DONNIE BRASCO
by
Paul Attanasio
Based on the book, "Donnie Brasco,"
by Joseph D. Pistone with Richard
Woodley
REVISED DRAFT
July 27, 1992
1 EXT. DAY. WASHINGTON, D.C.
An AERIAL VIEW of the nation's capital, MOVING IN on the stolid
limestone box of FBI HEADQUARTERS. Supered below:
FBI HEADQUARTERS. WASHINGTON,
D.C. 1981.
CUT TO:
2 INT. DAY. FBI HEADQUARTERS
A spacious corner OFFICE. American flag, FBI seal, and a plush
c arpet-- Fed eral blue .
CLENDON HOGUE, 40s, barrel chest, shrewd eyes over half-moon glasses,
PRESIDES behind a vast desk. The impressive mien of earned
authority. Before him:
JULES BONOVOLONTA, late 40s, Green Beret veteran, SUPERVISOR, 140
pounds of pugnacity and gristle. Ex-street agent cramped by
headquarters.
PAT MARSHALL, late 30s, a CASE AGENT, compulsively organized, with
haunted choirboy's eyes.
CLARENCE LEBOW, early 40s. Assistant SECTION CHIEF. Brooks
Brothers, heavy starch.
LEBOW
It's going down tonight.
JULES
Says who? A fucking wire.
LEBOW
A reliable wire.
JULES
A fiction writer.
Hogue peruses SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS of Sonny Red and Sonny Black. Then
reads the INFORMANT'S REPORT.
MARSHALL
is that the 209, sir?
LEBOW
There's going to be a war between
Sonny Red and Sonny Black--it's
all over the streets.
JULES
Clarence, you couldn't find the
streets with an asphalt detector.
(CONTINUED)
2.
2 CONTINUED:
MARSHALL
Sonny Black goes, everyone with
him goes.
JULES
That's doesn't mean it's tonight.
LEBOW
Even if it's not tonight--and I ' m
not saying it's not tonight--it
could still be tonight because it
could be any night.
JULES
Fuck you, Clarence.
LEBOW
Heyl I'm a Mormon 1
HOGUE
You have some objection to these
guys killing each other? .
MARSHALL
It's just that--one of them's one
of us.
HOGUE
An informant?
JULES
An agent. Undercover.
HOGUE
Then why are you depending on an
informant? What does the agent
say?
(off awkward looks)
When's the last time you spoke to
him?
JULES
Three weeks.
MARSHALL
Three weeks and two days.
HOGUE
He checks in every three weeks?
MARSHALL
He checks in when he checks in,
sir.
JULES
We had to make up the rules as we
went along--
(CONTINUED)
3.
2 CONTINUED: (2)
HOGUE
My predecessor started this?
JULES
His predecessor.
LEBOW
It's been five years.
MARSHALL
Five years and three months.
JULES
I am not gonna blow a chance to
cripp le the entire fucking Mafia
just because some fucking empty
suit in Blue Carpet Land--
LEBOW
I am so sick of your superior New
Y or k a tt it ud e--
JULES
--thinks there's gonna be a
Shootout tonight after the
fucking tarantella.
LEBOW
You're going to risk a man's life
just to make cases.
JULES
(right back)
Making those cases is his life.
HOGUE
And how many cases do we have?
MARSHALL
(guessing)
A hundred, two hundred...
HOGUE
Which one?
JUL ES
The truth is we don't know.
HOGUE
Let me get this straight. Nobody
knows where he is. Nobody's
spoken to him. He's been
undercover five years. He might
very well get killed tonight--at
a fucking wedding-- not because
he's one of us. but because he's
one of t;hem. -
(more)
(CONTINUED)
4-
2 CONTINUED: (3)
HOGUE (Cont'd)
I've been on the job one fucking
wee k. An d it' s my fuck ing
decision? How the hell did this
happen?
Awkward looks and foot shuffling all around.
MARSHALL
What time's the wedding?
LEBOW
Eight o'clock tonight.
THE CLOCK .
on the wall reads *9:36."
HOGUE
Who is this fucking guy?
DISSOLVE TO:
3 INT. NIGHT. BAR--WASHINGTON (1975)
C L OS E ON --
JOE PISTONE, 30s, athlete's build, body languid with a killer's
confidence. Eyes dead as a shark's. He chafes at his rep-striped
tie and off-the-rack suit.
WIDER
LeBow, Marshall, and two other SUITS around the table. Jules
delivers a TOAST. Supered below:
BLACKIE'S. WASHINGTON, D.C.
1975.
JULES
...And so, Joe, we wish you bon
voyage with this farewell drink.
We'd give you a farewell dinner -
but why spend all that money when
you'll just come crawling back to
your old desk?
Laughter around the table. The CLINK of glasses...
LEBOW
I would love to know how you sold
them on this.
DONNIE
I told them I wanted to get far
away from you, Clarence, They
got it instantly.
(CONTINUED)
5.
3 CONTINUED:
LEBOW
We've had our best guys on this
s ince, wha t, Va lachi ? Twe nty
years?
MARSHALL
W ho knows? We never tried
anything like this.
LEBOW
What does that tell you?
MARSHALL
The Director thought it would be
too corrupting.
JULES
Then maybe I should do it. I'm
in a mood to be corrupted.
LEBOW
You know what these people are
l ike. They 're a ll ma rried to
each other's cousin.
JULES
(shrugs)
It's six months.
MARSHALL
I think it's great. Undercover's
a new area. Get in on the ground
floor.
LEBOW
It's a wild goose chase. I'm
saying this as a friend.
JOE
What do I know? I'm just a dumb
guinea.
LEBOW
Don't talk that way, Joe.
(beat)
Because, you know, you are just
a dumb guinea.
LAUGHTER from the group. Joe doesn't know whether to join in or
punch somebody. Jules hands him a large beribboned BOX.
JULES
Here you go, Joe.
Joe opens the box. A wide-brimmed Al Capone FEDORA. Uproarious
laughter from the group.
(CONTINUED)
6.
3 C O NT I NU E D: (2)
LEBOW
If you already have one, you can
return it.
JULES
Put it onl
Against his will, Joe puts on the hat. More laughter from the group.
CUT TO:
4 EXT. DAY. SUBURBS
Three exuberant TOMBOYS play football on the front lawn of a modest
split-level home: TERRY, 13, rebel in a hurry; KERRY, 10, the good
girl; and SHERRY, 8, the baby.
Terry hikes the ball, drops back to throw...
A PASS
spirals up into the air...where it's INTERCEPTED by Joe, who appears
out of nowhere.
SHERRY
Daddy, Daddy1
Joe feints, tries to dodge the girls...Then sidesteps...
JOE
I ' m out of bounds. Stopl This--
look-- this is out of bounds 1
They tackle him anyway. Grab his legs till he TOPPLES in a laughing
heap.
MAGGIE PISTONE, a pretty, strong-willed blonde in her 30s, emerges at
th e f ront do or. SM ILE S at th e s cen e. Then FR OWN S a s s he r eal ize s--
CUT TOr
5 INT. LATER. LAUNDRY ROOM
Joe stands in his suit jacket and boxer shorts while Maggie tries to
remove the GRASS STAINS on the pants knees.
MAGGIE
I swear to God, Joe, I have to
spray you with Scotchgard every
morning.
Joe embraces her from behind.
JOE
W hat am I s upposed t o do? Terr y -
tackles like her mother.
(CONTINUED)
7.
5 CONTINUED:
He gropes at her. She moves his hands off...
MAGGIE
Illegal holding.
Hi s hands go back to groping. She smacks them. ...
JOE
Roughing the passer.
MA GGIE
I suppose I should be grateful
tha t it's not blood stains, or
pow der burns. Like the old days.
JOE
I got some good news today.
We're going back to Jerse y.
MAGGIE
You're kidding1 You got
transferred?
JOE
Th e kids can see their
grandparents. Plus it' s GS-13.
That's two thousand more.
MAGGIE
My Godl When did this all
ha ppen? -
J OE
Just today.
MAGGIE
What aren't you telling me?
JOE
Nothing.
MA GGIE
I k now enough about the Bureau
t ha t no thing happens th is
q ui ckly , Joe. Especi ally if it
i nv olve s a raise.
JO E
Remember that guy I me t at
Qu antico, that su perv isor?
Berada? Be asked for me. Safe
an d Hijackings, i n Ne w York.
MAGGIE
But this i s a desk job, right?
(bea t)
I thought we agreed about you
going back on the street again.
(CO NTINUED)
8.
(2)
5 CONTINUED:
JOE
This is different. It' s
u ndercover.
MAGGIE
What does that mean, undercover?
JOE
Undercover. You know,
undercover.
MAGGIE
Will you come home at night ?
JOE
It's a good opportunit y.
M AGGIE
Undercover in what?
JOE
An FBI wife doesn't ask, Maggie.
MAGGIE
Will you be home on the we ekends?
J 9E
It's just six months.
MAGGIE
Y ou waited till this was all
decided. You never asked me--you
k new what I was going to say.
What do you want from m e, Joe?
JOE
I want you to say, 'It's okay'.
'It's great'.
MA GGIE
You finally got to headqu arter?
and now you're going back on the
street.
JOE
Don't you understand? I b uy a
Brooks Brothers suit but th ere's
al ways a button that comes off or
a stain that won't come out ---it's
li ke the suit knows I don't
belong in it. I sit in a room
w ith Clarence and the rest of
them and the only way I know
something's funny is when
everyone else laughs.
Everything, all day, it' s just
(gestures) this much off.
( CONTINUED)
9.
5 CONTINUED: ( 3)
MA GGIE
You 're as smart as they are.
JOE
I could be a fucking Ph.D. from
Ha r vard and it wouldn't matter--
I cannot win. To do something
th at's never been done, that they
sa y can't be done, that they
ca n't do-- don't you see? That's
th e only way I'm ever gonna fit
in with them. On my terms.
She looks at him. Smile s. She loves him for who he is, as
frustrating as that can be. She embraces, ki sses him.
M AGGIE
Well, at least you warned me.
Re member? 'Maggie, if you marry
me...
JOE
(unison)
...you're in for a big
ad venture.'
They kiss again. And ki ss. Joe kicks the door to the laundry room
SHUT behind him.
CUT TO:
MONTAGE . .
--Present day. The CLOCK a t FBI headquarters: 10:07. Hogue RIPS
through the case file. A LETTER addressed to the Director of the
FBI:
BERADA (V.O.)
'To Director: Surveillance and
inf ormant contacts to date have
been negative...'
--Jo e is ushered through the fluorescent-lit warren that is the
BULLPEN of the New York FBI office. Shakes hands with GUY BERADA,
50s , a Bronx bull with an unlit cigar.
BE RADA (V.O.)
'. ..regarding being able to
pe netrate the conveyance of
stolen property by La Cos a
Nostra...'
--Joe lines up at the DMV. FLASH1--his photo for a driver's license.
Now he's DONNIE BRASCO. The name types out:
(CO NTINUED)
10.
(4)
5 CONTINUED:
D-0-N-A-L-D B-R-A-S-C-O
BERADA (V.O.)
...UC A Joseph D . Piston©
utilizing the name 'Donnie
Brasco'. . .
--An FBI COMPUTER prints out a "yellow sheet" of his prior arrests
fo r b urgl ary -- " a.k .a. DON TH E J EWE LER "...
--In the jewelry district, a HASIDIC JEW tutors Donnie, who looks at
a diamond through a loupe. . . Donnie surveys a small APARTMENT with a
REALTOR...Donnie opens a BANK ACCOUNT. . .
BACK TO PRESENT DAY
--Hogue reads down the BUDGET for the operation...
Apartment.... $491.60
Furniture..... 90.30
Utilities..... 35.00 Rental
car.... 220.00 Spending money
800.00
BERADA (V.O.)
'...This would be accomplished by
UCA frequenting locations listed
below and attempting to engage in
conversation and do business with
said fences...'
FLASH BACK
--Donnie sits in Carmelo's drinking club soda and watching
basketball. At the other end of the bar, twoTOUGH GUYS play
BACKGAMMON...DISSOLVE to another night, another game, another
barstool--CLOSER to the Tough Guys...On the backgammon board, as the
pieces move closer to the goal...DISSOLVE to another night, as Donnie
moves closer to the game...On the board again, as the pieces move
closer...DISSOLVE to another night, as Donnie moves closer...And
another...On the board, as the pieces move closer, and the hand
moving them...belongs to Donnie.
--Donnie enters his apartment, sparsely furnished with a bed, TV,
weight bench and weights. . . Gets on the phone...
STEVE BURSEY, 30s, Donnie's wiry and wild-eyed CONTACT AGENT, on the
"hello phone" at the FBI office in New Yorfc.
BURSEY
(to phone)
Hello?
CROSSCUTTING
Donnie at a PAY PHONE.
(CONTINUED)
1.
1
(5)
5 CONTINUED:
DONNIE (O.C.)
Is this Bursey?
Bursey cradles the phone on his shoulder, TYPES...
BURSEY (V.O.)
To the file: Contact with UCA on
July 7, 1976...
BACK TO PRESENT DAY
--Hogue reviews SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS of Donnie in Carmelo's...In the
Rainbow Room.
BURSEY (V.O.)
...UCA reported no significant
contacts. . .
FLASH BACK
--Donnie in Separate Tables, a restaurant on Third Avenue...
BURSEY (V.O.)
. . . n o significant contacts...
--Donnie wanders the aisles at a drug store, searching for a GREETING
CARD. Selects one. MATCH CUT to Maggie opening the same card.
Inside it reads, "MISS YOU, LOVE,"--and NO SIGNATURE.
--A TRUCK HIJACKING takes place on an access road to Kennedy Airport.
In a choreographed ballet, the DRIVER gives up the keys to a crew of
TOUGH GUYS...Then Donnie and VINNIE THE FENCE help unload cartons of
PERFUME from the truck...
BURSEY (V.O.)
...UCA purchased two dozen
cartons Yves St. Laurent 'Eau My
Sin' perfume...
--Donnie plays backgammon at Carmello's...On the board, as the pieces
move CLOSER...Vinnie introduces him to JILLY GRECA, a tough-looking
WISEGUY in his late 40s.
BURSEY (V.O.)
...UCA was introduced to Giuliano
Gr eca , a. k.a . J ill y.. .
--Donnie opens a carton of WATCHES. . .
DONNIE
These go for 80 apiece. My end's
20.
BURSEY (V.O.)
...UCA sold 50 Pateau Mitsu Boshi
Boeki digital watches. . .
(CONTINUED)
12.
5 CONTINUED: (6)
He hands them to...Jilly. Who inspects them. Takes the carton.
Peels off bills to Donnie.
BACK TO PRESENT
--Hogue, with headphones on, stubs out a cigarette...
FLASH BACK
--Donnie sits in Hippopotamus...Casa Bella...An after hours
joint...The pieces on the backgammon board as they move
CLOSER...Donnie collapses heavily on his bed, amidst the spare
furnishings of his apartment...
BURSEY (V.O.)
. . . UCA reported no significant
contacts. . .
BACK TO PRESENT
·--Hogue opens a BUDGET FOLDER...
BERADA (V.O.)
,New York office requests an
extension of six months due to...
FLASH BACK
--Donnie and Berada at a booth in the Cockeyed Clam, a manila FILE
between them.
BERADA
I got you another six months. I
told them it takes time.
DONNIE
Same budget?
BERADA
Same budget. Look, Joe, not that
I don't see any movement, but--do
you see any movement? I got my
neck out on this.
DONNIE
Whatever it takes, I'm gonna get
these bastards.
BERADA
Do me a favor. Just get one
bastard.
Donnie READS from the file.
DONNIE
(frustrated)
' . . . n o significant contacts...' '
(CONTINUED)
13.
5 CONTINUED: (7)
BERADA
One other thing. You know how it
is with the ' B ' . They saw some
of the surveillance pictures...
DONNIE
What?
BERADA
They want you to shave the
mo ust ache . .
DONNIE
I ' m undercover 1
BERADA
You're still in the FBI. That's
the rules.
CUT TO:
6 INT. DAY. CASA BELLA
WI NTE R--fo g o n t he win dows . D ISC O p lay s on th e j uke box . Dr ink ing
DEMITASSE in the late afternoon:
BENJAMIN "LEFTY" RUGGIERO, early 50s, gaunt and raspy-voiced,
SWITCHED-ON with nerves, testy and restless. He lights up an English
Oval. ·
Sitting around him:
DOMINIC "SONNY BLACK* NAPOLITANO, middle 40s. Fireplug muscles, dyed
black hair. Sle epy as a l ion after a big mea l. Don't f uck with the
lion.
NICHOLAS "NICKY" SANTORA, late 30s, teddy bear paunch. Plays the
fool.
JOHN -BOOBIE" CERASANI, early 40s, gun-metal hard. All business.
Nobody's fool. Supered below:
CASA BELLA RESTAURANT. LITTLE
ITALY. 1976.
LEFTY
You can't say to me a Lincoln is
better than a Cadillac.
NICKY
It's the better automobile, no
question. Head and shoulders.
LEFTY
Geddadaheah. Geddadaheah before
you make me mad.
(CONTINUED)
1.
4
6 CONTINUED:
SONNY
Lefty, how you gonna be mad at
Nicky?
LEFTY
I ain't mad at him. I'm mad at
his stupidity.
AT THE BAR
A man sits, unfolds a newspape r. The ba rtender lo oks up--it' s
Donnie.
DONNIE
Coffee.
B A C K O N --T A B L E
LEFTY
A in't no c ompar ison. Cadi llac
got more acceleration, more
power, more-- better handling,
better looking, more legroom for
yo ur legs , m ore po wer --
BOOBIE
You said that.
