t ever gonna give me a tip?
Joe: You want a tip? I’ll give you a tip. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Whore: Always the gentlemen, huh Joey?
Joe: Hahaha, just get the fuck out of here already.
Girl from the Bar: (lying in the bathtub) Hey, Gina! Wanna come join me?
Vito: Hey! I hope there’s room for three in there.
[After the time it takes for twenty-six-year-old Vito to bathe with two girls, he answers the phone.]
Vito: Barbaro’s Bordello. You got the money, we got the honeys.
Henry: Vito, it’s Henry. We got a problem.
Vito: What kind of problem?
Henry: Eddie paid me a visit. Carlo knows about the deal, and he sent Eddie to pick up his cut.
Vito: Ugh. How much?
Henry: Sixty grand.
Vito: Fuck that much?! What’re we gonna do?
Henry: I don’t know, we don’t even have enough left for Bruno. Meet me in the park, I don’t want to talk about this over the phone.
Vito: OK, I’ll be right there. Joe. We gotta go.
Joe: What? What for?
Vito: Now, Joe. I’ll tell you on the way.
Joe: Alright. Girls, lock up when you leave. Me and Vito got business. So what the hell’s going on?
Vito: That was Henry on the phone. Carlo found out about the deal.
Joe: Ahhh shhhhhit! Does he know we was involved?
Vito: I don’t think so. Let’s talk about it in the car.
Joe: Where we headed?
Vito: Lincoln Park.
Joe: We meeting Henry there?
Vito: Yeah.
Joe: Alright, so what’d Henry say on the phone? He OK?
Vito: Sounded OK. But Carlo took his cut of the take.
Joe: Fuck. Just like Henry said he’d do if he found out.
Vito: Yeah, but now the problem is we don’t even got enough to pay Bruno back.
Joe: Aah, shit! What the hell are we gonna do?
Vito: I don’t know. We’ll figure it out when we get to the park.
Joe: Yeah. Henry’ll know what to do.
[They drive up to the park and get out of the car so they can walk to it.]
Vito: Henry’s different these days, the guy’s got a real… What the fuck?
Joe: What the fuck’s going on!? Shit, that’s Henry! What the fuck are they hitting him with?!
[Henry’s lying on the asphalt by the park. A few Chinese people beat him with their feet and cut him with knives. Joe and Vito are killing them.]
Joe: Fuck! Who the fuck does something like this, Vito? Them people are fucking sick! Shit! Who the fuck does something like this?!
Vito: Who do you think?
Joe: Goddamnit, Henry. Look at this, Vito. You fucking believe this?
Vito: Money’s gone too.
[Henry is lying drenched in blood and bruises.]
Vito: Joe, c’mon… We gotta get out of here. Cops’ll take care of Henry.
[There’s a car passing by with a Chinese man.]
Vito: Hey, hey! That’s the old guy who sold us the dope! Wong!
[They get in the car and chase Mr. Wong. A police car arrives at the crime scene.]
Vito: Of all the ways to kill a guy… Goddamn bullet would’ve been enough.
Joe: These bastards are sick in the head, Vito. They’re gonna fucking die. All of ‘em.
Vito: I mean… Why do it like that… And in the middle of the park…
Joe: Like I said they’re sick. I’m gonna turn them into chop fucking suey.
Vito: Hey, not for nothing - we don’t even know how many of them there are.
Joe: Yeah, and it don’t matter.
Vito: Hey, Henry’s dead. What do you want us to get killed too? We gotta do this smart, Joe.
Joe: It don’t matter how we do it. As long as they’re fucking dead when we’re done!
Vito: Alright listen, there’s probably more than two of them.
Joe: So what? The more, the fucking merrier!
Vito: So, there’s only two of us. And unless maybe you want to call Carlo and tell him all about the mess we’re in, ask him to send some guys over here…
Joe: Alright fine, I get it.
Vito: Alright, so promise me you’re not gonna go in guns blazing as usual. We gotta do this the smart way. Alright?
[They’re following Wong’s car to a Chinese restaurant.]
Vito: Now we know where to find him.
Joe: Let’s get in there and take him out before he disappears with the money.
Vito: Hold on, we gonna need some serious firepower first.
Joe: We can either go to Harry’s or we can kill these fucks right now. Just say the word.
[Vito goes to a restaurant called the Red Dragon. Inside it is furnished in a classic Chinese style.]
Guard: Sorry, gentlemen this place for member only.
Joe: Here’s your fucking membership fee.
[He pulls out a gun and kills both guards with a shot to the head.]
Vito: Goddamn it, Joel Can’t you listen to me for once?
Joe: No I can’t! You seen what they done to Henry.
