Original subtitles

Canto un amore che sta un po' nascosto e dimenticato.

Il mio sorriso era sbiadito ed oggi è rifiorito già.

Canto un amore che mi fa paura e adesso so perché.

Thank you.

The film of my life.

He needs a rest.

That's it!

Did I get a scratch on the kid?

Nothing.

You know what people say to me?

Spike, do you have political ambition?

Political goals?

Are you seeking the throne of office?

I said, no.

I'm just trying to get a little piece of the pie.

Yo, if Franklin comes by before I get back, tell him to start working on my

flat tire, all right? The trunk is open.

Hey, Helen.

Get a look at the way he's dressed.

I'm leaving the keys on the front table.

I love my tux in the cleaners, all right?

Take off that flowered shirt and those dirty sweatpants.

What's the matter with them? You got clean underwear?

How'd you get it off of my underwear?

You want to disgrace the Fumar family, go take your jetties, look like a...

in Jamaica is nothing to be ashamed of. We both deserve to break from our

families. But Henry keeps calling... Mr. Kichetti here?

Henry would do anything to ensure my... You beat Popo's kid? Yeah.

How's your old man?

Beautiful. A few more years and he'll be back in Bensonhurst.

Mr. Kichetti expecting me?

But not true love.

Henry can't do that.

And no one knows that better than I do.

His own father.

Oh, he tries, Mr. Henderson.

God, if you only knew just how hard he tried. I'm marrying you, darling,

whether you like it or not.

It's not right.

It's not even decent.

After you annul the unconsummated marriage to my son, all you'll have to

do is cross out the junior on the marriage license.

Disgusting. How will I cross out his memory?

What a bunch of pig.

Like this.

How is that Mama Luke old enough to have a kid her age?

You missed the episode where he gets his whole body and face lifted.

Mr. Caccetti. Huh? It's the Fumo kid.

Ah!

Come here, sit down, sit down.

Hey, you was great last night.

I couldn't believe you got so big.

When was the last time I seen you?

When my whole family was in court. The day my father got sent up the river.

That long?

Yeah, I remember that business about the hookers we had to rough up.

How was you supposed to know they was all cops and drag?

Disgusting, huh? Hey, I owe this kid's father for biting a bullet on that rap.

But don't you worry, kid.

When your dad gets out, hey, he's going to have a nice security job, night

watchman, whatever.

He's got it.

My mother and grandmother says they greatly appreciate all that you're doing

for us. Enough about your pop. You hungry, kid? Come on.

See, I know I'm imposing on you that you're a busy man and all that, but I

need a backer. Someone to finance me in the ring. Well, I'm out of the fight

game. Too low life. Too ethnic.

See, everybody knows it's crooked.

Definitely. Yeah, maybe.

But still, the ring needs a real cuisine.

Someone to tie in the young kids could look up to.

Look, Spike, I'm sentimental, just like everybody else. Sure, I bet every now

and then.

But I keep a respectable front now. I'm into stocks and bonds, real estate. Hey,

I even support the liberal politicians.

All that garbage.

It's not that I mind losing once in a while. That's easy.

But I need somebody who can promote me for the bigger masters.

Yeah, I understand.

And I think it's a good idea for young Italians to look up to somebody.

Yeah. I saw how good you took that dive last night. Very smooth.

Professional. So you got to help me, Mr. Kichetti.

So,

we got a little job around here for Spike.

Hey, but I don't want him involved in no drug business, huh?

Drug business?

What drug business?

We got no drug business.

Forget about it.

Yeah, so we keep you out of all that stuff.

How about a little numbers run in a nice Italian neighborhood?

Fast, easy money, Spike.

Hey, which one are you thinking of, Mr. Kichetti?

Tortorella. Ain't your kid Stuart going to that Dartmouth College this fall? He

wanted to pass his numbers route after his little brother Sean, my youngest

kid. Well, that's too bad.

You just can't pass that down the line, you know.

Oh, yes, yes. I appreciate it, Mr. Caccetti. I only hope you come see me

when I fight again.

I'll send the tickets over to the club, as many as you need. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

yeah.

Hey,

Spike, you too?

No, sir.

Ah, what a soap.

She's over here pretty good, you know.

She's a snack. Snack neighbor.

She's got share.

I didn't know these little soaps could bring in so much.

How you doing?

Yeah, how about today?

All right.

Fifteen, four, what's up?

Call me from tape.

You have to turn this money in, Spike.

I'm family with Caccetti. What are you worried?

Yeah, but it's one in one, Spike. You're going to be in big trouble.

I juggled a count.

Come on.

Stupid as hell I like this bike.

What the fuck you want me to do, put it in a locker with all these chinks

hanging out here or what?

Yeah, send you into the town and get honest.

Hey, Spike, take it easy. It looks like you really mean it.

Yo, Mr. Vinaca, that's two dives in a row.

When I'm going to win again, huh?

You know you overreact, kid. That's your problem.

Besides, it's the Puerto Rican's turn.

I want Mr. Kachet to see me win. You understand, right?

It's a personal thing.

Now, don't think about it, all right?

You know, our district's fine. We're still in the country.

You're sure to be giving your first time out?

I take my receipts to the gym with me. I turn around for one second, some stick

grabs my wallet and hits me in the door.

What's I going to do?

I'll be greedy, Spike.

I'm reporting this to Kachetti while you're there.

Do that.

I'm a bitch.

Soon he don't hit.

He's got no class.

We had nothing bad to do.

Fucking monkey belongs back in the jungle. What is that? Don't worry about

it. He knows the score.

Looks like your friend Kachani must have given the tickets to his kids.

No, he's only got the daughter.

She ain't bad looking at all.

She's a skinny guinea from Benson or Spike.

Remember, this is the round the PR goes down.

Does she want to get lucky after the fight or what?

What the hell does this jerk think he is?

Just another dumb Italian guy.

They did that shit on purpose.

My favorite.

Get your own slice.

Hey, congratulations, champ. Great fight.

Oh, fuck you.

You know, I think you and your girlfriend need a couple more acting

lessons before you step back in the ring.

What are you doing with this preppy jerk-off anyway? Where's your father?

Manhattan. Live-A benefit for Africa.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. A thousand dollars a ticket. You know, a Mick Jagger, Tina Turner.

Twisted sister.

