My mother always says people are not fools.
Nobody chooses the Devil.
The Devil chooses you.
Come on, come on, let's talk about this!
Open the dooror I'll b!
You're not gonna leave me, Patti!
He choose my mother the day she was born.
He didn't come for her
The way I see it,
he waited until Grandma Angie gave in to her enraged fatr
and abandoned her baby on the steps of St. Peter's Cathedral.
Actually, it was right after.
When Grandma Angie decided to keep my mother
and wasn't allowed to come home.
That's when he knew my mother was ripe for the taking.
Here you go, folks. All he had to do was break her spirit.
Turns out... that wasn't so easy.
No matter what he threw at her, she came back swinging.
We're late!
Grandma Angie says that's because my mother is a genius.
You find her a Dumpster, she'll make you a feast.
How'd it go?
So, growing a little impatient, the Devil changed his strategy.
This isn't a hotel, you know.
I see you.
Every night.
Don't you got someplace to go?
Are we under arrest?
No.
I brought you dinner.
For the first time in her life, something went right.
Now, it wasn't Romeo and Juliet,
but she was happy.
Hey, babe.
Joey was born, then me.
Hi.
Is it good?
Hot. Ooh, that's good.
Careful.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm okay, babe.
I'm fine.
Then... he knocked her flat.
Patty!
My father's cancer took two years to kill him...
and all their savings.
They towed the car.
Do you believe it?
And I couldn't even take the bus.
The bus driver said to me I didn't have
enough change and I looked at him and I said,
"My husband just died.
You can't give me a freakin' ride?"
That's when he showed up.
This is Mr. Russo.
From the funeral parlor.
Mrs. Montanari, we offer three packages: Deluxe,
Premium... and Beloved.
Now, try not to think of them as better or worse.
Do I have to pick now?
No, not at all.
I'm here to make this as painless as possible.
If you'd like to call me;
think about it overnight and, uh...
let me know tomorrow, okay?
Thanks.
Oh! Geez!
Ma!
I'll be fine. Thank you very much.
At least let me take care of your pants.
Mrs. Montanari, you have enough on your plate.
I'm sorry you had to come
all the way down here for nothing.
I just, I can't think straight right now.
No, I understand.
You loved him.
He gave me a sandwich.
It was the first time anybody ever gave me anything.
I'm sorry for your loss, Patty.
You should probably speak up.
I don't think everybody heard you.
You want the ring?
You can have it.
In fact, you give me a good price,
I'll throw in the pillow, too.
All right, guys, pay attention.
See this ring?
The idea is to keep an eye on the ring.
Here we go.
Put it under the middle cup.
Here we go... around, and around she goes.
The idea's to watch the ring.
Where is... the ring?
No.
Try again.
It's in your pocket.
Not bad.
You're right.
In my pocket.
You're pretty sharp.
He's not my son for nothing.
I don't have it all.
That's okay.
Hold on to it for now.
Call it a loan.
I... I didn't ask for a loan.
Well, you might need it.
Thank you, anyway.
Come on, boys.
Let's go find your grandma.
You want to take the boys home?
I'm going to get a few things. Right.
Bye, Mom. Bye.
I'll see you at home.
Be good for your grandmother.
Ho
How are you holding up?
I'm so sorry about Dante.
Yeah.
Well, thank God he's not in pain anymore, you know?
You're absolutely right.
He was a good man.
He shouldn't be suffering.
You know, Patty,
what are we going to do, you know? Life.
It's a crazy thing.
Okay...
Make it $25.
I'm going to pay you at the end of the week, okay?
I'm, I'm, I'm sorry.
You know word gets around.
I'm so sorry... N
That's, that's okay.
You take care.
Hey!
Put it in sideways.
I knew that.
Hey, I got you cigarettes.
I didn't want to bring them by the house
what with Dante being sick and all.
Yeah, I quit.
Right. Cancer.
I'm such a dope.
Well, th
Well, that and I'm, uh, broke.
Hey, come here. Come on.
No, what are you doing... Come on take this.
Let me help you out. Don't insult me.
Please, please. All right.
Not for nothing.
Come work for me.
Nah.
I can't break
Think of it as a public service.
All those taxes.
How are we supposed to smoke, huh?
Ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas!
Hey, Patty.
You doing Jimmy's route?
Hey!
Yeah, I am.
Huh. All right.
All right. You know what?
Give me one of those.
I thought you quit. I just changed my mind.
All right.
Oh, thanks, man.
No worries. Take care.
I always knew I was a genius.
Face like yours, I'm gonna double my sales.
- There you go, babe. - Double?
I'd say that's a conservative estimate.
Frank, we, we were just...
I
I can see.
Nice hat.
It's very fetc
It's very fetching.
Frank, this was a last-minute thing.
I, I swear to God I didn't have a chance
to pass it by Bones yet. You're a big man, Jimmy.
You don't need to tell me everything you do.
Right.
Okay, then.
I'll, uh...
See you tomorrow. Right.
What the hell was that about?
You took the words right out of my mouth.
You told me you don't need money. I don't.
Which is why you're wearing an elf hat, moving stolen goods?
Oh, I don't do this for money, I do this for fun.
You should see what I do for money.
Hey, you know you can go to jail for this?
Nobody goes to jail for selling cigarettes.
Says who, the brain trust who talked you into doing this?
What's he giving you, ten cents a pack?
You always get so involved
in other people's personal business?
Ah, the world's got bigger things
in store for you, Mrs. Montanari.
Believe me. That is very poetic.
But at the moment, I got to make Christmas happen
for my kids.
If you need a job, come work for me.
At the funeral home?
I won't make you wear funny hats.
No, thanks.
I think I'll pass. See?
A lesser man might feel slighted.
A better man might look for other ways
to make an impression.
Merry Christmas.
And, uh...
good luck with that elf thing.
I don't believe in luck.
Neither do I.
All right, no peeking.
One... two...
three!
Well, don't all shout at once.
But Joey said Santa wasn't coming.
I said "maybe."
