House Of Strangers Page #5

Thanks.

Hello. Who?

- Are you Johnny?

- No.

He ain't here.

- Want me to try that number for you?

- She's not there.

Sometimes a woman's too busy

to answer the phone.

I've been waiting

all week for your call.

What made you think I'd call?

Still making with the character,

is that it?

What do you want, Max?

Why did you come here?

I lost something.

I thought maybe I'd find it here.

- Your umbrella?

- My girl.

Nothing of that description's been turned in.

You might try the city pound.

I'm in no mood for jokes.

How about a shock? How's your heart?

I got two in the sixth row,

and we got 18 months to pay. Hello.

- Who's the company?

- Danny, this is Max Monetti.

I told you about him.

- Yeah, I remember. Glad to see you.

- Get out of here.

- For you. A hot rose. I picked it in the park.

- Thank you, darling.

You're on your way out,

mister. Blow.

- Doesn't he approve of me?

- Looks like.

Are you leaving,

or am I throwing you out?

I'm not leaving,

and you're not throwing me out.

- Now just a minute-

- I can handle this, baby.

I know you can. But for once in his life,

he's not going to have things his way.

This is not Mulberry Street,

Max, and you're no longer II Duce.

You're not giving orders.

You're not even wanted here.

This is going to be our home,

Danny's and mine. We're getting married.

It's still being done,

you know, outside the jungle.

You're my girl.

I don't care if you marry 10 guys.

That does it. You go powder your nose.

I'll take care of friend Max.

You just stay put.

I'll get you out of this mess.

Put on your hat and blow.

- I don't want to get out of it.

- Okay if I take off my hat?

Look, you sucker,

she's in love with me.

She knows it,

I know it and you ought to.

- She's making a chump out of you.

- Look who's calling who chump.

Get out of here, Max!

- Just like that?

- Just like that.

It's a strange kind

of finish for us.

All right.

But remember, you're stuck.

I'll remember, too, when you

come crawling back. Period.

Max, your father's been calling all day.

I thought you'd like to know.

Thanks.

Silenzio!

I don't close the bank.

The government,

they make the trouble.

I run this bank for 20 years

and never have no trouble.

Now the government,

that's the trouble.

- What about our money?

- You'll get your money.

Everybody get every dollar.

- Well, when the government

stop running my bank.

- Why did the government close your bank?

- Yeah!

- Silenzio! Silenzio!

- Silenzio!

You know, the government say

I cannot loan the money on the people.

Only property, collateral.

You know what this is,

the collateral?

You no can say it.

You no can spell it.

But if you don't got it, poof!

No collateral, no money.

Here. Uh, one moment.

Just a minute.

Pizziano! Hey, Pizziano,

where are you?

Hey, look, look. Tell me,

would you have your store today...

if I don't loan you $1,200,

on you, your word, no collateral?

- Hey, Cuppicia.

- Signor Monetti-

- That's all right. You get your money.

- I want my money!

That's all right. Cuppicia.

You tell me something.

How you get started? Huh?

I believe in you.

I give you $2,000. No collateral.

Now government say is wrong.

Is break the law.

I say is right! The law is no good!

A match.

Hey, Joe, a match.

Oh, I haven't got any match.

I've given up smoking.

Well, someone give me

a match. Quick!

What's the matter, your hand shake

like that? You're nervous like a woman.

I get hit on the head, you nervous.

Ah, here's Max.

Well, Pa, how's the head?

- How's the bank?

- It's a mess.

Well, the head

is not so good either.

I can't understand how you

got in so deep. Joe?

The records. Half the transactions

aren't even recorded.

I didn't keep the records. He did.

In his head, in his vest pocket,

on the backs of envelopes.

- I just stayed in my cage.

- Maybe it's just as well.

Maybe some of them wouldn't

look so good in the books.

Pa, have you read

the new Banking Act?

I don't even read

the old one. Why?

Well, it's got teeth.

We might as well face it, Pa.

Right now it looks like you

can be indicted on 22 counts...

and each count

carries a year in jail.

Well, why? Why?

What I do wrong for 22 counts?

A felony called

"misapplication of funds."

This is no time to go into the law.

We've got to figure out our next move.

A smart lawyer like you, Max,

you oughta be able to find a fix somewhere.

This is the state government.

Square apples all the way down the line.

They don't fix. Period.

I think we can save the bank.

In fact, it's good they closed us up.

Lots of banks are having runs.

Now we've got a chance to liquidate

and start over with a clean slate.

Oh, I sell the house. I sell everything.

Everybody gets paid back.

That won't help. That only saves the bank.

How do we pull you through?

Well, we fight the indictments.

We fight them in court. We fight.

- Yes, but how?

- Well, me and my four sons,

we find some way.

Yeah. Yeah.

We can split it up four ways.

You, Joe, Tony, Pietro.

Divided responsibility.

Nobody knows who did just what.

Nothing definite they can pin

on any single one of you.

How about it, Joe?

It'll be easier on Pa that way.

Yes, I suppose it will be.

Well?

Tony? Pietro?

- I never had enough

responsibility to divide.

- What do you say?

I'm a clerk. I get $65 a week.

Not enough to go to jail for.

- What's that got to do with it?

- No, shut up. Shut up, Max.

Now, look, Joe, Gino Monetti

don't ask nothing from a clerk.

Not when I got

four sons to help me.

- You my oldest son.

- Since when?

- Joe.

- Since when?

Your oldest son. Oh, you mean,

I've been around the longest, that's all.

More time to wait on you

like a servant.

To be pushed down, humiliated. Chauffeur,

valet, clerk. Since when have I been your son?

Max, he's your son. You're his father.

You can be his worry now, not mine.

So, for a few

more dollars a week...

I could have had a good son

in you, eh, Joe?

First time I learn this.

Maybe it's time I know, huh?

Father and son, son and father

is cash-and-carry.

You, Pietro? How much, uh,

you want to be my son?

Joe said it for me.

What was I ever to you?

A dumbhead.

Ever since I was a kid.

Dumbhead. Dumbhead!

Who's gonna

pay attention to me?

A guard in the bank?

If I wasn't your father,

you wouldn't even be guard.

You don't have any sense.

Four, five schools

they throw you out.

You don't want to study. All the time, fight.

That's all you good for.

Not even for fighting, you good.

You got a weak belly, dumbhead.

Well, Tony?

Now don't get me wrong, Pa.

I don't want to see anything happen to you.

But I don't want to

stick my neck out.

Why not? What is so good

about your neck?

Well, it's just that how do

I know it's as easy as Max says?

And if anything goes wrong-

You're not even

enough man to say what you mean.

You're just in time, Ma.

Did you know you brought up

a houseful of strangers?

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