"Where is he?" "Where is he hiding?" "I don't know." "I've been looking for him since yesterday." "I'm gonna ask you for the last time." "Where is he?" "I don't know." "What are you going to do?" "You stay here in case that rat shows up." "Who you protecting..." "you dumb asshole?" "A stoolie who rats..." "on his own friends." "They were your friends, too." "I got it." "You wanna end up like that bitch, huh?" "At... at... at Chun Lao's." "Chinese theater." "You stay here with this barrel of shit." "Noodles?" "Noodles." "Noodles." "Noodles." "Easy, easy..." "This way." "Hurry!" "Down there, Mott Street." "Go, go, go!" "Noodles." "Noodles." "Noodles." "Untie me." "No, stay that way." "No, stay." "I want them to know I did it." "Where you going?" "I'm going to go get Eve." "Don't." "Why?" "They... they already been there." "Do you need anything?" "Money?" "I got more than I need." "Yeah, it's all yours now." "Where to?" "Sir, where do you want to go?" "Anywhere." "The first bus." "Buffalo?" "One way." "That'll be a dollar twenty." "I want to rent a car." "Would you fill this out, please." "Noodles." "I brought back the key to your clock." "Lock the door." "When'd you get back?" "Tonight." "Why?" "They got in touch with me." "Who?" "I thought you might know." "Me?" "I don't know nothing about nobody no more." "You gonna offer me a drink." "Yeah." "Forgive me." "Sure." "Of course." "Please sit down." "Who's Robert Williams?" "I am." ""We wish to inform you that following..." "the sale of the Beth Israel Cemetery in..." "Yeah, the synagogue sent these out if you..." "want them to relocate your loved ones." "I got the same letter on account of my father, alav-ha-shalom." "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." "Yeah, that's right." "That's just about when I got mine." "So what else did he say, the Rabbi?" "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." "What's this all mean?" "It means..." ""Dear Noodles... even though you've been hiding out in the asshole of the world, we found you."" ""We know where you are." It means..." ""Get ready."" "For what?" "That's the one thing it didn't say." "What do you think?" "I think the answer's here." "That's why I came back." "I moved everything in here." "I had to sell the house, the back room." "I always thought you might have helped yourself to that million bucks." "But now I know." "You're on your ass worse than ever." "But I thought it was you." "Naw, you thought wrong." "The suitcase was empty." "Then who took it?" "That's what I've been asking myself for thirty-five years." "If it bothers you, I can sleep here." "You can have my room." "No, it's okay." "How's your sister?" "I ain't seen her for years." "She's a big star now." "We should have known, huh?" "You can always tell the winners at the starting gate." "You can always tell the winners." "You can tell the losers." "Who would a put a penny on you?" "I'd a put everything I ever had on you." "Yeah, and you would've lost." "Well, you're beat." "Goodnight." "Goodnight, Moe." "Thanks." "What have you been doing all these years?" "Been going to bed early." "Deborah... papa says you should help." "No." "We got customers all over." "We can't do everything." "Try." "I've got my elocution lessons." "Fat, you'd better spray the toilet." "I saw a cockroach in there." "Sorry." "Michugah!" "Sorry, I can't make it today." "See you tomorrow." "Okay." "Bye." "Sorry, Fats." "Noodles!" "Bugsy's got a job for us." "Hurry up." "He don't wait." "Who you calling a cockroach?" "So what are you?" "You're filthy, you make me sick." "You crawl up toilet walls... just like a roach." "So, what are you?" "Let go!" "I make you sick, huh?" "Then how come you showed me your tush?" "To a roach?" "Go look at yourself, David Aaronson." "If she don't leave me alone, I'm gonna give her what she's asking for." "What's Bugsy want?" "We gotta wake up a deadbeat." "That schmuck at the newsstand didn't pay." "Here's your money, sir." "Look at that, he looks..." "Wow!" "Come on, guys." "Come on, come on!" "Well, make up your mind." "Noodles, let's take the dollar." "Yeah." "Skip." "You go." "That one." "Him." "Hey, Sam, I'll see you next Thursday." "That one." "Are you nuts?" "Bugsy said we could take the dollar or we could roll a drunk." "Yeah, but he ain't even drunk yet." "We'll wait." "Well, you roll that one over there." "What's to roll?" "He drunk it all." "Bounce that little shikker." "Jacket." "It's Fartface." "Shit!" "We should of took the dollar." "Coulda had ten hot coned beef sandwiches on poppy seed rolls." "Look..." "The wagon'll hide us from Fartface." "Get ready!" "Now!" "Throw your jacket over him." "Hey, mister, you sick?" "Poor guy!" "You'll be okay." "Come on, I'll help ya." "Come on, up you go." "Now, you're worse than my Uncle Nathan." "Why do you want to get soused?" "You can't even walk." "I'll take you home." "Go, mama." "Stop right there." "You!" "Yeah, I'm talking to you." "What the hell are you kids doing here?" "What are we kids doing here?" "We're getting it up the ass." "Yeah, getting screwed." "Is there a law against it?" "Can you spare a dime for four poor little pisherkehs that just got it up the ass?" "Get out!" "Come on, get out of here." "Come on, get off the street." "Get off the street." "Go ahead." "And don't come back." "I don't want to see you here again." "All right?" "Hey, stop by for you later." "Yeah, but my turn at 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." "Where do you think you're going?" "Mama, don't get worked up." "You got pots to do." "I'll be right back, ma." "I gotta go to the can." "Hi, Peggy." "At least you could lock the door." "Don't you like it?" "I've seen better." "You seen lots!" "How many you seen?" "I'll tell you how many." "None." "Lemme see yours." "Looksi's, no feelsies." "Peggy, Peggy, I..." "You like it, don't you?" "Not for free I don't." "You bring me a charlotte russe with whipcream... and then you can do anything you like." "Tomorrow." "I'll bring it to you tomorrow." "I promisse." "Look, I don't give credit." "I promisse." "You'd better stop squeezing me or I'm going to poop in my pants." "Well, you getting out?" "Come on, come on." "Gimme six copies." "Drop your pants and I'll stick it to you again." "What do you mean, again?" "That's a long story." "And look what time it is." "It's already six thirty-four." "And I gotta go." "Boy, I got a lot of work to