Well, Santa always comes for good boys.
Go ahead.
That's probably him now.
Wise guy.
Mrs. Montanari?
Yeah.
Special Agent Wolford. FBI.
Hi. Hi.
I was hoping we could talk.
Talk... now... uh...
You know, it's not... it's not really a...
The house isn't...
isn't... I don't mind.
Uh, all right.
Come on in. Great.
Uh, just right the
Tell me again, huh?! Where is it?!
I don't know!
I don't know, please.
The guards, they took me in at the border.
They asked me questions.
When I came out, I drove away.
I pulled the car over straightaway.
There was no suitcase.
I swear on my kid's eyes, Carmine!
I swear! On his eyes?
You swear, do you? I swear!
Maybe I should open your head up and check!
That's enough for now.
Carmine...
come here.
Give me that. Okay.
You lying sack of...
Hey. These are my boys.
Thanks, Ma.
So, uh...
you know, shouldn't you be out celebrating?
Families?
Just tying up a few loose ends, really.
Okay.
Rich, where's the money?
Frankie, I don't have it.
What am I supposed to tell Palmeri, that you lost it?
I don't have it. I got a problem with that. That's $500,000.
You want me to believe that the border patrol got lucky, is that what it is?
It's either that or somebody tipped them off.
Who tipped them off, Richie?
Who tipped them off?! I didn't, Frank.
And if I find out it was you,
I'm going to drill a hole in your brain,
then I'm going to drill a hole in your heart,
I'm gonna drill a hole in each one of your eyes.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I got to go open presents with my family.
Bones, take him in the car out back.
What about the restaurant, Frank?
The restaurant?
Well, you just gave it to me, right?
Yeah. What do you say?
Yeah, Merry Christmas, Frank.
Merry Christmas, Richie.
Yeah. Let's go.
So, um, you know Jimmy Limo?
Yeah.
'Cause some people are saying you guys
might
might be working together.
Well, that's weird.
Maybe he didn't explain some things t
This...
People who sell cigarettes are required to pay taxes,
and not paying those taxes is a federal offense
for which you can be put into prison.
Is that right?
Yeah, that's right.
Well, it's a good thing I'm not working for him then, huh?
Okay. All right.
Excellent.
May I? Yeah.
Oh, geez... Oh, no, it's a right.
I'm sorry. No, it's all right.
It's all right. Oh, God.
I didn't really like it anyway.
Hey, listen.
You need to be careful, okay?
He's part of the Gambino family.
He works under Salvatore Palmeri.
He's in the Mob?
Yeah.
Okay...
Right here.
Take 'em out, you put 'em right here.
All right, here we go.
Ooh!
Thank you. I'll get them, lady.
I'm going to help you, all right? Let me help you.
Frank, we should have done it right there,
before it comes back and bites us in the ass.
We'll give it some time, see how it plays out.
Okay, we'll give it some time.
What the hell is that?
Ho!
Ho! What are you doing? Put those back.
Hey, put those back. Put those back.
What the hell's this?
Don't listen to him. Keep going. Put 'em back.
You keep going. Who are you?
Who am I? Who are you? Who am I? What are you...
These belong to Mr. Russo.
If he would like them moved, he can come out here
and do it himself. Are you out of your mind?
Put that... Hey, it's okay. It's okay.
It's okay, just move this stuff inside already, will you?
Come on, let's get it off the sidewalk. All right, go.
Go... move it. You heard him, move it inside. Get in there.
You know what you are?
A bully. And a hypocrite.
Calling the FBI to keep me from selling
a few cigarettes when you do worse every day.
You don't know what I do. Oh, no?
Tell me I'm wrong.
Tell me I'm wrong and I'll pack it all up and go home.
Jimmy Limo has been working this neighborhood for 20 years.
No FBI agent ever come to his house
on Christmas Eve. No, I was helping you
make smart choices, but since
you obviously aren't capable of listening
to reason, maybe we need to do something else.
You know what? I don't respond to threats.
That wasn't a threat.
Trust me... if I threatened you, you'd know.
You know what my mother says?
Never trust a man who says to trust me.
Come with me.
No. Come on. Come take a walk.
I'm not going anywhere with you.
Whoa! What the hell are you doing?
Carmine, take care of these guys, will you?
Frank, I got it.
Hey, put me down
right now! Afternoon, Mr. Russo.
Hey, Merry Christmas, Tom. Oh, hi, Tom!
And to you, too. You know Patty?
Put me down!
And you're embarrassing me.
Don't you ever do that again.
Take a look at this.
It's yours.
I want you to run it however you like.
All you have to do is pay me rent, you pocket the profits.
Are you crazy?
You need a job, I just acquired a piece of property.
You don't even know me.
But everybody deserves a chance.
I wouldn't work for you
if you were the last person on the planet.
I don't think that's true.
I think you do whatever it takes to put food on the table.
And you're too smart to walk away
from the best opportunity you ever seen.
Am I right?
In the end, he won.
The same way he wins every time.
Not with threats...
No strings?
On my life.
...with promises.
Want to take a look, huh?
Check it out? Don't you touch me.
Regrettably, the restaurant
has run into some financial difficulties.
Originally, I was going to close, but, uh,
after meeting Mrs. Montanari,
I became convinced that a person with her vision...
Excuse me, Dad.
Not right now.
Dad, I need to talk to you.
We got heat.
I think the wife filed a missing persons report.
You should come outside, okay?
Okay. Good, son. No problem.
Uh, Mrs. Montanari, would you care to finish?
Uh... okay.
Well, first of all, you can call me Patty.
Uh, and...
I think that once we all get to know each other,
we're going to have a really great...
time.
All right.
Well, I'm glad somebody thinks tha
Look, hone I don't know
who you screwed to get this job,
but I'm telling you right now, it's no prize.
And if the last guy couldn't make it work,
well, then, uh... you don't stand a chance.
Meanwhile,
you got a way to make rent?
How I pay my rent... is none of your business.
My mistake.
