Original subtitles

- TONIGHT ON JON BENJAMIN HAS A VAN...

WE BRING YOU THE STORY OF ONE MAN'S COURAGE

IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.

THE HISTORIC LITTLE ITALY SECTION

OF NEW YORK CITY IS GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER.

IS IT IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING ALTOGETHER?

AND WE TALK TO THE YOUNGEST PERSON

CURRENTLY ON DEATH ROW.

DO YOU FEEL REMORSE FOR WHAT YOU DID?

- [whimpering]

ALL THIS AND MORE ON TONIGHT'S

JON BENJAMIN HAS A VAN.

[inspiring music]

*

- AHH!

[bomb beeping]

[explosion]

[birds chirping]

- THIS IS THE STORY OF COURAGE AND STRENGTH

IN THE FACE OF GREAT ADVERSITY.

IN 2008, 32 YEAR OLD FARMER BROSS LOCKLEY

SUFFERED A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT

WHILE WORKING RIGHT HERE ON HIS FARM.

AFTER FALLING INTO THE FEEDER OF A GRAIN THRESHER,

BROSS WAS BASICALLY FLAYED ALIVE.

AFTER COUNTLESS SURGERIES EVEN THE BEST DOCTORS

IN THE WORLD COULDN'T REPAIR

THE HORRENDOUS DEFORMITIES

THAT BROSS HAD SUFFERED.

IN 2009 HE WAS INTERVIEWED

BY NEBRASKAN REPORTER, GREG DEVLIN.

- IT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST DISGUSTING THING

I'D EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE.

- WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU SAW HIM?

- OVER THERE IN THAT BARN, INTERVIEWING HIM.

I'VE DONE A LOT OF STORIES IN MY LIFE,

AND THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST THING I'D EVER SEEN.

HIS FACE WAS...

LIKE A PILE OF RAW CHICKEN FAT

WITH BLOOD DRIZZLED ON IT...

AND EYES.

[gulps]

- GREG PROVIDED US WITH SOME OF THE RAW FOOTAGE

FROM HIS INTERVIEW THAT DAY.

-[electronic voice] WHEN I WOKE UP FROM MY COMA,

I DIDN'T EVEN COMPREHEND

THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO MY BODY.

I'VE BEEN SO PUMPED FULL OF DRUGS,

IT WAS LIKE BEING IN A DREAM.

- THREE MINUTES INTO THE INTERVIEW

GREG ALREADY STRUGGLES TO MAINTAIN HIS COMPOSURE.

- AND SO WHEN THEY BROUGHT MY DAUGHTER

IN TO SEE ME, SHE SCREAMED AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS.

- [nervous laughter]

- 15 MINUTES IN, GREG MANIPULATES HIS VISION

BY SUDDENLY CROSSING ONE EYE SO THAT BROSS' FACE

IS SLIGHTLY BLURRED.

HOW DID YOU MAKE IT THROUGH TILL THE END?

- I DON'T KNOW.

EVERY OUNCE OF STRENGTH IN MY BODY

I USED IT TO NOT RUN AWAY.

- MM-HM.

- THEN I JUST RAN AWAY.

- WOW, THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

- I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES.

- [electronic voice] SHE SCREAMED

AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS.

- THAT'S, UH, NOT WHERE YOU SHOULD PUT OUT YOUR CIGARETTE.

- I DON'T LIKE NIGHTMARES.

- I UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU CAN'T

THROW CIGARETTES AT PEOPLE.

WE RETURN TO LOCKLEY FARM TO SPEAK WITH THE WIFE

OF THE DISFIGURED FARMER ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE

WITH GREG DEVLIN.

- HE JUST HAD THIS FEELING OF STRENGTH COMING OFF HIM

THE MOMENT I MET HIM.

- HMM.

- THAT INTERVIEW WAS, LIKE, THREE HOURS LONG

AND HE SAT THERE THE ENTIRE TIME.

- YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S--

- [electronic voice] HEY, HON.

I MADE SOME ICED TEA. - OOH...OH.

- I'M SO SORRY. HONEY, I TOLD YOU TO KNOCK.