[Naturally, there’s a bridge shootout with Chinese gangsters. Restaurant visitors are yelling, and everywhere you can hear the sound of beating dishes and spilling blood.]
Vito: Goddammit, Joe. You see? Why didn’t you just bang the damn gong while you were at it?
Joe: Pipe down and help me waste these little fucks. Get the asshole behind the bar! Die, you piece of shit! Watch out, they’re shooting from up top! Take ‘em out quick, Vito. We gotta find Wong! C’mon, Vito, let’s move up. Get the guy on the stairs! Up there in the window! Come on! Who taught you assholes how to shoot!? Hey, leave some of these little bastards for me! Where the fuck are they all coming from?
Vito: Must be a tunnel to China around here somewhere…
Joe: You fucked with the wrong guys, didn’t you? Alright, you go first, Vito. You’re a smaller target.
Vito: Thanks… Fat ass…
Joe: Hey, you said we gotta do this smart, right? Come on, you little bastards! Where the hell is that prick?
Vito: He’s gotta be around here somewhere! Let’s keep going. Jeez, these fucks just keep on coming. How many more they got back there?
Joe: Don’t matter. I got plenty of bullets left. Haha… Bingo… This is for Henry, you bastards!
[They go into a room where they smoke opium. The bodies of drug addicts are all over the place.]
Joe: Shh, be quiet, Vito.
Vito: Since when are you concerned about making noise?
Joe: There’s too many of ‘em, just take him out nice and quiet.
[Vito shoots the head of the first Chinese gangster. He cannot do it otherwise.]
Joe: Are you deaf or what?! I said we should be quiet! Alright, that was the last of them. See? Ain’t so bad so far, right?
Vito: Yeah, but what if somebody recognizes us and Carlo hears about it?
Joe: That’s why we ain’t leaving no witnesses. There’s probably more of ‘em down here. Get ready.
[They’re breaking into Mr. Wong’s office.]
Joe: You’re dead, you slanty eyed fuck!
Mr. Wong: (frightened) What is it that you want?
[Joe hits his head with a gun handle.]
Joe: What the fuck do you think we want?!
Vito: We want to know why you had our friend killed. We also want the money you took from him.
Mr. Wong: I had no choice. Your friend was a government informer.
Joe: What the fuck are you talking about?!
Mr. Wong: Our contact inside the Federal Bureau of Narcotics told me that Henry Tomasino passed them information about our deal.
Joe: That’s a fucking lie!
Vito: Whoa, whoa, whoa - you saying Henry was a rat?
Mr. Wong: Yes, but not anymore.
Joe: That’s bullshit! It makes no sense. And I suppose you had nothing to do with the little stick up after we closed the deal with you either, right?
Mr. Wong: You think we would take such a stupid risk? And destroy our own factory? That was just another reason to get rid of you. We had problems with you from the very beginning.
Vito: Oh yeah? Well, all your problems are just about over, pal. So where’s our money?
Mr. Wong: It’s not here anymore.
Joe: What?!
Vito: Where the hell is it then?
Mr. Wong: I cannot tell you.
Joe: (menacingly) If you don’t tell us, I’m gonna splatter your yellow brains all over this fucking room.
Mr. Wong: If I told you, I’d be dead anyway.
Joe: Fine, your choice.
[He’s blowing his brains out.]
Vito: Are you crazy?
Joe: What’d you want to do, let him go or something?!
Vito: We could’ve gotten more out of him!
Joe: Fuck that! He wouldn’t have said nothing. These bastards are tough.
Vito: Let’s just get the hell outta here before the cops come.
[They go out of the office and walk through the workshops where migrants from China worked. After our drug dealers visited them, they are released from work for life. ]
Vito: Looks like this place won’t be opening up for a while.
Joe: If we had the time I’d burn it to the damn ground. Vito, come here, this should be the way out…
[There are a few police cars waiting for them outside…]
Joe: Aw, fuck this! C’mon, Vito, let’s get out of here! There’s too many of them! Find us a car, quick! Alright… we lost ‘em. Take me to my place, Vito. I need a fucking drink…
Vito: That was uh … That was fucked up, huh?
Joe: Yeah. I don’t wanna talk about it. Just get me back to my place, would ya?
Vito: Alright.
[Joe’s apartment. Vito and Joe are standing outside smoking cigarettes.]
Vito: This deal was a total fucking disaster.
Joe: Tell me about it.
Vito: Henry’s dead, we don’t have Bruno’s money, we killed half the Tongs… And if they think Carlo sent us, that will mean war. Pff, we’re fucked.
Joe: Yeah… And if Carlo finds out we got him into this mess…
Henry: What if Henry really was a rat?
Joe: No fucking way. Don’t even say that. Look, first let’s get the money for Bruno. That’ll fix at least one problem. But I’m done for today. I need a drink, I’ll call you in the morning we'll figure shit out.
