House Of Strangers Page #6

Strangers.

For who do you think

I build the bank, huh?

Who do you think I work and build,

build and work?

For me? For Mama? We cannot live long

enough to spend what we got a long time ago.

Mama wanted me to stop, but no.

I work and build, I build and work.

For what then?

For my sons. For you, Joe.

Is good I pay you little.

Then you know what it is to be poor.

You remember when you are rich.

Was right to pay you

little money.

Yeah, is good

I call you dumbhead.

You know, muscle is not

something to be proud of.

Gorilla has got bigger

than anybody else.

Maybe you learn to use your brain.

Think, not hit.

Is right to call you dumbhead.

And you, weak.

Dress up all the time. Clothes, the girls.

Everything but the bank.

The bank. The Bank of Gino Monetti.

Gino Monetti and his sons.

That's what I work and build for.

That's why I live.

But no more.

I have no sons.

I have strangers.

Go on, get out!

We'll beat it without them, Pa.

You don't need them.

You better get some sleep.

We've got an awful lot to do tomorrow.

Hey, Mama, why you don't

talk to me no more?

Why I don't hear you laugh no more, huh?

What happen to you?

- Maybe I get old.

- Old?

Oh, maybe a little gray, but not old.

Is pretty color, gray.

We have plenty

good time again.

Soon Max, he fix everything,

and then you and me,

we take a little trip, huh?

Palermo. You like to go back

to Palermo once more, Mama?

I wish we never leave

old country, Gino.

- Oh, we have nothing there.

Here we got everything.

- Here we got nothing.

What do you mean? This fine house,

money, servants, uh, cars, diamonds?

- You call this nothing?

- We poor, Gino.

When we only have

barbershop, we rich.

We love each other.

The boys, you, me.

Now is no more love.

Is only hate.

- You said you were a barber.

- Si.

- You said you were a barber.

- Si.

- How did you become a banker?

- I tell you.

My wife, uh,

she's gonna have a baby.

Uh, my littlest son, Pietro.

Well, the doctor say

I need $50 for the hospital.

So I go to Guiseppe,

ask him for $50.

He make out the paper

and say I got to pay him back $75.

I say is too much.

He say, "All right, go to bank."

So I go to bank.

They say I got to have collateral.

So I say, "What is it,

this, uh, collateral?"

They tell me it's something good,

just like money.

So I say, "If I got collateral,

what for I need money?"

And they say good-bye.

So I go back to Guiseppe,

sign paper, get the money...

my wife have the baby,

everything okay.

If Your Honor please.

What does all this talk about babies

got to do with the Banking Act?

What's the matter? You don't like babies?

Court recessed until 1:30.

- Fine?

- Fine.

My horse, she die.

So I go see my friend Gino.

How much money

did he loan you?

He give me $120.

And how much do you

owe the bank now?

He say, uh, uh...

- Did you ever borrow more

than the original $120?

- No.

Then what's the extra

- Uh, there-there is

interest compound, no?

- Mm-hmm.

And a carrying charge

and to record the note. And I tried to pay.

You never pay!

Not one cent!

How am I gonna pay when I got no money?

My new horse, she die too.

Well, is not my fault!

You a horse killer!

You promise to pay! You never pay!

- Your witness.

- No questions.

Step down.

Now take it easy.

Sit down, Pa.

Most of your business was done

with people from the East Side, wasn't it?

Well, my bank is not on Wall Street.

- Just answer the questions yes or no.

- Yes.

People who live on the East Side

are mostly poor, aren't they?

- Yes and no.

- Depending on whether

they lend money or borrow it.

So you know how hard it is

for these people just to make a living.

- Is not easy.

- Then how could you ever expect

them to pay such interest?

- Oh, I wait until they have it.

- Most of them never have it.

How many homes

have you foreclosed?

How many salaries have you garnisheed?

How many men have you sent into bankruptcy?

I instruct the witness not

to answer these questions.

The facts are in the bank records.

I answer everything.

I'm not afraid.

The questions are improper.

You don't have to answer them.

Let him ask. I tell.

I got nothing to hide.

You say you loan money

on people, not collateral.

When you foreclose

on collateral...

all you take away

is a man's property.

But when you garnishee a man's wages,

you take his sweat...

his blood, the bread out

of his children's mouths.

You call that helping people?

I call it usurious.

I accuse you of being

a lecherous moneylender.

- A disgrace to every decent Italian American.

- Now wait-

Just one minute, please.

You don't talk to Gino like that.

- Nobody talk to Gino like that.

- Shut up, Pa!

You shut up! Is a free country!

I do what I think is right!

And what I think is right is right!

I don't care what anybody say!

Not you! Not you! And not you, mister!

I, Gino Monetti! No one tell me what to do!

That's for me.

Well, what do you think, Joe?

I'm no lawyer. I don't know

what goes on in a jury's mind.

Who does? You don't have to be a lawyer

to see it's going bad.

The old man's just asking for it.

I can't let him get back on the stand

tomorrow. They'll rip him to pieces.

How can you sit there

stuffing yourself?

What's the proper etiquette

at a time like this, to stop eating?

I've got an idea, Joe.

It's a long shot, and it's dangerous.

- Yeah?

- I think we've got one

of the jurors on our side.

Once the other 11 start working on her,

then she'll never hold out.

- Yeah?

- The idea is to see she does hold out.

How?

Somebody has to

talk to her, tonight.

Is this the secret of

Max Monetti's success?

You've got a sewer for a mind.

Someday you're gonna fall in.

In the meantime,

I'll drink my beer.

- Who's gonna talk to that juror?

- Not me.

- The other boys aren't smart enough.

- One of them is. You.

I thought of that.

I may not be able to get near her.

If she turns me down,

the old man will really be nailed.

You, she doesn't know.

Well, what do you say, Joe?

I've said it many times.

Do you want to hear it again? All right.

The old man got himself in,

let him get himself out.

This is the time I'll remember.

Hey, your lady friend finally showed up.

She wants to see you.

- Got a minute?

- What's on your mind?

- I've been watching the trial.

- I saw you.

Sit down, Max. Please.

It's not going well, is it?

It's not over yet.

Where's your husband?

Danny?

He's in Chicago.

Taking a big chance, isn't he?

What if you get lonesome?

As a matter of fact, I am.

I don't handle that kind

of work these days.

Danny and I aren't married. We had it out

that same night. I didn't love him.

I was just using him to cut out

something that was hurting me.

It was no use. It still hurt.

- Better?

- That Monetti touch.

If they'd only let you

kiss the jury.

Baby, I've got a call to make.

I'll pick you up in an hour.

I know about these night calls.

Is it that important?

- Yes, it is.

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