- Noodles: [to Deborah] There were two things I couldn't get out of my mind. One was Dominic, the way he said, "I slipped," just before he died. The other was you. How you used to read me your Song of Songs, remember? "How beautiful are your feet / In sandals, O prince's daughter." I used to read the Bible every night. Every night I used to think about you. "Your navel is a bowl / Well-rounded with no lack of wine / Your belly, a heap of wheat / Surrounded with lilies / Your breasts / Clusters of grapes / Your breath, sweet-scented as apples." Nobody's gonna love you the way I loved you. There were times I couldn't stand it any more. I used to think of you. I'd think, "Deborah lives. She's out there. She exists." And that would get me through it all. You know how important that was to me?
- Deborah Gelly: Age can wither me, Noodles. We're both getting old. All that we have left now are our memories. If you go to that party on Saturday night, you won't have those anymore. Tear up that invitation.
- [Deborah cleans up the bar while the rest of the family is out. Noodles walks in]
- Young Deborah: What are you doing?
- Young Noodles: Give me a drink.
- Young Deborah: We're closed. Nice people don't drink on Pesach, they go to the synagogue.
- Young Noodles: So what are YOU doing here?
- Young Deborah: Somebody's got to keep an eye on the place. There are a lot of thieves out there. One could get into your house.
- Young Noodles: Especially if you leave the door open.
- Young Deborah: You can pray here too. Here or in the synagogue, to God it's the same difference. Come over here and sit down...
- Young Deborah: [to Noodles, reading the Torah] "My beloved is white and ruddy. His skin is as the most fine gold. His cheeks are as a bed of spices." Even though he hasn't washed since last December. "His eyes are as the eyes of doves. His body is as bright ivory. His legs are as pillars of marble." In pants so dirty they stand by themselves. "He is altogether lovable." But he'll always be a two-bit punk... so he'll never be my beloved. What a shame.
- [last lines]
- Secretary Bailey: [checking his pocket watch] It's 10:25. And I've got nothing left to lose. When you've been betrayed by a friend, you hit back. Do it.
- [Noodles is still and silent for a long time]
- Noodles: You see, Mr Secretary... I have a story also, a little simpler than yours. Many years ago, I had a friend, a dear friend. I turned him in to save his life, but he was killed. But he wanted it that way. It was a great friendship. But it went bad for him, and it went bad for me too. Good night, Mr Bailey.
- [He looks at the man in front of him for the last time]
- Noodles: I hope the investigation turns out to be nothing. It'd be a shame to see a lifetime of work go to waste.
- [He leaves, with Max looking after him with remorse and sorrow]
- Deborah Gelly: There's an exit back this way. Noodles, go through it. Keep walking. Don't turn around. Please, Noodles, I'm begging you, please.
- Deborah Gelly: You dancing?
- Noodles: You asking?
- Deborah Gelly: I'm asking.
- Noodles: I'm dancing.
- [they dance]
- Noodles: How's your sister?
- Fat Moe: I ain't seen her for years. She's a big star now.
- Noodles: We should have known, huh? You can always tell the winners at the starting gate. You can always tell the winners, and you can tell the losers.
- [looks at Moe]
- Noodles: Who would've put a penny on you?
- Fat Moe: I'd have put everything I ever had on you.
- Noodles: Yeah, and you would've lost.
- Fat Moe: Well, you're beat. Good night.
- Noodles: Good night, Moe. Thanks.
- Fat Moe: What have you been doing all these years?
- Noodles: I've been going to bed early.
- Noodles: It's true I have killed people, Mr. Bailey. Sometimes to defend myself, sometimes for money. And many people used to come to us. Business partners, rivals, lovers. Some of the jobs we took, and some we didn't. Yours is one we would never touch, Mr Bailey.
- Max: Is this your idea of revenge?
- Noodles: No. It's just the way I see things.
- Noodles: Why'd you ask me to come here, Mr. Bailey?
- Secretary Bailey: That invitation doesn't mean a goddamn thing, and you know it. All that counts is what was in that suitcase: the money and the contract.