Vito: Alright.
Joe: OK, I see you later. And Vito, be careful.
Chapter 14 – STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
OYSTER BAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1951[Vito wakes up in Marty’s apartment. The phone rings.]
Joe: Vito. You ready?
Vito: Does it sound like I’m ready? You just woke me up.
Joe: So get the fuck up. If we don’t get the money for Bruno today, we’re fucked.
Vito: Where the hell are we gonna get our hands on fifty-five grand, huh?
Joe: I don’t know, but we sure as hell ain’t gonna find it laying around in bed. I got something for starters. A job from Eddie with a big payout.
Vito: No shit?
Joe: Yeah. I’ll pick you up in few minutes, so get dressed, grab a gun and wait for me outside. I tell you more in the car.
Vito: This better not be one of your brilliant ideas, Joe…
Joe: Hey. I’m not in the mood.
Vito: Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to shop at you. I’m still hall asleep over here.
Joe: Yeah, yeah, whatever. So you in or not?
Vito: Sure, why not. How long ’til you get here?
Joe: I’m calling from the gun shop around the corner. I’ll be at your place in a minute.
Vito: Alright, I’ll wait for you out back. I’ll see you soon.
[Vito dresses up, drinks a bottle of Sprite and goes outside.]
Vito: Hey, what’s with the fancy wheels?
Joe: Eddie gave it to us just for this job. Nice, huh? You drive. My head’s still pounding from last night. We’re going to Greenfield.
Vito: Guess you hit the sauce pretty hard too, huh?
Joe: Yeah, I couldn’t sleep either. Nothing a bottle of scotch couldn’t fix, though. Head over to Greenfield.
Vito: Alright. So now can you tell me what this is all about?
Joe: We’re just gonna drive there, pop some guy, and drive away. Should be a piece of cake.
Vito: Why?
Joe: Eddie said it’s a favor for some family from another city, unfinished business. He gave me this envelope with all the instructions said it’s gotta be clean and it’s gotta be done today.
Vito: Why the hell doesn’t the other family just do it themselves?
Joe: Eddie said they been looking for this guy for a while and they just found him. They’re afraid that if it ain’t done right away, the guy’s gonna disappear again. Here, here’s a picture of him.
Vito: What’d this guy do?
Joe: Says here he ratted his family out to the Feds.
Vito: Guy’s got it coming to him then. But wait a minute… If he cooperated with the Feds that means he was under protection, right? What if he still is?
Joe: Even if he is, we’re getting paid a few grand for the job, so it’s more than worth the risk.
Vito: Ah, if you say so…
Joe: Hey, we need every penny we can get right now, right? So after we finish this job, we’ll split up and look for other work.
Vito: Alright.
Joe: Says here they want us to give him a message before we do it. Here, here it is.
Vito: Hmm, hmm… OK, got it.
Joe: And hey, if you see Eddie later, no word about yesterday. We was never there. Last chink we saw was delivering egg foo yung. You get it?
Vito: Yeah. What do you think I am, some kind of retard?
Vito: Jury’s still out on that one pol. Just making sure you don’t slip up, that’s all.
Joe: Remember what you gotta say?
Vito: Yeah.
Joe: Alright, here we go then.
[They drive up to a small beautiful and well-groomed house on the outskirts of the city. Its owner, an elderly man, watering flowers with a hose.]
Vito: Mr. Angelo?
Elderly Man: Uhh… Yes?
Vito: Mr. Salieri sends his regards.
[Joe pulls out a shotgun and shoots the elderly man in the stomach. The camera switches to a view from his eyes for a second, creating the feeling that it was not him but the player himself who was killed. The killers are leaving the scene of the crime. They are being chased by the police.]
Joe: Like I said, piece of cake.
Vito: Not so fast. Lock those guys over there!
Joe: Shit! Go go! Let’s get the fuck out of here!
Policeman: (via radio) This is Agent Cox. Need police support in Greenfield. Now, goddammit!
Joe: Those were Feds! That asshole really was under protection!
Vito: Eddie’s famous for conveniently leaving out little details like that.
Joe: Maybe he didn’t know. Don’t matter now, we gotta lose ‘em! Ah fuck, that was close. Get me to Kingston, will you? I got a car waiting there.
Vito: What about the money?
Joe: Hey, I almost forgot. Eddie paid me in advance, so here’s your share. Alright good luck getting your half of the money. Come by my place when you’re done.
Vito: OK, see you later.
[Vito’s going to see Derek, the only person he knows who can give him a job.]
Vito: Hey…
Derek: Vito! Hey, thanks for coming by - I knew I could count on you!
Vito: What for?