The way we were talking,
I thought th
I thought that maybe we could be friends.
Well, my friends...
usually call me June.
Okay, here's the thing.
As long as you work for these goombahs, you're doomed.
I mean, they're going to show up one day with,
you know, a truckload of hijacked cows,
and, all of a sudden, you're running a steak house.
The next day, shrimp.
Or some other thin
Maybe I should make it a bar.
There are 15 bars on this street.
None of them have ever broken even.
You have a very negative attitude, do you know that?
Well, I'm just saying that...
that these psychos are the only reason
this place ever stays open.
Well...
then I will just have to make it
successful enough to run on its own.
Salud.
You know, the place is an arm pit.
It never made nobody a nickel.
I say we burn it down
we give the insurance money to Palmeri and that's it.
Yeah, well, maybe it needs a fresh pair of eyes.
Come on, Frank, we owe the guy half a million bucks.
This may not be the best time to launch a, what,
culinary experiment, you know?
You're retarded. Listen, Frank.
I think maybe you're thinking
with the wrong part of your body.
Ho! With all due respect, boss.
I'm saying, what do you want a broad in there for?
Her? I can think of a few reasons.
Hey, Jimmy, I'm serious.
I mean, don't we all get enough trouble at home?
That's true.
Point taken. Hey, no women in here.
Whoa!
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I'm so glad I found you.
I have to show you this.
Are you kidding? Oh, here we go.
They do a show in the Village.
It's s
It's sold out for months.
No way that's a guy.
Why would you do that to yourself? I was thinking we could have one like it.
Frank, we ain't running no gay bar.
The place in the Village clears ten grand a night.
Whoa.
Why don't we talk about this over dinner?
Oh, no. Oh, no.
I got to go.
- Come on, Nino. - That's your turn.
Yeah, two.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry. Hi.
I'm so sorry, Sister Carolina.
Mrs. Montanari, this isn't a baby-sitting service.
I know, I know.
It won't happen again, I promise.
Hi, boys.
So... how was everybody's day?
Okay, we'll talk about it at home.
I'm sorry.
It's a big job, you know?
And I'm still getting used to it.
Then why'd they give it to you?
Don't hold back.
I'm serious. You're a mother.
How'd you end up running a nightclub?
Well, maybe I have talent.
You make good sandwiches.
All right, so we have two bars.
One here and one in the back,
so nobody ever has to wait for drinks.
The dance floor is going to be Brazilian mahogany.
It costs more, but it doesn't scratch.
Yeah, and what's, uh, what's that back there?
Oh, that's a stage.
Get 'em thirsty and keep 'em entertained.
Well, I should put you in charge of my lots in Florida.
What do you think?
Come on.
What? Come on.
Let's dance. No, I'm not dancing with you.
Why not? Because, I...
well, I don't know, I don't know how to dance.
Well, you don't know how to run a nightclub either.
Come on.
What about your wife?
She doesn't like to dance.
Please?
All right.
♪ I just don't know how
♪ Oh, girl
♪ How I depend on you...
You all right? Yeah.
There you go.
♪ To give me love when I need it ♪
♪ Right on time you would always be... ♪
I thought you didn't know how to dance.
I... I don't.
Whole new life.
Excuse me for interrupting.
Come on in, Tom.
Mr. Russo,
I just want to say I'm pleased
that this property has come into your hands,
and I know that, under your guidance,
we can expect nothing but greatness.
Wow. This is for you.
Thanks, Tom.
Nothing but greatness.
Just, uh, one other thing.
The thing we talked about.
The kids on the corner.
Right. I took care of that.
All due respect, they're back.
Okay.
No criticism intended; I just thought
you should know. None taken, Tom.
You kn
You know me better. Thank you.
Bye, Tom.
Thank you, Mr. Russo.
The drugs, they come down from Harlem right out on the playground.
And you take care of it?
Do I make you nervous?
No.
'Cause you can walk away anytime;
no hard feelings.
No, I don't want to walk away.
Good.
'Cause neither do I.
It's nice.
Come on, come on. Here.
Just make sure there's no water marks.
You know? Don't hurt yourselves, hey, fellas.
Yeah, you wish.
Patty, sweetheart, where do you want the booze?
Oh, uh, you could just put it around the corner.
Trust me, just keep your eyes on the audience.
If you don't take the pause you'll lose the effect.
What if ther
To see you?
What, are you kidding me?
It's going to be a lynch mob in here. Hey!
I hope that's just an expression,
'cause otherwise, we're in really big trouble.
- I made the chair move. - Come on.
Um, there's, um, some guy at the back door.
Says he needs to talk to you.Oh.
All right.
Hey. Hi.
I went by your house
and your mother said you were here, so...
Um...
So, you work here or...?
In a way.
Oh. Yeah.
Wow, huh?
Yeah.
Wow. That's Frank for you, huh?
Always taking risks.
Not like Palmeri, though.
I think he's... he's a bit more old-fashioned.
I wouldn't know.
And now Frank owes him all this money and...
Well, the word is Frank's on pretty thin ice,
and if this place doesn't fly...
I don't know what to tell you.
Is that why you came here?
Actually, no, it's not.
Um...
You didn't have to do that.
Oh, it's nothing.
Hey, good lu
Oh...
Tell Frank I said hi.
That's good there.
Not bad, huh?
No.
Not bad.
Never would've believed it.
All we need is people.
Holy moley.
What?
You look nice, Patty.
Thanks, Jimmy.
I'm going to go check outside.
Hey.
Shut your mouth.
You'll catch flies.
Hey, Patty, good luck.
My grandmother was calling my mother a genius
befo
before I was born.
I took it as a matter of fact.
To me, she was a force of nature,
like a bolt of lightning, gathering heat,
waiting to strike.
This was her night.
Holy Mary, Mother of God.
How do you breathe in that dress?
The whole Gambino family showed up.
Benny Marino, Canairsie;
Fredo Rossi, Sheepshead Bay;
the under boss, Vito Giordano.