do." "Hold it a minute." "Now it's six thirty-five." "And I ain't got a damn thing to do." "Just you wait, asshole." "I'll do something with your time." "Since we're talking about time, it looks like you're gonna break... that lamp at six thirty-six." "Where'd you pinch this?" "It's mine." "Prove it." "I gave it to him." "Oh, yeah." "Who the hell are you?" "Where you from?" "The Bronx." "And you give away watches?" "He's my uncle." "And who gave it to you?" "My Uncle Nathan." "My little brother." "Tell your uncle to stop by the precinct." "He's dead." "Alcoholic." "In Kishnev, Poland." "Then he don't need it no more." "It's been requisitioned." "Requi... what's that mean?" "Pinched, by him." "At sixty-thirty-seven." "Just remember, I got my eye on you two." "I got my eye on you, too." "Take it!" "Take it!" "Take the lamp off." "I can't hold it." "Max." "Who's this?" "My uncle." "That one!" "With the cream." "The five cent one?" "Yeah." "For the two penny one she only gives you a hand job." "I can do that myself." "Not that one... that one." "You sure?" "Wrap it up pretty." "Good morning." "Is Peggy home?" "She's taking a bath." "That's great!" "Would you be so kind as to tell her I'm here." "Hey, Ma." "Another bucket of water." "Wait." "What do you want?" "Me?" "Mama said you were looking for me." "Oh, yeh, no." "The guys told me to... eh..." "What?" "I'll come back some other time." "Noodles!" "Noodles!" "Noodles!" "Noodles!" "Did you get it?" "I think his asshole blinked but we got him." "Nice going, Fartface." "And on duty, too." "You boys caught me with my pants down that time." "No." "We caught you with your shmuck up the tochis of a minor." "Put this some place safe." "Wait." "Hey, hold it!" "Where you going?" "Stop!" "Hey, wait a minute!" "Hey, you stop!" "Hold it." "What are you kids gonna do with that plate?" "It depends." "What time is it, Max?" "I think it's time we got our watch back." "Okay, boys, we're even." "The hell we are." "You'll be collecting your pension before we're even." "Hiya, fellas." "What do you boys want?" "First off... you're paying Peggy for us." "Okay." "That's it?" "Go ahead, while I tell him." "I can't believe it." "My first time and a lousy cop's paying for it." "Now look, what else do you kids want for that plate?" "Noodles was telling me about a guy called Bugsy." "Seems he's boss of this neighborhood thanks to you." "Meaning what?" "Meaning he pays you off." "Will you slow down?" "What is your hurry?" "Take it easy." "If you keep this up you're going to come too fast." "You see what I mean?" "I can't..." "I can't believe it." "So, why does Bugsy pay ya?" "What do you do for him?" "I close an eye once in awhile." "Well now, you close an eye for us." "Why?" "What are you kids up to?" "He'll tell ya." "Me, him, Cockeye and Patsy, we're working together." "Bugsy'll flatten you." "And besides..." "I don't put up with no trouble on my beat." "You'll put up and you'll shut up." "You hear nothin' and you see nothin'." "Just like you did for Bugsy." "Shit!" "Oh, don't get upset." "That makes it worse." "It can happen in the first time." "It's them two talking out there." "Can't you see you're ruining the mood." "We made our deal." "So take a walk." "Come here, honey." "Feel good, bubbala?" "He'll never get it up." "Okay, feel good." "Okay, come here." "I've got the baby, sir." "Happy Pesach, Deborah." "Happy Pesach, Derkie." "Hurry, papa, we're going be late." "There's Deborah." "Sorry I'm late." "I just locked up." "I just thought I'd practice my dance routines." "That's all." "All right." "Okay." "Goodbye." "See you later." "Bye." "Get down off of there, roach." "That record is just like Ex-lax." "Every time I put it on, you have to go to the bathroom." "What are you doing?" "Gimme a drink." "We're closed." "Nice people... don't drink on Pesach." "They go to the synagogue." "So what are you doing here?" "Somebody's got to keep an eye on the place." "There are a lot of little thieves out there." "One of them could get into your house." "Especially if you leave the door open." "You can pray here, too." "Here or in the synagogue, to God it's the same difference." "Come over here and sit down." ""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 pillar of marble."" ""ln 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!"" "Somebody's there." "There ain't nobody." "It's Max." "Ah, so that's who it was." "Noodles!" "Go on, run." "Your mother's calling you." "Noodles!" "Just gonna see what he wants." "Hey!" "Yo?" "You been here long?" "No." "Were you in there?" "You're a lousy kisser." "I seen you go in there after that ball-buster." "Here's the stuff from last night." "We got four for the silverware, and six for the typewriter." "Shitsy Lipschitz wouldn't cough up anymore." "We got to get somebody else." "I came to divvy up." "Tomorrow, with the others." "I also came to pick you up." "I can't come right now." "The houses, the stores, they're all empty." "We got our pick." "And you pick that." "Yeah." "Some partner I got." "Have fun." "How's it going, boys?" "Who's that?" "Bugsy." "I hear you guys are in business for yourselves now, huh?" "I hear you are doing real good." "Ain't you gonna introduce me to your friend here?" "I'll introduce myself." "Excuse the glove." "Son-of-a-bitch!" "That's my cut." "You don't work for me, you don't work for no one." "I don't like bosses." "You was better off you stayed in the Bronx." "It would have been better for you, too." "I'm going to kill him one of these days." "In the meantime it looks like he killed us." "Deborah, open up the door." "Deborah, open up the door." "Hey, Deborah." "That stuff isn't ready for the Globe?" "We're loading it." "Hey!" "Che cazzo succede down here?" "Hey, Al, we got the big boys with us today." "They want to work for us." "Doing what Bugsy did." "We want his job." "Do you get that?" "Eh, Capuano, we the best..." "escort you ever gonna get." "Ah, fanculo ma, escort your mother's ass out of here." "Okay." "Let's go, Noodles." "Well peddle your invention somewhere else." "Hey, wait a minute." "What invention?" "You ship your stuff by the river, right?" "Si, sometimes." "When you get caught by the Coast Guard, you gotta throw all the cases overboard." "You lose the whole shipment, Capuano." "So?" "For ten percent, we'll save it all for you." "Whadda you got, a submarine?" "We got salt." "You got, what?" "Salt." "Me and the boys