Derek: Frank’s organizing a sit down with the other bosses and he took almost all my guys as bodyguards… so don’t have nobody around to handle this here job for me.
Steve: Derek, these guys still don’t want to work.
Derek: What? Why?
Steve: ’Cause of that deadbeat you tired.
Vito: (to Steve) Hey…
Derek: Shit… Well, Vito, that other thing’ll have to wait. Can you help us out here with this first?
Vito: What’s happening?
Derek: Well, this deadbeat didn’t come to work for a whole week. Pretending he was sick - total bullshit. Sol fired his ass. Anyway, some of his buddies are upset and they’re threatening to strike. All I gotta do is show up with a few guys who look like they mean business. That’ll scare ‘em and they all forget all about it. I’ll give you a thousand bucks. Are you in?
[Steve pulls a machine gun and a shotgun out of the locker. He gives a shotgun to Vito.]
Vito: Alright, I ain’t gonna say no to that kind of money.
Derek: Alright! All you need to do is stand behind me and look tough. Right, Steve?
Steve: We’ll see.
[They go outside and walk to the docks.]
Derek: These fucking guys really think who the fuck they are… This ain’t the first time I had problems with them, you know.
Vito: You know how many of ‘em there is?
Derek: Three, four, ten… How the fuck should I know. Does it matter?
Vito: Na na, it’s just uh… Who are we gonna do to ‘em?
Derek: All depends on how the uh "labor negotiations" go… Just let me do all the talking. I don’t need you’s opening your mouths and proving how stunad (stupid) you’s are.
[They’re entering the dock.]
Derek: (to the workers) So, what’s the problem here, fellas?
Worker: We want you to give Big John his job back.
Derek: It’s me that decides who gets hired and fired around here, and I say he’s fired.
Worker: All we’re asking is for you to hire him back. He’s got family and needs a job.
Derek: I’ve made my decision.
Worker 2: See!? I told you!
Worker: Easy does it, Vinnie! We want to do this peacefully.
Vinnie: Easy? We bust our asses day in and day out for this fatfuck. And if anything ever happens to us, he’ll screw us over just like he did John!
Derek: Lower your voice now, young man! I don’t want to hear another word about that fucking deadbeat!
Vinnie: Who you calling a deadbeat a crate fell on the poor guy while he was working! For you! Broke both his damn hands!
Derek: Well, that’s his fucking problem, not mine. Now I suggest you’s get back to work before somebody else’s hands get broken!
Vinnie: You goddamned bastard!
[Vinnie’s attacking Derek, but he’s getting a stock in his stomach from Steve.]
Derek: You fellas are really starting to piss me off.
Worker: There’s no need for violence. Please put it down. We don’t want no trouble.
Derek: I don’t look that way to me! Right now, looks like you got big trouble, don’t you’s?! Now, if you’s all don’t want to start looking for new jobs, you’ll be back to work in the next ten minutes. You see Vito? All they do is bitch and moan.
Worker: Vito? You’re Scaletta’s boy, ain’t ya? Your dad used to talk about you all the time. You look just like ’im. But what are you doing working for this bastard? After what he did to your old man?
Steve: Shut your fucking mouth right now.
Derek: Don’t listen to him, Vito. He’s full of shit… C’mon, let’s go.
Vinnie: Full of shit, huh? That bastard killed your father, Vito.
Vito: What?
Derek: They’re just trying to get under your skin.
Steve: (seeing as the situation gets out of hand) Derek?
[Vito’s pointing his shotgun at Derek.]
Derek: Hey, stop pointing that gun at me.
Worker: Why don’t you ask him how your dad "drowned" that night!
Derek: Shut up!
Vinnie: We seen him take a walk with Steve, and then Steve come back alone, and all wet!
Derek: Stop pointing that thing at me!
Vito: What the hell happened with my father, Derek?
Derek: Are you nuts or what? Who you gonna trust, me or these now unemployed losers? We known each other for a long time, Vito. Think of all the things…
Vito: Why were you all wet, Steve? You dive in and try to save him?
Steve: Because he wouldn’t stay underwater.
Derek: Keep your mouth shut! Vito, you swore on oath! I was there. Our loyalty to the family is greater than to our own families.
Vito: Tell that to my mother…
Steve: Eh, should I kill him?
Derek: No, not here… We’ll settle things with him later… You disappoint me, Vito… You really do…
Vito: I’m gonna do a hell of a lot more than disappoint you, Derek…
[Derek and Steve, along with a few of his men, are backing out and leaving the dock.]
Worker: Your dad…
Vito: Not right now. I gotta get that fuck before he runs away.
Vinnie: (pulling out a gun) Time to teach that fat fuck a lesson!
Worker: Vinnie! Where’d you get that?
Vinnie: Doesn’t matter. OK, the odds are even - now let’s teach that fat fuck a lesson. Alright, follow me, guys.