So how come you didn't go?

I don't like all that cultural crap.

Oh, yeah.

So is this your car or it's his?

Mine's up at St.

Anne's. Oh, yeah, that's what? That's that school, right? Upstate?

Yeah. A lot of trees, a lot of rock, a lot of nuns.

Yeah.

That's too bad, too.

Because you straight Bensonhurst all the way, I can tell.

Yeah, well, so are you, that's for sure.

Yeah, I know. That's why you're hot for me, right?

Hey, slow down, fella.

Fella?

He says fella?

Yeah, well, that's how they talk up at his collins. Hey, Spike, let's go.

Why don't you lose your square head? He's a fazool.

Come on, go have some fun.

Come on, let's go.

Yeah, what the hell?

Angel, your father's not going to like this.

So don't tell him.

I see him every day. He's going to ask.

All right, tell him what you want.

Yo, she won't get married away, huh?

He is such a cuisine.

How come I never seen him around before?

Spike, it's been the reform school.

It's a dropout. Very ambitious.

I love

you.

Man, you got a lot of nerve coming around here at night.

We on our way to the subway, man. Is there low gas there?

Yeah, there is. It's dark.

Man, chill out, shorty. You think there's some kind of joke tonight in the

ring? You think you can make fun of me in front of my friends or what? Look, I

was told to make it look a little stupid.

But I could put you up to it, right? I can't stay broke.

Not if I want to fight again in Bensonhurst.

No, I won't.

We'll call you from anyways.

Jose is jammed in Red Hook.

I never heard of it.

When was the last time you was in Red Hook?

She don't let him get away with it, Spike. No, he was just following orders.

There he is.

UPRs shouldn't be dealing with drugs here in Bensonhurst.

Don't you know that?

Just some PRs trying to sell drugs at our pizza place.

Oh, forget about it. These guys are from the Red Hook Boxing Club. We was just

talking. Talking with them. They'll give him any right to buy any pizza. Yeah,

and they should have known that.

Hey, come on. It's over.

All right?

Sorry, Spike, man.

You know, these kids today, you just can't take them out in public. Come on.

Sorry.

You know, if you ain't going out with this guy no more, you can start seeing

me right now.

You move quick, don't you?

Yeah, but, you know, it's because I got a short attention span.

Uh-huh.

You know, this music has a really weird effect on me.

That's because you're a good Italian girl.

This music is like your heritage, you know, it's been around for hundreds of

years.

Uh-huh, you're really silly, you know that?

Yeah, that's why you're going to go with me.

Because you can't deny it, I mean, it's in your blood.

I don't

know.

is the face of an engineering student.

This is going to wear a suit to an office someday?

Get the boss around here or what?

Do something about that Spike Fumo.

I raise my kids for something better than fighting in the gutter like a bunch

of suitsunis.

Come on.

Gee, that kid Spike's a troublemaker.

Angel was there. He knows all about it. That don't mean nothing.

This is somebody's mother from the neighborhood making a complaint about

violence. So what?

So when your kid is seen hanging around with a kid who gets other kids into

trouble, it don't look good.

They were just having a little gang fight with a bunch of Puerto Ricans.

What the hell's so terrible about that?

People are going to think he's stooping your daughter. You see?

They got to do that, so don't talk Jewish to me.

I mean screwing. They're going to say that Spike is screwing Angel.

Did you hear about the fight last night?

I didn't make it for you to eat.

What do you want me to do? I'm in training.

Oh, yeah.

Well, be sure to wash the pan.

Hey, I'm a guy. Guys don't do dishes.

Oh, now, ain't you heard?

Today's men, they help with household chores.

How would you know, Lesbo?

Asshole.

Grandma, is this beautiful or what?

Lonnie's brother got it straight off the truck. Nice, huh?

It's probably rabbit.

That's champagne mink.

And at least Tonio works for a living.

He did cheap shot teamster with cancer of the face.

Oh, eat your lips, greaseball.

You better get a job, biker. You're gonna end up just like that lousy father

of yours in prison.

I don't take no orders from no crummy old dyke or her slut girlfriend.

How fucking dare you talk to your fucking mother like that?

This arrangement here is un-Italian.

unreligious, non-sectarian, and definitely anti-nature.

How can you let them live like this? Why don't you do everybody

a big favor and go fuck yourself?

It's Carmen and the Button Man.

What does he want?

You know, Ogle called me this morning, and she said that Maria said that

Barbara's boyfriend, Lukey, said Spike got a bunch of kids in trouble.

You ain't seen me. I ain't been here.

Luigi.

Carmine.

The, uh, nice apartment.

Come down, Carmine. Uh, Bob, do you know Luigi and Carmine?

No, I don't think so.

No? I met you at Ninja on the Internet for a baby shower ten years ago.

Oh, yeah?

Oh, God, you're really going back far, huh?

Sure, I remember those days.

What's on your mind, Carmine?

How's your husband?

Be comfortable up in Sing Sing?

Sure, sure.

I got Pop-Tarts. You want Pop-Tarts?

Nah. You getting your checks?

Regular as clockwork.

And we're welfare on top of that.

A few collections now and then. Hey, you must be making ends meet. I can't

complain.

And I suppose that you want that this good life should continue, right?

What are you talking about?

Let me put it to this way, Mrs. Fumo. If you want a list to continue, your kid

Spike's got to stop seeing Angel.

Angel? Angel who?

I can't keep track of all the little tramps.

Spike's fooling around with?

Hey, Angel's Cacchetti's daughter and his only daughter.

Cacchetti's daughter?

Cacchetti's daughter?

That's right, Cacchetti's daughter.

And he don't want some snuff-faced guinea running around town with his

little girl. See, you turn a little son of a bitch, you better lay off.

Oh, Angel got too much class for a little fuck like Spike.

It's his father's blood, not mine.

Pete's Sicilian lowlife. His own mother will tell you that.

Me, I'm a brute thing.

Helen's half Irish, you know.

That's where Spike gets his good looks.

Good. Great.

Glad to hear it. Now get Spike to straighten out, or Kachinio'll cut up

your checks. You'll have to make do just on your welfare.

I'll kick him out.

Out on the fucking street.

Out in the gutter, where he belongs.

Hey, kid, get in.

Chetty wants to see you.

See that?

He wants to manage me. I knew it.