Hi. Hi, sweetheart.
Oh, you've done good. Oh, thanks.
Even the Boss of Bosses, Salvatore Palmeri.
Who's that guy?
Relax, it's Sal.
They didn't know why they came.
But they knew it was a mistake to stay away.
It means we're a hit.
You hope.
Mary.
My wife. Hi.
Normally, I wouldn't come,
but this I had to see with my own eyes.
Thank you.
Let's go say hi to Sal, huh?
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Pandora's Box,
the box you shouldn't open unless you want to play.
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ What you want ♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Baby, I got it ♪ Ooh... ♪
♪ What you need ♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Do you know I got it
♪ Ooh♪♪ All I'm askin'
♪ Ooh♪♪ Is for a little respect when you come home ♪
♪ Just a little bit♪♪ Hey, baby
♪ Just a little bit♪♪ When you get home
♪ Just a little bit... ♪
Frank only wants what he can't get.
That's when he's at his best.
♪ ...While you're gone
♪ Ain't gonna do you wrong ♪ Ooh ♪
♪ 'Cause I don't wanna ♪ Ooh... ♪
♪ All I'm askin' ♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Is for a little respect
♪ When you come home ♪ Just a little bit ♪
♪ Baby ♪ Just a little bit ♪
♪ When you get home ♪ Just a little bit ♪
♪ Yeah ♪ Just a little bit ♪
♪ Ooh, your kisses
♪ Ooh... ♪
♪ Sweeter than honey ♪ Ooh ♪
♪ And guess what?
♪ Ooh♪♪ So is my money
♪ Ooh...♪♪ All I want you
♪ To do for me is give it to me ♪
♪ When you get home ♪ Re, re, re, re ♪
♪ Yeah, baby ♪ Re, re, re ♪
♪ Whip it to me
♪ R-E-S-P-E-C-T
♪ Find out what it means to me
♪ R-E-S-P-E-C-T
♪ Take care, TCB.
Whose idea was this?
Hey, Patty...
I just got the reviews, hot off the press.
we're a hit.
That's great.
I'm very happy for you. Hey, what are you doing?
You're going to freeze to death.
Put this on.
Come on, I'll give you a ride.
No, that's all right.
I'm going to walk.
What do you mean you're going to walk?
You're going to walk six blocks in the cold?
What am I supposed to do?
I'm not gonna chase you, Patty.
What the hell is all that?!
You take off, you walk away with my jacket.
I thought I was working for you.
You are. And Palmeri?
Is that why you've been avoiding me all night?
Do you owe him money?
Who told you that?
People talk. Yeah, well, they say a lot more than they know.
You are not working for him.
He's just... he's admiring.
Okay, well, I don't want him there every night...
you know, acting like he owns the place.
Do you want to kiss me?
I'm going crazy.
It's all I think about, all the time.
That's one hell of a line.
You didn't answer my question.
I just don't want them at the club every night.
You should probably leave,
because the boys are going to be up soon, for school.
Hey! Hey, hey, hey.
Frank!
Hey, Vito.
Good morning.
What's up?
Well, Mr. Palmeri would like you
to come into his office so you can talk, you know?
Okay, I'll be right there.
No, no, no.
Mrs. Montanari.
Me?
Yeah.
Tell him I got to get my kids to school.
Are you out of your mind?
I'm not making them late
because some self-important thug wants to talk.
Look, you don't say no to Palmeri.
What's he going to do, shoot me for packing lunch?
I've seen people die for less.
Look, just tell Vito
that you're going to go.
I, um... just wanted to see for myself
how busy a person could be not to accept an invitation.
I... I take it that, uh, you know who I am.
Yeah.
And I assume
you know of some of what I do.
Some.
Why do you work for me?
I mean, why not, uh, you know, uh...
a waitress, a secretary, a nurse?
Those jobs don't have perks.
Oh...
Who is this big shot?
Ma, take the kids. And do what?
Make breakfast.
But her eggs are runny.
Excuse me for one second, okay?
Listen to me.
You will eat those eggs
and you will not complain.
Do you hear me?
But they make me sick.
All right, zip it.
I'm sorry.
No, no, no, uh...
Nothing should come between a mother and her sons.
Good, good. Um...
I have some, uh, business interests in Canada,
and I would like for you
to, uh, collect the dividends once a month.
What kind of dividends?
$500,000.
I would need for you to get it across the border
without anybody finding it.
That sounds very dangerous.
Could be.
Well, in that case,
wouldn't it be smarter to use someone with bigger shoulders?
You know, I could also use an armored car,
but that might attract a lot of attention.
So let me get this straight:
Even though we've just met,
you trust me more than an armored car.
Well, I was, um... quite impressed
what you did with the broken-down diner,
and, uh, I'm willing to take the risk.
What if I'm not?
Well, you'd be well compensated.
It costs more than you could afford, to replace a mother.
Yeah, that's for sure.
However, if you should decide to do this,
I would guarantee you and your entire family, uh,
would be taken of for the rest of their lives.
And, believe me, I would never have asked you
if I didn't think you could do it.
What do you think?
It's your decision.
Look, I, um...
I've never pushed anybody into a job
that they didn't want,
and I very much respect your decision.
I didn't make a decision.
I'll do it once, see how it feels.
Then I'll make my decision.
Good.
What was that?
What was what?
That thing you were doing with him.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I'm talking about the way you were acting with Sal...
like it was a private conversation.
We were making a business arrangement.
What, you think you can play him?
You can't play him, Patty. He's playing you.
You're acting like a baby.
Do you know what you have to do?
You know what he asked you to do?
Yes, he asked me to drive to Canada and pick up some money.
Yeah, these guys are not like us, Patty.
They're Sicilian. They don't work with women.
You try and take their money,
you're gonna end up in the drink.
And if not, you still got to make it past the border.
So it's okay that I work for you?
Look, Patty, the last guy that went up there,
he lost $500,000, now he's dead.
You want to go up there?
Why didn't you say anything?
I was looking right at you!