[Vito’s chasing Derek and Steve with the dock workers.]
Worker: This is crazy, fellas. You shouldn’t be doing this… Vito can handle himself.
Vinnie: Some extra firepower ain’t gonna hurt. Let’s go, Vito. We got your back
Steve: You’re gonna end up just like your old man!
[Vito’s catching up with Derek in a warehouse that lights up during a shootout. Derek and his men are upstairs and Vito’s fires back downstairs.]
Derek: You’re gonna die here, Vito. Just like your father. You miss your old man, Vito? Don’t worry, you’re gonna see him soon. What are you thinking, Vito? You think you can just fucking do something like this and walk away? You’re fucked. We could still work this out, Vito! Like father like son, huh, Vito? When we’re done with you I’m gonna feed you to the rats. You’re gonna die here, Vito. Just like your father.
[Some time later, Vito manages to defeat Derek and his men.]
Vito: I’d spent my whole life trying not to make the same mistakes my old man did, then I find out I’m following in his footsteps. It was good to finally know the truth though, and Derek’s death also helped me resolve another problem.
[He’s taking Derek’s money out of his safe.]
Vito: Whoa. Looks like I just found Derek’s retirement funds.
[There’s the Worker and Vinnie waiting for him outside.]
Worker: Hey, Vito. We can take things from here.
Vito: What about the cops?
Worker: Yeah, they might be a problem, but anyone who saw it’ll swear we did it in self defense. You were never here.
Vito: Alright, good luck then.
[He’s going to his car.]
Worker: Jesus, May and Joseph… God help you all.
[With the necessary amount of money, Vito’s on his way to meet Joe at his apartment. Vito rings his doorbell, but nobody opens it.]
Vito: (thinking) Joe wasn’t home. At first I thought he was just running a little late, so I went to grab something to eat. Two hours later, Joe still wasn’t home. It was getting dark and I was getting worried. I had to go look for him.
Six hours later…
Vito: Maybe Joe checked in with Eddie at the Falcon.
[He drives to the restaurant.]
Eddie: Vito! Good you’re here! You, uh… You hear what happened?
Vito: What? What’s going on?
Eddie: Henry’s dead!
Vito: What?!
Eddie: The fucking chinks hacked him to death in broad daylight.
Vito: Why?
Eddie: So you don’t know anything about it?
Vito: Well… Henry wanted to bring me in on some deal, but I passed. What happened?
Henry: Yeah well, Henry is, well, was, stupid. He was dealing dope with the Tongs. He knew this was off limits and he got caught. Carlo let him off with a small fine and told him he’d forget about. But the chinks double-crossed Henry and hocked him to pieces in the middle of the park
Vito: Shit.
Eddie: Ain’t no doing business with the yellow man. But there’s worse - Henry wasn’t working alone. Yesterday some guys massacred a shitload of the chinks over in Chinatown. Now they figure it must’ve either been us, or Vinci. They already started threatening Vinci. If this don’t get settled fast, we’re all in deep shit. You sure you don’t know nothing about it?
Eddie: Not a thing, Eddie. I swear.
Vito: Yeah? How about Joe?
Vito: Joe? Joe was with me the last couple days.
Eddie: Well, you’re lucky then. Carlo’s out of town right now, but when he gets back, heh… It ain’t gonna be pretty.
Vito: No shit.
Eddie: You better not be shitting me, Vito.
[Vito’s leaving the restaurant.]
Vito: Let’s try Giuseppe next. He keeps his ear to the ground.
[He goes to his store.]
Vito: Hey, Giuseppe. I’m looking for Joe Barbaro. Was he here today?
Giuseppe: Alo, Vito. Yeah, Joe come by today.
Vito: Great. I’ve been looking for him the whole day. Did he say where he was heading?
Giuseppe: Well no, he didn’t. I don’t think he know himself.
Vito: How come?
Giuseppe: Well, he was looking for a job, but before we managed to finish our conversation, a few guys came and took him away.
Vito: What?! Who?
Giuseppe: It was Vinci’s people. They said Mr. Vinci wanted a word with him.
Vito: You know where they would’ve went?
Giuseppe: No lo so. (I don’t.) Maybe to their bar, the Mona Lisa.
Vito: Shit!
Giuseppe: Is something wrong
Vito: Not sure… Let’s just say we’re not on the best of terms with Mister Vinci these days.
Giuseppe: Yeah, Joe did 1 look too happy.
Vito: I got a bad feeling about this. I better go find out what’s going on.
Giuseppe: I hope it’s soothing serious. Buona fortuna, Vito. (Good luck, Vito.)
[Vito goes to the rescue. He has a warm welcome at the restaurant.]