I even got my own driver.

Come on, Carmine. Move it. Let's go.

Such an irresponsible piece of shit.

You didn't tell us about all the workers who got injured when that damn condo

caved in.

Hey, the insurance pays for all that.

I made my mother look bad in front of the board. You heard her. She was pissed

off. Screw them.

I'm making enough on that drug operation in Greenfront. I could swing the whole

deal myself.

You want to take this thing public, you better keep all your income sources

clean. That SEC's a bitch.

I'll just tell them I want it.

Betting on that smart-ass here.

No, Mr. Cherry, I'll tell you something.

This crack thing is going way too far.

They even got enough boxing clubs now.

This is a gold mine, this stuff.

We get their whole welfare check.

They ain't even got enough left over for McDonald's.

Isn't there some other way we can make money?

Like what?

I don't know, like that real estate shit you was talking about.

Where do you think the money comes from to buy that real estate?

I don't know. What happened to extortion, gambling, prostitution?

Getting city contracts for construction jobs.

Drugs are easier.

There ain't no laws against it.

None? None.

Politicians took care of that.

Why not?

We pay them enough all these years. They should.

This is Spike Fumo.

A nice kid, just a little screwed up.

He needs a decent job.

With a little supervision.

You know what I mean?

Look at all those years of quality control checker.

Over in Jersey City is where we rip off Star Wars, Rambo, and all the rest of

them big pictures we get a hold of.

Now, on this side is where we make the cassettes for the kiddie market. You

know, the old cartoons, how to read and write, all that shit.

But on this side is where we make the big bucks with the hardcore porno stuff,

you know?

We just have to make sure that we don't mix up the labels.

Each receiver...

Man, it is 100 transfers at a time at high speed.

You just got to make sure that the color is correct and that there's no static or

snow. And after a couple of years, we move you out into the field.

You go around, visit the video shops, make sure all the orders are coming in.

And if they're not, hey, you break windows, you bust up the store, you

know, the regular.

Sounds like your kind of thing, Spike.

What do you say, Spike?

I don't know, Mr. Caccetti.

Some day, maybe you could even have your own little Caccetti video store.

Settle down, start laundering my drug money through them phony video rentals,

eh? Why are you talking like this, Mr. Caccetti? I mean, I could be like

another Sugar Ray Leonard.

Come on, Ned, you spike.

You're an Italian.

You gotta learn how to go out in the world and make something of yourself.

at Joe College over here.

Hey,

I don't see why a kid like you never went to college.

Be an accountant or something.

Me adding numbers together?

Hey, the backbone of our organization today is accountants like Justin then.

He sounds like some kind of asshole to me.

Don't knock him. He's going places and he's going to marry my daughter.

She never let on to me about being engaged.

She don't know it yet, but it's for her own good.

How could you say that, Mr. Caccetti?

Because she's too wild.

I mean, I even sent her to the nun school, and that don't do no good no

more.

When she came with me to Red Hook, he didn't even seem to mind.

Oh, yeah?

How do you like that?

My own daughter turning into a tramp, and her boyfriend don't even seem to

care. Now, any girlfriend of mine behave like that, I'd beat the hell out of her.

You'd do that?

For real?

I swear it on my mother's honor.

Oh, uh, speaking of who, I heard your mother's a dyke.

No, it's just a phase, Mr. Caccetti.

No, a change of life or something.

Oh, you gotta give her credit.

At least she's not cheating on your old man with another guy.

How could you make Angel marry a guy like that?

Why don't you let her make up her own mind?

Hey, he's got a college degree.

His mother's a bank president and his father's a consultant for the transit

authority. And besides that, he's Italian.

I'm Italian, too.

And what?

Your father's a jailbird.

Even though he does me a favor. And your mother's a goddamn dyke. Hey, those are

the facts, kid. Face them.

But it's not fair, Mr. Conchetti. Man, I got this thing for Angel.

I know she likes me, too.

You think I like my daughter acting the way she does?

Jeez, if my wife ever pulled that kind of crap, God rest her soul, I'd have

killed her.

But I guess us Italians today got to accept that crap.

I mean, all the women turning into dykes and cramps.

I guess that's the way it is in respectable society nowadays.

But that don't mean I got to like it.

You know, Mr. Caccetti, if I could get a name for myself, I'd be on Easy Street.

I could take care of your daughter.

You're a nice kid.

I like you a lot.

But I'm going to say this once, and I ain't going to say it no more, or I'm

going to get mean.

You stay the hell away from my angel.

I know your father don't want him there, Angel. Okay, I'll call him. I'll tell

him not to come. Will you hold on?

Let's go, Angel.

The line is busy. Hold on. Come on.

Angel,

the car is waiting.

Hey, turn me up.

Hey, what the hell is taking us so long?

job. She just...

by that recent attempt to require drug testing of our teachers, policemen, and

firemen.

I am mixed up with illicit substances.

I ask you, are these the eyes of a...

son Marvin.

Oh, uh, oh.

Could we get a picture of all of you with Mr. Caccetti?

Uh,

could we get some pictures in the hallway where the background is better?

So you know, it's not my good side. Come the hall, the hall.

Paul's been very cooperative. Gave you a lovely price.

Bernie, move in. We're a family.

Excuse me. I'd like to freshen up a little. I'll be right back.

Okay, no problem.

Can we just push together? I'll take another chat, please.

All righty. Say cheese.

Hi, hi.

Hey, Sophie, what you doing?

What didn't you tell me to meet her here for? I told her not to.

But she thought this bar mister was some kind of...

Sweet 16 thing or something.

She didn't know there were going to be any kids.

She in there?

Yes. But I'll get her. You wait.

Aren't you Pete Fulmer's kid?

One of Boxer's?

Hey, you see me fight?

No. I used to know your old man.

Didn't your old man used to work for Buccacchetti?

Yeah, he used to bust heads for his kickback operation.

You know, on the garbage collection business.

Really? What?

That schmucks of bikes over some guy from the DA's office.

We all go way back.

Congressman Bernstein arranged for my father to take that rap for the chair.

Is that right?

Can I get another shot, please?

This guy looks fishy, too.

Hey, you!

You should have been picking up Congressman Bernstein's tab for years.

He's very right. Hey, look at this shit. You be talking to some fuck from the

police office. What, are you crazy or something?