LEFTY
Said what?
BOOBIE
More power.
LEFTY
Be got me so fucking aggravated,
Boobie, I forgot what I said.
NICKY
I' 11 tell you one thing--the
Lincoln is longer.
LEFTY
Longer what?
BOOBIE
Whaddaya talkin' about? Longer
wheelbase?
NICKY
Longer. Like longer. In inches.
It's a longer car.
LEFTY
You know something, Nicky, you
don't make no fucking sense
sometimes.
(CONTINUED)
15.
(2)
6 CONT INUED:
NICKY
You got two cars. One's longer.
All things being equal, the
longer car is the one gonna get
there first.
LEFTY
Ain't the question all things
being equal. One's a Cadillac
and one's a Lincoln.
NICKY
The one's longer gets there
first. That's scientific fact.
(to Sonny)
What's better, a Lincoln or a
Cadillac?
LEFTY
Why're you asking him?
NICKY
I ' m asking him.
LEFTY
Why don't you ask me?
NICKY
I asked you already.
LEFTY
That's right. And I told you
there's no comparison.
SONNY
what the fuck are you arguing
about? Mercedes got it all over
both of them.
NICKY
Fugged aboudit. Mercedes? That's
a Jewish car. They didn't get it
enough from the Germans in the
war-- now they gotta be robbed by
them.
JU DY app roac hes --th e W AIT RESS , e arl y 2 0s. NEW to th e j ob. Son ny
takes her hand, KISSES it.
SONNY
Angel, how about some pastries
for the table?
LEFTY WATCHES DONNIE
sipping coffee at the bar. Leans over to Nicky.
(CONTINUED)
16,
(3)
6 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
Who's that?
NICKY
Don. Don the Jeweler. Jilly
brought him around.
LEFTY
Jilly Four Eyes?
NICKY
Not Jilly Four Eyes. You know,
Jilly. From Queens Jilly.
LEFTY
He's a jewel guy? He knows
jewels?
NICKY
What--you got a thing to lay off?
LEFTY
Ain't the question, I got a
thing. I ' m saying, if I had a
thing, he could lay it off?
NICKY
Whaddayou got to lay off?
SONNY WITH JUDY
as he punctuates his order with KISSES of her hand.
SONNY
A little cannoli. (kiss) Svingi.
(kiss) Zeppole. (kiss)
Sfogliateli'. (kiss)
JUDY
We're out of sfogliatelli.
SONNY
Oh. Then you gotta give me that
kiss back.
She giggles, kisses Sonny on the cheek.
JUDY
Can I ask you guys something?
You guys are wiseguys, right?
SONNY
What makes you think we're
wiseguys?
(CONTINUED)
17.
(4)
6 CONTINUED:
JUDY
What other grown men would have
nothing better to do than sit
here all afternoon drinking
coffee and nobody says anything?
They all look at each other.
NICKY
We could be cops.
LAUGHTER all around. Lefty steals another look at Donnie as he sits
placidly drinking his coffee.
CUT TO:
7 EXT. LATER. LITTLE ITALY
Lefty RUMMAGES in the trunk of his Cadillac. Takes out several
DESIGNER DRESSES, on hangers. Two cartons of TUNA FISH. Two large
STEREO SPEAKERS. Rummages some more. Finds
A JEWEL BOX .
CUT TO:
8 INT. LATER. CASA BELLA
Donnie sips his coffee at the bar/ reads the paper. The restaurant
is otherwise DESERTED--Sonny and the other guys have left. Lefty
approaches him.
LEFTY
You Don the Jeweler?
Donnie looks up to the Bartender. The Bartender nods. Lefty reaches
in his pocket, produces
A FIVE-CARAT DIAMOND RING
LEFTY
That's a beauty, eh? That's some
beautiful thing.
Donnie looks it over. Gives it to Lefty.
DONNIE
Give it to your wife.
LEFTY .
How'm I gonna give it to my wife?
I ain't married.
DONNIE
You got a girlfriend? ,
(CONTINUED)
18.
8 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
Yeah. Louise.
He returns the diamond to Lefty.
DONNIE
Marry her.
LEFTY
Are you for real? I'm asking if
you want to middle a diamond
here. All I want for my end's
eight thousand.
DONNIE
I ' m saying give it to somebody
don't know any better. It's a
fugazy.
LEFTY
How can you say it's a fugazy?
You looked at it two seconds.
DONNIE
Go ahead, try and sell it, you
wanna be a dunsky.
LEFTY
(angry)
I ' m a dunsky? Let me tell you
something, my friend--do you know
who you're talking to?
The Bartender, SCARED--he knows what Lefty's capable of. Quickly
mixes a SPRITZER.
BARTENDER
Here, Left, have a spritzer.
LEFTY
(sputtering)
My family, my children--my mother
can hold her head up in any
neighborhood in the city when she
walks down the Clock. In all the
Five Boroughs I'm known,
fuggedaboudit--I'm known all over
the world. You ask around--ask
anybody about Lefty from Mulberry
Street.
DONNIE
I'm sorry. It was just a
misunderstanding. Okay?
Donnie backs off, EXITS. Lefty takes the diamond out, looks at i-
FUMES. The Bartender slides the spritzer over.
(CONTINUED)
19.
C ON T IN U ED : (2)
8
BARTENDER
On the arm.
LEFTY
Fugazy. Fugazy my fucking ass.
CUT TO:
9 EXT. LATER. CASA BELLA
Donnie exhales out his tension--unwinds from the dicey moment with
Lefty. Pulls his collar up against the cold, heads up the block.
Takes a last look back inside at Lefty.
CUT TO:
10 INT. LATER. JEWELER
A JEWELER, loupe in his eye, examines the diamond.
JEWELER
It's a fake.
LEFTY
This's a fake?
JEWELER
Nothing is what it seems.
Lefty takes the fugazy back. Pockets it.
LEFTY
Because that's what I'm thinking.
I thought it was a fake, (beat)
It's a good fake, though, ain't
it.
JEWELER
It's a very good fake.
LEFTY
Tha t's w hat I'm s aying . I
thought it was a fake. That's
what I thought.
Lefty takes the fugazy back. Pockets it.
CUT TO:
11 EXT. DAY. NEW JERSEY--SUBURBS
Donnie drives the big station wagon, Maggie alongside him. The girls
in back.
(CONTINUED)
20.
11 CONTINUED:
SHERRY
Daddy, will you be home Easter?
MAGGIE
Don't ask Daddy those questions.
SHERRY
Mommy, will Daddy be home Easter?
TERRY
You still believe in the Easter
bunny?
KERRY
You're such a snot, Terry.
MAGGIE
(to Terry)
He'll try his best.
TERRY
(to Kerry)
Don't look at me. I think it's
great he's never home.
SHERRY
Denise in school asked me today
what Daddy's job is.
MAGGIE
What'd you tell her?
SHERRY
None of her beeswax.
TERRY
Just tell her he's a salesman on
the r oad a lot. I mean, who
cares what he really does?
MAGGIE
(stern)
You be proud of what your father
does. Do y ou underst and me?
Your father is an outstanding
individual.
TERRY
Jes us . L ig ht en up . T ha t' s n ot
the point.
KERRY
Shut up, Terry.
CUT TO:
21.
12 EXT. LATER. GRANDPARENTS' HOUSE
The station wagon pulls up. The kids run out into the embrace of
Maggie's PARENTS. Maggie clijmbs out, turns.
MAGGIE
You said it was going to be six
months, Joe.
CUT TO:
13 INT. DAY. ACERG, INC.
A storefront for fenced goods. WISEGUYS play cards, smoke
ci gar ett es. The PA Y P HON E ri ngs . J ill y p icks it up .
CUT TO:
14 INT. SAME TIME. FBI SAFEHOUSE
A phone line patched into a reel-to-reel TAPE RECORDER among rows of
tap e rec order s. VO ICE- ACTIV ATED-- it cl icks on, UNSPO OLS.. .
JILLY (O.C.)
Hello?
CUT TO:
15 INT. MORNING. CASA BELLA
Lefty talks on a pay phone. Watches a MAN, indistinct in the
background, sipping coffee at the bar.
LEFTY
He's okay?
PHONE (O.C.)
Don the Jeweler? Stand-up guy.
Ain't a leech, good earner.
Keeps to himself.
RACK FOCUS
to Donnie at the bar, sipping coffee. Lefty watches him.
FLASH CUT TO:
16 INT. THE PRESENT. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue listens o n headpho nes.
LEFTY (O.C.)
Where's he from?
PHONE (O.C.) · ' '.
Cali for nia . H e's a j ewe l g uy.
(CONTINUED)
22.
16 CONTINUED:
LEFTY (O.C.)
Where California? L.A.?
PHONE (O.C.)
Do you know how fucking big
California is? How the fuck
should I know? He's a jewel guy.
THE CLOCK reads "10:25*.
LEFTY (O.C.)
Jilly--he's a stand-up guy,
Jilly?
PHONE (O.C.)
Look, Left, I said I knew him.
I didn't say I fucked him.
Hogue hits FAST FORWARD...The tape SQUEALS. . .
MATCH SOUND
FLASH CUT TO:
17 EXT. THE PAST. CADILLAC
The SCREECH of rubber and
THE CADILLAC LOGO
as Donnie pulls away from the curb in a screaming-yellow Coupe de
Ville. Lefty lights an English Oval.
LEFTY
Nice car. (beat) Go to 46th and
1st, I gotta make a collection.
DONNIE
What happened with that fugazy?
LEFTY
Man oh man, I gotta school you,
my friend. Di'n't Jilly school
you?
The smoke is thick now...Donnie powers down his window.
DONNIE
School me in what?
LEFTY
Donnie/ put your window up,
Donnie. I ' m gonna catch a draft.
Donnie powers his window back up.
(CONTINUED)
23.
17 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
A non-wiseguy never asks a
wiseguy a question. A non-
wiseguy don't even talk to a
wiseguy unless the wiseguy talks
to him first. Capeesh?
DONNIE
Yeah. I got it.
LEFTY
You don't raise your hands to a
wiseguy. You don't mess with his
wome.n---wife or girlfriend or
daughter. Just keep your mout h
shut--don't put business on the
street.
DONNIE
Follow the rules.
A CAB cuts them off. Lefty leans over/ HONKS the horn.
LEFTY
CocksuckerJ Motherfucker cutting
you off. (resuming) You gotta
have rules. Otherwise, what are
w e? We're like anima ls.
He leans over. VICIOUSLY honks the horn again. RESUMES with one eye
on the cab...
LEFTY
Wiseguy has a bag, you pick up
the bag. wiseguy runs a tab, you
pick u p the tab . wiseguy is
always right-- even if he's wrong
he's r ight. All the way u p the
l ine. Conne cted guy to wiseguy
to skipper to boss.
DONNIE
Like the Army.
LEFTY
What?
DONNIE
I said it's like the Army. Chain
of command.
\
LEFTY
Ain't nothing like the Army. The
Army, it's some guy you don't
know sends you to whack out some
other guy you don't know. The
Army's a jerkoff outfit.
(CONTINUED)
24.
(2)
17 CON TINUED:
DONNIE
I mean the same principle.
LEFTY
Ain't the question, Donnie. You
see, that's why I gotta school
you. Because otherwise you get
everything upside down.
(beat)
You got a girl?
DONNIE
Yeah. In California.
LEFTY ·
Good. Let her enjoy herself in
California.
The cab CUTS OFF Donnie again...And Lefty BLOWS...
LEFTY
Donnie, catch up with that
cocksucker.
DONNIE
Which cocksucker?
LEFTY
He cut you off again, (pointing)
That fucking--The cabl That one!
Do nn ie --
Donnie SPEEDS up, chases the cab...Lefty opens the GLOVE COMPARTMENT.
Hits a BUTTON and the TRUNK pops OPEN.
A RED LIGHT
The cab stops. Lefty JUMPS out of the Cadillac...
IN THE TRUNK
Lefty pulls out a JACK, hustles up to the cab.
THE CABBIE
A PAKISTANI, 30s, oblivious. Then he-sees Lefty approach in his side-
view mirror.
LEFTY
What's fucking wrong with you?
Hah ? The re's no fu ckin g
etiquette of the road with you?
The Cabbie flips a "FUCK YOU" signal with his middle finger...Rolls
up his window.
LEFTY · . ,
Fuck wh o? Fuc k m e?
(CONTINUED)
25.
(3)
17 CONTINUED:
DONNIE OUT
of the Cadillac, running toward Lefty... INSIDE the cab, a nervous
PASSENGER gathers her shopping bags...
SMASH 1
as the Cabbie's window CAVES IN...Lefty with the JACK. . . SWINGS down
hard on the windshield. From INSIDE, a spider's web of shattered
glass.
DONNIE APPROACHES
Worry on his face. The Passenger FLEES down the block.
THE CABBIE
hangs out the window, grabbing and punching at Lefty. Lefty YANKS
him out of the car.
DONNIE -,
Left, c'mon. En ough.
Donnie grabs Lefty, trying to pull him off. A DRIVER heckles from a
passing car.
DRIVER
Fuck youl
DONNIE
Hey, fuck youl
The Cabbie hangs onto Lefty. Lefty SNAPS off the cab's ANTENNA,
starts to WHIP the Cabbie with it. The Cabbie BITES Lefty. Lefty
YELPS, backs off.
ON--T HE ACCE LERATO R
as the Cab bie SLAMS his foot down. The light tur ns RED. Th e cab
FISHTAILS through crossing traffic...The Cabbie trembles with fear,
looks in his rear-view mirror as he speeds away.
WATCHING HIM
Donnie and Lefty, as DRIVERS in passing cars shoot looks of
disapproval their way. Lefty lights a cigarette.
LEFTY
These fucking guys. They come to
this country, they flaunt the
r ules of t he road. T hey give the
'fuck you' sign to a man in the
. street. . .
DONNIE
What kind of bullshit is that?
(CONTINUED)
26
17 CO NTI NUE D: (4)
LEFTY
Fucking sand nigger. I will
never fucking understand it. Why
is it always the guy who drives
a car for a living is the worst
fucking driver there is?
CUT TO:
18 INT. DAY. RESTAURANT
Donnie sits at a bar with a drink. Lefty listens to the OWNER, tough-
looking, 30s, as he WRIGGLES.
LEFTY
I just want what's owed.
OWNER
You know, you're not the only
guy's owed money.
DONNIE
You didn't wanna pay it you
shouldn't've borrowed it.
OWNER
Who's this cocksucker?
Like LIGHTNING, Donnie SLAPS the owner hard--forehand, backhand.
Grabs his collar
BELTS HIM HARD
an uppercut in the solar plexus. The Owner SAGS to his knees.
NAUSEA in waves. Do nnie finds the Owner's WALLET in his jacket
pocke t. Takes t he money from the wallet. Peels off a five, STUFFS
it in the Owner's mouth.
DONN IE
That's for the drink.
CUT TO:
19 INT. LATER. CADILLAC
CASH as Lefty counts it out. Donnie drives through the Lower East
Side WATERFRONT.
LEFTY
(scolding)
Don nie--w hy'd you pay f or th at
drink? wiseguy never pays for a
drink.
DONNIE
Okay. I didn't know.
(CONTINUED)
27.
19 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
Always on the arm. (chuckles)
You scared that guy, though,
manag gia-- that cracks me up. I
got 26 fucking hits under my belt
and you're the one he's scared
of.
Lefty CATCHES himself--shouldn't have said that about the hits.
BROODS a beat.
LEFTY
Hey, Donnie, pull over.
CUT TO:
20 INT. LATER. CADILLAC
TOOLS out on the front seat. Lefty UNSCREWS the dashboard. Donnie
leans in.
LEFTY
Hand me them pliers.
DONNIE
The vise grip or the needle nose?
LEFTY
Fuggedaboudit. I'll get it
myself.
He leans out. Takes the pliers. Goes back to work dismantling the
dashboard.
DONNIE
I don't know, Left. This is the
best car I ever had.
LEFTY
You didn't hear that? That
rattling?
DONNIE
I never had any trouble with this
car.
LEFTY
Give me a hand with this.
Lefty and Donni e PULL OFF the dashb oard. Lef ty looks i nside. Fe els
around.
LEFTY
(satisfied)
It's clean.
(CONTINUED)
28.
20 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
(getting it)
Hey, you got something to say to
me, Left, say it to my face.
LEFTY
I ain't saying nothing, Donnie.
DONNIE
You think I got a fucking wire in
my car?
LEFTY
Did I say that?
DONNIE
What do you think--you think I ' m
a fucking rat stoolpigeon?
LEFTY
You can't be too careful these
day s. Even the ears have ears.
(beat)
C'm on. They need some bodies on
the street down at Toyland.
CUT TO:
21 EXT. DAY. TOYL AND--LITTLE ITALY
A CAR pulls up and two prosperous-looking SKIPPERS get out-- DOMINICK
"BIG TRIN" TRINCHERA, fat and fortyish, and PHILIP "PHILLY LUCKY"
GIACCONE, 40s, shrewd eyes behind glasses. They disappear into an
unimposing SOCIAL CLUB. WISEGUYS stand guard in the cold outside.
Lefty arrives with Donnie in tow.
LEFTY
Nicky/ this's Donnie.
(they nod)
How'd Minx's Magic do in the
fifth?
r, .·- ·
LI
WISEGUY #1
He lost.
LEFTY
How could he lose?
WISEGUY #1
What the fuck does he give a
fuck? He's a horse. You're the
one that's out ten grand.
LEFTY
FuckI Now I gotta bet another
dime Sunday just to get to where , .
