Once Upon a Time in America Page #7

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I'm gonna be making a

tough speech, and I think you...

Go, go!

Start the engine.

I'll be right with you.

Mr. Gallagher wants you to know

he appreciates what you did.

To show his appreciation...

...here's an envelope

for the both of you.

If we gotta complete the job,

I'll let you know.

Wiped out by a blast of Cordon Rouge.

What would Crowning

and his bosses say after that?

Never be afraid of you, then.

They're still not afraid of me.

It was you boys that scared them off.

And you didn't want these guys.

You're lucky you got party leaders...

...like me who care about the union.

The strike is settled. We won.

That's what counts. Am I right, Jim?

It was tough for Jimmy not

to be there to sign the contract.

No.

What's tough is, you did more in a night

than I could in two years of talking.

- Forget it.

- To the hottest newcomer...

...in American unions, Jimmy Conway.

- Now you're talking.

Roll out the barrel.

- And God bless.

- Drink up, Jim. Suck it right down.

You must be crazy giving him drinks.

We're going to operate.

What's the rush? They already told me

I'd be a gimp the rest of my life.

Don't worry, with one leg a little shy,

you're gonna take giant steps.

Yeah. And always one step

right behind you, Sharkey?

Make sure they work on

the right leg, Jim.

It's only blood, huh?

You boys got yourself a real martyr

for a friend. Make it work for you.

Yeah, but what are we going

to do with a martyr?

Times change. Prohibition won't

last much longer. Take it from me...

...a lot of you will be out of work.

- Go on, Mr. Sharkey. We're interested.

You ever think of setting

yourselves up in business?

All those trucks used to haul liquor,

soon be selling them for nothing.

I'm talking about hundreds of vehicles

controlled by a national organization.

And supported by a powerful union

headed by Jimmy.

Whatever you ask,

there's no way he can turn you down.

You gotta be kidding, Sharkey.

Jimmy "Clean Hands"

in business with us?

They won't be clean for long,

with the hands he'll shake.

Everything in good time.

- We're not interested.

- What's the matter, you got a problem?

We got plenty of money tucked away.

Why not invest it?

I'll put the party behind you.

And I got friends in high places.

I'm not interested,

and I don't trust politicians.

You still think

like some street schmuck.

If we'd listened to you,

we'd still be rolling drunks.

- You broke?

- Don't bust my balls.

I am 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 street.

- I like that. 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, Maxie.

One of these days,

you're gonna have to dump it.

Let me know

when you're gonna dump me.

Meanwhile, I'll be in Florida.

I got a yen for the seashore.

Listen, I was thinking it over...

...and I guess I kind of got a yen

for the seashore myself.

You wanna go swimming?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, let's go for a swim.

Read all about it!

Read all about it!

Hey, Maxie.

Max.

How much money we got put away?

Why?

Because we're unemployed.

About a million bucks.

- Oh, yeah? Where'd you put it?

- In my underwear.

I'd have found it there.

We gotta reorganize, Max.

And I got a 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 20.

- 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.

Don't 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

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,

now he's gonna do this.

He's gonna do it with or without you.

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.

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. He makes fun of you.

He says Eve has got you by the balls.

Every time you walk past this place,

you sh*t 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.

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?

Everybody's selling. We got friends

who wanna get rid of booze.

Practically nothing.

So we figured, why not.

I'm gonna 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 gonna be home tonight.

I'm not gonna 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.

Who the hell wants to drink

here legally anyway, am I right?

Okay. Come on, Moe, set them up.

Go on, get in there.

Here's mud in your eye.

Boys.

Let's drink to our last shipment.

There's more onboard

tonight than just booze.

It's 10 years of our lives. Ten years

that were really worth living.

Yeah.

Noodles.

Noodles.

How long will I have to wait?

A year and a half, more or less.

Six months off for good behavior.

- What are you gonna 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 with you? 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 night.

And you've been drinking like a fish.

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