The fuck was I supposed to know? He looks like a regular guy to me. Yeah,

fucking tell me about it.

the fuck out of here. Hey, well, you ain't wanted to be disobedient, huh?

Hey, I was invited.

Yeah, by me. Hey, you fucking... I don't give a goddamn what my father said. Hey,

get over here. I ain't fucking hurt with your fucking guns. What is that,

chicken? Get out of the stairs, man. Beat it, fuck you. Get out of the

stairs.

Hey, got no offense to that shit. Get out of the neighborhood and stay out.

You come back and you're gonna regret it. You got it?

Okay? Fuck you.

It's okay, folks.

Just an unwanted intruder. Let's all go back and do our little bummy thing.

Let's go in.

Come on. It's okay. Don't worry about it. Move.

Mike!

Thanks for the invitation.

Let's get out of here.

Hey, see what you did?

I don't know nothing.

What are you letting that guinea bastard in here for?

I don't know nothing. He didn't get paid to be here. You don't know nothing.

Bongo.

Hey, come here, kid. What are you doing?

Where are we going?

Arson.

Arsoning. Why?

I got to talk to my dad. He's in Sinkton.

For what?

So he can call your father and get me out of this mess.

I can't be exiled from Bensonhurst.

That's my club.

That's my turf.

Want to have sex?

My whole life collapsed and in front of me this coos wants to get a rock saw.

What's the matter with you?

I know how you can stay in Bensonhurst.

Yeah? How?

Get me pregnant.

Yeah, maybe.

On the way.

Drive.

Then my dad will call up your father. He says he's gonna do his bird imitation if

you don't let me back in the neighborhood.

And if that don't work, then it'd be a good idea you getting pregnant.

Great. Good thing you thought of it. Then I'll come back. I'll win the title.

Spike.

It's obvious how much all this means to you, Spike. But let's just try to get it

over with, okay? I gotta get back to Bensonhurst. I haven't got all day.

And then we'll get married, right?

I'll get a little piece of turf from your father.

Every coochie on 18th Avenue is going to know who I am.

Spike, would you move your elbow and pipe down?

I got all my goombas. I got my future in Bensonhurst. Who am I without the

neighborhood, right?

I got ghoul and guys.

You know, I thought we were going to try and have sex here, Spike.

What do you want to have? A kiss or something?

Oh, it's what you've never asked.

What are you doing?

Okay, now.

No groping, no hugging, no kissing, none of that screwing around shit. Guess how

the animals ask you to leave.

I'm here to see my father. That's for your sake.

What did you bring me?

Nothing. This is Angel.

You could have brought me some prosciutto bread, some provolone,

something. Couldn't you think of anything for your old man?

This is Caceri's daughter.

We're going to get married. We're going to make babies.

What do you bring me trouble with Kichetti for, huh? Man, Kichetti don't

get it. I got talented hands.

He goes and exiles me.

Fucking he should manage me. You my father, you call him up, tell him you're

gonna sing if you don't let me come back to the neighborhood.

You gotta be crazy.

I don't rather nobody, and he knows that.

Otherwise, he'd have me knocked off right here in prison.

You pregnant yet?

I don't know.

How soon before you know?

Jeez.

Spike. Your mother calls and tells me that Caccetti's going to cut her off.

Now, I know she's a goddamn abruti dyke and she should die in her sleep.

But she's your mother and she needs those checks to take care of the house

and your little brother.

And my goddamn mother.

Yeah, not to mention that wonderful girlfriend of hers.

Shut your mouth.

Grow up, will you?

You're such a loser.

Hey.

Show some respect. I'm your father, for God's sake.

I know I love you because you're my dad.

But really, you're a loser.

That's better.

You, Angel, go home. Do what your dad wants.

Marry a nice college boy.

What are you talking about? Knock off, Spike.

Listen to me.

Caccetti has a responsibility to the neighborhood not to have fuck-ups like

you have their own way.

What would happen to Bensonhurst if everybody ran around and did their own

fucking thing, huh?

You want to live in a toilet like Manhattan or the Bronx?

You talk to her. She don't seem to get it.

Your father's right, Angel.

If a good match like Justin comes along, you shouldn't do everything to just

drive him away.

Spike's not a bad guy.

You don't know him.

Know him?

I was at his fun cooler christening, for Christ's sake.

I know the whole goddamn family.

That's Spike's father. He's a loser, too.

He moves up through the ranks by taking raps in prison for other people.

Not that I blame him very much for that wife of his.

He's just glad to get out of the house.

I'll see him if I want to.

And you can't stop me.

What the hell's going on here?

I was setting this fight up for you and some Polak from Greenpoint.

Yeah? And then Vinaka said you're not in the club anymore.

You're kidding.

You're fucked up again, Spike.

Who's my star, man?

Try to dump across the street.

Your gear's still there. You're in luck.

This is my club, man. What am I supposed to try?

Hey, but the Boy Scouts got an opening.

The word came down. You're dead in Fentonhurst.

In what word?

I give you a hint. We'll take a fucking walk. I got my own problem.

I'll fix these guys, you know?

They told me not to do it.

Get out!

I said get out!

You're one of those people that shits!

Anti-nature lesbos! You stupid fat whore freeloading bitch!

Asshole, motherfucker!

Get over here.

Get over here!

That's right!

There never will be over there.

You! That's right! Big pussy!

It's a whip!

You wussy! Blimey! Trash! Scream!

Scum! It's a garbage face!

They think they can keep me out with that goddamn cop at the gate? Yeah,

that'll be the day.

I can see Angel anytime I want.

She's crazy about me, I don't mind her. We get along fine.

One day we're gonna be running this neighborhood.

That can't be working for me.

So what if I stay out of bed for a while?

I'm not going to let Angel forget about me that easy.

Or that goddamn boxing glove either.

But Shady ain't exactly unaware what goes on over here in Red Hook.

That's for sure.

Jack, Jack.

Jack.

Yo, man, you're throwing way too much on with that right, boss.

Tell him.

What the hell do you want, man?

Yo, I brought you some groceries.

What for?

I don't know, man. Just give them to the kids or something like that. I don't

even remember what I bought them for, you know?

Is my car safe over here or what?

Yo, man, you're in the safest place in the whole neighborhood.

What am I, the only other boxer you know from, Brooklyn?