are old salts." "Yeah." "We need three tons of salt per shipment." "What the fuck, get the fuck out, go back to school where you belong." "What is it with all this salt?" "Hey, hey, we got salt on our Noodles." "Show 'em." "This is full of salt." "All right, come here." "So?" "Keep your shirt on, Capuano." "We gotta wait for the salt to dissolve." "What's wrong?" "Hey, look." "Look at that!" "It's crazy." "Noodles!" "I see 'em, I see 'em!" "What did I tell ya?" "We did it." "Come here, Max." "We did it." "No, Max, no!" "Max!" "Max!" "What would you do without me?" "There." "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 fifty percent... of everything we make." "Agreed?" "Agreed." "Agreed." "Agreed." "Agreed." "I wanna take another peek." "And now for the immediate departure of the railroad... express Poughkepsee, Albany and Buffalo." "All aboard." "This goes to Fat Moe." "We don't tell him what it's for." "And he gives it back only when we're all together." "Agreed?" "Agreed." "Agreed." "Bugsy's coming!" "Run!" "Noodles." "I slipped." "You wanna go in?" "Yeah." "You a relative?" "An uncle." "It's open." "Erected to their everlasting memory... by their friend and brother, David Aaronson, "Noodles"." "Can I take that for you, sir?" "Your limousine is waiting." "Maxie." "How are you, uncle?" "You're looking good." "You're looking a little better." "Come on." "Let's get you off the streets." "Some limousine." "What are you talking, huh?" "We own the company now." "It's a good cover." "You'd be surprised, it pays off, too." "My mother wrote me you was in the body snatching business." "By the way, I appreciate everything you did for my family." "Forget it." "It's your dough." "It's all down in black and white in the company books." "You're the company." "You and Patsy and Cockeye." "Grave diggers and equal partners." "Hey, enough of this, huh?" "Business before pleasure." "We got a rush job." "Here." "Come here." "Look at this." "Come, come." "Sudden death." "Fucking tragedy, huh?" "Twenty-six years old." "Twenty-six?" "What a shame!" "." "Great stiff." "She died of an overdose." "And I'm ready for another." "Come on, Noodles, pump some life into her." "You didn't turn pansy while you were in there, did you?" "There you go." "Turning over in the grave." "They do it every time." "Don't worry." "A pansy he ain't." "Thanks." "You're welcome." "Thanks." "Goodnight." "Hey, you wanna little pick me up?" "Oh, no, thanks." "I've had mine." "Did you give her your all?" "What do you think?" "You bet your life I did." "Wait'll you see this place." "It's got the best..." "It's over here." "Where we going?" "To a place that never closes." "Watch yourself." "What's this?" "Our place." "We've got the hottest spot in town." "Huh?" "This is the real Fat Moe's." "Gimme that rag, will ya?" "What do you think?" "It's beautiful." "You like it?" "Beautiful." "Hey, give me that." "Noodles!" "Patsy, look who's here." "Come here, sonofabitch..." "come here, come here." "You look fantastic." "How you doing?" "Look how big you got?" "Me?" "Noodles." "Oh, God." "Noodles." "Number three coming through." "Hey, let's have a toast, for Christ sakes!" "Hey, you look like shit to me." "Wanna you want, I just got out of prison." "Hey, Noodles, get a load of this." "Look." "Hey, scotch heating." "Yeah, a buck a cup." "A buck a cup?" "Yeah." "How much it cost us?" "Costing us?" "Yeah." "A dime, including overhead." "Hey, Noodles, Fat Moe." "You look terrific." "It looks like you lost an ounce or two." "You think I'm going to lose hemorrhoids." "You can't recognize him without his apron." "L'chaim." "L'chaim." "Welcome home." "So what the fuck kind of maitre'd you, huh?" "A new guy rolls into the joint... you don't even show him around." "What's the matter with you, huh?" "I didn't know." "Hey, Noodles, I'm sorry." "Yeah, you're some bunch of shtunks, you know that?" "You don't come up and get me up there." "He's the shtunk over here." "Tell him." "He said you weren't coming out... until Monday." "So, you guys can go get him the next time he gets out." "God forbid." "Come on, let's see if you can guess who it is?" "Charlotte russe." "With a little too much whipped cream." "Peggy" "Hey, you want me?" "And my prices, they've gone up." "I work in a high-class joint now." "And I get paid by the pound." "And my Peggy, she's worth every minute of it, too, my red hot mama." "Come on, come on." "Timber!" "Now you've seen your old pals, I want you to meet some new ones." "Fagala, I'll see you later." "Stay here all night or what?" "Come on." "Cockeye wanted to play with the band." "I'm serious." "Come on." "Aren't you going to say hello?" "Hello." "Your brother's a real friend." "He's a romantic." "Did Max tell you I was getting out today?" "Max?" "No." "You remembered yourself?" "No." "Moe." "It's always Moe." "Yeah." "You mean you weren't counting the days?" "Of course I was." "4.344, 4.343..." "I lost track at three thousand." "That wasn't my choice." "Yes, it was." "It still is." "Well, anyway, did you come here to welcome me back at least?" "I still live here." "I was on my way out... when Moe said I should at least say hello." "I hope Moe didn't have to bend your arm or anything like that." "No." "Welcome back, Noodles." "Hey, Noodles." "You dancing?" "Every night at the Palace Theater." "I've made some progress since I used to dance here among... the brooms and the empties." "You can come spy on me if you like." "If you have time." "Every night." "Noodles." "Go on, Noodles." "Your mother's calling you." "It's good to see you again, Noodles." "My pleasure." "Did you get the wine?" "Dago red." "The best." "How you doin'?" "There they are." "The for horsemen of the Apocalypse." "Did you see that movie, Joe?" "It's a good movie." "Hey, Max, how are ya?" "Good to see you." "This must be your friend Noodles." "Noodles, say hello to Mr. McNaulty." "Hi, Noodles, how are ya?" "Very nice to meet you." "And you don't have to call me Mr. McNaulty like he says." "I like my friends and people I respect to call me Frankie." "Come on, sit down." "Get some chairs and some glasses." "Sit down and relax." "You're home now." "This is my very dear friend, Joe." "He came all the way... from Detroit to ask me to do him a favor." "And I wanna do it for him." "I don't have to tell you who Joe is." "How far he got." "And how far he's gonna get." "He's not only my dear friend, he's