Vinci Gangster 2: (pointing a shotgun at Vito) Freeze and maybe I won’t kill you.
Vito: (calmly) Hiya, fellas.
Vinci Gangster 1: (also pointing a gun at Vito) Look at the balls on this guy.
Vito: Nice to see you too.
Vinci Gangster 2: Don’t move a muscle!
Vinci Gangster 1: C’mon, listen to the friendly bartender and stop fucking around, Vito. Now, first of all, I gotta ask you to slowly toss your guns on the door. No funny business neither, the bartender’s got the itchiest trigger finger in town, huh?
Vito: I’m not armed.
Vinci Gangster 1: OK. So what are you doing here, Vito? We wasn’t expecting you.
Vito: I’m looking for Joe Barbaro, I heard some of your guys picked him up.
Vinci Gangster 1: Maybe.
Vito: What are you trying to pull? Me and Joe didn’t do nothing to you.
Vinci Gangster 1: Mister Vinci doesn’t seem to think so. He wanted a few things explained to him, so that’s what Joe is doing. And since you’ve stopped by, why don’t we go and join them?
Vito: And what if I don’t want to?
Vinci Gangster 1: These guns say you do, but don’t worry, it’s got a hell of a view.
[He hits Vito with the gun handle on the head. Some time passes. Vito comes to his senses tied to a beam on a construction site.]
Vito: Shit… Oh… Hey, what’s up, Joe?
Joe: The assholes went to take a leak.
Vito: Phh… Great, but can you explain to me why the fuck we’re here?
Joe: That old fuck Vinci can’t see what’s going on right in front of his face and he thinks con explain it to ‘im. Idiot.
[Two people come up to them - Frank Vinci and Vinci Gangster 1.]
Frank Vinci: Aw, the happy couple is here already. Welcome, Vito.
Vito: What’s going on? You got no reason to treat us like this!
Frank Vinci: No reason? No reason? First, the business with Leo. And then all hell breaks out in the city - the chinks, they’re going nuts… Everybody’s fighting like lunatics! And now, those yellow bastards are threatening to kill me! It’s out of fucking control! Now, I’m too old for this shit, so you’re gonna tell me what the hell’s going on here! C’mon, I’m all ears.
Vito: Mr. Vinci! Look, I don’t know what the hell’s going on here! Believe me. Me and Joe ain’t got nothing to do with it.
Frank Vinci: That ain’t what I wanna hear.
Joe: Yeah, well, that’s your problem… ’cause we don’t know shit about any of this.
Frank Vinci: That’s too bad.
[Vinci Gangster 1 beats both of them. After a while, our innocent heroes come to their senses again.]
Joe: Finally! We don’t got much time. We gotta do something.
Vito: Alright, we’ll try to break the pipe. C’mon, help me out - I can’t do it by myself.
Joe: OK.
Vito: One, two, three! One, two, three! Again. One, two, three!
[They’re breaking the pipe, but Vinci Gangster 1 notices their release. He pulls out the gun, reloads it and walks towards Joe and Vito. Joe’s waiting for him and beating him to death with his bare hands.]
Joe: You fuck, fuck you… You filthy fuck. Come on, come on, you fuck!
[Vito’s picking up his gun. They’re getting the hell outta the construction site.]
Joe: Vito, they fucked me up pretty good. I think I need a doctor.
Vito: OK, let’s get you over to El Greco.
Joe: Nrgh… my chest. Every time I breathe, I think they broke my damn ribs…
Vito: Take it easy. El Greco’s gonna fix you up.
Joe: Yeah, sure. Oh fuck every time I cough it feels like I’m being stabbed in the chest.
Vito: Just sit back, the more you whine about it the worse it’s gonna be.
Joe: Listen, Vito. Thanks for coming after me, and for almost getting yourself killed.
Vito: Hey we’re in this together, right? Just like always. Now just sit the fuck back before you get blood all over my pants and I really do stab you in the chest.
Joe: You picked a hell of a time to turn into a fucking comedian.
[They’re coming to the doctor. It’s pouring rain outside.]
Vito: Need a hand?
Joe: No… I can make it.
Vito: What do you want me to do with the money?
Joe: Take it to Bruno.
Vito: Alright at least that’ll be out of the way.
El Greco: Good evening, gentlemen. Oh, what happened to you?
Joe: Hey, Doc. I got my ass kicked and I’m coughing up blood.
El Greco: What is happening today? One of your guys is already here.
Joe: Ah…
Vito: Who?
El Greco: His name is Antonio Balsamo.
Joe: Tony Balls! What happened to him!?
El Greco: Somebody messed him up pretty good. I don’t think he’s ever going to walk again.
Joe: What?!
El Greco: Uh… This surprises you? All the blood, all the death. This is the lifestyle you choose. One day your luck is bound to run out. The next time, it could be you.
