Q & A Page #3

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What a character!

How do you do? I'm delighted.

That's it, Pearlstein. Don't spoil my appetite.

We haven't eaten yet.

What a character.

[Pearlstein laughing]

Look at that son of a b*tch.

Twenty years ago he was wearing the jacket

from one suit and the pants from another.

Now he's living in 516, his wife

just bought half of West Palm Beach...

...and I'm sitting here pulling my putz.

We'll eat here at the bar, Phil. The usual.

What is this, Tuesday? Yes, it must be.

You're crying in your Scotch again.

You're right.

How come my generation of Jews drink?

My parents, they come over from Poland,

they used to sing this song:

[Singing in Yiddish]

I'll translate for your mick ears.

"A drunk is a gentile."

And then I forget..."He has to drink,

because a gentile is a drunk."

REILLY:
Leo, you know the DA's office

would fall apart without you.

- You're the best tactician.

- Yeah, that and a token...

...will get you a ride on the subway.

Thirty years.

Thirty years in this f***ing office.

I should've quit years ago.

Gone private. Made some money.

Molly deserves better.

So, why didn't you?

Because I had the same disease you've got.

I thought I could make a difference.

- You're blushing.

- Am I?

Choirboy, I hope they don't break your heart.

How do you like your new boss?

He's a pisser. Tough but fair. I like that.

And decisive.

All we heard about in law school,

was his track record, his memory.

He was reading my summary...

...and he said,

"You've got Vasquez's record wrong.

"We've brought him in 11 times

but he's had two convictions, not three."

I looked it up.

On the Xerox of the yellow sheet...

...the "2" was smudged

and it looked like a "3".

He was right.

He's a prick. He's a racist

and an anti-Semite and a prick.

BLOOMENFELD:
He wants to be Tom Dewey

and he will be.

He married for politics and

all he can see is his way clear to...

...God knows how high up.

Years ago,

when we still had executions in the state...

...he used to volunteer as a witness.

His first murder case...

...he was a young ADA then,

I'm talking years ago...

The case was shaky,

largely circumstantial...

...and he wanted

a recommended death penalty from the jury.

Before he finished he had them believing

that poor black kid had raped their mothers.

BLOOMENFELD:
He goes up to Sing Sing

for the electrocution.

And the next day we're sitting around

drinking coffee and...

...he walks in with this sh*t-eating grin

on his face.

And somebody says, "Hey, how'd it go?"

He says casually, "He fried!"

And then he says, "I sure hope

he was guilty." Then he laughs.

F*** him. Now and forever.

PHIL:
Two corned beef.

Anything to drink, gentlemen?

- Nothing, thanks.

- Make it a single, Phil.

You drew the Brennan-Vasquez case, huh?

Cut-and-dried.

Vasquez had a.45 in his hand.

Vasquez never carried a.45 in his life.

He did that night.

Schmuck, listen to me.

I also have a memory.

In 11 arrests, they never found anything

on him but a.32.

That's one of the two times they ever

got him for carrying a concealed weapon.

He had this little.32 made

special so it would fit in his boot.

Check your yellow sheet.

You'll see I'm right.

- Maybe he had two guns that night.

- Tony Vasquez?

He used to say he had three balls.

All that Latino macho sh*t.

"I don't need no stinking pistols,

I take 'em out with my bare hands!"

Two guns, bullshit!

[Bloomenfeld speaks in Yiddish]

ALVARADO:
I don't give a f***

what he told you. I didn't see no gun.

Thank you, Mr. Alvarado. You're excused.

You okay?

I want to set this up a little differently.

VALENTIN:
Let's question Bobby Tex with

his old lady and the goombah in the room.

We've been doing it individually so far.

Alberto, I know my people, man.

Bobby Tex I know from the street.

VALENTIN:
He can't take the needle,

not in front of his old lady.

VALENTIN:
He's a hothead.

CHAPMAN:
Why do we want to get

on Bobby Tex's ass?

Larry Pesch and Bobby Texador

in a Harlem joint with Tony Vasquez?

REILLY:
Come on, Chappie.

There's fish in the stream.

Maybe we'll get lucky.

REILLY:
Yeah?

Mr. Reilly, my clients have been waiting

a half an hour.

We're ready. Please come in.

- Everybody been sworn?

- It's done already.

Mr. Reilly, these are my clients,

Mr. Franconi, Mr. Valli...

...and Mr. And Mrs. Roberto Texador.

Mr. And Mrs.?

I thought you told me

Mr. Texador was single.

PEARLSTEIN:
You know how it is,

living together. Times have changed.

You know, common-law wife.

REILLY:
Common-law marriages

were abrogated in New York in '31.

- You should know the law.

- That's the way we're gonna play it?

- Listen, kid.

- Don't call me "kid."

I've seen you standing outside of night court

with a vaudeville hook waiting for clients.

We don't have to take this. Everyone out!

Take it easy. You've brought your clients

down here in good faith. You always do.

This is a bullshit case.

Pardon me, ma'am. We'll just ask a couple

of questions and everybody can go home.

Nobody's going to get hurt here.

It's over. Water under the bridge.

Pearlstein never takes it personally.

However, I would like to state

for the record...

...that Larry here, Mr. Franconi...

...refuses to say anything,

invoking his privilege...

...under the Fifth

and Fourteenth Amendments.

REILLY:
Is that on the advice of counsel?

PEARLSTEIN:
Not necessarily.

I can't believe an advocate

as respected as you...

...would advise his client to plead the Fifth.

REILLY:
He's not the target

of this investigation.

Do you want us to become suspicious of...

...Mr. Vito Franconi, a.k.a. Larry Pesch...

...Pleasant Avenue and points south?

"Pesch" means "fish" in the

mother tongue, right, Mr. Franconi?

Do you want us to grant him immunity?

March him upstairs to Part 30

and have him imprisoned for contempt?

You want me to talk with

the Federal Bureau of Narcotics...

...see if they have any problems?

Internal Revenue Service?

REILLY:
I'm not saying I'd do this...

PEARLSTEIN:
Wait.

Do you mind if I talk with

my clients outside, Counselor?

- Of course, Preston.

- Thank you, Al.

Al, it's all straightened out.

Mr. Franconi will make a statement.

Me and my chauffeur here was driving

on Park Avenue around midnight.

All of a sudden, I had to take a piss.

I said, "Bruno, find me someplace.

I gotta take a piss."

I didn't want to go in the street

on account of the neighborhood, you know.

So, Bruno pulls over by this joint.

I go in. I take a piss. I come out.

And there's this guy. He's waving

a piece and yelling, "Stay here!"

I figured he was a cop, so I stayed.

REILLY:
Is that your recollection, Mr. Valli?

I'm with him.

I'm a little confused here.

The after-hours club on Park Avenue

had a sign saying, "Members Only."

What made you think you could get in?

What is this, the third degree?

I come down here on my own time.

I've got no...

I've got a poultry business to run.

FRANCONl:
I've got no time

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