my brother." "Frank, I'll tell you the truth." "Even a Jew can't eat this shit." "I mean, the mustard doesn't even help." "This uh... guys with you?" "I told you these fellas are with me." "You could trust them." "You're in very good hands." "Just tell them exactly what you want them to do." "I'm interested in some diamonds from Detroit." "Kid stuff." "Why us then?" "If it's kids stuff, why don't you have the kids from Detroit do it?" "Excuse me, Noodles." "What he means is that it's something that's very simple." "But for now he needs kids from outside to handle it." "I mean he just found out that they're going to move these..." "Diamonds to Holland in a few days." "So something came up right away." "You understand?" "Hey, Joe... tell these guys the story about... the pussy being insured." "What is it?" "Insured?" "Tell these guys how you stumped on this whole thing." "No, no, no." "Tell 'em the story." "Uh, come on." "Pussy insurance." "Insurance pussy." "What is it?" "Tell them that story." "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 used to call me at every policy in the world." "Every policy name it." "The dogs, house, wife, life..." "I'm drinking with the boys and he comes in with his wife." "A pretty brunette, with a nice ass..." "who works for a jeweler." "And he's still on the hustle..." "this guy." "And so I wink at the guys and I say:" "Look... the most serious policy that should be... 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, "Oh, I don't know if there actuality gauges... governing this, but we can make a policy."" "He says, "But you got to guarantee... that you're in good health now."" "Well, that's super, you know, I says, look, leave her with me... come back and see if it stands up then... you know I'm in good health to begin with, right?" "The jerk leaves her." "I screw her." "Not only that, she likes it... and she tells me, she blabs when her boss, the jeweler... is shipping stones to Holland... where he keeps his stash... in a little drawer in the safe everything in the world." "Can't ask for more, right?" "Except one better." "I never paid the first premium on the new "cock"." "Cock insurance." "Life is funnier than shit." "But... be easy with the girl." "I mean that, be easy with the girl." "Oh, my God!" "Open it." "Who has gotten in?" "Well, you had to go and be a hero, huh?" "Open it." "No." "Open it." "No, don't hurt him!" "Don't hurt him." "You bastard!" "You animal!" "You asshole!" "Come on." "What do you mean?" "Come on, hit me." "Hit me." "Are you crazy?" "Come on, straighten up and fly right." "I'm all right." "Let me make it look real." "Make it look real." "Knock it off." "I'm all right." "Let go." "Come on, cut the act." "Hit me." "She said, hit her." "Go ahead, rap her in the mouth." "I said, hit me!" "Hit me!" "I'll hit you." "You animal!" "Put a cork in her." "Don't!" "No!" "No!" "You dirty bastard!" "Bastard!" "Try the secret compartment." "Atta boy!" "Thanks." "Lots of matzo balls." "Look at that." "Okay, better wrap 'em up." "We're going." "You coming?" "Coming." "Morning." "Did you get the stones?" "Pay him." "Any trouble?" "No trouble." "Kid stuff." "You okay?" "How come you didn't tell me?" "Being inside can change you." "I'd already made the deal with Frankie to get rid of Joe." "With a man like McNaulty you don't say yes and then say no." "I could not take the chance... you'd change your mind." "Understand?" "Well, you're right." "I would have said no." "Frankie McNaulty is as big as they come." "He's got the combination in the palm of his hand." "If we're not careful he's going to have us in the palm of his hand." "You don't get nowhere alone." "I thought you were the guy that said you didn't like bosses." "It sounded like a good idea then." "It still is." "Let's just think about it." "They're gonna ask us... to come with them." "There's a lot in it for us." "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." "All right." "Let's just forget about it." "Wanna go for a swim?" "Yeah, let's go for a swim." "All right, what are you doing?" "Noodles, don't fuck around." "What are you doing?" "Hey." "You crazy?" "Shit!" "District Attorney, James Lister, was killed in an explosion... of a car belonging to Secretary of Commerce Bailey... as he was leaving the secretary's Long lsland estate." "Mr. Lister, who was killed instantly in the blast... was scheduled to testify in Washington on Thursday... before a Senate Committee." "A Committee investigating... what has come to be called "the Bailey scandal"." "A special team of detectives has been assigned to the case." "As for Secretary Bailey he was not available... for any statement at this time." "Did you know those guys?" "...at the offices of his long time legal advisor, Irving Gold... in hopes of getting some comment." "Mr. Gold, are you aware that District Attorney Lister... is the second witness in the Bailey Scandal... to meet a sudden and violent end." "The first... was Thomas Finney, Under-Secretary of Commerce... who fell to his death from his fifteenth-floor office... just a month ago." "Do you think there's a connection between these deaths?" "Take the money and run." "What the hell's keeping you here?" "The FBI is looking into it." "Ask them." "The only remaining witness is the man who... rightly or wrongly has given his name to this whole affair..." "Secretary Christopher Bailey." "Curious." "What did the Secretary think of all this?" "The Secretary has no worries." "Sir, if he has no worries... why then has he retreated to his place on Long lsland?" "Far from retreating he's busy preparing his attack... on the questions he will be asked by the committee." "I'd call them accusations more than questions, sir." "The Secretary has no worries." "But the public does." "Particularly in view of the rumors about... rigged contracts, bribery, the international Mafia, especially... those dealing with the illegal use of the transport union.... pension funds." "Could you tell us anything about that?" "Gentlemen, I deny all of these rumors and allegations... directed against my organization." "Our hands have always been... and will continue to remain clean." "In my entire life I've fought to keep... the American labor ." "movement clear of anything." "Him I know." "... forced speculation, criminal elements or corrupt politicians." "If any mistakes have been made..." "He's still giving out the same old bullshit." "If