- MR. BENJAMIN? MR. BENJAMIN?

[upbeat music]

- WELL, I WAS IN HIS HOUSE, UH, INTERVIEWING HIS WIFE

FOR MY STORY ABOUT YOU.

- AH. - AND YOUR INTERVIEW WITH HIM.

- AND WHAT, UH, WHAT HAPPENED?

- WELL, HE CAME INTO THE ROOM.

AND, UM, HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT ICED TEA,

AND THEN I IMMEDIATELY PASSED OUT.

- OH.

I REALLY, REALLY WISH I COULD HAVE PASSED OUT.

- WELL, TO EACH HIS OWN.

- WELL, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW THIS

BUT, UH, MR. LOCKLEY PASSED AWAY RECENTLY

DUE TO COMPLICATIONS.

- YEAH, YEAH, THE WIFE EMAILED ME.

- AH, WELL, HIS DEATH TAKES NOTHING AWAY

FROM YOUR INCREDIBLE STORY.

- OR YOURS, I MEAN YOU ARE THE ONE THAT STARTED IT.

- THANK YOU VERY MUCH. - NO, THANK YOU.

I MEAN, I-- - NOT THAT I'M LOOKING FOR IT.

BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. - NO, IT WAS MY PLEASURE.

I MEAN, WE BOTH--

- THANK YOU. - YEAH.

- THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TALKING WITH ME.

- UH, NO PROBLEM, GREG, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

- AH, THANK YOU.

[uplifting orchestration]

*

- HEY, MAN, DO YOU HAVE A SECOND TO DISCUSS GAY MARRIAGE?

- NO. - OKAY.

DO YOU HAVE A SECOND TO DISCUSS GAY MARRIAGE?

DO YOU HAVE A SECOND?

- YOU HAVE A SECOND TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF GAY MARRIAGE?

- UH, I'M SORRY, I REALLY DON'T.

- OH, I MEAN, ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST?

[horns honking]

- OH, ABSOLUTELY FOR. - OH, WE GOT THAT LIGHT.

- I'M SORRY, THANK YOU. - ABSOLUTELY.

- EXCUSE ME, SIR.

- GAY MARRIAGE? I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THAT.

ALL I COULD TELL YOU IS WHEN GOD MADE MAN--

- OH, I'M SORRY, HOLD ON.

HELLO?

HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

HEY...YEAH.

I'M DOING THE INTERVIEW.

UM, IN BROOKLYN.

[chuckles] I KNOW.

WELL, NO, I FELT THE SAME WAY

'CAUSE THAT WAS-- WHEN I LEFT LAST NIGHT

THAT WAS--THAT WAS...

VERY AWKWARD.

NO, I MEAN I'LL CALL HER,

I JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WANTED TO DEAL WITH IT THERE

BECAUSE TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE THERE

AND I WAS, LIKE, UM...

- [clears throat]

- YOU KNOW, I FELT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AWKWARD

IF I SPOKE TO HER THEN.

WELL THAT'S A POSSIBILITY-- - MORE THAN A MOMENT.

- WAS IT? YEAH. OH, YOU HAVE TO GO?

OKAY. - WELL--

- YEAH, GO AHEAD, I'M SORRY.

- OKAY, YEAH.

ALL I CAN SAY IS, GOD MADE MAN--

- I CAN'T--I KNOW, I CAN'T-- UH, 'CAUSE I'M ON THE PHONE.

- WITH A HISTORY SPANNING BACK OVER A CENTURY,

LITTLE ITALY REMAINS ONE OF NEW YORK CITY'S

PREMIERE TOURIST DESTINATIONS.

HOWEVER, IN RECENT YEARS,

LITTLE ITALY HAS SHRUNK DRAMATICALLY.

NOW CONSISTING OF ONLY A FEW NEW YORK CITY BLOCKS.

MUCH OF IT HAS BEEN ABSORBED BY NEIGHBORING CHINA TOWN,

AND WEALTHY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS.

BUT JUST AS LITTLE ITALY IS BEING SQUEEZED

BY OUTSIDE FORCES,

THEY THEMSELVES ARE SQUEEZING OUT SOMEONE ELSE.