- Noodles: It didn't say who the contract was on, though.
- Secretary Bailey: Haven't you figured that out yet?
- Noodles: You, Mr. Bailey? I haven't had a gun in my hand for many, many years. My eyes aren't too good, even with my glasses. My hands shake. And I wouldn't want to miss, Mr Bailey.
- Secretary Bailey: Cut the bullshit, Noodles, I'm already a dead man! At least give me the chance to settle the debt that I owe to you! I'll never make it before the investigating committee...
- [indicates the people at his party]
- Secretary Bailey: They're scared I'll implicate the whole bunch of 'em, they gotta get rid of me. Today is as good a day as any. You do it, Noodles. You're the only person I can accept it from. You see, I found out where you were. I brought you back here for this, to even the score between you and me.
- [points to a side door]
- Secretary Bailey: You can get out through there. It leads right down to the street. Nobody will see you.
- Noodles: I don't know what you're talking about. You don't owe me a thing.
- Secretary Bailey: Your eyes were too full of tears to see it wasn't me burned up on that street. It was somebody else. You were too shocked to realize that the cops were in on it too. That was a Syndicate operation, Noodles.
- Noodles: You're crazy...
- Secretary Bailey: You said that to me once before, a long time ago. But my mind was never as clear as it was at that moment. I took away your whole life from you. I've been living in your place. I took everything. I took your money, I took your girl. All I left for you was 35 years of grief over having killed me. Now why don't you shoot?
- [after Joe is executed]
- Max: You okay?
- Noodles: How come you didn't tell me?
- Max: Being inside can change you. I'd already made the deal with Frankie to get rid of Joe. With a man like Frankie Minaldi you don't say yes, and then no. I could not take the chance that you'd change your mind. You understand.
- Noodles: You're right. I would have said no.
- Max: Frankie is as big as they come. He's got the Combination in his hand.
- Noodles: If we're not careful, he'll have us in his hand.
- Max: You don't get nowhere alone.
- Noodles: I thought you didn't like bosses. It sounded like a good idea then. It still is.
- Max: Let's just think about it, Noodles. They're gonna ask us to come in with them. There's a lot in it for us...
- Noodles: Today they asked us to get rid of Joe, tomorrow they ask me to get rid of you. Is that okay with you? 'Cause it's not okay with me!
- Max: All right! let's just forget about it...
- [In 1932, Noodles takes Deborah out to dinner]
- Deborah Gelly: Been waiting long?
- Noodles: All my life.
- Young Noodles: You'll put up, and you'll shut up! You hear nothing, and you see nothing! Just like you did for Bugsy!
- [In 1968, Noodles meets a familiar figure in heavy make-up...]
- Noodles: Hello, Deborah.
- [For a long time, Deborah is silent and still]
- Noodles: Aren't you gonna say anything?
- Deborah Gelly: What is someone supposed to say after... after more than thirty years?
- Noodles: Well, how about "How're you doing? You look good." Or, "I was hoping I'd never see you again."
- Deborah Gelly: I never thought I would. There's a difference.
- Joe Minaldi: [inspecting diamonds through a loupe] Any trouble?
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: No trouble. Kid stuff.
- [Pulls out a gun and shoots Joe in the eye through the loupe]
- [In 1931, Max picks up a just-released Noodles in a hearse]
- Max: We got a rush job. Here. Come here, look at this. Come here.
- [gestures to the back of the hearse]
- Max: Sudden death. Fucking tragedy, huh? 26 years old.
- Noodles: 26? What a shame!
- Max: Great stiff. She died of an overdose.
- Girl in Coffin: [sitting up] And I'm ready for another!
- Max: [pushes Noodles into the hearse] Pump the life into her! You didn't turn pansy in there, did you?... There you go!
- [Max starts the hearse and looks at some people surprised at the noises coming from the hearse]
- Max: Turning over in the grave, they do it every time...!
- [the hearse parks in front of Fat Moe's diner at night]
- Girl in Coffin: [exhausted] Don't worry. A pansy he ain't.