any guilt at all exists in this situation... it lies elsewhere." "What's this I've been reading about you in the newspaper?" "Flammatory words from a union boss?" "You still won't come and stop the workers... or the social movement." "Listen to me, you socialist asshole." "We don't give a good fart about this socialist workers... and their movements." "We just want you... out of the factory so we can get the furnaces working again." "This is the last offer you're going to get." "You want to sign it or what?" "Tell your bosses they can wipe their ass on it." "Fill her up." "This is my last..." "Hold it, boys." "Don't shoot." "It's me, Crowning." "Crowning?" "Yeah." "That'll do, boys." "What'll do?" "We almost got the kid where we want him." "And we got the boss where we want him." "Easy." "Easy." "Put 'em down." "Put your guns away, boys." "Just swapping prisoners." "Union boy over here." "Well, look who's here." "Fat Moe's bone yard boys." "Which reminds me." "How's that cancer in your gut coming along, Chicken Joe?" "Untie him." "I don't take orders from you." "We're not asking you to take orders, Joe." "We're tellin' you." "Now go ahead, untie him." "Untie him." "Untie him." "Who are you?" "Who's paying you?" "I think this is really going to piss you off there, Mac." "But I think it's those dirty politician friends of yours." "You crawl back and tell'em we don't want you with us." "Our fight's got nothing to do with liquor ... and prostitution and dope." "Well, you'd better get used to the idea, pal." "This country is still growing up." "Certain diseases is better to have when you're still young." "You boys ain't mild cases of measels." "You're the plague." "And bastards like him are immune." "That's the difference between us and them!" "Take this, kid." "The difference is that they're always going to win." "And you're going to keep getting it up the ass." "Sooner than you think." "Chief Aiello, moving policemen into the factory came... as a surprise to everyone." "The press, the unions... especially the strikers." "Well, what did you want, sweetheart, a declaration of war?" "Ours was a peaceable operation." "Well, wasn't that contrary to the new union laws... and the rights of strikers?" "I'm chief of Police, not chief of the people." "Was there any violence on the part of the strikers.... to justify your action?" "My motto is, "Prevention, not repression."" "But you let scabs move in and start working." "Young lady, you wanna talk to me... call 'em unemployed workers." "Now with your permission..." "I'll take these flowers to my missus before they wilt." "Or maybe you heard." "I'm the father of a baby boy." "We heard he's the youngest stockholder... in that factory you occupied." "What'd you mean by that?" "They say management expressed their thanks with... a birthday present for the baby." "You know, slander is a serious offense." "Especially when it comes from a hack reporter." "You wanna find out how serious?" "But since this is my first boy after four girls..." "I'll declare amnesty." "Behave yourself." "Go." "Thank you." "He's eating?" "For five." "For five?" "Well, why not?" "You could feed an army with these two milk plants." "We could open up a dairy." "Oh, hey." "That's nice, huh?" "Who loves ya?" "Who loves ya?" "I love you." "And I love you." "And I love you." "Rosie, don't you have to feed him at six o'clock?" "Right?" "Come in." "Here he is now." "That's my son." "That's my son." "Jesus Christ!" "They change fast." "Yeah, but he looks like my old man." "Yeah, look, same eyes." "And look, the same devilish pride, huh?" "Did you see his dickey?" "Ah, Vincent." "What?" "." "The girls." "The girls!" "Sooner or later you're going to have to learn... that after me the boss in the house is him." "He's got balls just like his papa." "Let me have him." "Naw." "I'll do this." "I'll do this, huh." "Let papa change you, huh?" "Come on, look, then everything will be swell." "Come on, come on." "What the fuck is this?" "What is this?" "What's that?" "Look." "What?" "It's the right number." "The right number?" "I'll break your goddamn neck!" "Find my son or I'll burn down... this whole goddamn building." "Hello." "Would you shut up?" "No, hey, no, wait." "I'm not talking to you." "Well, who's this?" "Never mind to who am I talking...?" "Where the hell are you?" "My son, where is he?" "Where do you think he is?" "He's in the maternity ward." "He never left." "He just got a little restless, so he wanted to change his bed, that's all." "The other kids got the same idea, so they also wanted to change their beds." "There you got 30,40 screaming babies jumping from one bed to another..." "Switching tags, so... now we do have a real problem." "Jesus." "Shit." "What do you want?" "What the fuck..." "I want my son." "Look, we were there to see that everything was under control." "If you want we can put everything back where it was." "Except there's one problem, you gotta meet us halfway." "How?" "Tell me." "Now what do you give a fuck about who wins the strike?" "What did you do?" "First of all you let the scabs in." "Second of all you've got ... the cops in there protecting them." "That's what you did." "I'm a cop." "All right, shut the fuck up... and I'm gonna tell you what you do." "Now listen to me... very carefully." "You're gonna call off your dogs and you're... gonna let the strikers work it out with the bosses, you got that?" "I want my son back right now." "You do that and we'll give you the kid's new number. ." "If you don't do that, look for your kid yourself." "And good luck." "So, what's it gonna be?" "Ok." "All right." "Atta boy." "You know, Aiello, for a rotten red bastard... son of a bitch, you're not as stupid as I thought." "Yeah." "All right, we'll be in touch with you." "Wait, wait." "Don't worry." "We'll be in touch with you." "So?" "What he's got to do?" "To a very smooth talker." "Mozzel Fagala." "Noodles." "Where's that switch list?" "Uh... the switch list?" "Yeah." "I can't find it." "What?" "I can't find it." "What did you do with it?" "I think I dumped it with that hospital jacket." "Oh, yutz." "Oh, Pat." "Wait a minute, listen." "Listen, Noodles, wait." "I remember." "The boy's numbers was odd, was even and the girl's numbers was odd." "It's very simple." "That's a good start." "You know what, let's give him an even number." "Let's pick eight." "Eight." "Yeah, it's a good number." "Wait a