- THROUGH THAT DOOR, TO THE RIGHT.

YOU'LL SEE IT.

- OKAY.

[Italian-style orchestration]

*

HI.

HELLO. - MANGIA, MANGIA, YOU HUNGRY?

- OH, NO THANKS, I JUST ATE.

- PERVERT!

- SORRY.

- HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'? WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

- I'M JON, I'M JUST VISITING.

- HEY WATCH IT, BIG MAN!

- EXCUSE ME. - WHERE YOU GOIN', EH?

- SORRY. - WHAT THE MATTER WITH YOU?

[cursing in Italian]

[Italian mandolin music]

*

- I DON'T MEAN TO BE INSULTING,

BUT I NEVER EVEN KNEW THERE WAS A LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY.

- [high-pitched voice] WELL, NOT MANY DO ANYMORE.

SEE BEFORE WE CAME HERE, UH, WE LIVED IN AN AREA

OF ITALY CALLED "LITTLE ITALY."

- MM.

- UH, BUT THEN FASCISM

CAME INTO LITTLE ITALY LIKE IT CAME TO REGULAR ITALY,

SO MANY OF US CAME TO AMERICA TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE.

- SO BECAUSE THERE WAS ALREADY A LITTLE ITALY

IN AMERICA, YOU BECAME LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY.

- YES, THAT'S HOW

LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY STARTED.

AT FIRST LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY AND LITTLE ITALY

UH, WE ALL GET ALONG.

WE SHARE EVERYTHING.

- AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED? - WELL, THEN THINGS CHANGE.

SEE, LITTLE ITALY STARTS TO SHRINK

AND THEN THEY TAKE ROOM FROM US.

AND THEN IT STARTS TO GET UGLY.

[speaking in Italian]

- HM.

- AND NOW ALL WE GOT

IS THE BACK ROOM OF THIS DELI.

AND WHO KNOWS HOW LONG BEFORE THEY TAKE THAT FROM US TOO?

- FOR CLARIFICATION ON THIS LAND DISPUTE,

I INTERVIEWED LITTLE ITALY

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT FRANK PALANTINO.

- IT'S NOT THEIR LAND. IT'S OUR LAND.

WE LET 'EM USE IT.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LUCKY TO HAVE THE BACK ROOM.

AND IF WE NEED IT BACK,

IT'S OURS TO TAKE.

HEY, WHO'D YOU TALK TO OVER THERE?

- UM, NINO. - NINO?

- NINO. - NINO?

- YEAH.

- YOU TELL NINO HE'S LUCKY

WE DON'T TAKE IT ALL.

I GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO RENT OUT THAT BACK ROOM.

YOU KNOW, [bleep] THOSE LITTLE [bleep].

- WELL, I MEAN, HE DID SAY THEY WERE GETTING SQUEEZED, SO...

- YOU TELL NINO SHUT IS [bleep] MOUTH!

AND THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

YOU GOT ME, PAL? - YEAH, YEAH...YEP.

FRANK PALANTINO TOLD ME

TO TELL YOU TO SHUT YOUR [bleep] MOUTH.

- [chuckles] ALLORA, IS THAT SO?

FRANK PALANTINO HAS SOME TROUBLE

WITH HIS COMMUNICATION SKILLS, HUH?

- WELL, I GUESS WHAT HE'S TRYING TO GET ACROSS IS

THAT LITTLE ITALY HAS ALWAYS JUST LET LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY

STAY HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, SPACE IS A PREMIUM, SO...

- YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M GLAD YOU CAME TO SEE ME, JON.

- OKAY.

- BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE

THIS BAD BLOOD.

- RIGHT.

- I WANT YOU TO DO ME A FAVOR.

I MAKE THE GESTURE TO FRANK

TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.

NOW MY DAUGHTER, SHE MAKE DELICIOUS ITALIAN COOKIES.

PIZZELLE CON LA MACCHINA.

MUCH BETTER.

UH, CARA, GABRIELLA, BELLA, [speaking in Italian]

BRING ME A BOX OF PIZZELLE.

AH.

THIS IS MY DAUGHTER GABRIELLA.