My club's always booking you PRs from Red Hook, right? So I figured this way,

I stay under their nose a little bit, stay fresh in their minds.

You really need a place to stay?

Look, I never had nothing against you Puerto Ricans, you know? As long as you

stay in your own neighborhood, I was easy.

Thanks a lot.

Look, I don't mean to offense or nothing, but seriously, how can you walk

around in a cesspool like this?

Hey, man, I grew up in this neighborhood.

So then how come you never saw fit to do something about it, for Christ's sakes?

You just let it go on and on?

Me. Me and my moms, man. We got a whole family to support.

You know, seeing as how I come from a more advanced culture than yourself, I

want to tell you that we Italians would never let ourselves become the victims

of these politicians and goddamn drug dealers like you people.

Forget about it.

Hey, babe.

You fucked away, man.

Hey, Harold.

Cool. Crap. Come on, what do you say? I'll give you your parking. I say you go

better than that, man.

Hey, how about you, cowboy?

First time free.

Your day's a number.

Now fuck off.

Jesus. You gonna do something about this trash or what? Shut up, man.

You, out of here.

Off the stairs, everybody.

Hey, listen up.

A civilized human being has moved into the neighborhood.

And I don't want no scumbag stinking up the joint.

So get lost.

So get the hell out of here. You know it's good for you.

We always got an extra bed if you need it.

Ma, this is Spike.

He needs a place to stay.

Oh, it was wonderful what you did just now.

I've been asking my son to do that for years.

Hey, I know those guys, Ma.

I just can't believe the nice people are forced to live like this. It's terrible.

Well, my house is your house, young man. Come in.

So, young man, you said you were from Bensonhurst?

Does that mean that maybe you have some mafia connection?

Yeah, well, I always did, up until just recently.

Oh, the dream of my life, a mafia connection.

Someone I can talk to, someone that would hear about our mystery, and

someone that would do something about it.

Yeah, well, I'm afraid you've got to be born Italian for that. I was taught.

In the neighborhood, there was a lot of Italian children.

She's teaching in the public schools now. I tried to teach them about

history. The great leaders.

Italians had a lot of men like that, you know?

Julius Caesar.

Mussolini.

Al Capone.

A good man.

He was a good man for his people.

If you don't read history, you don't know anything.

You know, I heard those PR schools are conditions for... Unbelievable.

I have to bring my own children to my own school every day.

Oh, did you meet my daughter India?

I wanted to name her Gandhi, but it sounded a little peculiar.

No girl like this, she needs all the protection she can get.

We will have a...

Special dinner for you tonight.

India, don't you stand there. Go and start cooking the rice.

You want Uncle Ben's or yellow?

Uncle Ben's, of course. We've got company.

Doesn't Mrs. Rodriguez teach you anything in that home economic class?

Look, man, don't worry about it, man. I sleep on the shelf, man, and if my

brothers bother you, man, kick them in the ass.

Your sister said going to school or what? You think she needs some looking

after? Oh, yeah, man. But she wants to really settle down, start raising a

family of her own.

We're very proud of her.

Imagine a real Italian boy in our own little house.

You like him?

He has a rich, blonde girlfriend, Mom.

With a Mercedes 450.

A Mercedes?

If I might make a suggestion, maybe lay off the fried foods.

No, it's bad for the stomach.

True, true, true.

I read that in a magazine somewhere.

Yeah. So maybe start eating some real pasta, you know? But I don't mean that

stuff out of the can.

No, never.

I know.

I always make it fresh out of the box.

Maybe some veal, you know, lean, Francesca style.

That sounds cool.

We're going to need a lot of porterhouse steak, too, for the training program.

Deal.

Porterhouse steak?

Even if I had the money, they don't have that in this neighborhood.

You send the kids over to Bensonhurst before school.

Is it safe?

Sure. They can shoplift over there early in the morning, as long as they're off

the streets before school starts.

What a wonderful idea!

Come on.

Fifty cents.

Hey, how'd that get there?

Anything else?

No, that's it.

See them?

Junkies and crack dealers.

Selling their drops on school steps every morning? Man, I need more shit.

That's it.

Well, get me more shit, motherfucker. I pay you enough. Get me more shit.

You know, Bensonhurst, these kids be put to death doing this crack shit.

I hate the beepers most of all.

What beepers?

Look, check this out.

Yo, mommy, how you doing? You ain't going to school, are you? Fuck that.

Unless you and me go crack up.

Got good?

Yeah.

How much you want?

Fifty dollars. Fifty dollars?

No problem.

You're going to have to wait.

Let's study the history of Africa.

There are many countries in Africa.

Angola, Mozambique, the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia.

Very important is a small country called Besutu Lanzi.

Very important.

So there are great characters that have to be remembered.

The emperor Haile Selassie, the emperor Bokaze, Lumumba.

She's teaching us about Africa.

Yeah, how much I figured.

Spanish,

sex hygiene, black history, shop, you know, the regular.

What about English?

They don't teach you reading and writing.

Why, teachers, they're afraid to work here.

Look,

Frankie.

Yeah, I'm doing great.

Now, the only thing is they don't have any equipment over here to train with.

Go over to my mother's house, because I have to box in the garage.

Yeah, I need it.

And Angel, man, they're taking all of her cars. I can't get through.

Nah.

Nah, not in this neighborhood, man.

You know? It's a real sewer.

Forget about it.

Okay,

now what does it say on the Statue of Liberty?

Give me a kite and your porn.

Give me your huddled math.

And what else?

Give me your wretched refuge, yearning to be free.

And who's going to regulate all these rejects?

Organized crime.

Can't hear you.

Organized crime.

That's right.

Organized crime.

And what's the Brooklyn alphabet?

Hey,

is your father still mad at me or what? Yeah.

Jesus, what a mistake I made getting involved with you. I thought he was

going to like you.

What is that supposed to mean?

It means I got to like you. What do you think it's supposed to mean?

You've been faithful to me all this time or what?

No.

No?

I've been going with Justin.

Oh, she tells me she's been cheating on me with this fucker after I tell her I

love her. It's great.

Look, my father wants Justin to think that the baby I'm going to have is his.

What baby?

Your baby.

Jesus Christ. I mean, what am I, hearing things or something? What?

Daddy says you got no future, so what can I do?

Hey, this is my future. Right here.