Vito: Enough with the sermon, Doc. You have time to treat Joe?
El Greco: Yes, but you’ll have to wait a minute while I fix Antonio up.
Joe: That’s OK, Doc.
El Greco: Alright, come in.
Joe: Make sure you settle things with Bruno, OK? And Vito… Thanks.
Vito: Sure thing. Feel better
[He drives straight to Bruno.]
Vito: Hey. I need to see Bruno.
Guard: Got the money?
Vito: Yeah.
Guard: Come on in then. You’re lucky, we were just about to leave.
Bruno: Good evening. You have the money for me? Or do you wish to extend the deadline?
Vito: Here it is.
Bruno: I have to admit, this is somewhat of a surprise! I heard you boys had some… complications.
Vito: Yeah, we did.
Bruno: I heard that Henry is dead. I’m very sorry to hear that. Isaac, count it. So your little business venture was a success?
Vito: You got your money, right?
Bruno: Right, right. It’s just that the whole city has been turned upside down. The Chinese think the Italians attacked them, so they’re going after Vinci. That’s not good, not good. Would that have anything to do with the reason you borrowed this money?
Vito: Sorry, Bruno. That’s none of your business.
Bruno: Ah, thank you, Isaac. It looks like the debt is settled… I don’t even know your name.
Vito: Vito.
Bruno: Vito who?
Vito: Vito Scaletta.
Bruno: Eh Scaletta? I knew a Scaletta once. But I must say you’re much better at paying back your debts than he was. His poor wife had to do it for him…
Vito: So, it was you who lent my father the money…
Bruno: Your father? Ahh, like father like son… I see you don’t approve. But, I didn’t make him borrow the money, now did I? Just like I didn’t make you. If you ever need a loan, you know where to find me.
[Bruno reaches out to him, but he turns to the door.]
Vito: Ss… Sure.
Chapter 15 – PER ASPERA AD ASTRA
OYSTER BAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 1951[Finally, we came to the moment from the beginning of the game, where Vito looks at old photos.]
Vito: (thinking) I couldn’t sleep… Things were bed and they were only gonna get worse… The truth was gonna come out sooner or later, and then we were gonna have Falcone after us along with the Chinese and Vinci. This wasn’t how I imagined it when we were startin’ out. I dreamed of money, cars, women, respect, freedom… I guess I ended up gettin’ all of that more or less, but along with it come prison, living in constant fear, and the blood of my friends. I ducked it as long as I could but it was finally catching up with me. It was all post a matter of time…
[He turns off the lamp and goes to bed. He gets a phone call in the morning.]
Vito: Yeah, hello.
Eddie: Vito. Yeah, it’s Eddie. Uh, listen, I need you to
Vito: Let me guess. You need me to come by right away, and should bring a gun.
Eddie: For once I don’t, heh. Yeah, Carlo wants to see you over at the planetarium.
Vito: He say what it was about?
Eddie: Nope. Better head over there now, though. Don’t want to keep the man waiting, heh. Yeah, see you, Vito.
[There’s a car waiting for him outside.]
Driver: Mr. Scaletta, can you get in please?
Vito: Hey, old man! What are you doing back?
Leo Galante: Just get in the damn car. Now.
[There’s a quiet, chubby Chinese guy in the car with them.]
Vito: And you are…
Leo Galante: This is our friend, Mr. Chu.
Vito: Alright… So what the hell’s going on, Leo? What is this?
[Usually calm, Leo looks pretty pissed off.]
Leo Galante: This is about you. You fucked up good, didn’t you? Started a fucking war.
Vito: Got no idea what you’re talking about
Leo Galante: Don’t fuck with me, boy. I probably forgotten more about this business than you’ll ever learn. Half our guys are dead, half of Mr. Chu’s guys are dead, and now the Feds are breathing down everybody’s necks, because of you.
Vito: Leo, listen-
Leo Galante: You listen - if it wasn’t for me, you would’ve already been taken care of. So you’re gonna listen to what I have to say and you’re gonna listen good. What you did in Chinatown that was because of that cocksucker Henry, right? You know who he was working for when he died?
Vito: You mean when he was butchered?
Leo Galante: He was working for the Feds. He was a fuckin’ rat. That’s why Mr. Chu’s people did what they did. And that’s why the Feds are going after Carlo now. But I don’t forget my friends, Vito. You did for me, so I did for you. I called in a few favors, got you one chance to make this right.
Vito: OK. I’m listening.
Leo Galante: You’re gonna get rid of Carlo, do us all a favor.
Vito: And if I refuse?
Leo Galante: You die. Frank and the rest of the Commission want you dead. So does Mr. Chu. And to top it all off, you vouched for a rat. You think Carlo’s gonna let that slide? You’re a dead man walking.