I said to you, "Frank, what do you think?"
'Cause it's not my place to say no for you.
Why would I say no?
The guy promised to take care of my kids
for the rest of their lives.
Then take this.
Get that out of here.
No... if you're gonna go,
take it; if not, don't go.
plain things is that my mother was bullied,
or tricked, or even backed into a corner.
But it wouldn't be true.
She walked in of her own free will with her eyes wide open.
And she'd be the first to say it.
How long are you going?
Uh, just a few days.
I'll be back before you know it.
If I were you, I'd take the bullets.
Right th
Right through here.
Watch your step.
Don't be afraid. Come on in.
Straight ahead.
Around the corner here.
Straight ahead.
Around the corner.
Here, you can wait right here.
Seven out.
Watch your step.
...Patty...
Okay, the part, I understood.
It's not very nice.
You kiss your mother with that mouth?
I also think you said something about $400,000
instead of $500,000.
You give me the $500,000
and I will let you keep your family jewels.
♪ What you want
♪ Baby, I got
♪ What you need
♪ You know I got it
♪ All I'm asking...
Somebody's having fun.
Somebody had a very nice vacation.
Turn off the music, ma'am.
Let me see some I.D.
Sure.
Here you go.
Could you pop the trunk?
Uh, can we skip it?
I did a lot of shopping, and I promised the boys
that I'd be home in time to make pancakes.
Pop the trunk, please.
Yeah.
♪
You did good.
Well, I told you.
The exchange rate is very favorable.
Have a nice day.
You, too.
My mother makes no excuses
for the choices she made.
But she would also say,
don't be too quick to assume you wouldn't make them, too.
What are you doing?
What are youdoing?
Is that real?
Why aren't you in school?
Grandma went shopping.
She went shopping?
She said there was a sale.
She needed to get there early.
Okay, the two of you, you just wait right there.
I'm going to go change and I'm taking you to school.
Okay.
Hey!
Whoa. Whoa.
Are those for us?
I don't know.
Is your name Nino?
Yeah, go ahead.
Come on, I'll take you.
100 bucks says you can't beat me to school.
What are you going to do with $100?
Out of my way.
Coming through, coming through.
What'd you do that for?
I don't know
I don't know.
Maybe to, uh,
correct a misimpression I might have left
last time we were together.
Which would be?
That I was a small-minded,
old-fashioned, jealous sort of person
who could underestimate the capabilities
of the woman he loves.
I don't think she came to that co
She didn't?
No.
I think she was just really happy
you were here when she got home.
Come on, get on.
Get on! We got to beat these kids to school. All right, all right.
That's it, that's
Watch your feet.
We're coming, boys!
♪
Six years later,
and my mother was as tight with the Mob
as if she were a made guy.
She was involved in loan-sharking
and ran crap games all
Between the nightclub and her collections in Canada,
she earned enough money to move us
from an apartment on Flatbush Avenue
to a townhouse in Prospect Park,
and helped Frank pay off the half mil he owed Sal Palmeri.
Where's that Parmesan?
But it wasn't for power or money.
The reason she did it was family...
♪ You've done me wrong...
...a bigger, more devoted family than she had ever known.
♪ You took a sip ♪ Just a sip ♪
♪ From the Devil's cup...
These guys showed up for everything...
Uncle Al, Uncle Tito,
Uncle Jimmy, Uncle Bones,
Uncle Carmine.
♪ Just who do you think you are ♪
♪ Stop acting like some kind of star... ♪
Not so fast.
This is for college.
Home in an hour.
And that was just the immediate family.
There was also Eddie and Mikey, Jackie and Vic.
Even the cops.
So many guys on the take it made you wonder who wasn't.
Breaking the law was just the price they all paid
to be part of things.
Hey, Patty...
you, uh, see a gold cuff link anywhere?
No, sorry.
Hey, Frank.
My wife is going to slit my throat.
I'll keep my eye out.
Thanks.
Hi, June. Sorry we're late.
Someone forgot a present,
so I said I wouldn't show up empty-handed.
Oh, you're sweet. Thank you.
Joey, take this, put this on the table.
Patty. How you doing?
Sorry, I need a drink. That's all right.
Now, now I'm a coat rack?
Yeah...
Wh
What's going on with the wig?
Eh, she got it Third Street.
Oh.
Hey, listen, um, here's a little something for the boy.
Oh, Sal.
Oh, Patty.
Come on, he's like a son to me.
Buy him a car.
First he goes to college.
No, he doesn't need college.
He's got me.
You know something,
if I was a little less honorable, uh,
I'd have taken Frank out
the first day I laid eyes on you.
If you were a more honorable guy...
Hey, be nice.
Okay? Relax.
Take a breath and get the look off your face.
What look, Sal?
Be nice, tough guy.
I apologize, Sal.
All right. All right.
Enough about honor, just
go make a plate, and you take this for me, okay.
Thank you for coming, Sal.
Thank you.
They broke the law,
but they owned the neighborhood.
Joey never bought it,
but from where I sat, it seemed like a pretty good trade.
The part I didn't get
was that we were all paying a price:
Me...
Mouse...
even the innocent bystanders,
Mouse! like the guy who sold us groceries.
Want to see something?
Nino?
Nino...
You shouldn't be here.
Get out of here.
Mr. Gallo?
Hey!
We tried to find out what he was doing there,
and he clamped right up.
Kept on saying, however,
that he was a friend of yours,
and that's all we could get.
I've been a friend of the Montanari family for many years.
He had this in his pocket.
Of course he wouldn't say where it came from.
I'd like to know...
...how he found that body.
Hmm?
Watch your fingers.
What the hell were you doing out there?
Answer me, Nino.
What were you doing out there?
Nothing.
A dead body is not nothing.
And don't you ever use my name with the police.
What's the matter with you?
You know those guys.
Say they do favors for you.
You want me to go to jail for the rest of my life?
Is that what you want? All right, all right.
Did you steal Carmine's cuff links?
You steal.