Dad don't mind if it's your kid and everything.

But, Spike, you don't got a college degree, a decent automobile.

You don't got nothing, Spike.

That's why she's cheating on me.

Well, have you been faithful to me?

What's that got to do with anything?

You can't get away with this, Angel. They got blood tests that can tell whose

kid it is.

I ain't gonna let this happen, Angel.

Yeah, well, there's nothing you can do about it, Spike.

Nothing I can do about it? She must be crazy.

You hear that, Angel?

You must be crazy.

There's plenty I can do about it. Before I finish here at Red Hood, he's gonna

beg to get me back in bed with her.

I'll be fighting for Naka's club whether he likes it or not.

I can still get that title, Angel.

They're going to know who I am.

What do you mean, Spike?

You're going to start looking for another fighter. At least you can get

out of your mess with Chetty.

I'm working on it, right? Well, you're wasting your time around these Puerto

Ricans.

Don't be so sure, man. Me and the bandana here, we got a plan.

We're going to race to win or lose the fights among ourselves.

That way we know where the smart money goes.

I don't know, Spike.

It still sounds pretty risky to me.

Even a punch-drunk Puerto Rican knows it's stupid, Spike.

Who the hell are you talking about?

I don't see any other punch-drunk Puerto Ricans around in this pool.

Look,

Spike, you're going to fix fights. You do it through the syndicate. Otherwise,

you're dead or out of the ballgame for good.

It's the way it's got to be.

I think you can win.

See you around, Spike.

I don't know.

You okay?

So now Frankie's mad at me, right? It's like I'm digging my grave deeper and

deeper as I go with everybody.

Even Angel now.

You don't want the baby?

No, it's not that. It's just the way she says it, you know?

And then she goes bragging about this guy she's going out with.

What kind of a wife is she going to make? What kind of mother is that?

I mean, I know these things. I had a mother like that. I can see it in her.

My father was no great prize either.

You might find this hard to believe you know, but I don't think either of them

wanted me around too much, you know No, seriously, it's true.

There was nothing I could do could ever please him I Wish I could have been nice

to the angel, you know, I got like this thing inside me It's like I always got

to drive this spike in just a little bit deeper, you know get him a little bit

more hurt Tear the other guy apart

She was hoping it was fixed, you know, like the wrestling on TV.

Yeah. But the next time, bro, it's going to be inside.

Yo, man, they're going to love this back in Bensonhurst. Uh-uh, bro, I don't

think so.

Hey, uh, you're asking for trouble.

Ignore this, dude.

Hey, all billboard sites in the city belong to the corporation.

Post no bills unless you pay $7.50 for each zip code.

Ignore this asshole, too. That's the rules for Brooklyn, the Bronx, and for

Queens. Hey, uh, we're just going to have to tear them down, I guess, huh?

Yeah, you do, man, and me and my boys are going to break all your windows.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Greaseball.

You gotta kick your fucking ass, you motherfucker.

Mr. Kachetti, Spike is causing trouble again. I seen him. He's started it.

Yeah, yeah. Carmine was innocent.

Sure, sure.

I get a feeling that you're trying to invite me to another one of your crooked

fights.

You should come, Mr. Kachetti. It's off for tomorrow night.

Huh?

Well, uh, you better get moving, kid.

Because you're making my boys a little nervous.

Oh, coffee.

What do you want to show off your stomach for?

You want to make a fool of your father in front of the whole neighborhood?

I am not going to marry that Justin.

You like Spike, you just don't want to say it.

Angel, look.

When I was a kid, I used to see a lot of guys just like Spike.

They was... hall and they was good looking and all the kids looked up to

them and they always had them smart aleck remarks.

And where did they end up?

Huh?

Dead or in prison or collecting garbage if they was lucky.

Me, I stuck it out. I wind up running the whole damn precinct.

Oh, this guy can't do it for you, Angel.

You could help him, Danny.

You're just like your mother, you know that.

I always gotta have the last word.

We need something stronger, more African.

What's that?

Mugla Jumba.

Pike, Mugla Jumba.

Mugla Jumba?

It is back to tribal justice we need,

instead of the corrupt order we live under yet.

In Brooklyn.

Yeah, but I'm Italian.

Italians used to have strong names.

Luciano.

Anastasia.

Sinatra.

Sinatra.

I'll show you some Sinatra.

We are going to clean up all the problems of drugs.

And we are going to do it for the school children.

You stand in line like everybody else.

Why are you losing your fucking mind? Get the fuck out of here.

We can't stop.

You better get your ass over there.

What for?

We were just shooting up real peaceful life, and then this lunatic comes and

starts tearing the joiner. So what? You don't seem to understand shit. He took

our dope dog face.

So what do you want us to do about it? Well, what the fuck is wrong? Well, we

got our rights, too, don't we?

I don't know if they got any rights.

You kidding? They got rights up their kazoo.

There's the man.

Arrest him, Mr. Police Officer.

Hey, kid, come here.

What you gonna do? You ain't gonna arrest him?

Been molesting these here junkies, taking their stash?

Yeah, so what?

You wanna come down to the station and press charges?

Man, I ain't got all day to waste with this chicken shit cart crap.

I got to make money to get some more drugs.

Shit. You know, this system sucks.

Don't like it? Go buy in Bensonhurst next time, huh?

Yeah, right, man. They're going to kill you to sell drugs in Bensonhurst. Hey,

officer, you know very well that if we had the mafia in this neighborhood

instead of you, useless police, we would have plastered Madonna in our yards

instead of junkies. Look, Mom, you think we're going to spend all afternoon doing

the paperwork book on that drug trash?

Yeah, so these junkies can be back on the street ten minutes later?

Fuck you. But that don't mean you go beating up on them, all right?

Yeah, says who? Says who? Says who gives a shit?

Forget about it, kid.

Just go easy on someone across town, man. I like it.

I know them. The Bellotti kids.

Mario, Tony, and Sal.

Yeah, three for two.

You mean when the old man went into the witness protection program, they didn't

go with him?

Yeah, they're good kids.

Loyal.

They were the ones that told me the old man was getting ready to squeal. How

come nothing was done to Bellotti before the DH man got home?

Because I gave the job to that moron, Venaka.

While he's back to managing Crooked's fight.

So, uh, how's Venaka doing?

In the fight game, I mean.