THE IS THE INTERVIEW MAN I TOLD YOU ABOUT.

- HI, GABRIELLA.

- NOW YOU BRING THIS BOX TO LITTLE ITALY

AND YOU GIVE IT TO FRANK TO SMOOTH THINGS OVER.

[speaking Italian]

- RIGHT, RIGHT, OKAY.

FINE, YEAH, I'LL DO IT, UM...

- YEAH, HURRY.

BEFORE FRANK LEAVES, OKAY?

- ALL RIGHT. BYE, NINO.

BYE, GABRIELLA.

JUST SO YOU KNOW THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE LAST TIME

I GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN YOU AND NINO.

- YEAH, SURE. - THANK YOU.

OH, NINO ASKED ME

TO GIVE YOU THIS.

THIS, UM, PIZELLES. - PIZELLES?

I LOVE PIZELLES, THANKS.

- YEAH, IT'S A PEACE OFFERING I GUESS.

HIS DAUGHTER MAKES THEM, SO, UH...

- NICE.

WHAT THE...

[ticking sound]

[soft orchestration]

- BOOOOOMB!

[small explosion]

AAH!

YOU MOTHER--

[dramatic newscast music]

*

- SO JUST EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'RE DOING,

AS YOU'RE DOING IT.

- OKAY.

I'M GOING ON--IN, UH, ON THE--ON, UH, EMAIL.

I'M GOING ON WEB.

ON NET.

- OKAY.

LOG ON.

YOU WANNA LOG ON? - I DON'T KNOW HOW.

- HM.

- I'M GOING TO TRY TO GO TO MY INBOX.

- MM-HM.

- DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ANYTHING HERE?

- WE DON'T WANT TO READ YOUR MAIL.

- OH...

AW, IT'S NOT THAT SECRET.

- ALL RIGHT, LET'S READ SOME MAIL THEN.

YEAH, DO YOU CHECK IT EVERY DAY, OR...

- YEAH, EVERY MORNING.

SO YOU GOT 34 NEW MESSAGES THIS MORNING?

- UH, YEAH, THESE ARE THEY.

- MM--OOH, LOOK, "SARAH, CHAT TONIGHT."

- YEAH, RIGHT, RIGHT.

- WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT?

- WELL, LET'S SEE SARAH.

"MY NAME IS SARAH." - YEAH, "MY NAME IS SARAH."

YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT.

- OKAY.

- OOF!

- TOM BROKAW, HOW YOU HOLDING UP?

[laughter]

- YEAH, HOW YOU DOIN', ANDERSON COOPER?

- HA-HA, I GET IT, 'CAUSE I'M ON TV, THAT'S FUNNY.

- YEAH, KRAMER.

- WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

- KRAMER, FROM SEINFELD.

- THIS GUY DOES INTERVIEWS.

- I DON'T WATCH THE NEWS.

- GEEZ.

LISTEN, JON, WE CAN DO THIS

ALL DAY LONG.

BUT I'M ASKING YOU ONLY ONE MORE TIME.

HOW LONG YOU BEEN WORKING FOR NINO?

- I TOLD YOU GUYS, I DON'T WORK FOR NINO.

I JUST HOST A TV SHOW. THAT'S IT.

- AW, THIS IS MAKING ME HUNGRY, YOU GUYS WANNA EAT?

- I COULD EAT. - YEAH, LET'S EAT, LET'S EAT.

- HIT HIM ONE MORE TIME, THAT'LL GIVE HIM

ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO THINK ABOUT IT.

- NO, COME ON.

OH!

[groans]

- WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANT, CHINESE?

- YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD. - YEAH, LET'S GET DUMPLINGS.

[door locks closed]

- WHY'D I GET INVOLVED IN A TURF WAR BETWEEN

LITTLE ITALY AND LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY?

- PSST, JON.

OVER HERE.

- GABRIELLA?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

- I CAME FOR YOU.

I CAN'T STAND PAPA.

HE ACTS LIKE HE'S A SAINT, BUT HE'S A HYPOCRITE.

- WHAT?

- HE MAKES HIS MONEY

FROM IMPORTING TINY PROSTITUTES FROM ITALY.

- THAT'S AWFUL.