I was yesterday.
(CONTINUED)
29.
21 CONTINUED:
RED COWBOY BOOTS
move up the block...They belong to ALPHONSE "SONNY RED" INDELICATO,
50s, barrel chest. With him, his son, ANTHONY BRUNO INDELICATO, 20s,
pale and balding, COKED OUT.
LEFTY
(aside, to Donnie)
Fucking Sonny Red.
Sonny Red stops, confronts Lefty.
SONNY RED
(nods to Donnie)
Who's this?
LEFTY
This's Donnie, a friend of mine.
BRUNO
Just stand there and look
dangerous, friend.
LEFTY
(proud)
Yeah, he does look dangerous,
don't he?
Bruno SNORTS in disgust as he and his father move along.
LEFTY
Sonny Red, everything's a beef
with him, him and Bruno, that son
of his.
DONNIE
He don't look so dangerous
himself.
LEFTY
Ah, he's a stone degenerate, he's
coked-up half the time. Like all
these fucking kdds nowadays.
A h uge L INCOL N pu lls u p. BO DYGUA RDS j ump out o f th e car. And
CARMINE "LILO" GALANTE, 69, fat and bald, huge CIGAR , emerges from
the Lincoln. AWESTRUCK, all watch as, surrounded by WISEGUYS,
Galante disappears into the club. Lefty watches/ st ubs out his
cigare tte. Turn s to Donni e.
LEFTY
The boss.
CUT TO:
30.
22 EXT. SUNSET. ROOF
Lefty tends to the PIGEON COOPS on his roof, Donnie alongside him.
LOUISE, early 30s, a good-looking woman in stretch pants, brings
Lefty a SPRITZER.
LOUISE
Here you go, Bennie. You sure
you don't wanna spritzer, Donnie?
DONNIE
No thanks, Louise.
LOUISE
You change your mind, I'm
downstairs .
She heads downstairs. Donnie turns back to Lefty.
LEFTY . . -
Not for nothing, but... how'd you
know that was a fugazy?
DONNIE
Jewels are my business. If I buy
a fugazy, I lose. I hate to
lose. .
LEFTY
That's a good business, jewels?
Good money in it?
DONNIE
Pretty good.
LEFTY
You keep your nose clean, be a
good earner, listen to what I
s chool you -- there ai n't a
crystal ball big enough for what
we could do.
DONNIE
(off pigeon)
Did you know there used to be
falcons in Hew York?
LEFTY
They got everything in this
fucking city.
DONNIE
Peregrine falcons. They lived
across the river.
LEFTY
In Queens?
DONNIE
In the Palisades,
(CONTINUED)
31.
22 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
The Palisades is Jersey, Donnie.
DONNIE
I ' m saying that's why there's so
many pigeons now. The falcons
used to hunt 'em and kill 'em
off.
LEFTY
I love these fucking pigeons.
I ' d die before I ' d let anybody
touch these pigeons.
_ DO NN IE
Those falcons could read a
newspaper from a mile up.
LEFTY
A bird could read the newspaper?
DONNIE
I'm saying their eyesight.
LEFTY
Hey, Donnie--you got a couple
hundred, Donnie? I got some
things I gotta take care of.
Donnie reaches in his wallet.
DONNIE
What do you want/ two hundred?
Lefty leans over, PEERS into his wallet.
LEFTY
Whaddaya got there, three
hundred? Gimme three hundred.
Donnie hands over the $300--EMPTIES his wallet. Lefty takes it,
folds it ito a ROLL. Puts the hundred on the outside...
LEFTY
Don't be carrying your money in
a wallet no more. Wiseguy got
his money in a roll, like this.
Beaner on the outside.
DONNIE
You're the boss.
LEFTY
I'm not the boss, Donnie. The
boss ends up dead or in jail.
Why the fuck would I want to be
the boss?
(CONTINUED)
32
22 CONTINUE D: (2)
DONNIE
It's just an expression.
LEFTY
And shave off that moustache.
That's against the rules.
DONNIE
Hey, Left, if it's okay, I'm
gonna run. I'll see you
tomorrow.
LEFTY
Do I gotta school you in
everything? Tomorrow's Mother's
Day. Wiseguys don't work on
Mother's Day.
CUT TO:
23 INT. NIGHT. THE COCKEYED CLAM
Donnie sits with Berada as he reads over some documents.
BERADA
Benjamin Ruggiero. a.k.a.
'Lefty,' 'Lefty Guns,' 'Lefty Two
Guns.' A couple of bullshit
cases, never did time.
DONNIE
This is way beyond what we talked
about---"fences and hijackers.
T his is a made guy. Do you kno w
what that means ? The re's only
maybe 3000 made guys in the whole
fucking country.
BERADA
(smiles)
It means you're in, kid.
DONNIE
Can you believe it--a made guy?
(muses) A very peculiar made guy.
FLASH CUT TO:
24 INT. THE PRESENT. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue reads a memorandum. LeBow on the phone.
BERADA (V.O.)
. . . In light of the above
contacts, we request an
additional six months. . .
(CONTINUED)
33.
24 CONTINUED:
HOGUE
Berada's the guy who ran this?
JULES
I took over when he retired.
LeBow covers the receiver with his hand.
LEBOW
The surveillance is in place at
the church hall.
CUT TO:
25 EX T. DAY. C HUR CH HAL L--NE W J ERS EY
A large RECEPTION HALL adjoining a Catholic CHURCH. Sounds of a BIG
BAND tuning up inside. Up the block:
A MA BELL REPAIR VAN
parked by a telephone pole. FBI #1, in the guise of a telephone
LINESMAN, climbs the pole...
CUT TO:
26 INT. SAME TIME. SURVEILLANCE VAN
An FBI TECH TEAM monitors listening devices. An array of
SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS and MUG SHOTS as they're spread over a small
table. TECH #1 looks with BINOCULARS through ONE-WAY GLASS.
TECH #1
(to phone)
...By tonight we'll have a guy
inside...
CUT TO:
27 INT. SAME TIME. FBI HEADQUARTERS
LeBow covers the phone, turns to Hogue.
LEBOW
They're gonna put in one of our
guys as a busboy tonight.
JULES
Who?
LEBOW
I don't know.
(CONTINUED)
34.
27 CONTINUED:
JULES
I want to know. If we're gonna
put a guy inside, I want it to be
one of our best guys.
LeBow goes back to the phone. Hogue turns to Jules.
HOGUE
I want to talk to Berada.
FLASH CUT TO:
28 INT. THE PAST. PISTONE HOME
Donnie SHAVES his moustache in the bathroom. Sounds of the FRONT
DOOR unlocking and then closing downstairs.
MAGGIE (O.C.)
Joe?
DONNIE
Up here.
ON MAGGIE
as she heads up the stairs...
MAGGIE
I had no idea you were coming
home. I'm supposed to go to the
movies tonight with the Grants.
She enters the bathroom as he wipes the shaving cream off his face.
He looks up, half his moustache SHAVED OFF. Her face FALLS.
MAGGIE
Oh, Joe, don't--
(beat)
Forget it.
DONNIE
What's the matter?
MAGGIE
I liked your moustache. It's the
only thing I liked about this
thing of yours.
DONNIE
Well, what do you want me to do
now?
MAGGIE
I want you to ask me.
DONNIE
You could've said something.
(CONTINUED)
35.
28 CONTINUED: '
MAGGIE
What would you suggest I do--tell
Berada to get a message to you
that I like your moustache?
DONNIE
That's not the point.
MAGGIE
I have to ask you about every
frigging thing.
She jockeys for room at the mirror to put on her makeup.
DONNIE
Maggie, I'll be two seconds.
MAGGIE
They were supposed to pick me up
five minutes ago.
DONNIE
You're going to the movies with
the Grants?
MAGGIE
Why don't you come?
DONNIE
The last thing I want to do
tonight is go to the movies with
the Grants.
MAGGIE
I'm not cancelling.
Agitated, he starts to compulsively organize the medicine chest, the
shelves.
DONNIE
Where is everybody? I didn't say
anything? I'm sure I said
something.
MAGGIE
Joseph--I think I'd remember.
DONNIE
Well, they should be home anyway.
What time is it?
MAGGIE
Sherry's sleeping over at Mom's,
she's teaching her how to sew.
Kerry's at choir practice.
DONNIE
Where's Terry?
(CONTINUED)
36.
(2)
28 CONTINUED:
MAGGIE
She's with her boyfriend.
(off his rearranging)
Leave my stuff alone.
DONNIE
What boyfriend?
MAGGIE
K enny. Wha t are you worri ed
about? I was 14 when we started
dating.
DONNIE
That's what I ' m worried about.
MAGGIE
He's a nice kid. Nice family.
He's on the wrestling team.
DONNIE
I ' m sure he is. I ' m sure he's
practicing his takedowns right
now.
MAGGIE
Maybe I'11 shave my head next
time--· see how you like it.
A car horn HONKS outside. Donnie's rearranging grows more
agitated...
DONNIE
(angry)
I expect you to have some sense
of priorities. I put a roof over
y our he ad. I put clo the s o n
e very body' s bac k. I put g as i n
the car.
Maggie grabs his wrists...He wrestles her off.
MAGGIE
Leave my stuff alone.
DONNIE
I give you whatever I can give.
What I can't give you is a
moustache. I don't have a
choice. I have to shave the
moustache.
MAGGIE
I don't give a shit about the
m oustache. But if yo u're gonna
live your life however the fuck
you want then let me live mine.
(CONTINUED)
37.
(3)
28 CONTINUED:
She storms out. He balls up a towel, HURLS it against the wall.
CUT TO:
29 I NT. NIGHT . PISTONE HOME--BEDR OOM
Maggie sleeps. Donnie, WIDE AWAKE, stares at the ceiling. Hears an
EfNGINE. A car door.
4:32 A.M.
on t he cl oc k. He ge ts u p. Lo oks t hr oug h the b li nds . See s hi s
daughter Terry as she kisses her boyfriend good night.
DONNIE'S POV
Terry kisses and kisses...And kisses...Falls back onto the hood of
the car and slides down it. Donnie senses that he's losing control
of his family.
CUT TO:
30 INT. DAY. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue looks up at the clock.
12 NOON
A tape plays on the TAPE RECORDER...
LEFTY (O.C.)
Hello?
DONNIE (O.C.)
Left? Donn ie. I ' m ju st ch eckin g
in.
LEFTY (O.C.)
Where you been, Donnie? You
gotta check in.
DONNIE (O.C.)
That's what I said. I'm checking
in.
LZFTY (O.C.)
Did you see the paper?
DONNIE (O.C.)
I just woke up.
L EFTY (O.C.)
How come every morning you're
reading the paper except this
morning? ',
(CONTINUED)
38.
30 CONTINUED:
DONNIE (O.C.)
I just woke up, Left.
LEFTY (O.C.)
Fuggedaboudit. You better
fucking get down here.
Clickl and a DIAL TONE...
CUT TO:
31 INT. DAY. CADILLAC
The FRONT PAGE of the New York Post--a PHOTOGRAPH of Carmine Galante,
his cigar still clenched in his teeth, sprawled bloody, DEAD in a
Brooklyn restaurant. Under the headline:
RUBOUT
Lefty folds the paper in disgust, lights an English Oval--even more
JUMPY than usual. Donnie drives Lefty's Cadillac across the Brooklyn
Bridge.
LEFTY
The B oss gets w hacked. T he
fucking boss--you don't even know
the fucking boss exists until he
gets whacked, and then your whole
fucking life gets turned around.
DONNIE
Where're we going?
LEFTY
Brooklyn. I got sent for.
(mutters)
The boss gets whacked. Another
thing I get left out of.
DONNIE
What does that mean, you got sent
for?
LEFTY
What do you think it means? I
got sent for by Sonny Black. I'm
telling you, I'm sick with this.
DONNIE
Sonny Red?
LEFTY
Did I say Sonny Red? Not Sonny
Red. Sonny Black.
(gestures)
And don't ride the brake,
(more)
(CONTINUED)
39
31 CONTINUED:
LEFTY (Cont'd)
Don't drive my Cadillac the way
you drive your car.
DONNIE
How do you know what he wants?
LEFTY
That fucking Sonny Black. I know
him. He gets upped to skipper,
first thing he's gonna do is go
out and buy a big fucking
Mercedes.
DONNIE
They should up you before they up
Sonny Black.
LEFTY
It's his reward for whacking the
boss. Do I have to explain every
fucking thing to you?
DONNIE
I thought you and Sonny Black
were friends.
LEFTY
If you ever whacked a guy,
Donnie, you wouldn't ask such
stupid questions.
DONNIE
I whacked a guy once.
LEFTY
When?
DONNIE
In an argument.
LEFTY
· An argument don't count.
(derisive) An argument--you whack
your wife in an argument.
DONNIE
I'm just saying.
LEFTY
Ain't the question. Don't say
you know when you don't know.
DONNIE
It could be anything Sonny sent
for you for.
(CONTINUED)
40.
31 CONTINUED: (2)
LEFTY
I got sent for, Donnie. With This
Thing, you go in alive and you
come out d ead. And t he o ne th at
kills you is your best fucking
friend.
Lefty lights another cigarette. Donnie powers the window down a
cra ck. L efty glar es at him. Donn ie p owers the windo w bac k up .
CUT.TO:
32 E XT. DAY . TEE M OTION L OUNGE-- BROOKLY N
t - *
Donnie drives up Withers Street. Pulls up to a three-story building
in a working-class neighborhood. Lefty takes a last drag of his
cigarette, climbs out.
LEFTY
Anything happens, make sure
Louise gets the Cadillac.
CUT TO:
33 INT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
Nicky and Boobie play gin. Neil Diamond's "Love on the Rocks" plays
o n the JUKE BOX. Left y enters.
NICKY
(sings)
'Love on the rocks, ain't no
surprise.' Looklt this hand.
This ain't a hand. This's a
deformed fucking Creature of the
Black Lagoon fucking claw.
BOOBIE
Left.
NICKY
Left. 'Love on the rocks, ain't
no surprise.' (to Boobie) Ming'1
I knew you was gonna grab that!
Lefty, white with fear, sits down with his back to the wall.
NICKY
'Love on the rocks, ain't no
surprise.'
BOOBIE
It ain't no fucking surprise
neither.
(CONTINUED)
41.
33 CONTINUED:
NICKY
(laying out cards)
Gin.
BOOBIE
Nicky, that ain't gin.
NICKY
Geddadaheah, that's gin.
BOOBIE
You got two sevens.
Boobie shows him his cards.
NICKY
Whaddaya mean I got two sevens?
I know I had three sevens.
BOOBIE
From now on we play the honor
system. You don't even show me
your hand.
CUT TO:
·
34 EXT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
Donnie sits in the car. Drums his fingers on the wheel.
THINKS...Then reaches behind himself--
UNSNAPS THE HOLSTER
strapped to his belt, holding his COMBAT KNIFE. Climbs out of the
car. Up a couple of steps. And through the door...
CUT TO:
35 INT. MOTION LOUNGE
...into the Motion Lounge. Nicky and Boobie shoot wary looks at him.
Who's this? Lefty turns to them.
LEFTY
It's okay. He's a friend of
mine.
Lefty glares at Donnie--ACCUSES him with his eyes: who told you to
come in here? Donnie sits down--something in the placid atmosphere
that tells him: this is how it happens. Nicky peers over as Boobie
writes on the SCOREPAD.
NICKY
You giving me credit for that?
Boobie slides him the scorepad.
(CONTINUED)
42.
35 CONTINUED:
BOOBIE
Fine. You keep score.
NICKY
I don't know how.
BOOBIE
How the hell can you play gin if
you don't know how to keep score?
NICKY
I ' m a natural.
THE FLUSH OF A TOILET
as Sonny emerges from the bathroom, reading a slip of paper.
Crumples it, throws it in the trash.
SONNY
(complaining)
Two hundred in action and we came
out with 35. That" fucking Boots-
he runs that book like an old
lady. That 's gonna c hange.
(off Donnie)
Who's this fucking guy?
BOOBIE
He's with Lefty.
SONNY
(to Lefty)
C'mon. Let's go take a ride,
(to Donnie) You too.
Donnie and Lefty share a look of FEAR.
CUT TO:
36 EXT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
They emerge. Parked in the back--a brand-new MERCEDES. Lefty looks
at it. Turns to Donnie.
LEFTY
(mutters)
What the fuck did I tell you?
Sonny unlocks the car.
SONNY
Hey, Left--ride up front with me.
CUT TO:
43.
37 INT. DAY. MERCEDES
Sonny drives on the Long Island Expressway. Lefty in the front seat,
EDG Y. Bo obie and Nicky flan k Don nie i n ba ck. H e gla nces nervo usly
at th em. Sizes them up.
SONNY
Ain't this beautiful, the ride on
this?
NICKY
H ey, Sonny --can' t you driv e an y
faster? I got a date tonight out
in Jersey.
SONNY
Which broad is this?
NICKY
This is the one from the
calendar. Remember that calendar
I show ed you? M iss Pennzo il Air
Filter of 1976.
Sonny and Boobie MIME holding two big BREASTS.
SONNY AND BOOBIE
(unison)
Che mennel
NICKY
That's the one.
Lefty, NERVOUS, pulls down the sun visor. Looks at Boobie in the
mirror.
SONNY
Hey, Left, what'cha doing?
LEFTY
Just checking my part.
SONNY
(chuckling)
Ah, Le ft--what a m I gonna do
without you? (to Donnie) What
would you do without this guy,
hah, kid? You'd have to find
yourself a new goombah.