- Noodles: Thanks.
- Young Patsy: Hey, stop by for you later!
- Young Noodles: Yeah, but knock here on the john first! My old man's praying, and my old lady's crying, and the light's turned off. What the hell should I go home for? At least in here I can read...
- Noodles: What does Bailey want from me?
- Deborah Gelly: You came to ask me that?
- Noodles: Why'd he send me an invitation?
- Deborah Gelly: I don't know! I don't know! I don't know! Why should I know about your invitations? What do you want? Why did you come here? I know nothing! I know nothing!
- Noodles: Now you're a lousy actress...
- Noodles: I always thought you might have helped yourself to that million bucks. But now I know. Yeah, you're on your ass worse than ever.
- Fat Moe: But I thought it was you who...
- Noodles: No, you thought wrong. The suitcase was empty.
- Fat Moe: Then who took it?
- Noodles: That's what I've been asking myself for 35 years.
- [Noodles gives Moe a letter to read]
- Fat Moe: Who's Robert Williams?
- Noodles: I am.
- Fat Moe: [reading] "We wish to inform you that following the sale of the Beth Israel Cemetery..." The synagogue sent these out if you wanted to relocate your loved ones. I got the same letter on account of my father.
- Noodles: Only the synagogue didn't send that. I got that last week, and the rabbi told me he sent those out about eight months ago.
- Fat Moe: Yeah, that's right. That's about when I got mine. So... what else did the rabbi say?
- Noodles: He said I was lucky. The bodies of... Philip Stein, Maximilian Bercovicz, Patrick Goldberg... were already spoken for. And they were up in a very fancy cemetery in Riverdale.
- Fat Moe: What's this all mean?
- Noodles: It means, "Noodles, though you've been hiding in the asshole of the world, we found you. We know where you are." It means, "Get ready."
- Fat Moe: For what?
- Noodles: That's the one thing it didn't say.
- Frankie Minaldi: Hey, Joe, tell these guys the story about the pussy being insured. What is it? Tell these guys how you stumbled on this whole thing. Tell them the story. Come on. Pussy insurance, the insurance pussies. Tell them that story.
- Joe Minaldi: Life is stranger than shit, that's all. It's a pisser. No big story. I got this insurance agent, this Jew kid named David. He conned me into every policy in the world. Every policy, name it, dogs, house, wife, life, anything. I'm drinking with the boys one night. He comes in with his wife, a brunette with a nice ass who works for a jeweller. And he's still on the hustle, this guy. So I wink at the guys, I say, "Look... the most serious policy, you don't have me covered for." He goes, "What's that, Joe?" "Cock insurance. You make me a policy that when it don't work, I get a payment. I'll write out a check now." He thinks, and he says, "I don't know if the actuality gauges govern this... but we can make a policy. But you gotta guarantee you're in good health now." I says, "Look, leave her with me. Come back and see if it stands up. If it stands up, you know I'm in good health." The jerk leaves her. I screw her. Not only that, she likes it. And she tells me when her boss, the jeweller is shipping stones to Holland, where he keeps his stash - in a drawer in the safe - everything! Can't ask for more, right? Except, one better. I never paid the first premium on the new cock policy.
- Max: [laughing] Cock insurance...
- Joe Minaldi: Life is funnier than shit. But... be easy with the girl. I mean that. Be easy with the girl.
- Deborah Gelly: Noodles... you're the only person that I have ever...
- Noodles: Ever what?
- Noodles: Go ahead, ever what?
- Deborah Gelly: ...that I ever cared about. But you'd lock me up and throw away the key, wouldn't you?
- Noodles: Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.
- Deborah Gelly: Yeah... and the thing is, I probably wouldn't even mind.
- Noodles: So?
- Deborah Gelly: So... I got to get to where I'm going.
- Noodles: And where's that?
- Deborah Gelly: To the top.
- Noodles: Now you sound just like Maxie. You's both alike, that's why you hate each other.
- [about Max's Reserve Bank job]
- Carol: What chance is there that a crazy thing like this might succeed?