- I KNOW.

WE HAVE TO HURRY.

[chain saw revving]

- WHAT IS THIS PLACE?

- ORIGINALLY IT WAS A STOP ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

SINCE THEN WE USE IT WHEN BIG TOURISTS

WANT TO STAY IN LITTLE, LITTLE ITALY.

- THAT'S INTERESTING.

- TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT.

- WHAT?

- I'M GOING TO WASH YOUR WOUNDS.

- OKAY.

I'M SORRY ABOUT--

I LET MYSELF GO.

OW.

- I'M SORRY.

- AAH. - YOUR HANDS.

THEY'RE SO...

LARGE.

- YOUR EYES...

THEY'RE SO SMALL.

- [giggles] YES.

- GABRIELLA, WE SHOULDN'T.

I...

I DON'T THINK IT'S--

- SHH.

[kissing]

[Italian opera music]

*

- OH, YES.

OH, GOD.

OOH.

OH--OOH.

AAH...AAH.

[laughs

[grunting, moaning]

[grunting, moaning]

OH, GOD!

- GABRIELLA!

- NINO. - PAPA!

- IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

- [speaking Italian]

- PAPA...I LOVE HIM.

- GET HIM!

- NO, PLEASE, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! NINO!

- HYAH! - OW.

- THIS IS WHAT YOU DO TO ME AFTER I TRUSTED YOU.

- YOU LIED TO ME, YOU HAD ME DELIVER A BOMB.

- AND YOU DIDN'T DELIVER IT, YOU'RE STILL ALIVE.

- IT EXPLODED IN HIS HAND, NINO, IT WAS A TINY BOMB.

- THAT'S NOT THE POINT, THE POINT IS THAT

I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY LITTLE GIRL,

AND YOU SLEPT WITH HER.

- WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, SIR.

SHE'S A FULL-GROWN WOMAN,

SHE CAN MAKE HER OWN DECISIONS!

- SHE'S 15, YOU SICK [bleep]!

- WHAT?

- YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. - OH, MY GOD, REALLY?

- 15! [speaking Italian]

- I COULDN'T TELL, THE SCALE WAS OFF.

SHE'S SO SMALL.

- IT'S TOO LATE FOR EXCUSES,

THIS IS NOT MISSISSIPPI WHERE THE AGE OF CONSENT IS 12.

- IT'S 14, ACTUALLY.

- UGH! - OW.

- HEY, PAULIE, FINISH HIM OFF.

[gun hammer clicks]

- NINO! THEY'RE COMING!

IT'S HAPPENING TONIGHT.

FRANK PALANTINO AND HIS GANG,

THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO WIPE US OUT.

LITTLE ITALY IS COMING!

- WHAT? - WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!

- THIS WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN.

ALL RIGHT, I WANT EVERYONE TO GEAR UP,

I WANT ALL THE GUNS ON THE STREET!

AND I'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER.

ANDIAMO.

- NINO. - WHAT, SCUM?

- CUT ME LOOSE.

- WHAT?

- YOU HEARD ME.

I'LL FIGHT FOR YOU.

YOU CAN'T WIN THIS.

YOU'RE ALL TOO SMALL AND YOU KNOW IT.

- OH, JEEZ.

[exhales] CUT HIM LOOSE AND GIVE HIM A GUN.

[dramatic music]

- THIS IS IT, NO MERCY.

- NO MERCY.

[laughs]

all: [screaming] [squishing sound]

[Italian opera music]

[glass breaking]

- [screams]

- AAH!

[loud explosion]

[glass breaking]

- ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT!

WE'RE DONE.

LET'S EAT.

[glass breaking]

- AAH!

- [moaning]

- [coughs]

- AAH!

AAH!

- [crying] JON.

- GABRIELLA.

- [crying] HELP ME.

- YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE 15.

I CAN GET IN A [bleep]LOAD OF TROUBLE FOR THAT.

- PLEASE, DO SOMETHING.

I LOVE YOU--

[squishing sound]

- [sighs]

SORRY.

- [sighs]

- HOW'D THE STORY GO?

- IT DIDN'T END WELL.

[Italian mandolin music]

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