Lefty getting VERY NERVOUS...
NICKY
That was something about the
boss, wasn't it?
SONNY
We all gotta go sometime.
(CONTINUED)
44.
37 CONTINUED:
Lefty, TERRIFIED, looks at Boobie again. Boobie nods. Donnie
WATCHES this...Thinks: what to do?
CUT TO:
38 EXT. DAY. KENNEDY AIRPORT
They walk from the parked Mercedes toward a FREIGHT HANGAR. The
scene is otherwise DESERTED. Lefty NERVOUS, lights a cigarette.
Planes periodically ROAR overhead.
NICKY
(sings)
'Love on the rocks, ain't no
surprise.'
LEFTY
Sonny, what is this? we glomming
something?
Sonny opens the door.
SONNY
After you.
Lefty walks into the DARKNESS...A terrifying SILENCE...Then--
RRRRRRROAR1
CUT TO:
39 INT. HANGAR
The LIGHTS come up. A pale and shaken Lefty looks straight into the
eyes of a LION CUB as it GROWLS. A bluff FREIGHT HANDLER holds the
lion on a leash.
LEFTY
Christ. I think I shit my pants.
FREIG HT HANDLER
It was supposed to go to some
an i ma l de al er . Fu ck h im . I' l l
tell him it got lost.
SONNY
Look, Left, he likes you.
The cub nuzzles and sniffs at Lefty.
LEFTY
(to Lion)
Get the fuck outta here.
(CONTINUED)
45.
39 CONTINUED:
SONNY
That's for you, Left. For your
birthday. Batter late than
never.
LEFTY
That's why you sent for me?
SONNY
Yeah, why? Whaddayou think, you
was gonna get whacked?
(laughing) Lefty thought he's
: gonna get whackedl
NICKY
(laughing)
What a pisserl
SONNY
What, over that 175 grand you owe
down in Little Italy? Don't
worry, chooch. (hard) Now you
owe it to me.
CUT TO:
40 EXT. NIGHT. THE MOTION LOUNGE
Donnie, Lefty and the Lion pile into the Cadillac. Sonny, Nicky and
Boobie wave as they drive off.
CUT TO:
41 INT. NIGHT. CADILLAC
They drive back to Manhattan, the Lion GROWLING in the back seat.
Lefty turns around.
LEFTY
(to Lion)
Jesus Christ--shaddup already!
DONNIE
He's hungry, Left,
CUT TO:
42 INT. NIGHT. WHITE CASTLE
"Home of the Square Hamburger." Lefty and Donnie approach the
counter.
(CONTINUED)
46.
42 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
Forty hamburgers.
CUT TO:
43 EXT. NIGHT. WHITE CASTLE
Donnie and a melancholy Lefty sit on the hood of the Cadillac,
throwing hamburgers to the Lion.
LEFTY
Thirty years, there ever was a
piece of work t o be done-- call
Lef ty --I ne ve r c om pla in ed . B ut
do I get upped? They passed me
by. Sonny Black gets upped. I
don't get fucking upped.
DONNIE
At least you got Louise.
LEFTY
Sonny Black has four broads don't
add up t o Lo uise. You got a
girl?
DONNIE
Yeah. I told you, in California.
LEFTY
That's a good thing. One broad's
enough. She's a good woman,
Louise. My son Tommy, she's more
of a mother to him than my ex-
wife, that bitch, (beat) My own
fucking son's a junkie, you
believe it?
DONNIE
You should give him a smack in
the mouth once in a while.
LEFTY
Believe me, I got bruises on my
h an ds . My d au gh te r, J an e t-- 28
years old, she ain't married. My
daughter Francine, she's out in
California. She ain't married.
I'm telling you, Donnie, I gotta
worry 24 h ours a day . A woman
like Louise, I can't do right by
her--l ain't got three bucks in
my pocket. I got can cer of th e
r ick. My ex -wife, sh e still
Eives in the building. I see her
on the stairs, I gotta have three
spritzers just to calm down.
(CONTINUED)
47.
43 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
What do you mean, cancer of the
prick?
LEFTY
Cancer of the prick. Oh, yeah,
you didn't know that?
Fuggedaboudit. I ' m in the
medical books with that.
DONNIE
I never heard of that.
LEFTY
I ain't a mutt--30 years busting
m y hump, f or what? S onny Black
they up to skip per. Do I get
upped? I ' m like Claude Rains--
I ' m the Invisible fucking Man.
DONNIE
You know, Left, not for nothing,
but six hours ago you thought
you's gonna get whacked.
LEFTY
Ain't the question, Donnie. Did
I say I was gonna get whacked?
DONNIE
No.
LEFTY
Don't say you know when you don't
know, Donnie. You d o n ' t know.
DONNIE
I don't know 'cause you don't
tel l me. How co me yo u didn 't
tell me about that money you owe?
LEFTY
Fuggg edabq udit. You know what
·the vig is on that? That fucking
Blackstein is gonna have the arm
on me every fucking week.
DONNIE
Maybe I could help you out.
LEFTY
I'll tell you something--I went
in front of all the skippers,
Sonny Red and Philly Lucky and
all of them. I went on the
record with you. You know what
that means?
(CONTINUED)
48.
43 CONTINUED: (2) . :
DONNIE
I don't know.
LEFTY
You don't?
DONNIE
I do?
LEFTY
You got no fucking idea, my
friend. I ' m your man now--Jesus
Christ can't touch you because I
represent you.
DONNIE
You and me, Left.
LEFTY
I got Louise and I got you.
They toss hamburgers to the Lion, the White Castle beside them, lit
bright against the bleak urban landscape.
CUT TO:
44 INT. DAY. PISTONE HOME
A party for Kerry's CONFIRMATION. A PRIEST hobnobs with Donnie's
extended family. UNCLE BOB arrives, looks for Kerry.
UNCLE BOB
Where's Kerry?
(finding her)
Kerry, that's the prettiest
confirmation dress I've ever
seen.
Terry sulks in a corner. Maggie enters with a tray of cookies.
UNCLE BOB
Is Joe here?
MAGGIE
He's on the phone.
The cheery hubbub subsides as the noise of Donnie's hollering
CRESCENDOES in the next room...
DONNIE (O.C.)
I don't give a fuck, Left!...What
the fuck do you want me to
do?...I don't give a fuck what
that mothe rfuck er sa ys--y ou
believe him or me?
(CONTINUED)
49.
44 CONTINUED:
Awkward looks all around. MRS. PISTONE, 60s, Donnie's MOTHER, sidles
up to Maggie.
MRS. PISTONE
Who's bothering Joseph?
CUT TO:
45 INT. NIGHT. PISTONE BEDROOM
Donnie sleeps. Maggie lies awake.
MAGGIE
I want a divorce.
DONNIE
There hasn't been a divorce in my
family back to Julius Caesar.
Divorce someone else.
MAGGIE
I ' m serious.
DONNIE
Maggie, I ' m tired. Go to sleep.
MAGGIE
will you see a therapist?
DONNIE
It's just another six months.
MAGGIE
I can't sleep for six months,
Joe.
CUT TO:
46 INT. DAY. OFFICE
SHELLY BERGER, late 40s, flannel shirt, earth shoes--PSYCHOTHERAPIST--
sits with Donnie and Maggie.
MAGGIE
...He comes home at all hours of
the night, without announcing
when or why, or where he's been
for three weeks. Or three
months. Then he expects
everything to be just the way he
wants it. Be vacuums the entire
house. Do you know another man
who vacu ums? It's abno rmal. Of
course, he expects the girls to
drop their lives when he shows
u. . .
p
(CONTINUED)
50,
46 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
I ' m their father, Maggie. I ring
that doorbell I expect them home.
MAGGIE
They think it's a Jehovah's
witness. (to Berger) You'd think
he'd tell me where he goes or
w ha t h e' s d o in g--
DONNIE
That's for your own protection.
MAGGIE
Hal (to Berger) I know he's
ch ea t in g o n m e--
DONNIE
I don't have to listen to that
bullshit.
MAGGIE
No, why don't you just leave?
That's what you're good at.
BERGER
Please just listen without saying
a nyt hin g--t hat 's t he tas k f or
today. Oth erwise you just rep lay
the old pathology. (beat)
Maggie, you were talking about
Joe's disappearances.
MAGGIE
I nev er go o ut any mor e. What
couple wants to go out with a-
t hird whee l? Even wh en he's ho me
it's not like we have any friends
any more.
BERGER
So you resent him for expressing
your autonomy needs?
MAGGIE
Yes, I resent him.
BERGER
For expressing your autonomy
needs.
MAGGIE
(unsure)
Yes.
BERGER
And you, Joe--what do you think
you're running from?
(CONTINUED)
51.
46 CONTINUED: (2)
DONNIE
I ain't runnin' from nothin'.
MAGGIE
(mimics)
'I ain't runnin' from nuttin'.
The man I married was a college
man. (to Berger) Sorry.
BERGER
(resuming, to Donnie)
Being the distancer forces Maggie
into the role of the pursuer.
That gives you a feeling of
power. Simultaneously you resent
Maggie for expressing the very
intimacy needs that in your own
li fe yo u 'v e--
DONNIE
. I ' m an undercover agent for the
FBI!
MAGGIE
I didn't marry the FBI, Joe.
He writes on a pad. Donnie tries to peek at what he's writing.
BERGER
Okay. I want yo u to spli t the
week in half. Monday, Wednesday
and Friday are Joe's intimacy
days. Tuesdays, Thursday s, and
Saturdays are Maggie' s. On your
day, you make one intimacy
request. Your partner agrees in
advance to meet it. Whatever it
is.
DONNIE
What's that---an intimacy request?
BERGER
A n i nti mac y r eque st. Li ke 'Ru b
my back,' or 'Help me work out
this problem with the kids.' Odd
day, even day, Sunday's off.
(beat)
And mastur bate. I r ecommend i t,
for both of you. It's a good way
to blow off stress.
CUT TO:
47 INT. EVENING. CADILLAC
Donnie drives. Maggie SULKS, looks out the window.
(CONTINUED)
52
47 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Can I ask you something?
MAGGIE
NO.
DONNIE
How much is this costing?
Maggie doesn't say anything.
DONNIE
Okay, Maggie--I want you to
answer my question. This is my
intimacy request.
MAGGIE
A hundred dollars.
DONNIE
That was a hundred dollars?
MAGGIE
That's what I said, Joe.
DONNIE
A hundred dollars. And how many
of these do you think we'll need?
. . MAGGIE
I don't know.
DONNIE
One hundred dollars.
MAGGIE
Is this still your intimacy
request? Because otherwise I'd
rather not discuss it anymore.
DONNIE
I gotta work a ten hour day
risking my life to make a hundred
dollars!
MAGGIE
Who are you risking your life
for? Not me, Joe.
DONNIE
(mincing)
'Will you rub my back'?
Va'a'fonaooll
MAGGIE
You're an animal.
(CONTINUED)
53.
(2)
47 CONTINUED:
D O N NI E
You know wha t my intimacy request
is fo r him? It' s very in timate.
He can take that bill he's gonna
send me and shove it up his ass.
Maggie starts to PUNCH him.
MAGGIE
You're an animal1 Animal1
Donnie tries to fend her off while he drives. The car swings wildly.
Approaching the opposite way:
A TRACTOR TRAILER
Donnie SWERVES. The car tumbles off the road onto a soft shoulder.
Maggie continues to hit at Donnie. He wrestles with her.
MAGGIE
I hope (punch) those guys you're
hanging out with (punch) are
laying you (punch) because I ' m
(punch) not anymore!
He looks at her. She looks at him. And they
KISS PASSIONATELY
grappling in the front seat...He grabs her. Pulls her toward him.
Realizes that she is encumbered by something. She deftly unhooks the
bel t. Ki sses his neck. ..
MAGGIE
(under her breath)
Do it.
But he's not buying.
DONNIE
Maggie--who told you to wear a
seat belt?
MAGGIE
What?
DONNIE
It's a simple question. You
never wore a seat belt before/
Maggie.
MAGGIE
Wait a minute--is this--you think
I'm having an affair?
(CONTINUED)
54.
(3)
47 CONTINUED:
D O N N IE
I didn't s ay that. It's
interesting that you would say
that, though.
MAGGIE
You're right--I ' m secretly seeing
a man who wants me to 'Buckle Up
for Safe ty'. We h ave t hree
child ren, Joe--r emember t hem?
One of us has to play it safe.
She SLAMS out of the car...
OUT ON THE SHOULDER
with cars whipping by...Donnie chases after her.
DONNIE
I just asked a simple question.
You're the one that brought it up
with the affair.
MAGGIE
Bulls hit. It's so fr iggi ng
ironic that you'd think I ' m up to
s omet hing. My n ights are
homework and basketball games.
What are your nights?
DONNIE
You know what I'm doing.
MAGGIE
I don't know a goddam thing.
DONNIE
I'm doing the job. That's the
job.
MAGGIE
I live like a widow, Joe. That's
the only way I can deal with
this, with the photographs and
memories and our children, and I
go on with my life. Like you're
already dead.
DONNIE
It's for your own protection.
MAGGIE
It's not protecting me--it's
killing me.
CUT TO:
55.
48 INT. NIGHT. PISTONE HOME
Maggie sleeps. Donnie lies awake.
DONNIE
When did you all of a sudden from
nowhere start saying, 'Do it',
Maggie?
MAGGIE
what? Go to sleep.
DONNIE
'Do it.' You never said that--
'Do it'. You never talked that
way before.
CUT TO:
49 INT. MORNING. PISTONE HOME
Kerry wakes up to an odd groaning and whining noise...
DOWNSTAIRS .
Donnie compulsively vacuums the living room.
CUT TO:
50 INT. LATER. PISTONE BEDROOM
Bursey INSTALLS a special BLACK PHONE. The girls WATCH with Donnie.
BURSEY
This is a New York number--it
patches through to here.
Maggie flutters through wearing her SWEATSUIT.
MAGGIE
I ' m sorry to run out, honey. I
hav e an aero bics class . Tak e
care of yourself.
She gives him a peck on the cheek, exits. Donnie turns to the girls
DONNIE
Tha t's a spe cial phone . You
d on't call on i t. Yo u don 't
answer it. Nobody touches that
phone under any circumstances.
Understood?
TERRY ·
Jawohl, Herr Commandantl
Terry gives Donnie a NAZI SALUTE. Goosesteps out of the bedroom.
(CONTINUED)
56.
50 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Hey. Heyl
Donnie CHASES her a couple of steps. She HURTLES down the stairs.
SLAMS out the door. Donnie turns back. Bursey shrugs, continues to
install the phone. Kerry and Sherry indict him with their eyes.
Exit the bedroom.
CUT TO:
51 INT. MORNING. CADILLAC
Donnie drives through a driving RAIN. Looks in the REAR-VIEW MIRROR.
Gets suspicious. Turns. A car turns with him...FOLLOWING' him.
DONNIE TENSE
He turns again. Again, the car FOLLOWS. Donnie looks again in the
rear-view mirror. Something FAMILIAR about that car...Turns again.
A scowl of RECOGNITION plays across Donnie's face. And he goes
COLD...Approaching an intersection:
A YELLOW LIGHT
Donnie slows, then SPEEDS through the intersection as the yellow
light goes RED...Checks his mirror--the other car is STUCK at the
light.
INSIDE THE OTHER CAR
It's Maggie. She SMACKS the steering wheel in ANGER.
MAGGIE
Fuck you. Fuck fuck fuck you.
FLASH CUT TO:
52 EXT. THE PRESENT. FBI HEADQUARTERS
A HELICOPTER whips across the familiar face of Washington, D.C. Lands
on the roof of FBI headquarters. FBI MEN, including Marshall, rush
to me et it. Eme rgi ng fro m th e c hop per --
IT'S BERADA .
Indomitable black eyes burn in a face grey with illness.
CUT TO:
53 INT. DAY. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Berada, surrounded by suits. Hogue paces with DOCUMENTS.
(CONTINUED)
57
53 CONTINUED:
HOGUE
. . . $ 9 , 0 0 0 for miscellaneous--
miscellaneous what?...A $22,000
car...$40,000 for X-rated
videotapes?
FLASH CUT TO:
54 INT. THE PAST. THE COCKEYED CLAM
Donnie meets with a younger Berada.
BERADA
. . . I got an agent down in
Florid a, Fred C alvin--I go t my
finger in the dike and he's got
his thumb up his ass. A million
bucks in it and Calvin's got
nothing.
DONNIE
Meanwhile three years I've been
.undercover and I can't get a
fucking two thousand dollar
raise.
BERADA
joe--
DONNIE
(correcting him)
Do nn ie. C al l m e Don ni e-- I d on 't
wanna get confused.
BERADA
We've been through this. To get
a raise you gotta go up to
supervisor grade.
DONNIE
I supervise my prick. Not even
t hree year s--thr ee an d a h alf
years.
BERADA
GS-14 is supervisors. That's the
rules.
DONNIE
Fuggedaboudit.
BERADA
Now what the hell's this about
porno tapes?
(CONTINUED)
58
54 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
I need 40 grand, I gotta middle
some porno tapes.
BERADA
Forty grand for porno tapes?
DONNIE
you'll get it back. It's
nothing. Half of them are for
fags.
BERADA
Oh, that makes me feel much
better. You don't watch it,
you're gonna be back in the
buckets listening to the
Bulgarians all day.
FLASH CUT TO:
55 INT. THE PRESENT. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Berada addresses Hogue from his wheelchair.
BERADA
He has to do some not-so-nice
things, sir. He's not undercover
in the Camp Fire Girls.