Plenty of anti-thoughts. Pick them some.

Well, uh, I got a little family problem he could help me out with.

Yeah, so?

So, uh, he wouldn't do nothing for me unless he comes from some higher up.

Like you.

What's Venaka got against you?

Oh, about 20 years ago, I had to cut his mother out of the...

Calamari and the shrimp concession up at Sheepshead Bay.

She went back to selling pizza by the flight.

Do you want it to hit someone?

Oh, no, no, no. Oh, hell no.

I just want them to fix some fights for some dopey kid.

Real pain in the ass.

You know, Pete Fumo's son.

Was that some kind of reward for him ruining your business in Red Hook?

He just wants to play the big shot, you know, show off.

You know, Baldo, at an age when I should be promoting a man like you to supervise

ten times the amount of territory you've got now, you can't seem to manage the

business of one little Italian neighborhood or even the problems of a

bunch of teenagers.

People might think I'm keeping you around for old times' sake.

Hey!

We got company.

Looks like you're going to fight again in Bensonhurst, Spike.

You think he's up to it? I don't want no more pushovers, all right?

Hey, he's a headbreaker.

You know what kind of audience I can get with this kind of talent?

Two 100% Italian boxes.

He's from Chicago, Spike.

He knows the score.

And I get to win, right?

That's the way they want it, kid.

He understands all this?

Yeah, what's that understand?

Oh, Mr. Big Time Chicago, huh? I'm gonna enjoy making you bleed.

You never lay a glove on me, you mama luke. You talk like that to me in

Chicago and I kill you. We kill here in Bensonhurst too, my friend. You Brooklyn

gangs are soft as shit. I was killing people like you when I was 12.

Oh yeah, what for?

I forget, I was a kid. Yo, man, you ever tie anybody up? Blow their lips off with

a cherry bomb?

Man, glad to see you guys again to be such good friends.

Just make it look real.

Okay, remember.

Now, if an old man or any guy answers, you ask him if you want to buy Girl

Scout cookies or something.

If a woman answers, ask her to speak to Angel.

Yeah. Only thing is, it's been so long, I forgot the number.

All right.

I'll call Frankie.

Oh, yeah. Hey, Connie, that's nice.

Yeah.

So tell me, Uncle Peter, was he out on bail or what?

Yeah?

You let him out for the funeral, huh?

Oh, yeah, that's nice.

Oh, hang on, Aunt Connie. I got a call waiting here.

Hello?

Yeah?

Oh, my God.

Hold on, Manny.

Aunt Connie, I'll call you back. It's my broker.

So give me the dowel on this.

No, no, wait a week.

I don't know.

It's my gut feeling.

Wait a week.

AT&T?

What am I, somebody's grandmother?

High-fat foods.

Buy them. They're the next craze. Trust me.

Oh, hang on. Damn, I got another call.

Hello? Hello.

Hello, yourself.

Is Angel there?

Angel? She'll have to call you back.

It's an emergency.

An emergency.

Hang on.

Manny, I'll have to call you back.

Angel!

It's me, Spike. Who do you think it is?

Are you crazy? I promised I wouldn't see you enough until after the fight. I

can't wait till then.

You know, I got my dad to arrange this thing for you. Will you just wait till

it's over?

Hey, by that time, the baby's gonna be out of the oven.

We gotta settle this marriage thing right now.

My dad ain't decided yet.

Can't you lean on him? You know he's gonna do whatever you really want.

He goes to Atlantic City tomorrow for the weekend.

Great. So we'll ask him when he gets home.

So the weekend's a good time to come over then, right?

Spike, they're watching me like a hawk. Don't worry. I'll make sure the coast is

clear.

You won't say nothing to my father.

I don't mind having Spike as my son-in-law.

In fact, I even get to meet his mother tomorrow night.

Good. We can all go to Atlantic City.

I knew Cacchetti would come around.

So her father is really a very important man in the mafia.

My neighborhood he is.

Must be wonderful for you to marry a girl like that.

So well connected.

And so blonde.

So what about India?

Hey, she knew I was going back to Angel, man.

But she's having your baby, too.

That's not my fault.

That kind of thing happens in this neighborhood all the time, doesn't it?

It don't seem fair, Spike.

I mean, it's different in Bensonhurst. Angel could never do a thing like that.

You know?

Have a baby without getting married first.

Forget about it.

So it's done.

Orange soda?

You shouldn't be upset.

I shouldn't?

Just when I'm trying to get myself someplace, you want me to go backwards.

No, you can't go backwards.

I'll come visit the kid. I'll send him some money.

It'll be the best taking care of kid in the neighborhood.

Listen, Spike.

You go win your fight, all right?

You go do it like they do it in Benzema.

I can't get over you getting Pete out of jail so early like this.

Well, I owe him.

Pete would do anything for you, Mr. Kichetti. Yeah, yeah. You know that.

Yeah. Listen, you ever hear from your son?

Me? No.

Never. He hates my guts.

You know about him and Angel?

Disgusting. Maybe so.

But he's interfered with my drug outlet in Red Hook.

And it's getting to be a pain in the ass.

Now, I don't want to have to kill the father of my grandson.

I wouldn't feel good about that.

Oh, no.

I told Baldo it was a very bad idea.

So, instead, I'm going to have to accept Spike as a son-in-law.

With that, I can get him out of Red Hook.

Tavish?

I thought I was marrying Justin.

That's ancient history.

Don't worry. I'll make your father proud.

Hey, who do you want to marry anyway, me or my father?

Whatever.

We're going to have a little combo and some dancing after dinner.

Sounds great.

We want you to choose the main course and appetizer.

I can't remember what Pete liked. He always ate such crap.

Well, we've got a choice. Chicken cacciatore.

Chateau Brion with vegetable third French style or duck filet of sole vino.

What the hell is that?

Weight control.

Let me see. What?

It's a big deal. My stepmother does it all the time.

This shit's bad for the baby.

Mike. Come on.

Come here.

I hate to just eat and run, but we got to get on to another kind of family

business. In Atlantic City, if you know what I mean.

Atlantic City?

Oh, wow.

But I wanted to show Helen the Palladium.

There's a midnight party at the Michael Todd room.

Sylvia, I got big meetings in Atlantic City.

All the big boys are going to be there. I want to make a good impression.