I'm telling you, Nino,
I'm telling you right now,
if I get caught up in this mess,
I'm going to kick your ass.
You lay one hand on my ki
and I will cut it off.
It's for his own good.
How did you know?
About the body.
I don't want you taking risks like that.
Why did he die?
I'm not sure.
I didn't take those, by the way.
Just for the record.
It must seem kind of strange,
me asking to see you after all these years.
I'm glad you did.
My son got in trouble the
Yeah, I know.
He's a good kid.
I'm sure he is.
Well, I was just hoping that...
maybe you can keep an eye out,
and let me know if there's something I should know.
Sure.
Really? Yeah, absolutely.
Oh, that's great.
Thanks. Yeah.
I appreciate it.
Hey, Patty...
that grocer, Gallo...
he was a friend of yours, right?
Well, I wouldn't say he was a friend.
He was my grocer.Right.
You know why he was murdered?
No.
Yeah. He got into it with some kid,
selling drugs out front of h
Oh...
No, that's impossible.
They don't sell drugs.
Looks like Mouse is selling to me. What do you think?
Well, I mean, if he is, Frank doesn't know about it.
They're liars, Pat
They are liars, and they're killers.
That's how they get by.
Frank!
Where is he? Is he here?
He's upstairs in the apartment. Frank!
Hey, what's going on?
What are you doing here? Where's your son?
Hey, you know better to come to my...
He's a drug dealer, Frank!
What are you talking about? I need him to stay away...
Hey, we're in the middle of dinner here.
You stay away from my kid! Hey, hey.
Hold on second, hey!
He's garbage! Will you control yourself?
Do not come near my son!
Take it easy. He's a drug dealer!
Your son.
Selling drugs to kids in our neighborhood.
She's lying.
I saw pictures...
FBI surveillance...
of him at the grocery store.
Pictures? How'd you see pictures?
They brought me in for questioning.
He's all over them.
Are you... Are you selling?
No.
Did you hear what she just said?
Yeah, I heard what she said. She doesn't know...
They got pictures, you understand?!
Yeah, but, Dad...
Frank!
I told you.
I told you to come to me.
I told you!
What's wrong with you?
There's one thing you had to do...
just one thing... is stay clean.
Just one thing!
Stay clean... that's all I ever asked of you.
Frank, let him go. I'm sorry.
No. Where were you?
Enough, enough. Where were you?
You're supposed to keep an eye on him.
You keep telling me he's clean. Enough!
Enough for now!
You be quiet.
How dare you come here
like you got the right.
It's not enough, your fancy apartment, your fancy car,
my husband seven nights a week?
Get the hell out of my house.
Patty, go home.
Get out!
Once you start paying attention,
change happens very fast.
You see evidence
signs you've been missing for weeks, maybe years.
No place is safe, not even your own home.
Every act of kindness hides a threat,
every friend becomes an enemy.
There's no one to turn to, and no going back.
The deed is done, your soul is sold.
So, Patty, you're heading up to Canada, right?
Uh, yeah.
I'm actually leaving in about an hour.
Sal wants you to take June.
June?
She's getting a little jumpy from all the attention.
He needs to distract her.
Is he crazy? I can't take June.
It's one time.
Two girls on a shopping trip. You'll be fine.
Do you know how many times I say that?
"I'll be fine."
And then I throw up.
Don't get all dramatic on me, honey. No, Jimmy,
I'm serious.
I can't... I can't keep doing this.
I got to get out.
I got to take my kids and move someplace safe.
Nobody gets out.
We're like a retirement home...
you just get old, and then you die.
Simple as that.
It's a good life.
15 agents,
right outside my house.
Can you believe it?
Haven't had fun in, like, three days.
So who was this guy, anyway?
A grocer.
Oh, God, you would've thought he was the g.d. Pope.
June, what are you doing to yourself?
What? What? What?
The coke; what do you think?
I'm just trying to have a little fun, all right?
Well, you're gonna, you're gonna have to throw that stuff away
before we get to the border.
I'm not throwing this out.
Yeah, you are, June.
No, I'm not.
Okay, look, we're going to the border.
I'm trying to have fun on this trip.
I haven't had any fun.
Will you just let me have some fun?
What are you doing? What...?
Here's another one for you.
Let's try this.
Oh, yes.
Oh... oh...
Ooh, I will take it.
Oh, good.
I'll wrap it up for you.
It is nice, you have to admit.
Who the hell is that guy?
I saw him at the border.
Could I get whacked for fooling around?
I gotta go. Now?
Listen, just pay for the coat
and meet me at the hotel.
Do me a favor... do not talk to that guy.
But I haven't...
Don't talk to him.
How about some hats?
An agent?
Yeah, trying to look like tourist.
Or maybe he was tourist.
I think he followed me across the border.
That's a pretty active imagination.
All right, just give me the money so I can get out of here.
You're early; Montreal doesn't deliver
till t
till tomorrow.
Okay, then give me what you got.
Do you want to call Sal
or should I?
I knew it was a mistake to use a broad.
You should get out.
You should think about a helping profession.
Like nursing.
Police!
Freeze!
Hands on the counter!
Where's the money? What money?
Wrong answer!
Keep an eye on her.
Let's go.
Ma'am, are you okay?
I think I'm going to throw up.
Uh... Is there a bathroom?
This way.
Right here.Okay.
What the hell's going on?
Where is she?
She's in the washroom.
Are you out of your mind?!
There's another door!
Where the hell have you been? I'm bored out of my mind.
Get dressed. We better be going
somewhere nice for dinner.
We're checking out.
Dressed?
Are we in trouble?
We can't go back together.
I need you to carry the money.
I can't.
Oh, yes, you can.
You're gonna take these,
you're gonna wrap the money to your body,
and then you're gonna put your clothes on over it.
I've done it 50 times; nobody's ever caught me.
Once you get across the border,
go to your apartment,
and then, and then call me at the club, all right?
No, I'm not kidding, Patty, okay? I can't.
I'll go crazy,
or I'll start crying or some crap like that.