HO G U E
(r ead ing )
'UCA requests four handguns,
preferably .38 caliber, to assist
in a bank robbery'?
CUT TO:
56 INT. THE PAST. THE COCKEYED CLAM
DONNIE
You take out the firing pin. The
guns don't work. What the fuck
are you worried about?
BERADA
NO.
DONNIE
Why not?
BERADA
How'm'I gonna explain that to
Washington?
(CONTINUED)
J
· . 59.
56 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Hey, Guy, you have to explain
this to Washington, that's your
fucking job. For me to do my job
I need the fucking guns.
BERADA
There's no procedures for this.
DONNIE
I don't give a fuck about the
fucking procedures. You think
(gestures) they have fucking
procedures? Hah? I want the
fucking guns and I want the
fucking money. Understood?
Berada stares at Donnie, frightened. On his face we see his doubts
about what's happening to Donnie.
FLASH CUT TO:
57 INT. THE PRESENT. FBI
BERADA
You guys said no to the guns. I
don't see why it's coming up now.
LEBOW
There's a 209 that says Sonny
Black might get hit tonight. And
Joe would get hit as one of his
crew.
BERADA
What does Joe say?
MARSHALL
We don't know where Joe is.
BERADA
What do you mean--you lost him?
HOGUE
Didn't you think at any point
that this was getting a little
out there?
BERADA
Everything in this operation was
a judgement call, sir. And we
relied on his judgement. He was
the one in the field.
(CONTINUED)
60.
57 CONTINUED:
HOGUE
(with documents)
These requests have your name on
them. Why the h ell did yo u go
ahead with this?
CUT TO:
58 INT. THE PAST. THE COCKEYED CLAM
DONNIE
Santo Trafficante--how long's he
been the boss o f Florida? You
could put his head on your wall.
(Berada thinks)
If I go down to Florida and vouch
for this jerkoff, whatever his
n ame is--
BERADA
Fred Calvin.
DONNIE
Every door in Florida will open
for this guy Calvin like it. was
on ball fucking bearings. But I
w an t t he gu ns . T h e mo n ey . A nd
no more fucking bullshit.
BERADA
Don't talk to me like you're
talking to them, Joe.
DONNIE
Donnie.
BERADA
Joe.
DONNIE
Don't waste my time. With all
this bullshit about pr ocedures,
you'11 do whatever it takes to
get t hese guys. Same as m e.
Berada mulls it over a beat.
BERADA
You really think we could get
Trafficante?
Donnie gets up. Turns.
DONNIE
If I vouch for this guy and he
fucks up--I'll put a bullet in
his fucking head.
(CONTINUED)
61 .
58 CONTINUED: ' ·
Donnie exits. Berada WORRIES that this is getting out of hand.
CUT TO:
59 INT. THE PRESENT. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Berada stares at Hogue, stone-faced.
BERADA
There was never any moment when
I thought Joe or the operation
was out of control, sir.
CUT TO:
60 EXT. THE PAST. MOTION LOUNGE
A LION IN WINTER. Le fty in hi s overcoat , the Lio n on its l eash. A
cold DRIZZLE falls. The Lion stops, sniffs at an AUTOMOBILE. Lifts
a leg:
PEES ON THE TIRE
Lefty, embarras sed, looks .around. N EIGHBORS watch from windows--
some amused, some disapproving. The Lion moves to the next car.
Sni ffs. Pees on t he ti re. A nd th en to the next :
SONNY'S MERCEDES
The Lion sniffs. Lefty tugs on the leash. The Lion resists, sniffs
some more. Lefty tugs harder. The Lion lifts its leg...Lefty YANKS
o n the lea sh--the Lio n ROARS. L efty DRAG S the Lion into the Motion
Lounge.
CUT TO:
61 INT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
Donnie takes a football bet on the pay phone.
DONNIE
.. .We got the Colts giving two-
and-a -half. Yea h, (writ ing)
Nickel on the Colts.
INSIDE
Sonny presides over a BOARD MEETING of the Sonny Black Corporation.
Nic ky, B oobie and othe r WIS EGUYS --incl udin g BOO TS an d LEG S-- po re
over crumpled scraps of paper. Sonny makes notes in a little spiral
NOTEBOOK. Donnie ;joins them.
(CONTINUED)
·. 62.
61 CO NTI NUE D:
BOOBIE
We ha d tha t loa d of jean s--
remember? Two hundred grand on
that. . .
The Lion shakes its mane, SPRAYS WATER over everyone.
NICKY
Va'n'aool'. all over everything1
L efty--how'm I gonna read this?
LEFTY
That'll teach you to improve your
penmanship.
Lefty lays a PARKING METER out on a card table. Picks up a SLED<
HAMMER.
BOOTS
There's that guy that's making
the Quaaludes for us.
DONNIE -
What're we selling that for? I
know a guy I think I could off
them to.
NICKY
Sixty cents apiece. I think it's
60. Is it 60?
BOOTS
We're doing a dime a week.
WHAM!
an echoing CLANGOR as Lefty whacks at the parking meter with the
sledge hammer.
SONNY
If you're holding out on me,
Boots, I'm gonna chop you up.
BOOTS
I ain't ho lding out. It's ten
g ra nd a w ee k. Th a t' s i t. -
SONNY
It should be 25.
(to Boobie)
You ever off that load of
sunglasses?
Boobie nods, gives thumbs up.
NICKY
Bullshit, Boobie.
(CONTINUED)
63
(2)
61 CONTINUED:
BOOBIE
I did so, Nicky.
NICKY
Who you gonna lay off 18 cases of
sunglasses to?
BOOBIE
I laid it off...to the same guy
I heisted it from.
(to Sonny)
Twenty-five grand.
Sonny writes in his notebook.
WHAM1
another deafening smash at the parking meter.
SONNY
Will you stop it with that?
LEFTY
How else'm I gonna open it? Open
sesame?
SONNY
What are you gonna get out of
that, Left? Fifty bucks?
LEFTY
Ain't the question.
SONNY
You know, you guys--you don't
fucking think. I'm the skipper
now-- I gotta answer. Sonny
Red's got 75 million alone }ust
with that trucking company out in
Jersey and I got fifty bucks of
fucking dimes.
LEFTY
A score's a score.
SONNY
You're like a bunch of fucking
niggers on welfare.
DONNIE
W hat about Florida? I know a g uy
down there, he has some vending
machines he's trying to move.
LEFTY
Let him move them to New York.
(CONTINUED)
6 4.
61 C O NT IN U ED : (3)
DONNIE
Plus he has a club down there.
He's looking for partners that
can give him peace of mind.
SpNNY
You know this guy?
WHAMl
a nother ba ng at the parking me ter. Left y GLOWERS at Donnie . A look
that says: SHUT UP.
DONNIE
I knew him ten years ago, in
Baltimore. He was okay then.
SONNY
Where in Florida? The Beach?
DONNIE
Tampa.
LEFTY
For your information they got
their own outfit down there and
their own boss.
LEGS
Santo Trafficante.
LEFTY
Thank you.
NICKY
All the economy's moving down
there, Florida, 'cause of the Oil
Crisis. I heard it on the news.
BOOBIE
The economy gotta be good for
there to be good moneymaking for
crooks.
LEGS
Who can get a fucking thing going
in this fucking city? It's 5000
wiseguys all chasing the same
nickel.
NICKY
Hey, Sonny, maybe we could do
something with Disneyworld down
t here. Wis eguy Mount ain.
Wiseguys of the Caribbean.
Everybody fucks Minnie Mouse up
t he a ss. C an yo u ima gine?
(more)
(CONTINUED)
61 C O N T I N UE D : (4)
NICKY (Cont'd)
(gestures) You grab her by those
big fuc kin g e ars --
Uproarious LAUGHTER from the group. Then suddenly--
SONNY EXPLODES
In a RAGE, he stands up, THROWS HIS CHAIR, knocks over the card
table.
SONNY
You think this is a fucking joke?
Hah? One day I ' m gonna die, and
I ' m gonna be in this same fucking
room, with these same fucking
guys, talking about these same
fucking scams that never amount
to anything, and that's how I'll
know I got sent to fucking Hell.
Sonny STORMS out. The guys sit, look at each other. Some dazed.
Some calculating. Boobie picks up the toppled table.
BOOBIE
We better start earning or
somebody's gonna get clipped.
Then Sonny RETURNS. Pale and shaken.
SONNY
I can't even imagine it. What
kind of people--in broad fucking
dayli ght-- what kind of a worl d--
NICKY
What happened?
SONNY
They stole the Mercedes.
CUT TO:
62 EXT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
The guys file out. STARE at the EMPTY SPACE where the Mercedes used
to be.
CUT TO:
63 EXT. NIGHT. LAGUARDIA AIRPORT
From the runway, as a JETLINER takes off...
CUT TO:
6 6.
64 INT. NIGHT. AIRPLANE
Nicky and Boobie play GIN in the second row of the FIRST CLASS
section. Their GIRLFRIENDS sit beside them. Sonny SNOOZES behind
them on the shoulder of Judy, the waitress we met at the outset.
Lefty and Donnie sit along the opposite wall, in the smoking section,
LEFTY
(sotto)
Donnie?
DONNIE
What?
LEFTY
Why'd you inject that, Donnie,
with Florida?
DONNIE
I didn't inject anything, Left.
LEFTY
You injected that. Don't tell me
no. I know you, Donnie, you
don't say nothing unless there's
a reason for it.
DONNIE
I don't know, Left. I was just
bullshitting around.
LEFTY
Listen to me, D onnie. I s wear on--
I don't know which to swear on,
my dead father, my mother, who I
love, my children--I swear to
you, something's going on that
you don't know about.
DONNIE
I know. ·
LEFTY
(flaring)
That's the problem is, you don't
ko. ' . : ' " . - '
nw
DONNIE
You don't explain it to me.
LEFTY
You think you can trust Sonny
Black? Sonny Black is one big
fat fucking snake in the, uh,
uh...
DONNIE
Snake in the grass,
(CONTINUED)
64 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
You can't say that, Donnie.
Sonny Black is the skipper. You
don't open your mouth about 'him.
DONNIE
I was agreeing with you.
LEFTY
Ain't the question. Now you're
r espon sibl e for this . And
because I represent you I ' m
responsible -- for the whole
fucking Magilla fucking Gorilla
I ' m responsible. .
DONNIE
What are you so upset for? This
could be great.
LEFTY
I die wit'cha, you understand?
You walk on a chalk fucking line,
Don nie. I got two gren ades at
home-- I ' d blow up Mulberry
Street, you did something wrong.
DONNIE
I ' m not gonna do nothing wrong.
CUT TO:
65 INT. DAY. KING'S COURT
Cracked leatherette and gaffer's tape. TOPLESS DANCERS move greyly
through their paces, ignored by the scattered customers. Donnie
watches through the glass of a PHONE BOOTH. Supered below:
KING'S COURT. TAMPA., FLORIDA.
1979.
DONNIE
(to phone)
I'm in Florida.
MAGGIE (O.C.)
What are you doing in Florida?
DONNIE
What do you thi nk I'm doi ng? I'm
working.
DONNIE 'S POV
as a Dancer bends over, waggles her bare butt...
(CONTINUED)
DO .
65 CONTINUED: .
MAGGIE ( O . C . )
It' s tw el ve d eg re es h er e.
INSIDE
FRED CALVIN, a.k.a. "CALVINO", late 30s, beefy and bluff, tours
Lefty through the club. Shows him the LOCKERS behind the bar...
CALVINO
You run it as a 'bottle club,'
members only--keep your own
liquor in the lockers, pay for
setups. That way there's no
liquor license.
LEFTY
What kind of name is that,
'Calvino'?
CALVINO
Napolitan'.
(resuming)
Banquet room, six tennis courts,
swimming pool in the back...
LEFTY
You gonna put any money in this?
CALVINO
First class all the way, Left--
that was my original plan. Then
the minute I opened the joint I
discovered I had partners--these
goombahs. 'Gimme two hundred.'
'Gimme three hundred.' I said,
'Hey--I got a wife for thatl'
Lefty shoots him a withering look.
LEFTY
Wait here.
INSIDE THE PHONE BOOTH
Donnie watches Lefty approach.
MAGGIE
It's Terry's Sweet Sixteen on
Friday. Did you forget?
DONNIE
No, I didn't forget.
MAGGIE (O.C.)
Are you going to be here?
(CONTINUED)
69.
(2)
65 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
I ' m gonna try. Look, Maggie, I
gotta go.
MAGGIE (O.C. )
Because it's less disappointing
if you'd just say so.
DONNIE
I'll be there, okay? I gotta go.
' Bye.
Donnie moves to hang up. Remembers. Puts the phone back to his
mouth. . .
DONNIE
I love you.
...into a DIAL TONE. Lefty lights an English Oval as Donnie emerges.
DONNIE
So whaddaya think?
LEFTY
I hate Neapolitans. You vouch
for this guy, Donnie?
DONNIE
Lik e any body else . I k new h im
ten years ago, he was okay then.
LEFTY
What kind of man begrudges his
wife?
DONNIE
Look, I'm just making the
introduction. You make the
decision.
Lefty look s aro und. SMIL ES.
LEFTY
You imagine--we have our own
joint down here?
DONNIE
It's up to you, Left.
LEFTY
I just gotta sit down with the
man down here.
DONNIE
You know him? Trafficante?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: ' ( 3 )
65
LEFTY
Fuggedaboudit. All over the
world I ' m known.
(getting an idea)
Like a yacht. We gotta take him
out on a yacht, have a drink,
relax, then he knows these are
men of men he's dealing with.
DONNIE
I know a broad down here, her
brother has a boat. Big fucking
yacht.
LEFTY
Get that boat, Donnie. Stay away
from the broad.
Calvino joins them.
CALVINO
Hey--who's the best looking guy
in Florida?
He slaps a HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL to his forehead.
CALVINO
Mel
He laughs, puts his arm around an unamused Lefty.
CUT TO:
66 EXT. DAY. THE TAHITIAN
Sonny broods by the motel pool. Judy and the other girlfriends sit
a cro ss the wa y. Q UIE T i n t he heat . B oob ie rub s su nta n o il on
hi mse lf. Nic ky rea ds his pap er. Le fty and Do nni e a rri ve i n t hei r
street clothes.
SONNY
(morose)
Broad daylight. I still can't
get over it. You have to ask
yourself-- what kind of people?
They take a Mercedes--a man's
private property, they take it
right off the street.
BOOBIE
Sonny, fuggedaboudit. It's over.
SONNY
I don't know what the world's
coming to. I honestly don't.
(CONTINUED)
66 CONTINUED: .
NICKY
Ever since they got rid of the
death penalty, the whole fucking
society's going down the tubes.
Like I ' m watching the news last
n ig h t--
SONNY
Hey, Lefty, why didn't you bring
Louise?
LEFTY
Don't equate Louise with them
broads, Sonny. I bring Louise
when you bring your wives.
SONNY
(shouts)
Hey, Judy--come over here and
give everybody a blow job.
Judy gives him the finger. Sonny smiles, turns to the others.
SONNY
Isn't she spunky?
NICKY
I'm watching the news last night.
I'm lying there in bed and I see
thes e guys from Iran, and these
guys are whipping themselves.
LEFTY
Who?
NICKY
Iranians. You imagine? They
whip themselves, with whips.
SONNY
Lot of broads into that.
LEFTY
Geddaddaheah, Nicky--whipping
themselves. I never heard of
that.
NICKY
Donnie, am I right?
DONNIE
What?
LEFTY
How come you're asking him? How
come you don't ask me?
(CONTINUED)
66 CONTINUED: (2)
NI C KY
You just said you never heard of
it.
LEFTY
That's right. I never heard of
such a fucking thing.
DONNIE
It's like part of their religion,
Left . I t's ca lle d se lf-
flage llation. T hey think it'll
. bring them closer to God.
BOOBIE
I ' d like to bring them closer to
God.
SONNY
You see how smart he's getting,
Donnie, reading that paper?
NICKY
That's what they oughtta do.
Send over a bunch of wiseguys.
Put a gun in your pocket,
straighten them right out.
LEFTY
Nicky, why'd I wanna go to Iran?
NICKY
I ' m saying you gotta be strong
with these people.
LEFTY
Don't tell me where I go and
don't go.
NICKY
We didn't have these problems
with Nixon. And there was law
and order in the streets.
Donnie watches as the group offers a unanimous AMEN with their eyes.
SONNY
(to Lefty)
Everything check out with the
club?
LEFTY
Yeah.
(to Nicky) '
I ain't got three dollars in my
pocket, Nicky, I'm gonna go to
Iran?
(CONTINUED)
73.
(3)
66 CONTINUED:
NICKY
Fuggedaboudit.
SONNY
The man down here says okay?
LEFTY
I ' m taking care of it. I gotta
reach out--in a month I'll come
back and sit down with the man.
SONNY
He knows who you are?
ZZZZH! the whir of an autowinder and a black-and-white FREEZE FRAME,
LEFTY
Fuggedaboudit, Sonny, All over
the world I ' m known.
NICKY
You are not known in Iran.
and another freeze frame. Boobie gets up, dives in the pool
ZZZZH!
and another FREEZE FRAME.
ZZZZH!
CUT TO:
67 INT. NIGHT. SAFE HOUSE
A nerve center set up in a hotel suite. FBI AGENTS with headphones
listen to WIRETAPS, bustle in and out. Donnie, exhausted, sits with
Bursey and Jules.
DONNIE
I need a boat. Lefty loves
boa ts. B e wan ts s ometh ing
special to show off for
Trafficanta.
BURSEY
Anything else?
DONNIE
Yeah. What happened to my
expense check? It's gotta be
three months already.