minute, what about the other little pissers?" "We're better than fate." "We give some the good life... give it to others right up the ass." "All right, boys, let's settle up." "It's Saturday." "Settle-smettle there, Peggy, I'm gonna take mine out in trade." "Oh, you're a such a nudge." "Hey, you know what?" "You know, I wish I was switched when I was a kid." "Well, what makes you think you weren't?" "I don't believe it." "Hey, you guys, come here." "Take a look at who's over here." "That suit you, Peg?" "Yeah, okay, fine, Max." "What've you got?" "Over there." "What?" "Holy shit!" "Noodles!" "Noodles!" "Come here, come here." "Look." "The blonde by the piano." "I don't know, who's that?" "Who is that?" "You and thils broad were practically engaged at one point." "Oh, beat me." "I love it." "Oh, what?" "The Detroit cock squasher?" "Peggy, hey." "That's not her." "She looks different." "You know that platinum blonde Over there in the flower dress." "Now she's by the table." "See her?" "Call her in, will ya?" "Carol." "Carol, whatever." "Just tell her there's a bunch of her old friends here, you know what I mean?" "Carol." "Carol." "Noodles, come here." "Somebody here wants to see you." "Who?" "You know these guys?" "No." "I don't think so." "No." "I'd remember a bunch of good-lookers like these." "Oh, well, how could I forget?" "There was only one of you I got to know personally, though." "Which one." "Let's see how good a memory you've got for faces." "You." "No." "Him." "We've been hanging out so long together we're starting to look alike." "Charmed." "You can call me Carol." "Okay?" "We've already met." "Pleasure." "The pleasure... is all mine." "So you left Detroit, huh?" "No." "Her and her husband just..." "come in on the weekends." "Yeah, beats the seashore." "She takes on ten guys while her hubby watches through the peephole." "Beats the hell out of the movies." "I wonder what that poor jerk is up to in his cubby-hole right now?" "He must be wondering where his fucking wife is." "Why don't we make it a threesome, huh?" "Can't you see he's got other plans for tonight?" "Well, bring her along." "Make it a foursome." "I'm not that kind of guy." "Besides, I'm afraid if I give you a good crack in the mouth, you like it." "Goodnight fellas." "See you later." "Been waiting long?" "All my life." "You said you wanted a place by the ocean." "So I had it opened." "It was closed for the season." "All these tables are for two people." "Pick whatever one you want." "I like this one." "Here, sit down." "Boeuf a la mode." "Oh, I'll have the asperges, sauce vinagrette and then a Chateaubriand." "Pommes frites?" "Naturel." "Et comme dessert?" "I'll decide later." "Monsieur?" "I'll have the same." "For the wine?" "You decide." "I'll just have water." "You decide." "Thank you." "You've been around." "Where'd you learn this?" "Who's teaching you that stuff?" "You mean a sugar daddy who tries to teach me how to act?" "I read books." "I learn everything." "I want to know everything." "Doesn't it make sense..." "to have plans?" "Yeah, it does." "What about me?" "Am I in any of these plans?" "Noodles..." "You're the only person that I have ever..." "Ever what?" "Go ahead." "Ever what?" "That I ever cared about." "But you'd lock me up and you'd throw away the key, wouldn't you?" "Yeah." "I guess so." "And the thing is, I probably wouldn't even mind." "So?" "So I got to get to where I'm going." "And where's that?" "To the top." "Now you sound just like Maxie." "Cause you're both alike, that's why you hate each other so much." "Do you want me to leave?" "No, I don't want you to leave." "You dancing?" "You asking?" "I'm asking." "I'm dancing." "and you've to keep yourself from going crazy." "You have to get yourself up on the outside world." "Let's not think about it." "Let the world." "You know, years that went by it seemed." "No time at all because you're not doing anything." "But there were two things I couldn't get out of my mind." "And one of them was Dominic." "The way he said..." ""l slipped." Just before he died." "And the other was you." "How you used to read me the 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's 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 going to love you the way I love you." "There were times I couldn't stand it any more." "Then I used to think about you." "I think Deborah lives." "She's out there." "She exists." "And that would get me through it all." "Do you know how important that was to me?" "Noodles, I'm leaving tomorrow." "I have to go to Hollywood." "I wanted to see you tonight to tell you." "Deborah." "Get away!" "Get away!" "I'll be right back." "Take her home." "Take her home." "All aboard!" "Well..." "look who's back." "What's this?" "It's a throne." "A gift to a Pope." "Cost me eight hundred bucks." "It's from the seventeenth century." "So what are you doing with it?" "I'm sitting in it." "Merch, you got any coffee around?" "Yes." "Thanks." "While you were on vacation, we were working overtime." "The union paid off." "That's your share." "Yeah." "Even that geek." "You know, Jimmy "Clean Hands"." "He respects us." "Hey..." "I shed a little blood for the cause." "Here it's all in the papers." "One in Telegraph, they didn't like it." ""Underworld joins strikers in brutal battle."" "But the Post, they liked it." ""Ends justify means in decisive gangland encounter."" "And they're the ones that kvetched about the Atlantic City Job." "Newspaper guys they never know what the fuck they want." "Well, you could have looked for me." "We did." "Cockeye found you at the Chink's." "So fucking doped up you didn't even recognize him." "There you were." "You called me..." "Deborah." "Schweik!" "Hey, go fuck yourself." "Mind your own business." "We do our fucking business together and broads do not get in the way." "And you know it." "Oh, yeah?" "What she doing here?" "Today ain't Saturday." "She should be back in Detroit... screwing on the assembly line." "Well, she's screwing here now." "And only with Max.." "Oh, yeah." "With her husband Peeping through the keyhole?" "No, I left him." "You live with her... and you tell me not mess with broads." "You forgetting about one thing." "What's that?" "I don't give a fuck about her." "Max..." "Shut up!" "Shut up!" "Where are you going to spend your honeymoon in a cathouse?" "Max, I wanna..." "Shut the fuck out!" "Just shut up!" "Want me to dump her?" "You want me