I mean, they'll arrest me, and then... Listen to me.
I don't have time for this.
If we don't get that money home,
we're both dead.
Okay.
Okay, we're gonna be okay.
Any day.Gin.
What do you mean gin?
What are you doing? Come on.
Gin.
Get out of here. What are you talking about?
That is gin. It means I win.
No, it means you cheat.
How does he get gin?
I do not cheat.
Hey, hello to you, too.
Hey, Patty, how are you? Hey, Patty.
You're early.
Something came up.
Deal me out.
Who's deal, me?
Yeah, do it.
What do you mean something came up?
They got busted.
Busted how?
Hey, Patty, how did you slip the G?
What happened to the money?
June has it.
You gave the money to June?
Yeah, I don't know if you've noticed,
but there's FBI agents everywhere we go.
Where is she?
She's on her way home.
Then why aren't you with her?
I'm waiting here for her to call me.
No, no, you don't wait here. You stay with her.
And you sit on the steps all day, if you have to.
You know what, Frank, don't tell me what to
While yo
While you're waiting here,
she's helping herself to the cash,
and keeping up with her drug habit.
You know what? I been doing this for six years without your help.
Is that what you want me to tell Sal?
No, you know what?
You can tell Sal to go to hell.
Hey, Frankie, take it easy, come on.
What?
It's not her fault.
Excuse me?
It's not her fault.
Did I ask your opinion, Bones?
Did I?!
What?
Oh, my God. Sweetie, what happened to you?
My father, he was a little upset.
Can I come in, Patty?
Yeah, yeah, come in.
Oh...
I'm in trouble, Patty.
I think Palmeri's going to kill me.
No, no. Nobody's going to kill you.
It's my fault.
The drugs... Gallo...
the Feds tightening up on us.
Why would Palmeri be afraid of the Feds?
I don't know.
I was hoping you could talk to him,
remind him how much my father does for the family.
Sweetie, I think it'll sound better coming from your father.
I don't have much pull with him right now.
Look, he was upset.
Because he loves you,
and he cares about you.
Okay, go to him. He'll help you.
Yeah, sure.
Okay.
I never meant to get Nino in trouble.
I'm sorry, Patty.
It's okay.
Don't you ever backtalk me in front of my crew.
Like you got me on some kind of leash.
Did you beat up Mouse?
You did, didn't ya?
Kicked him like a dog, your own son.
You know, you're beginning to sound like my wife.
Frank, he's scared.
He thinks Sal's gonna kill him.
Well, maybe he's right.
Well, then you need to do something.
Yeah? What do you want me to do? You tell me.
Go to Sal!
Why you keep talking about Mouse?
Because he came here asking for help, Frank.
Mouse came here?
Why would he come to you?
Because instead of acting like his father,
you beat him up.
Well, tell me something.
Is there something going on between you two?
Oh, my...
No, don't you turn away from me!
I asked you a question!
You keep your hands off my mother!
Hey, don't you touch him!
Get out of my house!
Sweetie, I'm sorry.
I'm okay. Look at me.
I'm okay.
Why do you always got to defend him?
Come here.
Come here, sweetheart.
You're always talking about family.
Family this, family that.
I told you they're not family.
Ma, please don't start with me.
Hey, how come you weren't inside?
You having some problems with Frank?
Mouse came to me for help, and I sent him away.
Mouse is too far gone.
Nobody could have helped him.
Maybe.
I want you to wear a wire, Patty.
Palmeri's cleaning house.
I'd like to stop him
before he gets rid of somebody else.
I just need to hear somebody say
that Palmeri ordered the hit.
That's it.
And when it's over, we'll take care of you.
We'll get you a nice house
someplace out of the city,
somewhere your kids will be safe.
Sounds so easy.
Good guys and bad guys...
pick a side.
They're criminals.
So am I.No, you're not.
You made a mistake.
Now you got a chance to make it right.
These people helped me.
I made them my family.
I knew what I was doing.
You're not the same as they are.
You don't know.
I know what I see.
Hmm. Everybody says that.
And they all say something different.
Thanks for the coffee.
I, uh... I got these when he was born.
500 bucks a box.
I was passing them out like candy.
Frank, I'm sorry.
I really am.
I, uh, I can't go home.
Mary's cleaning up the house.
The cupboards, the drawers, the floors, everything.
Smells like a morgue.
Don't look at me like that.
Like what?
Like you hate me.
I don't hate you, Frank.
I could never hurt you.
You know tha
You're inside me all the time.
♪
What's going on?
Why do you have a gun? I'm next, Patty.
Palmeri blames me.
Will you turn it off?!
What do you mean, he blames you? What do you...?
Because of Mouse. He's my kid!
Just follow orders.
Honor, huh?
Follow orders.
Okay, Frank, I don't know what's going on,
but you gotta get out of here.
No! No, what are you talking about, "get out of here"?
I have two boys I have to protect. I understand that!
You're walking around with a shotgun!
Patty, I got it all worked out, okay?
Got a friend
owes me a favor.
I want you to call him, okay?
Ask for plane tickets someplace warm.
I don't even care.
It's over, Frank.
No, it's for all of us.
It's over. I just need some time
to get back on my feet.
We'll be like we were before, only even better.
I promise, baby, okay?
I promise.
Hey.
Patty, holy crap, you ever hear of a phone?
I tried calling. You don't answer.
Yeah, well, I been busy.
Is Frank in trouble?
Listen, I can't hang out.
He thinks there's a hit out on him.
He wants to leave town.
Yeah, well, maybe he should.
What is that supposed to mean?
It means I don't know.
Oh, June.
Why would Sal go after Frank?
'Cause he's completely paranoid.
Some FBI agent gave him a nervous breakdown
saying somebody in the family gave Mouse those drugs.
Who would do that?
It doesn't matter, okay?
Sal is freaking out.
Last night, I thought he was gonna kill me.
Listen, if I were you,
I would go to that club,
clean out the safe and walk away.
That's easier said than done.