Bursey gets called to the phone, BARBARA JONES, 30s, a PROSECUTOR,
approaches.
JULES
Joe, this's Barbara Jones. She's
an assistant US Attorney.
(CONTINUED)
74
67 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Donnie. Call me Donnie.
(to Jules)
I gotta get reimbursed, Jules.
It's fucking ridiculous.
JONES
We're missing bits and pieces on
a lot of these cases. On the
lo a ns ha rk in g--
DONNIE
Donnie Brasco has the worst
fucking credit rating in the
history of the Mafia.
JONES
Like I was saying, with the
loansharking-- we have to get
somebody on tape with what the
rate of interest is.
Bursey covers the phone.
BURSEY
Does Sally Paintglass report to
Nicky?
DONNIE
Not Nicky. Nicky Cigars.
BURSEY
(to phone)
Not Nicky. Nicky Cigars.
DONNIE
Kiss Jones, how many do I have
solid?
JONES
Indictments? I don't know.
F i ft y . Si x ty .
BURSEY
(calling out)
Who's Nicky Glasses?
DONNIE
Nicky Glasses. Little Nicky.
JONES
Joe--
DONNIE
Donnie. Call me Donnie. I don't
wanna get confused.
(more)
(CONTINUED)
75.
( 2)
67 CONTI NUED:
DONNIE (Cont'd)
(to Jules)
What about the club? When's it
gonna be ready?
JULES
It'll be ready when you come back
down.
DONNIE
You gonna spend any money to fix
it up or is it gonna stay a dump?
Bursey moves to the coffee machine. Jules sits with Donnie, hands
him the NAGRA TAPE RECORDER. He sticks it inside his COWBOY BOOT.
BURSEY
You want some coffee, Joe?
DONNIE
(correcting him)
Donnie.
JONES
The loansharking predicates are
very specific. It's really
important that you focus on these
things.
DONNIE
What about the boat? I need that
fucking boat. You know, I ask
Berada to do something and he
just says, 'Done'.
JULES
Maybe that's why he's in the
hospital.
JONES
The stat says twice the lawful
rate. Can you get that on tape?
DONNIE
Just get me that fucking boat,
okay?
Bursey rejoins them, stirring his coffee.
BUPSEY
They got that boat down here on
t hat other inve stiga tion--
wha tcham acall it. B ig f uckin g
yacht.
DONNIE
Perfect.
(CONTINUED)
76.
(3)
67 C ON T IN UE D :
BURSEY
(laughing)
The agents dress up as Arab
sheiks trying to bribe
Congressmen. You think that'll
ever amount to anything?
CUT TO:
68 EXT. NIGHT. MARINA
Lefty talks to a CAPTAIN, 50s, topsiders and cutoffs.
LEFTY
Five grand for that bucket for
one day?
CAPTAIN
Just listen to me--
LEFTY
I listen to my prick. How can
you say five grand?
CAPTAIN
You don't want it, don't rent it.
Lefty looks up. DOUBLETAKES.
LEFTY'S POV
as he looks down the dock, where BOOBIE meets with two COLOMBIANS by
a cigarette boat. He hands them a paper bag full of cash to the
Colomb ians. The y hand him a BRIEFCA SE. Lefty bac ks int o the
shadows. Watches, TROUBLED, as Boobie climbs into his car, drives
away.
LEFTY
(sotto)
What the fuck is he up to?
CUT TO:
69 EXT. MORNING. TAMPA AIRPORT
The guys head toward the terminal, followed by Calvino, burdened by
their LUGGAGE. He lumbers like a pack-animal.
SONNY
Left, you wanna take care of the
bags? We'll be in the lounge.
Sonny heads inside with Nicky and Boobie. Lefty looks around.
LEFTY
Where's that fucking redcap?
(CONTINUED)
77.
69 CONTINUED:
Lefty wanders off, looks up the block. Calvino stands on the curb
with Donnie. Looks up and down. DOUBLETAKES.
CALVINO
(aside)
Oh, Jesus--that's Hollman, Joe.
"Joe." RAGE flickers almost imperceptibly in Donnie's eyes.
CALVINO'S POV
HOLLMAN, 50s, a sharply-dressed LAWYER, climbs out of a Mercedes.
Moves to the trunk, opens it.
CALVINO
He'll make us for sure. He was
the USD A w ith --
DONNIE
(hard)
Shut up and calm down. I'll take
c a re o f it . -
Lefty rejoins them.
LEFTY
Now listen to me, Fred--you
listening to me?
CALVINO'S POV
Hollman helps his wife out of the car. Shuts the door...The REDCAP
shows up. Starts ticketing the bags.
LEFTY
Just get that club fixed up.
Anybody says anything, you just
tell them to have their people
get in touch with your people in
New YorJc.
Hollman drops his bags--in line behind our guys. His wife fishes ir
her pocketbook for the tickets. . .
LEFTY
Mulberry Street. Ask for Lefty.
CALVINO
Okay, Left.
REDCAP
(to Lefty)
Excuse me, sir--your tickets?
(CONTINUED)
78.
69 CONTINUED: (2)
LEFTY
(ignoring Redcap)
When we come back down, we'll sit
down with Who's Who and
straighten everything out.
HOLLMAN
(to Lefty)
Excuse me^-he needs your tickets.
And then he...RECOGNIZES Donnie.
HOLLMAN
Joe?
Donnie ignores him.
DONNIE
(to Calvino)
Help this fucking guy put the
bags up on the cart. You got the
tickets, Left?
HOLLMAN
(persisting)
Joe Pistone?
Lefty's SUSPICION rises. Hollman moves to take Donnie by the elbow.
And Donnie WHIRLS on him.
DONNIE
(angry)
Hey, buddy--what the fuck are you
selling?
HOLLMAN
I'm sorry--I thought I recognized
you.
DONNIE
(to Lefty)
Get a load of this g uy. The
oldest fucking scam in the book.
Pretend you recognize someone and
meanwhile his partner here takes
your w allet, (t o Wife) He fuck
you, honey, or does he just
thieve with you?
HOLLMAN
That's my wife.
MRS. HOLLMAN
C'mon, honey.
DONNIE
Hah? with his fucking pencil
prick?
(CONTINUED)
79.
69 CONTINUED: (3)
HOLLMAN
(ironic)
My mistake.
She draws him away. They move toward the terminal.
DONNIE
(after them)
'Cause if he ain't fucking you,
honey, coine up to First Class.
We got two toilets up there.
Calvino gives the bag to a REDCAP. Looks in his wallet.
DONNIE
Fucking guy pissing up my leg.
LEFTY .
Relax. You're gonna bust a blood
vessel.
DONNIE
You can't even go to the fucking
airport any more without some
fucking Hare Krishna or somebody
puts his hand in your pocket.
CALVINO
(to Lefty)
You got change for a twenty?
Lefty takes the twenty, gives the REDCAP two dollars. KEEPS the
twenty.
LEFTY
Send the tickets for me and
Donnie. We'll come back down in
a month.
CALVINO
Sounds good to me. (about the
twenty^ 5ey Left'--
But Lefty's already on his way inside. Donnie lingers a beat.
CALVINO
I wanted change from a twenty.
He took the twenty--
DONNIE
(sotto)
You ever call me Joe again I'll
cut your throat.
CUT TO:
80.
70 INT. NIGHT. PISTONE HOME--MINNESOTA
The door unlocks, and Donnie tiptoes into the house. The middle of
the night. Goes into the kitchen for a snack. Opens the
refrigerator.
A BIRTHDAY CAKE
half-eaten, with the elided legend, "HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN, TERRY." He
missed the party.
DONNIE
Shit.
CUT TO:
71 INT. NIGHT. TERRY'S ROOM
Terry lies awake. A shaft of light hits her face as Donnie opens the
door.
DONNIE
Terry ? You awak e?
TERRY
Yeah.
Donnie goes to her. Sits on the bed.
DONNIE
I ' m sorry I missed your party.
TERRY.
It's okay. Uncle Bob flew in.
DONNIE
I ' m not the kind of guy that
breaks his promises.
TERRY
That's what Mom said.
DONNIE
I'm sure that's only part of what
Mom said.
TERRY
That's between you two.
DONNIE
W ha t' d s he sa y-- sh e w an ts a
divorce? That's just her way of
blowing off steam.
TERRY
She was worried something
happened to you.
(CONTINUED)
81.
71 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Nothing's gonna happen to me,
Terry. Nothing's gonna happen to
us -- I won't le t it. Okay ?
TERRY
Look, I understand. It's your
job.
DONNIE
I ' m doing the right thing. I
know i t's a sac rifice. It 's the
same thing I always tell you kids --
do your best, work hard, never
quit. That's how I live my life.
I just had no way of knowing it
would go this far.
TERRY
It was just a birthday party,
D ad. You d on't have to go
through this big apology.
DONNIE
You're getting grown-up now. I
want you to understand.
TERRY
Half the kids in school don't
have fathers.
DONNIE
You have a father, Terry.
TERRY
That's not what I meant.
DONNIE
Maybe I'm not there for the good
times, but I'm there if you need
me.
TERRY
I know that, Dad.
DONNIE
It's just another six months.
"Another six months." That phrase. Like a knife in her heart.
TERRY
Whenever. It's no big deal.
DONNIE
Come here. Give me a hug.
Terry sits up, hugs her f ather. St ruggles ag ainst the tears. An d
loses.
(CONTINUED)
82.
71 CONTINUED: (2)
TERRY
(so bb in g)
I ha te yo u. I' m so rry . I h at e
you so much.
He takes this like a blow. Hugs her tighter.
CUT TO:
72 INT. M ORNING. PISTONE HO ME
Donnie convenes a FAMILY MEETING over breakfast. Terry, Kerry and
Maggie sit, sullen, around the kitchen table. Sherry runs down the
stairs, sits down.
SHERRY
Sorry I ' m late.
DONNIE
Okay. I called this family
meeting because there's something
we have to t alk a bout. I kn ow
what I'm doing involves a lot of
sacrifice from everyone, but this
is something patriotic for the
country that you can all be proud
of.
(beat)
I called the meeting because
we're gonna have to move.
TERRY
I ' m not moving.
DONNIE
This isn't a democracy, Terry.
This is a dictatorsh ip. And
that's my decision. It's getting
too dangerous.
MAGGIE
Well, I don't want to move
eithe r, Joe. Mo ve where?
DONNIE
There's too many people here who
know us.
MAGGIE
Those people are known as
'friends,' Joe. You told me when
we started this that we'd be
moving back close to the family.
That was the deal.
(CONTINUED)
83.
72 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
We're moving to Minnesota and
changing our name to 'Anderson'.
That's the deal. It's done.
SHERRY
'Anderson'? Yeeccch..
TERRY
Fuck that. I ' m staying here.
I'll live with Kenny.
DONNIE
That language is unacceptable,
y oung lady . You sit down.
Terry gets up, walks out. Maggie gets up, too.
MAGGIE
Well, Mr. 'Anderson', you've
topped yourself. Where'd you get
that name-- 'Father Knows Best'?
DONNIE
Where are you going? Don't you
want to discuss this?
MAGGIE
Apparently there's nothing to
discuss. I'm going to get the
mail.
KERRY
What about our friends?
DONNIE
You'll make new friends.
SHERRY
We're not in the FBI, Dad.
DONNIE
Minnesota's great. Lakes and
everything. We can get a nice
piece of land there. Maybe we
can even get a horse.
Maggie comes back inside, reading the MAIL. Flips a letter to
Donnie. · ~
MAGGIE
You know the US government? The
one you're doing this patriotic
work for, that we can all be
proud of?
DONNIE
What's this?
(CONTINUED)
84
72 CONTINUED: (2)
MAGGIE
The IRS. We got audited.
CUT TO:
73 EXT. DAY. TAMPA HARBOR
A magnificent hand-built 75-foot motor yacht docked at the marina.
Lefty BEAMS, arms folded in satisfaction, beside Donnie. Sonny,
Nicky, Boobie and the girls arrive, carrying COOLERS. They marvel at
the boat.
NICKY
Left, that's some fucking boat.
SONNY
Cozz'. that's beautiful.
Judy gives Lefty a kiss. He blushes.
LEFTY
Sonny--lookit what the name is.
That's like my name.
Sonny looks at the stern. Emblazoned across it:
"THE LEFT HAND"
SONNY
That's some fucking irony, ain't
.it?
LEFTY
That's hand-built in Taiwan, that
boat.
BOOBIE
What is that, half a million?
LEFTY
Fuggedaboudit. There's one thing
I know, it's boats. This'8 gotta
be a million dollars, this boat.
(gestures toward boat)
G o ah e ad . G et co m fo rt a bl e . I' m
gonna wait for the man.
Sonny and the others head toward the boat. Lefty turns to Donnie.
LEFTY
Can y ou im agine this ? I' m gon na
sit down with the boss . Rem ember
that day when we were freezing
our nuts off, watching all of
them going to sit down with the
boss? <
(CONTINUED)
85.
73 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Sonny Red and all them big
puffers.
LEFTY
In New York I never sat down with
t he boss in my life. This was a
great idea I had, Florida.
DONNIE
Hey, Left.
Donnie nods toward the parking lot. Lefty looks, sees a LINCOLN TOWN
CAR pull up.
LEFTY
That's him. That's Trafficante.
Lefty jogs up the dock as STEVE DISALVO, 40s, Trafficante's ENFORCER,
emerges from the Lincoln.
DISALVO
You Lefty?
LEFTY
Nice to meet you, Mr.
Trafficante.
DISALVO
This's Mr. Trafficante.
Lefty turns as SANTO TRAFFICANTE, 70s, a feeble old man with a pork
pie hat, is helped from the car by his entourage of FLORIDA WISEGUYS.
He and Lefty shake hands.
LEFTY
That's the boat I arranged for
you, Mr. T raffi cante . We got a
full bar, every kind of music,
telephone, everythin g. You wa nt
anything-- anything you want--you
just ask Lefty.
Trafficante peers down the dock through thick prescription
SUNGLASSES.
TRAFFICANTE
Which one's Sonny Black?
FLASH CUT TO:
74 INT. NIGHT. FBI
Hogue looks at large color SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS of "The Left Hand" as
it tools around Tampa harbor. As the party progresses, Sonny Black
and Trafficante split off and move to the bow. Then Donnie joins
Sonny and Trafficante. Sonny introduces them...
(CONTINUED)
86.
74 CONTINUED:
OVER THIS
taped dialogue from the group in the stern, with seagulls, surf, and
the sounds of a party...
C LOSE ON-- HOGU E
as his face turns grim...
H OL D ON-- SU RVE IL LA NCE P HOT O
as Donnie shakes hands with Trafficante.
HOGUE
An FBI man shaking hands with the
boss o f Florida ? Did it e ver
occur to anyone that that is
simply not possible?
JULES
Score one for our side.
HOGUE
What makes you so sure he's on
.
our side?
·
FLASH CUT TO:
75 EXT. THE PAST. BOAT
Sonny and Donnie stand in the bow, look out over the water.
SONNY
You can live your life like a man
d own here. I bet if you took m y
blood pressure right now it'd be
down o ne hundre d per cent . Sonny
Red's got Jersey and we got
Florida, and Florida's better
'
than Jersey, right?
DONNIE
He can stick Jersey up his ass.
SONNY
This is a great idea I had,
Florida.
DONNIE
Once Lefty arranged it with
Trafficante--
SONNY
Fuggedaboudit. What Lefty don't
understand is guys like
Trafficante, their day is done.
(more)
(CONTINUED)
87.
75 CONTINUED:
SONNY (Cont'd)
A 70 year old brain can't compare
with guys like us, because where
he's got like 20 more years
experience .in his day, we got 50
more years in our day. And we're
l iving in our day. C apeesh?
DONNIE
Simple arithmetic.
SONNY
Lik e wit h jea ns, who h ad th e
idea with ^eans and now look how
much money they're making?
DONNIE
Some young guy.
SONNY
Lefty's a dynamite-guy, no
q uesti on. But y ou kn ow, t he
thing with him is. . . he's trying
to help you but he hurts you. He
gets those two or three wines in
him...
DONNIE
You just gotta take it with a
grain of salt.
SONNY
The books open up in December,
I'm gonna propose you. You know <
what that means?
DONNIE
Fuggedaboudit. Be a made guy?
That would be unbelievable.
SONNY
What I'm saying is this. You
don't have to report to Lefty no
more. From now on you can report
to me.
CLOSE ON--DONNIE
as he calculates the advantages and dangers of his new offer...
IN THE STERN
Lefty broods, nurses a spritzer. Watches Donnie with eyes full of
anger and resentment. Boobie sidles up to him.
(CONTINUED)
88.
(2)
75 CONTINUED:
B OO BI E
Can I ask you something? Did you
get this boat or did Donnie get
this boat?
LEFTY
Some broad down here he used to
know, it belongs to her brother.
BOOBIE
He knows a lot of broads, Donnie.
LEFTY
If Donnie had a dollar for every
broad of all his broads, he could
buy the fucking boat himself.
BOOBIE
If Donnie's got so many broads,
how come we never seen none of
them?
LEFTY
He uses them broads like Kleenex.
He won't spend a dollar to take
a lady out.
Boobie drinks, takes a beat.
BOOBIE
You ever notic e Donnie'11 buy
guns from you, if you're offing
guns, but you never see him be
the one offing guns?
Lefty thinks a beat.
CUT TO:
76 INT. NIGHT. TAHITIAN
Donnie takes off his cowboy boots. Takes the Nagra out of his boot
Rewinds the tape. Plays it.
DONNIE (O.C.)