- Noodles: Don't ask me, ask Max.
- Carol: You know as well as I do that this is suicide, pure and simple, for everyone.
- Noodles: Yeah, well, don't tell me, tell him. You got your own methods.
- Carol: I tried. He doesn't want to screw anymore. All he thinks about is this job: tear gas, hostages... Now he's gonna do this, and he's gonna do it with or without you!
- Carol: Noodles, we've never liked each other. We put up with each other for Max. So why don't we get together once... and do something for him. And after that, we can go back to being enemies.
- Carol: You know... if you were all in jail first... there wouldn't be any bank job.
- Carol: I got the idea from your friend Max.
- Noodles: What do you mean?
- Carol: He laughs at you. He makes fun of you. He says Eve has got you by the balls. Every time you walk past this place, you shit in your pants. You'd do anything for the cops to pick you up, so you wouldn't have to do this. Well then, do it. Do it! Put him in jail. Put him in jail. Not long, just long enough so he can get the idea out of his mind. If you can't stand being away from him, put yourself there too. Better off than being dead. You know what to do. And if you don't, I will.
- [as Deborah dances to a record of "Amapola", she catches Noodles spying on her in the bathroom]
- Young Deborah: Get down off of there, roach! That record's just like Ex-Lax - every time I put it on, you have to go to the bathroom!
- Young Max: From here on, we establish the shared funds of the gang. They belong to all of us together, and to none of us alone. And we solemnly swear to put in 50 per cent of everything we make. Agreed?
- Young Noodles, Young Cockeye, Young Patsy, Dominic: Agreed.
- Dominic: I wanna take another peek!
- [Noodles is spying on Deborah as she dances]
- Young Deborah: Fats, you better spray the toilet! I saw a cockroach in there!
- [Noodles meets a young man, the spitting image of Max]
- Deborah Gelly: This is Secretary Bailey's son. His name is David, just like yours.
- Secretary Bailey: Sit down, Noodles. Make yourself comfortable. I'm glad you accepted my invitation.
- Noodles: Well, I was curious. So many important people in one place...
- Secretary Bailey: Yes. Well, the rats usually desert a sinking ship. But in my case, they appear to be flocking on board.
- Noodles: Yeah, well, I read about your troubles in the newspapers. But a man in your position, with all your power and all your privileges, has to assume a certain amount of responsibility... a certain amount of risk.
- Sgt. P. Halloran: Sergeant Halloran. Hello. Who's speaking? Can I help you? Hello.
- Noodles: I got a good tip for you...
- Officer 'Fartface' Whitey: Okay, boys, we're even...
- Young Noodles: The hell we are!
- Young Max: You'll be collecting your pension before we're even!
- [Chief Aiello's son is missing and he gets a call almost immediately]
- Police Chief Aiello: My son, where is he?
- Noodles: Where do you think? He's in the maternity ward. He never left. He got restless, so he wanted to change his bed. The other kids got the same idea, so they wanted to change their beds. You got thirty, forty screaming babies jumping from one bed to another, switching tags. So now we do have a real problem.
- Police Chief Aiello: Piece of shit, whoever you are! What the fuck? I want my son!
- Noodles: Luckily, we were there to see that everything was under control. If you want, we can put everything back. Except you gotta meet us halfway.
- Police Chief Aiello: Tell me!
- Noodles: Why do you give a fuck who wins the strike?
- Police Chief Aiello: That's got nothing to do with me!... What did I do?
- Noodles: First of all, you let the scabs in. Second, you've got the cops in there protecting them.
- Police Chief Aiello: I'm a cop!
- Noodles: All right, shut the fuck up! Now listen very carefully: call off your dogs and let the strikers work it out with the bosses.
- Police Chief Aiello: I want my son!
- Noodles: Do that, and we'll give you the kid's number. If you don't, look for your kid yourself. So what's it gonna be?
- Police Chief Aiello: Okay. I'll call my men off today.
- Noodles: Attaboy. You know, for a rotten bastard son of a bitch... you're not as stupid as I thought. We'll be in touch.