Patty, listen to me.
It is not just Frank who's been marked, okay?
It's you, too.
I gotta go.
I'm real sorry.
Now, if th
and I was watching it,
I'd say she planned on taking the money and running.
Only, see, he got there first
because he knows how very smart she is and...
well, he has to stay two steps ahead of her at all times.
Whatever you're thinking, you don't have it right.
You have no idea what I'm thinking.
Sal, I've always been loyal to you.
I might be thinking about, um,
what it feels like, maybe, to look down a barrel
at the end of your life...
and all those things
that were important to you,
just knowing you c
and just get to feel a little rain on your face.
Frank wasn't helping Mouse.
He knew what he was doing.
Okay, but killing him is not gonna make things better.
Might send a message, don't you think?
You told me...
that the most important thing in life was family,
you remember that? That's right.
If there is no family there's no trust, trust.
And on that subject, I had a little thought:
Why don't you take care of Frank,
put an end to my troubles?
You... you want me to kill Frank.
That does sound a little clumsy when you put it like that.
You're insane.
You see, now, Frank, he was a lot more polite
when I asked him to do Mouse.
He was a lot more polite.
Hey, what'd he say?
Did you get the tickets?
What happened?
You tell me.
I must have be
I must have been crazy to stand up for you.
What are you talking about?
Did you kill your son?
Mouse crossed the line.
I tried to warn him a hundred times, Patty.
He was marked.
I couldn't give it to somebody else.
So he wouldn't suffer...
so they wouldn't come after you.
You make me sick.
Patty...
Patty, open the door!
Come on! Come on! Let's talk about this!
Open the door or I'll break it down!
Patty, come on!
You're not gonna leave me, Patty!
You cannot leave me!
I'll find you!
I'll find you wherever you go!
You understand?
Open the door right now!
Patty, open up!
Open up right now!
Mouse...
Time for school... up, up, up, up.
You heard her. Get up.
[brushes teeth, spi
Hey, where you going?
I'm taking the boys to school.
You're welcome to come.
No, that's okay.
Have a good day.
I thought he wasn't
gonna stay with us anymore.
Shut up.
Okay, I need you guys to do something for me
and it's very important.
Go to class like it's a normal day.
At 11:30, ask to be excused. Grandma will be
waiting outside.
If she's not here, do not wait
even for five minutes, do you understand?
This is where you're gonna go.
Ask to speak to Robert Wilford.
He'll make sure you're all right.
That says FBI.
Yeah, we're not gonna stay with Frank anymore, sweetie.
I promise.
I just need some time to get some stuff together
before we go.
Yeah. Go where, Ma?
I don't know. Florida maybe.
What's happening?
Okay, sweetie, it's okay.
Are we gonna be all right?
Please, I need you to be brave.
I made some mistakes, but I'm gonna make it
all better, all right? Okay.
I love you.
I love you, too.
I love you.
I love you both.
Take care of your brother, okay?
Joey, Joey.
What?
She has a gun.
Do you think she's gonna kill him?
Ma said we should wait.
I need to talk to Sal.
Oh, all nice-nice now you want to see Sal.
What if Sal don't want to see you?
Oh, come on, you stupid bitch.
Ho.
Put down the gun.
If you want to talk to me,
put it down.
Where the hell is she?
It's only five minutes away.
I'd take my time, if I were her.
Where is she?
You tell me, Joey. Where is she?
I'm calling the police. No, you're not.
Give me the phone!
Let go! Hey, I asked you a question.
Where's your mother?
I don't know where she is!
Leave him alone!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
It's okay. We're okay, right, Joey?
You're fine.
Your dime.
I spent a lot of time asking myself
who would've been crazy enough to work with Mouse,
risk their whole life for a few dime bags.
And then I realized... it wasn't Frank.
It wasn't even a guy.
It was right in front of me the whole time.
You gave her drugs to keep her happy,
and she found a way to make a profit on the side.
And who could blame her, really?
Nothing to call your own, just waiting for the day
someone turns you in for a better model.
Yeah, that sounds very tragic.
Why you telling me all this crap, sad story, why?
What do you want?
I want to get out.
I want to take my kids
and I want to move away.
And I want you to let Frank live
as long as he leaves me alone.
So you betray me, and then you come here and ask for favors.
No one betrayed you. You got this guy
living in your house like a sniveling little child.
Frank did everything you asked.
He killed his own son
because you told him to.
His rules.
Who broke those rules,
Frank... or you?
I'm supposed to meet my kids.
Meeting's not over.
My kids have a letter.
If I don't show up,
all of this information goes straight to the FBI.
Of course they have a letter.
The FBI has tons of letters.
I'm still here.
Look, um...
...let's try to understand each other.
This has nothing to do with appearances
and, uh, certainly not even a little bit to do with fear.
It has everything to do with weakness...
my weakness.
Patty, um...
I know, um...
Um...
Go on. You can go.
Thank you.
Ma?
Up here.
Where's Nino and Joey?
They're okay
They're in their room.
Go get them ready.
Where you been?
I went to see Sal.
And what happened?
We made a deal.
He won't kill you if you stay away from me and my family.
Um, I don't understand.
What does... what does that mean?
It means it's over and I get out.
I won't be needing this anymore.
Patty...
Good-bye, Frank.
True to his word, Palmeri called off the hit.
Frank, who expected to go out in a blaze of fire,
died three years later of colon cancer.
In spite of the shortage of witnesses,
Salvatore Palmeri was sentenced to life in prison
for ordering the murder of Mouse.
Pretty soon, most of the guys we grew up with
were either locked up or dead.
Agent Robert Wilford was promoted; so was Bones...
an undercover agent the whole time.
June OD'd.
Accidental or not, nobody knows.
Ma did okay, considering.
Sunliner Express now boarding on track eight
for Orlando and Miami.
My mother, she taught me everything I know:
How to think for myself, how to question authority
and most important, how to say no...
because when theevil shows up with a truckload of promises,
it's harder than you think to walk away.