I just got some things I gotta
take care of, back in the city.
SONNY (O.C.)
When you come back, you represent
me in Florida.
He SNAPS it off. Hides it back in his cowboy boot.
CUT TO:
89.
77 INT. DAY. LAGUARDIA AIRPORT
Donnie and Lefty wait with the crowd at the BAGGAGE CAROUSEL.
LEFTY
I'm telling you, it's good to be
back in New York. That fucking
Florida baked everybody's brain.
when Sonny gets out of the
fucking sun he's gonna realize
what a miserable fucking idea you
had.
DONNIE
How long's he gonna stay down
there?
LEFTY
Do I know? (resuming) I never
saw so many old people in my
life. Who the fuck wants to go
to Florida? Sometimes you are
one stupid cocksucker, Donnie.
Donnie FLARES at the word "cocksucker." :
THEIR POV
as Lefty's SUITCASE moves toward them. Donnie doesn't budge.
LEFTY
Donnie--that's my bag, Donnie.
Don nie --
DONNIE
Nobody calls me cocksucker.
Understood?
LEFTY
You get that fucking bag.
DONNIE
I'm not getting it.
LEFTY
Pick it up.
DONNIE
NO.
LEFTY
Pick up the fucking bag.
DONNIE
No fucking way, Left.
LEFTY
Don't think you got the wood over
m y ey es, D onnie . I w atch you '
siding up to Sonny Black.
(CONTINUED)
90,
77 CON TINUED:
DONNIE
That's got nothing to do with it.
LEFTY
Now you're on your fucking high
horses.
DONNIE
I got no fucking loyalty to Sonny
Black. That ain't the issue.
LEFTY
(off bags)
Donnie--that's the other one!
DONNIE
Nobody calls me cocksucker.
LEFTY
For your information I'll call
you whatever the fuck I want. I
call you cocksucker. I call you
motherfucker. I call you, uh,
uh...
Other PASSENGERS start to clear them a wide berth...
DONNIE
You're the fucking cocksucker.
H uh? Yo u f uck ing coc ksu cke r--h ow
does it feel?.
LEFTY
Fuck. My fucking knife's in the
bag.
Lefty's chases after the suitcase...
DONNIE
Go ahead, Left. Fucking whack
m e . S t a b m e. R ig h t i n th e
fucking baggage claim.
LEFTY
You pick up that bag, Donnie.
DONNIE
Whack me! Because you know what?
You make me so fucking mad I'm
gonna whack you and then I'm
gonna get whacked for whacking
you anyway!
LEFTY
You can't call me cocksucker,
Donnie.
(CONTINUED)
91 .
(2)
77 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
I ain't picking up the bag.
LEFTY
You pick it up.
DONNIE
I ain't.
LEFTY
You pick up that bag, Donnie.
CUT TO:
78 INT. LATER. LAGUARDIA
Donnie and Lefty stand ALONE by the carousel, arms folded, as their
suitcases go around.
DISSOLVE TO:
79 INT. NIGHT. PISTONE HOME--MINNESOTA
Terry and Kerry and their new BOYFRIENDS make out on their parents'
bed. Limbs writhing in adolescent lust. Then a RING...
THE LEFTY PHONE
by the bedside. They stop, watch it ring. Then Terry's hand MOVES
toward the forbidden phone. This close...
KERRY
Terry1
CUT TO:
80 INT. NIGHT. LEFTY'S APARTMENT
Lefty SLAMS the phone down. Sits with a huff in his chair. Louise
brings him a spritzer.
LOUISE
Here you go, Bennie.
LEFTY
Did Donnie call today?
LOUISE
No. I don't know when's the last
time I heard from him. Is he out
of town?
LEFTY
Shut up, Louise.
(CONTINUED)
9 2.
80 CONTINUED:
On Louise, hurt--Lefty doesn't talk to her that way. She exits.
Lefty, frustrated, turns on the TV.
CUT TO:
81 INT. NIGHT. JAPANESE RESTAURANT
A Japanese MAITRE D' greets Sonny, Donnie, Nicky and Boobie at the
door.
MAITRE D'
. Good evening. Please step this
way.
The Maitre d' ushers them inside. Donnie lingers behind, NERVOUS...
NICKY
My wife says it's very in,
Japanese. She heard it on John
Gambling. Very big now.
The Maitre d' stops them.
MAITRE D'
Please to remove your shoes.
DONNIE'S COWBOY BOOT
with the Nagra in it. The Maitre d' waits for Donnie's shoes,
GESTURES...Donnie thinking fast...
DONNIE
Get a load of this guy. (to
Maitre d') How about you take off
your fucking pants?
NICKY
That's part of the thing of it,
Donnie. You take off your shoes
and sit on the floor.
DONNIE
I'm not taking my shoes off for
this guy.
MAITRE D'
I'm afraid is necessary.
S9NNY
C'mon, Donnie. Just take off
your fucking shoes and let's eat.
BOOBIE
What's the big deal?
(CONTINUED)
: 9.
3
81 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Hey, Boobie, who won the fucking
war? :
SONNY
Donnie--I ' m hungry and I ain't in
the mood.
DONNIE
I ain't doing it.
SONNY
Take off your fucking shoes or
I ' m gonna chop off your fucking
legs.
MAITRE D'
Is house rule.
DONNIE
I grew up an orphan because my
Dad took a fucking bullet in
Okinawa, and I'll lose my boot up
his fucking asshole before I'll '
take orders from fucking Mr. Moto
here.
MAITRE D'
Is house rule.
SONNY
I wanna fucking eat, Donnie.
MAITRE D'
Rule of house.
The moment of truth.
DONNIE BLOWS
GRABS the Maitre d' and RAMS him through the doors of the MEN'S ROOM.
CUT TO:
82 INT. MEN'S ROOM
Donnie and the Maitre d' go at it. . The little guy's game, quick and
tough. Then the other SWA RM inside. And the MASSACRE b egins.
FISTS AND KICKS
crunch dow n on the Maitre d'. Donnie in with the m--EXCITED by the
fray, the adrenaline RUSH. He KICKS the Maitre d' hard....The Mait re
d' SCREAMS...
CUT TO:
94.
83 INT. THE PRESENT. FBI
Hogue listens to the tape. . . Donnie's hard breathing...The Maitre d ' s
screams...The THUDS of Donnie's kicks...
FLASH CUT TO:
84 INT. THE PAST. MEN'S ROOM
Nicky takes a roll of quarters. Holds it in his fist, PUNCHES hard
across the Maitre d's brow. Blood TORRENTS from the gash...Blinded
by the blood, the Maitre d' swings wildly...
BOOBIE SLIPS
on the blood and falls into the PUDDLE. . . Sees the STAINS on his
slacks...In a rage now...Boobie grabs a GARBAGE CAN, swings it at the
Maitre d ' , who sinks in a heap, unconscious. The guys continue to
KICK at him...
CLOS E ON--DO NNIE
as he backs away, APPALLED by the explosion of violence--and his part
in it.
FLASH CUT TO:
85 INT. SAME TIME. FBI
PHOTOS of the Maitre d ' , bloodied and bruised, taken at the hospital
afterwards . Hogue i nspects th em.
OVER THIS
the tape plays...
BOOBIE (O.C.)
How many times I gotta tell you,
N ic ky ? T h e he a d bleeds like a
motherfucker.
N ICKY ( O.C.)
Try club soda. Sometimes that
works, club soda.
BOOBIE (O.C.)
Goddam Brioni suit.
HOGUE
This is what the FBI does?
You're telling me this is the
fucking FBI?
BERADA
You think Joe went over to the
other side?
(CONTINUED)
95.
85 CONTINUED:
HOGUE
I think that's a question worth
asking, don't you?
BERADA
Ask him the fuck yourself.
HOGUE
From everything we know what he
did is simply not possible. Then
you look at the guns and the
porno tapes and (with photos)
this. That is not the behavior
of an FBI agent. I listen to
those tapes and that is not the
speech of an FBI agent.
JULES
I ' m tired of defending what we
did. You're so sure he went over
the other side? Maybe we should
fucking arrest him.
LEBOW
We should pull him out, is what
we should do.
JULES
We don't even know where the fuck
he is, Clarence. Remember?
BERADA
Joe's a seducer. He seduced
them.
HOGUE
Well, maybe he fucking seduced
you.
THE CLOCK
on the wall reads "9:30." The phone RINGS. Jules grabs it. Listens
a beat. Turns to the others.
JULES
The guy inside spotted Sonny
Black at the wedding. Donnze's
with him.
CUT TO:
86 INT. SAME TIME. CHURCH HALL
FBI #2, in the guise of a BUSBOY, pours water. Keeps an eye on our
guys at a remote table, amidst several hundred GUESTS.
i· . '
(CONTINUED)
96.
86 CONTINUED:
AT THE TABLE
Our guys, dour and nervous, sit with their wives. Donnie with a
blonde BIMBO.
SONNY
What kind of a fucking table is
this? We're in fucking Siberia
with this table.
RED COWBOY BOOTS
approach beneath tuxedo pants. Sonny Red, accompanied by his son
Bruno and Big Trin, claps Sonny Black on the back.
SONNY RED
I heard you was down in Florida.
SONNY
Yeah, you know--take the sun. I
didn't want to come back.
SONNY RED
You got friends in Florida?
SONNY
They're very friendly down there,
the people.
Sonny Red pinches Sonny's cheek.
SONNY RED
Nice color you got. Redl
Bruno and Big Trin laugh uproariously. They move on as our guys look
daggers their way.
SONNY
I gotta go to the John.
Sonny gets up. All the guys get up with him. Follow Sonny to the
John.
SONNY RED
watches them from his table. Then looks up.
SONNY RED'S POV
of the FBI "busboy" as he clears the salad dishes...Sonny Red
whispers something to Bruno.
CUT TO:
87 INT. SAME TIME. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue turns to LeBow.
(CONTINUED)
97.
87 CONTINUED:
HOGUE
(covering phone)
You're sure the informant said
tonight?
LEBOW
The hit's going down tonight.
JULES
In about two fucking minutes
they're gonna start getting
suspicious about that
. surveillance van.
HOGUE
(to phone)
Anything from the guy inside?
' JULES
We have a guy inside, sir--Joe's
the gu y inside. And clear ly he
doesn't think there's a problem.
LEBOW
He can't stay undercover forever.
If it's not now, it's next week.
Or next month.
HOGUE
(to phone)
If they leave/ stay with them.
JULES
Are you out of your fucking mind?
A fucking New Jersey telephone
repair van in the rear-view
mirror all the fucking way to
Brooklyn? Why don't you }ust put
a bullet in his head?
CUT TO:
88 INT. SAME TIME. BATHROOM
Boobie and Donnie enter first, hands ready by the guns in their
cummer bunds. Ch eck all th e stalls. Nicky pos ts himself by the d oor
and Sonny enters wi th Lefty. Sonny goes into the STALL. Cl oses the
door behind him.
NICKY
I heard the zips went in with
Sonny Red.
BOOBIE
The only ones in with us is us.
(CONTINUED)
98.
88 CONTINUED:
VILE NOISES
emanate from the stall. The guys stand around, awkward, nervous,
watching.
LEFTY
Christ, Sonny--what'd you eat for
lunch?
SONNY
Judy.
The guys LAUGH. Then FLINCH as the door OPENS. . . Hands at their
guns...
PHILLY LUCKY
holds his hands up, palms up.
PHILLY LUCKY
Where's Sonny?
The toilet FLUSHES. Sonny eme rges. Look s to Phil ly Lucky.
PHILLY LUCKY
Sonny wanted me to tell you--he
wants to schedule a sitdown.
Hash everything out.
CUT TO:
89 INT. LATER. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue looks at the clock: "11:10". Looks at Jules. Gets back on the
phone.
HOGUE
(to phone)
What's going on?
TECH #1 (O.C.)
They're coming out.
CUT TO:
90 EXT. SAME TIME. CHURCH HALL
Sonny hands his car keys to his wife.
SONNY
You go hom e with Ir ene. We're
going out bouncing.
(to Boobie)
C'mon. We'll take your car.
(CONTINUED)
99.
90 CONTINUED:
His wife gives Sonny a perfunctory kiss on the cheek. She and
Boobie's wife climb into Sonny's new Mercedes.
CUT TO:
91 INT. SAME TIME. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue covers the phone. Turns to the others.
HOGUE
They're putting the wives in a
separate car.
JULES
Just get that van out of there.
LEBOW
We just found him. Now you want
to unfind him?
MARSHALL
Seems like a false alarm, thank
God.
LEBOW
Tonight maybe it's a false alarm.
So tomorrow night he gets killed.
O r he kill s somebody --did you
ever think of that?
JULES
You make it sound like Joe's the
only one in danger from these
g uys-- eight million people in
the city of New York are in
danger from these guys. If they
walk away from this because we
don't have the cases they'll be
stronger than they ever were.
MARSHALL
You have to make a decision, sir.
HOGUE
I can't make a decision this wayl
It's fucking insanity!
JULES
You have to get that van out of
there. Just give me the phone.
HOGUE
It's my watch. It's my call.
(CONTINUED)
100,
91 CONTINUED:
JULES
(right back)
Then make the fucking call.
Either you trust him or you
don't. That's w hat it's a lways
been with this. Either you trust
Joe or you don't.
Hogue thinks a long beat. Gets back on the phone.
HOGUE
(to phone)
Okay. Wrap it up and get out of
there.
CUT TO:
92 EXT. NIGHT. CHURCH HALL
Sonny, Boobie, Lefty, Nicky and Donnie walk toward the cars. Lefty
and Nicky split off toward Lefty's Cadillac.
SONNY
Donnie--ride with us.
Nicky and Lefty climb into Lefty's Cadillac. Sonny, Boobie and
Donnxe approache Boobie's Cadillac. Donnie reaches for the back
door.
SONNY
(to Donnie)
Why don't you sit in front?
A sudden chord of TERROR plays up Donnie's spine. Donnie looks to
Lefty for help...For some indication. . . But his eyes are DEAD. They
all climb in Boobie's Cadillac.
THE SURVEILLANCE VAN
ulls away from the curb, drives off...Boobie pulls out of the lot in
g is Cadillac, drives off in the opposite direction.
CUT TO:
93 INT. SAKE TIME. FBI HEADQUARTERS
Hogue BROODS as the FBI men roll down their sleeves> pull on their
jackets, snap closed their briefcases...
JULES
I told you that wire was a
fucking fiction writer.
LEBOW
He's never been wrong before,
(CONTINUED)
101
93 CONTINUED:
HOGUE
What exactly did the informant
say?
LEBOW
He said the hit's going down
tonight at the. wedding.
HOGUE
Did he say a hit on Sonny Black?
LEBOW
A hit . There's a war bet ween
Sonny Red and S onny Black --
they're both at the wedding--I
in ter pola ted th at--
HOGUE
Who was this informant? Where -
does his information come from?
LEBOW
He's close to guys who are close
to the guys in Sonny Black's,
crew. He's very reliable.
HOGUE
Goddamit1
Hogue frantically dials the phone.
LEBOW
What?
HOGUE
Sonny Black's not the target.
Sonny Black's the shooter!
LEBOW
I just assumed---
MARSHALL
Oh my God.
CUT TO:
94 INT. LATER. BOOBIE'S CADILLAC
Boobie drives, Donnie beside him. The menacing QUIET of the open
road. Past PROSPECT PARK...
SONNY
Hey, Boob, remember how we used
to run around here, when we was
kids? We used to have running
races. . .
(CONTINUED)
102.
94 CONTINUED:
BOOBIE
I whipped your ass many a time.
SpNNY
Fuggedaboudit.
BOOBIE
When I raced wit'cha, it looked
like you're standing still.
SONNY
Oh, yeah? Pull over.
BOOBIE
Fuggedabouit. I whipped your
ass. Your day is done.
SONNY
Pull over. We're gonna see whose
day is done. C'mon, Donnie. You
do the on the marks.
Boobie pulls over. They pile out of the car.
CUT TO:
95 EXT. NIGHT. PROSPECT PARK
Boobie and Sonny crouch at an imaginary starting line.
SONNY
Okay. We're running to the
fountain.
BOOBIE
Okay.
SONNY
You remember the fountain?
BOOBIE
I remember the fountain.
SONNY
Donnie--you do the 'on your
marks'.
DONNIE
On yo ur ma rk s. Ge t s et . Go!
They JUMP off the line...RUNNING through the blackness... Sonny takes
an early lead, but Boobie's leaner...Starts to pull away...Looks over
at Sonny, GRINS...
DONNIE PEERS
into the darkness...Sees them DISAPPEAR into the trees.
(CONTINUED)
103.
95 CONTINUED:
SONNY AND BOOBIE RUN
huffing and puffing. . .They disappear into the darkness .. .And Donnie
realizes that he's
ALONE IN THE DARK
Turning, around and around... A RAT with no place to hide...
THE RACE CONTINUES
Boobie looks over at Sonny, pulls away...
DONNIE IN TERROR
Adrenaline rushes through him. As 'he turns, and turns, and
WAITS... For the bullet that will kill him...
BOOBIE RUNS
S onny yard s behind h im. Then Sonny STOP S. Reaches into his
w aistb and. And pulls out
A PISTOL
Boobie running FREE in the night. . .Reaches the fountain, holds up his
a rms in vic tory. Lea ns over, h ands on k nees, WHEE ZING. Turn s,
smiling. And his smile FRACTURES.
DONNIE FLEES
Jogs a couple of steps to find some cover... Then hears
A DISTANT GUNSHOT
as it echoes through the park. Donnie crouches by reflex. From the
shadows, a man STAGGERS toward Donnie -- it's Boobie, bleeding
profusely from a head wound . . . Sonny chases him. ..The champagne POP!
of more GUNSHOTS...