- Police Chief Aiello: When will you call?
- Noodles: Don't worry, don't worry, we'll be in touch with you. Bye.
- [hangs up]
- [Patsy meets Peggy]
- Young Peggy: What do you want?
- Young Patsy: Me?
- Young Peggy: Mama said you were looking for me.
- Young Patsy: No, the guys told me that...
- [pause]
- Young Patsy: What?
- Young Patsy: I'll come back some other time...
- [leaves post-haste]
- Young Patsy: Noodles! Noodles! Noodles! Noodles!
- Noodles: To keep from going crazy, you have to cut yourself off from the outside world, just not think about it. Yet there were years that went by. It seemed like... no time at all, because you're not doing anything.
- Noodles: Let's go for a swim...
- [accelerates the car down the pier]
- Max: All right, what are you doing?
- Philip 'Cockeye' Stein: Hey, Noodles... Don't fuck around, Noodles!
- Max: Noodles, what are you doing?
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: HEY! You crazy?
- [Noodles drives the car off the pier into the water]
- Max: SHIT! ASSHOLE! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS!
- Frankie Minaldi: [introducing the gang to Joe] Here they are, "The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse"! Did you happen to see that movie, Joe? It's a good movie.
- [after switching Aiello's baby boy]
- Max: So?
- Noodles: We got a deal.
- Max: To a very smooth talker.
- [the gang cheers]
- Noodles: Where's that switch list?
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: The switch list?
- Noodles: Yeah.
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: I can't find it.
- Max: What?
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: I can't find it!
- Noodles: What'd you do with it?
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: I think I dumped it.
- Max: What a yutz!
- Noodles: Oh, Pat...
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: Wait a minute, listen... Listen, Noodles. Noodles, wait, I remember... the boys' numbers was odd... even! And the girls' was odd!
- Philip 'Cockeye' Stein: [sardonic] You took good stock.
- Noodles: Hey, let's give him an even number. Eight... let's pick an eight.
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: Eight... yeah, it's a good number.
- Philip 'Cockeye' Stein: Wait, what about the other pischers?
- Max: We're better than fate. Some we give the good life, others we give it up the ass.
- Bugsy: [Bugsy and his gang have beaten Noodles and Max] You don't work for me, you don't work for no-one!
- Young Max: I don't like bosses.
- Bugsy: You'd be better off you stayed in the Bronx.
- Young Max: Woulda been better for *you*, too!
- [Bugsy spits on him, and he and his gang walk off]
- Young Max: I'm gonna kill him one of these days...
- Young Noodles: Yeah? Meanwhile, it looks like he killed US!
- Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg: Hey, Noodles, get a load of this... Hey, scotch heating!
- Philip 'Cockeye' Stein: Yeah, a buck a cup.
- Noodles: A buck a cup?
- Max: Yeah!
- Noodles: How much's it cost us?
- Max: Costing us? A dime, including overhead!
- Deborah Gelly: Why do you want to see me?
- Noodles: Two reasons. I wanted to see if you did the right thing, turning me down to be an actress.
- Deborah Gelly: Well?
- Noodles: You did. You're terrific.
- [Disregarding the wrinkles on Deborah's face, Noodles gazes at a theatre poster of "Anthony and Cleopatra," which Deborah had just acted in]
- Noodles: "Age cannot wither her..." It's like the play was written for you.
- Deborah Gelly: What was the other reason?
- Noodles: The other reason is... to decide whether I should go to a party tomorrow night.
- [Deborah is slightly amused by this answer]
- Deborah Gelly: A party?
- Noodles: Yeah, on Long Island. A Secretary Bailey.
- [Deborah gives a slight but unmistakeable start]
- Deborah Gelly: Do you know Secretary Bailey?
- Noodles: No, but I was invited anyway.
- Deborah Gelly: If you don't know each other, why were you invited?
- Noodles: I don't know. I thought you might know why.
- Deborah Gelly: Me? Why me?
- [Noodles gets up and walks over to Deborah]
- Noodles: Because you know him.
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