to kick her fucking ass out?" "Want me too, or what?" "Get the fuck out !" "Don't I have a way with women?" "Hello!" "It's Jimmy." "Max?" "It's Noodles." "Okay, listen." "We are going to need you guys today." "I'm gonna make a tough speech and I think..." "Go!" "Go!" "Start the engine!" "Mr. Gallagher want us to know how much he appreciates what you did for him." "There's an envelope for the both of you." "We've gotta complete the job." "I'll let you know." "Wiped out by a blast ." "of Cordon Rouge." "What will Crowning and his bosses say after that, huh?" "Yeah." "Listen, Jim." "Never would be afraid of you then, would they?" "Well, they're still not afraid of me." "It was you boys that scared'em off." "And you didn't want these guys." "Aren't you lucky you got party..." "leaders like myself who care about the union." "The strike is settled; we won." "That's what counts." "Isn't that right, Jim?" "It was tough for Jimmy not to be there to sign the contract though, huh?" "No." "What's tough is you boys did more in one night... that I could in two years of talking." "Ah, forget it." "To the hottest newcomer in American unions." "There you go." "Jimmy Conway." "Now you're talking." "Roll out the barrel." "And God bless..." "Suck it right down." "You must be crazy giving him drinks." "We're going to operate in a minute." "Oh, what's the rush." "They already told me I'd be a gimp for the rest of my life." "Don't worry, Jimmy..." "with one leg a little shy... you're gonna take giant steps." "Yeah?" "And always one step right behind you, eh, Sharkey?" "Make sure they work on the right leg, eh, Jim?" "Good luck, Jim." "It's only blood, huh?" "You boys got yourself a real martyr for a friend." "Make it work for you." "Yeah." "But what the hell are we going to do with a martyr?" "Times change." "Prohibition ain't gonna last much longer." "Take it from me." "A lot of you guys are going to be out of work." "Go on, Mr. Sharkey." "We're interested." "You ever think of setting yourselves up in business?" "All those trucks they're using to haul liquor." "They'll soon be selling 'em for nothing." "I'm talking about hundreds of vehicles." "Controlled by a national organization." "And supported by a powerful union, headed by..." "Jimmy Conway." "Whatever you ask, there's no way he can turn you down." "You gotta be kidding, Sharkey." "Jimmy "Clean Hands" do business with us?" "They won't be clean for long with the hands he's gonna shake." "Everything in good time." "We're not interested." "What is the matter here?" "You got a problem?" "We got plenty of money tucked." "away." "Why not invest it?" "What is the fuckin' problem?" "I'll put the party behind you." "And I got friends in high places." "I'm not interested in your friends." "And I don't trust politicians." "That's fuck, because you still think like some schmuck from the streets." "If we'd listen to you, we'd still be rolling drunks for a living." "What's the matter?" "You broke?" "Don't bust my balls, Noodles." "You broke?" "I'm talking about real money." "This is real money to me." "It's a lot of money." "You want any of it?" "You carry that stink of the streets with you... the rest of your life." "I like the stink of the streets." "It makes me feel good." "I like the smell of it." "It opens up my lungs." "And it gives me a hard on." "You're carrying dead weight around, Maxie." "One of these days you're going to have to dump him." "Maxie, let me know when you're going to dump me." "Meanwhile I'll take a vacation in Florida." "I got a yen for the seashore." "Hey..." "listen, I was thinking it over, and..." "I guess I kinda got a yen for the seashore myself." "You wanna go swimming?" "Yeah, let's go for a swim." "... read all about it." "Hey, Maxie." "Max." "Huh?" "How much money we got put away?" "Why?" "'Cause we're unemployed." "About a million bucks." "Oh, yeah?" "Where'd you put it?" "In my underwear." "I'd have found it there." "Hey!" "Huh?" "We gotta reorganize, Max." "And I gotta couple of good ideas." "Me, too." "If I had a million bucks, I'd take it easy." "We'll take it easy when we got twenty." "Fifty." "Where you gonna get that?" "Right here." "What's that?" "It's a dream." "A dream I've been dreaming all my life." "I swear to God, you and me together, we can make it come true." "What is it?" "The Federal Reserve Bank." "It's the biggest step we can take, Noodles." "You're really crazy." "Don't you ever say that to me." "Ever say that to me again." "What chance is there that a crazy thing..." "like this might succeed?" "Don't ask me, ask Max." "You know as well as I do that this is a suicide... pure and simple, for everyone." "Yeah, well don't tell me, tell him." "You got your own methods." "I tried." "He doesn't want to screw anymore." "All he thinks about is this job." "Tear gas, hostages and he's going to do this... he's going to do it, with or without you." "Noodles, we've never liked each other." "We put up with each other for Max's sake." "So why don't we just get together once... and do something for him." "And after that... we can go back to being enemies." "You know... if you were all in jail first... there wouldn't be any bank job." "I got the idea from your friend Max." "What do you mean?" "He laughs at you, makes fun of you." "He says, 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 job." "It's that true, huh?" "Well, then do it." "Do it." "Put him in jail." "Put him in jail." "Not long." "Just long enough so that 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." "Get out!" "Take a cab." "I'm busy." "I got things to do." "Get out." "Noodles!" "Make up your mind fast, huh?" "What's the matter?" "Aren't you having a good time?" "Why are you going out tonight?" "Why bother now that prohibition is almost over?" "Well, everybody's selling out." "We got some friends who have a lot of booze they want to get rid of." "Practically nothing, so, we figured why not." "I'm going to be gone for a while." "I'll be waiting at the hotel." "I like it when you come home late and wake me up." "I'm not going to be home tonight." "I might not be home tomorrow either." "I thought these things only take a couple of hours." "Ladies and gents..." "I drink to the demise of Fat Moe's Speakeasy." "I mean, who the hell wants to drink here legally anyway, am I right?" "Okay." "Come on, Moe, set' em up, go on, get in there." "Here's mud in your eye." "Boys..." "Let's drink to