Vito: (sighs) When?
Leo Galante: Now. Every minute we wait is another minute we give to the Feds. He’s holed up at that observatory of his. He knows something’s up Carlo Falcone slot of thing but stupid ain’t one of ‘em.
Vito: Alright. Stop the car.
Leo Galante: Remember, kid - this is your last chance.
[Vito gets out of the car in the pouring rain. He has to kill the head of the Falcone family. He’s going to the observatory.]
Vito: Hey, fellas.
Guard: Hey Vito. The boss wants to see you.
Vito: Good. I wanna see him too.
Guard 2: One uh… One thing though, Vito… I gotta take your gun.
Vito: Yeah alright, here you go.
[He pulls out a gun and kills them both. There’s no turning back. Vito’s walking over the dead bodies of his colleagues and friends to the planetarium, the central room of the observatory.]
Carlo Falcone: Well, look who it is… This is who they send? This is an insult. What’d they tell you, Vito? Take care of me and all’s forgiven? You really think they’re just gonna let you walk after everything you did? Then again chumps like you never do think about the big picture… But your buddy Joe understands, don’t you Joe?
[Vito feels his head touched by a cold steel revolver.]
Vito: What the fuck is this?
Joe: I could ask you the same question.
Carlo Falcone: Loyalty’s a funny thing, huh, Vito? No such thing as friendship in this business. Didn’t your old pal Leo teach you that while you were sucking his cock back in the can? Hahaha… You’re just a fucking pawn, Vito. That’s all you ever were. When are you gonna realize that?
Vito: Joe - you just gotta trust me.
Carlo Falcone: You think I give a shit about the Feds, or those tired old fucks on the Commission? They’re using you Vito… Just like Clemente used you. Just like I used you. Just like that rat fuck Henry used you. You vouched for that piece of shit, brought him into my house. And now, you dumb fuck, you’re gonna pay for it. Now, Joe.
Vito: Hey. If you’re gonna pull that trigger, do it already.
Carlo Falcone: What are you waiting for?
Joe: (whisper) Vito… Let’s shoot this cocksucker. On three.
Carlo Falcone: Remember what we talked about Joe! You gonna throw that all away!? Do it!
Vito: One…
Joe: Two…
Carlo Falcone: NOW!
[They turn around and start shooting at Falcone’s men.]
Carlo Falcone: Goddammit! Somebody kill these two psychos! You dumb bastard, you don’t stand a chance. You can’t kill ‘em all… You really are insane aren’t you? I’m going to enjoy watching you die. Come on already. There’s only two of ‘em. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, I kinda miss this. Reminds me of my Prohibition days.
[Vito and Joe manage to kill all of Carlo Falcone’s men and mortally wound him.]
Vito: You know something, Carlo? For the last 10 years, all done was kill. I killed for my country…
[He’s shooting at Carlo. He’s trying to crawl away.]
Vito: I killed for my family.
Carlo Falcone: Ugh!
[He’s shooting at Carlo again.]
Vito: I killed anybody that got in my way.
[He’s shooting at Carlo one more time.]
Carlo Falcone: Ugh!
Vito: But this one… This one’s for me.
Carlo Falcone: Fuck… you…
[Vito shoots him in the head.]
Vito: Fucking prick…
Joe: I sure as hell hope you know what you’re doing here.
[They’re heading out of the observatory.]
Vito: Don’t worry, I took care of it. You’ll see. So uh, what was he talking about back there?
Joe: Nothing, he made me an offer. That’s all.
Vito: Yeah, I figured out that much. What kind of offer?
Joe: He wanted me to whack you. Said he’d make me a capo, give me my own crew. You know, pretty much everything I ever wanted.
Vito: Yeah? So why the hell didn’t you do it?
Joe: Remember that five bucks you owe me?
[Leo Galante and a lot of men are waiting for them on the way out.]
Joe: What the hell is this?
Vito: It’s alright, Joe.
Leo Galante: Is it done?
Vito: It’s done.
Leo Galante: Alright then. Looks like a celebration is in order. C’mon, let’s head to the cathouse.
Joe: Sounds good to me.
Leo Galante: Come with me, Vito. There’s more we need to talk about.
Joe: Alright, well see you over there.
[He gets into the second car with Leo’s men. Both cars are leaving.]
Vito: Alright. So what’s the big secret?
[The car with Joe is turning. Leo’s car continues to drive straight ahead.]
Vito: Hey, hey! What’s the hell’s going on? Where are they taking Joe?
Leo Galante: Sorry, kid. Joe wasn’t part of our deal.
[While Vito is figuring out his options, the camera moves back, showing us the panorama of the city, covered by pouring rain.]