I have to spend one...

at by a bunch of overcoats at a crap game while you decide the future of the

East Coast with these big boys of yours, I'm gonna scream.

Married a young wife.

Get what I deserve.

Pink. Old.

That's all they are.

You're jumping the gun, aren't you?

Huh? Moving into Caccetti's house even before he let you marry his daughter? I

knew it. Ah, well, your mother couldn't have told you.

Never. I can't stand that woman.

Where's Caccetti? Atlantic City.

Meetings. Big-time stuff.

You cooking something else?

Yeah, it's mother's steak.

Oh.

Make yourself at home.

So where's Angel?

I like a light.

She says without your cocaine, she can't stay awake.

You know, you have bad influence on her. My father doesn't think so.

How can you marry a guy like that anyway?

He's so old.

There's money, right?

Oh, thanks, kid.

You always try and get acquainted by calling somebody a whore. I don't mean

nothing by it. I just wondered.

Oh, he's not so bad.

He gives me everything I want.

Everything? Well, I never pretended I would take him with his love.

But he sure was with yours, though, right?

You sound like you pay attention once in a while yourself.

Want to play cards?

No, look, I don't want to fool around or nothing.

What are you kidding?

Cheat on Baldo?

All right. You know how people are these days. You got to ask.

Yeah, right.

So what do you got?

Three of a kind.

Beats me.

Don't you ever win?

Only in the ring.

Yeah. Somebody fixes the fight for you.

Who do you want me to do? Get all beat up? Bust my beautiful nose?

Get cauliflower ears? Maybe brain damage?

I ain't that stupid.

Why don't you try doing something else?

Stop boxing?

Forget about it.

I ain't giving up so easy, you know.

So, you deal.

I don't know

why.

Un po' nascosto e dimenticato.

Il mio sorriso era sbiadito.

Ed oggi è rifiorito già.

Canto un amore che mi fa paura. Adesso so perché.

Perché tutto sommato amo ancora solo te.

E malattia d'amore non si può.

Guarire è un gioco di parole, non va mai

a finire, è malattia, d'amore non ti fa

dormire, è un dubbio che ti affale, che ti

fa impazzire.

Canto un amore sbandato, ma niente al mondo l'ha mai.

Thank you.

Hey, how's it going tonight, huh?

It's not bad.

Is Chetty here yet?

Ain't you heard?

They're throwing a banquet for your old man tonight.

My old man?

He's out of jail already?

What the fuck is going on here?

What's the matter? Don't you hear anything?

Nobody said nothing to me. How come he don't come see me fight? My own dad.

Hey, kid, I got a late news bulletin I've been saving for you.

Smart money's on the guy from Chicago.

Hey, there is no way that Angel will let Kachetti screw me over like this. No

way. Oh, yeah? Well, maybe she heard about you getting your PR girlfriend

over there pregnant.

How the hell'd she find out about that, huh?

Keep the talk, man.

They're trying to fuck you over, Spike.

Watch out and don't mess with them. I don't see what it's got to do with

anything anyways.

You go down in the fourth round, you try to double-cross us, and you don't fight

in this state again or any place.

Abito?

to say this, Pete, but prison definitely seems to have agreed with you.

Breaking up big rocks into small ones certainly keeps you in shape, you know

what I mean?

With thanks to the special auspices of our own Congressman Bernstein, we

are welcoming home here tonight one of Benson Hoyt's greats, our own Pete

Fumar.

Vice and this is any man shown that he should come home after his ordeal and

resume his place in the neighborhood.

Where else but America can a kid from Benson Hoist rise to the eminence

that we are laying on Pete here tonight.

Let's strike up the band and let's celebrate.

Let's go.

Spike, lose that fight, all right?

And now, for the main event of the evening, and the Red Trunks from

Chicago, weighing in at 175 pounds, with a record of 12 wins and 2 losses, both

parents, Italian, Vinnie Salento.

weighing in at 172 pounds.

With a record of four wins and four losses, an Irish-Italian mother and an

Italian father.

Fencing her own Spike Fumo.

You know, Baldo, I'm glad you're doing what your common sense told you to do.

Justin makes a much better match for Angel.

Yeah, well, you know, Spike, he just went a little bit too far. He got no

sense of proportion.

Ain't that the goddamn truth.

Like grass, like flowers.

And my mother kissed me.

Like maybe the first love.

When I get done with you, go fuck yourself, Spike.

What's the matter?

And pray his love may make our love divine.

You promised me you'd fix that fight. Then you double-crossed me. How come?

You talk too much, Spike.

You never learn nothing.

Nobody cares if you win or lose your crooked fights.

Your type just don't belong in Benson Hoist. You do whatever the hell you feel

like doing, don't you?

Ah, music, music!

I should just blow your fucking head off right here and now.

Come over here, you little bastard.

Go from there, Spike.

The scratch of Mr. Caccetti and your old parents.

I always told you he was no good.

Go to hell.

Angel, she's gonna be my wife. That's my baby she's carrying. You know it.

This is getting embarrassing.

He tries to do something nice for your family and this is the way you repay

him? Oh, something nice, like marry my girl to some other guy?

I was Sylvia, Spike.

You what?

I never done nothing.

I seen you in bed with her.

We was just playing cards.

There's a lot of things you do, Spike.

You should never be doing.

Maybe playing cards is one of them.

Wild crazy kid, Mr. Caccetti.

None of us been able to control him.

You want to marry this?

He's got a comment to him. Keep calm, Helen.

Don't worry, Pete. Whether we like it or not, he's still family.

And we're stuck with it. Come on. You've got to listen to me, Mr. Quincetti. I

can explain.

Hey, 35.

Come on.

Enjoy yourself.

What is going on?

Grace? Grace.

It looks like Grandpa.

Are you sure I can get you any beer or maybe some more Corona?

No, no, no, I'm on a diet.

So, uh, how goes the night patrol? Are you adjusting?

It's a rough neighborhood, that's for sure.

Well, listen, I can get you moved into any neighborhood you want, you know

that. Just name it.

No, I'm surviving.

Want to see the new baby?

Yeah, sure.

This one came out almost as dark as the first one. You think?

He's still a nice-looking baby.

What the hell?

Yeah, maybe they'll think he looks Italian.

Hey, Spike, what's the matter?

I love you.

Thank you very

much.

No!