our last shipment... because there's more on board tonight than just booze." "It's ten years of our lives." "Ten years that were really worth living." "Noodles." "Noodles." "L'Chaim." "L'Chaim." "How long will I have to wait?" "A year and a half, more or less." "Six months off for good behavior." "What are you going to do?" "Don't ask." "Operator." "Police, please." "Fifth Precinct." "Sergeant Halloran." "Hello..." "Who's speaking?" "Can I help you?" "Hello." "I got a good tip for you." "Yeah, who is it?" "It's Max." "Open the door." "What's the matter?" "You sick?" "No, I'm fine." "You don't look it." "Maybe you'd better stay home tonight, huh?" "Why?" "You know, I've been watching you all right." "You've been drinking like a fish." "Trying to get your courage up?" "We're only bringing in a shipment of booze." "It's got so you're even scared to do that." "Maybe you just better stay home tonight." "With Eve." "Hey, Maxie, everywhere you go, I go, too." "Remember that." "Maybe Sharkey was right." "Maybe I ought to just dump you." "You're really crazy." "Never say that!" "Don't say it!" "Max made fools of us, Noodles." "He wanted to die." "Did you know his old man died in the nuthouse." "Max didn't want to end up the same way." "So he put the idea in our heads to tip off the cops." "And when they set the trap..." "Max started shooting first." "Just to get himself killed." "Carol, what is this?" "Opening night." "Fifteen years ago." "Who is this?" "Patron saint of the place." "And an actress." "Do you know her?" "No." "Hello, Deborah." "Aren't you going to say anything?" "What is somebody supposed to say after... more than thirty years." "Well, how about, "How you doing, you're looking good."" "Or, "l was hoping I'd never see you again."" "I never thought I would." "There's a difference." "At least you recognized me, that's something." "Actresses have good memories." "You wanna drink?" "I'm having one." "Margo?" "Yes, miss?" "That's all for now." "You can go." "All right, miss." "She called you miss." "You never got married?" "No." "You live alone?" "No." "Where were you?" "I was out of town." "Have you been back long?" "A couple of days." "Are you staying?" "That depends." "Why do you want to see me?" "Two reasons." "First, I wanted to see if you did the right thing... turning me down to became an actress." "Well?" "You did." "You're terrific." ""Age cannot wither her." It's like the play was written for you." "What was the other reason?" "The other reason... is to decide whether I should go to a party tomorrow night." "Party?" "Yeah, on Long lsland." "Secretary Bailey." "Do you know Secretary Bailey?" "No." "But I was invited anyway." "Well, if you don't know each other, why were you invited?" "I don't know." "I thought you might know why." "Me?" "Why me?" "Because you know him." "Who is it?" "It's me, Deborah, David." "No, David." "Can I come in?" "You wait just outside." "I'll call you." "Okay, I'll be right here." "What does Bailey want from me?" "You came here to ask me that?" "Why did he send me an invitation?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "Why should I know about your invitations?" "I don't know anything." "What do you want from me?" "Why did you come here?" "I know nothing." "I know nothing." "Now you're a lousy actress." "Who is Secretary Bailey?" "Jerry Bailey is a rich businessman." "He came to the USA as a starving immigrant to make... a lot of money in San Francisco and Los Angeles." "Where he's lived for thirty years." "I know all that." "It's all in the papers." "What else is there?" "He married a very wealthy woman." "They had a child." "She died when the child was born." "A few years ago he went into politics." "Moved here." "That's all past history." "I'm talking about now." "Right now he's in trouble." "Why don't you just tell me you've been living him all these years?" "And that you're his lover." "Age can wither me, Noodles." "We're both getting old." "The only thing 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." "There's an exit back this way." "Noodles, go through it." "Keep walking." "Don't turn around." "Please, Noodles." "I'm begging you." "Please." "Are you afraid I'll turn into a pillar of salt?" "If you go out that door, yes." "This is Secretary Bailey's son." "His name is David." "Just like yours." "Please go in." "What are you waiting for?" "I don't understand, Mr. Bailey." "Sit down, Noodles." "Make yourself comfortable." "I'm glad you accepted my invitation." "Well, I was curious." "I've never seen so many important people in one place." "Yes." "Well, the rats usually desert a sinking ship..." "But in my case, they'd better be flocking on board." "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 certain amount of responsibility." "Certain amount of risks." "Why'd you ask me to come here, Mr. Bailey?" "That invitation doesn't mean a goddam thing, and you know it." "All that counts is what was in that suitcase." "The money and the contract." "It didn't say who the contract was on, though." "Haven't you figured that out yet?" "You, Mr. Bailey?" "I haven't had a gun in my hands for many years." "My eyes aren't too good, even with my glasses." "My hands shake." "And I wouldn't want to miss, Mr. 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." "They're scared to death I'll implicate the whole bunch of them." "They got to 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." "You can get out through there." "It leads right down to the street." "Nobody will see you." "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Bailey." "You don't owe me a thing." "Your eyes were too full of tears... to see that it wasn't me lying there 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." "You're crazy." "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 thirty-five years of grief over having killed me." "Now why don't you shoot?" "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 I would never touch, Mr. Bailey." "Is this your way of getting revenge?" "No." "It's just the way I see things." "It's ten twenty-five." "And I've got nothing left to lose." "When you've been betrayed by a friend, you hit back." "Do it." "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." "It went bad for him and it went bad for me, too." "Goodnight, Mr. Bailey." "I hope the investigation turns out to be nothing." "It'd be a shame to see a lifetime of work go to waste."