SONNY AIMS
fires... His .45 JAMS...
SONNY
Fucking son of a bitch! Donnie,
get 'iml
Boobie STAGGERS, bleeding from three wounds now. . .Running toward his
car... Donnie runs toward him. ..The CRUNCH of wet grass...
DONNIE TACKLES HIM
Boobie falls heavily... BLOOD belches out of his mouth...
BOOBIE
Help me. . .
(CONTINUED)
104.
95 CO N TI N UE D : (2 )
Sonny catches up. Grabs his .45 by the barrel and savagely SMASHES
Boobie in the head. A thick sound--like a melon falling off a shelf.
Again and again...Blood EVERYWHERE... Donnie backs off, looks up, as
LEFTY ARRIVES
in his Cadillac. Nicky beside him. Sonny tosses Boobie's keys to
Donnie.
SONNY
Pull his car around, I think he
has a bag in the trunk.
CUT TO:
96 INT. LATER. LEFTY'S APARTMENT
Lefty pours Donnie a Scotch. Sits down with a spritzer.
LEFTY
He was holding out on him.
Fucking coke deal Boobie was
running down in Florida.
DONNIE
Sonny found out about it?
LEFTY
Do I still gotta school you after
w hatever fu cking yea rs? That's
the worst thing you could do to
a m an li ke So nny Black . You
could pull his cock before you
could take a dollar out of his
pocket.
DONNIE
How'd he find out?
LEFTY
Who? -. '
DONNIE
Sonny.
LEFTY
Why the fuck are you asking so
many fucking questions, Donnie?
DONNIE
I don't know, Left. Boobie was
a friend, of all of us.
' LEFTY
Boobie wasn't no friend to you/
Donnie/ believe me. -
(CONTINUED)
105.
96 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
What are you talking about?
LEFTY
Ain't nobody gonna give you a
pass no more, Donnie. You walk
on a chalk fucking line from now
on.
C LOSE O N--DONNI E
as he realizes that Lefty sold out Boobie to save him.
DONNIE
You told Sonny that Boobie was
holding out?
LEFTY
Ain't the question.
DONNIE
Because of me? What was Boobie
saying?
LEFTY
Ain't the question, Donnie.
Lefty finishes his spritzer. Gets up to make another.
LEFTY
I don't know what made you think
I'd give you up. I had too many
fucking disappointments in my
l ife. Neve r in the f ucking en d
of the earth will I give you up.
CUT TO:
97 INT. NIGHT. DONNIE'S APARTMENT
Donnie holds the Nagra in his hand. The SOUNDS of the murder as it
plays. . . .
BOOBIE (O.C.)
(on tape)
Help me. . .
Then the CRUNCH as Donnie tackles him. Donnie rips the tape out of
the Nagra, throws it in the sink. BURNS it.
CUT TO:
98 INT. DAY. THE MOTION LOUNGE
Donnie watches "The Today Show" on the TV over the bar. The guys
plan gin.
(CONTINUED)
106.
98 CONTINUED:
JOHN PALMER (O.C.)
. . . I n other news an FBI sting has
resulted in the arrests of over
100 state and Federal
officials...
ON THE SCREEN
Surveillance images of FBI "SHEIKS" dressed in flowing caftans...Then
the image cuts to VIDEO of the same "sheiks" partying with
CONGRESSMEN on a docked YACHT...
PALMER (O.C.)
. . . Known as ABSCAM, it was the
largest such operation in the
Bureau's history...
Donnie peers more closely at the TV.
CL OS E ON --T HE S TE RN
with the name "The Left Hand" emblazoned on it.
SONNY
Donnie, pull up a chair.
Donnie takes a last look at the TV. Joins Sonny, Nicky and Lefty at
the card table as Nicky shuffles the cards.
NICKY
(to Donnie)
You know how to keep score?
A moment of recognition that
BOOBIE'S GONE
CUT TO:
99 EXT. DAY. PISTONE HOME
Donnie mows the grass. Row after precise row. RAKES the clippings
into identical, evenly spaced PILES. Fills up TRASH BAGS, piles them
neatly on the curb.
IN THE DRIVEWAY
A STA TION WAGON parked n ext to Mag gie's CORV ETTE. Don nie notice s
that the station wagon is filthy. RUNS a finger through the dirt on
the hood.
DONNIE CLEANS
the pile of TRASH in the well of the car--McDonald's wrappers, Tampax
wrappers, a copy of Mademoiselle, a lipstick, a basketball.. DUMPS
it. Pulls out the ASHTRAY. Something that makes him suspicious...
(CONTINUED)
107.
99 CONTINUED:
DONNIE RUBS THE ASHES
between his fingers. RECOGNITION. . .He DIGS into the space between
the se ats. Fin ds a quart er. A pape r clip. A nd then:
A SEED
CUT TO:
100 INT. DAY. PISTONE HOME
Terry stumbles down the stairs in her bathrobe, half -asleep. She
hears Donnie CRASH inside, and something tells her it's about her.
ABOUT FACE into the bathroom...
IN THE LIVING ROOM
Donnie hears the bathroom door upstairs CLICK, locked. Turns as
Maggie enters from the kitchen.
DONNIE
Where's Terry? She still asleep?
MAGGIE
I think so. What's the matter?
DONNIE
As lee p. Perf ect . A sle ep at 1 2
noon. It all fits the profile.
MAGGIE
What profile? Joe, you're
scaring me.
DONNIE
The twelve warning signs. Our
daughter Terry is a drug user.
INSIDE THE BATHROOM
Terry listens by the door.
TERRY
Shit.
BACK--IN THE LIVING ROOM
as Donnie counts off the "warning signs" of drug addiction.
DONNIE
Oversleeping. Short attention
span. Hostility to authority.
B in g e e at i n g--
MAGGIE
That would apply to every
teenager in America.
(CONTINUED)
108,
100 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
Don't tell me my business. Do
you know what this is?
He holds out the marijuana seed. Maggie peers at it.
DONNIE
This is a marijuana seed.
MAGGIE
Where did you find that?
DONNIE
Maggie, I am an FBI agent.
That's who I am. I am out there
risking my life, 18, 20 hours a
day, weekends, Christmas--
MAGGIE
You don't have to tell me, Joe.
DONNIE
Well, what do you think I ' m doing
it for? I am spending my life to
put away the guys that make money
off this shit, and I'm damned to
hell if I ' m gonna have it in my
house.
MAGGIE
You know, Jules called me this
wee k. Do you know they 're
looking for you?
DONNIE
Don't change the subject.
MAGGIE
I'm not changing the subject.
You're the subject, Joe. You're
becoming like them.
DONNIE
I'm not the fucking pothead.
MAGGIE
You don't see it.
Donnie turns, heads up the stairs, Maggie following.
DONNIE
Geddadaheah. Go weigh yourself
or something. Sleeping Beauty
and I are going out to the
woodshed.
(CONTINUED)
109.
(2)
100 CONTINUED:
M A GG I E
In my next life I ' m gonna marry
a Jewish doctor.
DONNIE
In the fucking car that I make
the payments on, in the fucking
driveway of the house that I pay
the fucking mortgage on--a goddam
m ar i ju an a s e ed --
MAGGIE
(defiant)
How do you know it isn't mine?
Donnie stops a beat. RAGE drumming up inside him, rage that
CRESCENDOES as he
SMACKS HER BACKHAND
Sh e l ooks up at hi m. Not hur t. But de vast ate d. Don nie mov es to
comfort her, to apologize...Maggie
SMACKS HIM BACK \· .
Then storms out of the house. Donnie BROODS, looks up to the landing
as Sherry and Kerry come out from their rooms. From outside, SOUNDS
of Maggie as she SLAMS into her Corvette and zooms out of the
driveway, engine ROARING and tires SQUEALING...
SMASH CUT TO:
101 INT. DAY. HOSPITAL
Donnie BANGS through swinging doors, past ORDERLIES in white coats,
his face tight with anxiety, his skin green in the cold fluorescent
light.
AT THE DESK
He bulls past two waiting GUESTS, accosts the NURSE.
DONNIE
I'm looking for my wife. Mrs.
An der son. Ma ggi e A nde rson . S he
was i n an accid ent? I'm h er
husband.
The Nurse gives him a form on a clipboard.
NURSE
Here you go. You're Mr.
Anderson?
DONNIE
Where is she?
(CONTINUED)
110,
101 CONTINUED:
NURSE
Only the immediate family is
allowed in ICU. Do you have a
driver's license?
He gives her his driver's license.
DONNIE
Is she okay?
NURSE
Excuse me. This says, 'Donald
Brasco'.
DONNIE
Christ. Let me just see her.
She'll tell you who I am.
NURSE
We can't do that.
DONNIE
If I could see her we could clear
this whole thing up.
NURSE
I ' m sorry, sir. We need proof of
ID.
DONNIE
I need ID to see my fucking wife?
I ' m her husband1 Who the fuck
else would I be?
A DOCTOR, cold-blooded, 30s, arrives.
DOCTOR
Mr. Anderson?
CUT TO:
X-RAY ROOM
102 INT. NIGHT.
The DOCTOR shows Donnie the X-rays.
DOCTOR
Collapsed lung. Broken wrist,
collarbone. ^Multiple lacerations
from the glass. The most serious
injury was from her contact
lenses-- they smashed into her
corneas. They're torn up pretty
badly. She may lose an eye.
DONNIE
Can't I see her?
(CONTINUED)
11
1.
102 CONTINUED:
DOCTOR
We'll see if she stabilizes in a
couple of hours.
CUT TO:
103 EXT. LATER. WAITING ROOM
Donnie sits, anxious. The girls sit alongside him.
KERRY
We had a family meeting, Dad.
You have to quit.
DONNIE
Look, Mom's gonna be okay.
TERRY
This isn't a democracy. This is
a dictatorship.
KERRY
A dictatorship of us.
DONNIE
I know how you're feeling. But
i t ' s j u s t--
SHERRY
Just another six months.
DONNIE
Maybe just a few more weeks.
KERRY
Forget it, Dad. It's the job or
us.
TERRY
End of discussion.
Kerry stares hi m down. Te rry looks away. Don nie puts h is arm ar ound
her . She shru gs i t off .
CUT TO:
104 INT. NIGHT. INTENSIVE CARE
Maggie lies in bed, eyes BANDAGED, her face a web of GASHES. Wrist
in a cast. A thick TUBE runs from a LUNG MACHINE into her mouth.
Donnie takes her hand. She holds his HARD.
(CONTINUED)
112.
104 CONTINUED:
DONNIE
The doctor says you 're gonna be
okay. We j ust have to get you
into rehabilitation as soon as we
can. You'll be as goo d as new
before you know it.
The lung machine whirs and wheezes...
DONNIE
Maggie, listen to me, Maggie,
because this is what it is. The
minute I come out from under all
these guys I ' m with, they will
all be killed--because of me.
Because they trusted me.
(beat)
I gotta go back.
Maggie pulls her hand back. Turns away from him. He can tell she's
. .
not buying.
DONNIE
I have a chance here to become a
made guy--an FBI agent a made guy
in th e Mafia. I t's gonna happen
the en d of the year. And then
I'll come out. Then it'll all be
o ver. You' ll ha ve me for the
rest of your life.
Maggie waves him away. Turns away from him. A NURSE enters and
Donnie, with sadness but no regrets, exits.
CUT TO:
(
105 INT. NIGHT. LAGUARDIA AIRPORT
Donnie dials at a pay phone, cradles the receiver while it rings.
DONHIE
Louis e? It's Do nnie.
CUT TO:
106 INT. NIGHT. LEFTY'S APARTMENT
Louise on the phone in the kitchen.
LOUISE
W h a t is i t -- Tu e s d a y? I h av e n ' t
seen him since Sunday. I thought
he was with you.
CUT TO:
113.
107 INT. SAME TIME. AIRPORT
Donnie pumps a quarter into the pay phone. Bursey picks up at the
other end.
BURSEY (0.C.)
Hello, Bursey.
DONNIE
Look, I think that sitdown's
tonight. I can't find Lefty.
BURSEY (O.C.)
Why didn't you go?
DONNIE
Only made guys can go to a
s itdown.
BURSEY (O.C.)
So what do you want me to do?
DONNIE
I don't know. Listen to me--I ' m
worried.
CUT TO:
108 EXT. NIGHT. BIG TRIN'S HOUSE
Big Trin drives Philly Lucky, Sonny Red and Anthony Bruno in his big
Lincoln.
S9NNY RED
All my fucking life I hadda be
S onny Red. Sonn y Red and Sonny
Bla ck . I g ot up pe d. Th en he g ot
upped . Fin ally the n ight has
come. Tomo rrow morni ng I can
j u st be ' S on n y' . N ot Re d. Th e
one and only. 'Sonny'.
BRUNO
Where you got the guns?
BIG TRIN
Relax. They're in the basement.
BRUNO
The basement of your house?
BIG TRIN
Hey, Sonny, my jacket's losing
its crease. Will you tell your
kid to stop breathing on me?
BRUNO
I wanna get there in time to set '
up.
(CONTINUED)
114.
108 CONTINUED:
Big Trin pulls into his driveway.
SONNY RED
The sitdown's in two hours. I
waited my whole life, Bruno, you
can wait two hours.
They climb out of the car. Philly Lucky stays put.
BIG TRIN
What the hell's wrong with you?
PHILLY LUCKY
I ain't going in your fucking
basement. You got spiders all
over that basement.
BIG TRIN
He's scared of spiders. What a
piece of work.
PHILLY LUCKY
Leave me the keys. I wanna play
the radio.
Big Trin flips him the keys.
TWO WOODEN DOORS
alongside the house, leading down into the basement. With a groan,
Big Trin b ends, pul ls them op en. Flips a LIGHT S WITCH. On. Off.
Nothing.
_ BIG TRIN
S h it . Bu lb m us t be o ut . W at ch
your step.
Sonny Red and Anthony Bruno follow him down...
INSIDE THE CAR
Philly Lucky starts the oar. Turns on the radio. Frank Sinatra
sings "Nice Work If You Can Get It." And PULLS AWAY.
DOWN THE STAIRS
go Big Trin, Sonny Red and Anthony Bruno, down into the dark, damp
concrete and sawdust in their nostrils.
BIG TRIN
Where's that fucking flashlight?
BANG!
and the flash of a SHOTGUN firing. BANG! BANG! as shotguns
EXPLODE. By the light of the flashes we see Sonny, Lefty and Nicky
BANGl and another flash. BANGl BANG! BANG!
(CONTINUED)
115.
108 CONTINUED: (2.)
Then a pause. Nicky reaches up, screws in the light bulb. Lights
on. Revealing the blasted corpses of Sonny Red and Big Trin...
BRUNO
jumps out from behind a cabinet, RUNS out the door. Sonny wheels,
FIRES. The stairs SPLINTER as the blast lands just under Bruno's
escaping feet. Lefty moves to chase him.
S9NNY
Fuggedaboudit, Left. We'll give
the contract to Donnie.
Nicky takes out a Hefty bag and a long-bladed BUTCHER KNIFE...Sets to
carving up the bodies. . .
CUT TO:
109 INT. NIGHT. DONNIE'S APARTMENT
Carrying his mail, Donnie enters a DARK room. MOONLIGHT filters
through the blinds. He closes the door. Flips the light switch.
NOTHING
Instantly, he falls into a fighting crouch, knife at the ready. His
hand trembles with adrenaline. He moves with his back to the wall,
straining to see into the black room.
TO THE KITCHEN
He p ivo ts in a c omba t s tan ce-- nob ody. Th en piv ots aga in. Hi s f ree
hand f umbles in the kitch en drawer. Finds a FLASHLIGHT . The bea m
SWEEPS across the room. Donnie moves on cat feet to the bathroom.
The shower curtains drawn shut. Donnie tears them back, THRUSTS the
knife...Into air.
D onnie thin ks a beat . Snaps th e flashli ght back o n. Riffles through
h is m ail . Rip s op en
THE ELECTRIC BILL
reads by the light of the flashlight
DISCONNECT NOTICE: NON-PAYMENT OF
BILL
Donnie, a dimly-seen dervish of RAGE...He hurls the
flashlight...Throws a chair and it SPLINTERS. . . Grabs the bar from his
weight bench and starts to swing...
SMASE1
and an electric sizzle as the television implodes. Donnie drops the
bar and throws a bookcase to the ground. PUNCHES at the wall...Again
and again and again...Then sags to the ground...Weeping...Or
LAUGHING...
(CONTINUED)
1 16.
109 CONTINUED*
DONNIE
The electric bill...I can't get
over it...The fucking 'B' didn't
pay the fucking electric billI
CUT TO:
110 INT. DAY. HOSPITAL
Maggie convalesces--her wounds have begun to heal and she's no longer
intubated, although her eyes are still bandaged. Jules enters, sits
down beside her. Takes her hand.
JULES
It's Jules, Maggie.
MAGGIE
I could hear your cheap shoes all
the way down the hall.
JULES
How're you feeling?
MAGGIE
S ca re d. Al one .
JULES
Did you see Joe?
MAGGIE
You mean did Joe see me?
JULES
The 'B' wants him to come out.
MAGGIE
He'll never come out.
JULES
Y ou don't believe the shit that
c omes up. I have to argue with
t hem that he hasn't gone over to
t he other side.
MAGGIE
Joe? He wouldn't have the
imagination. I wish he'd become
a gangster--at least we could pay
our frigging bills.
JULE S
Maybe you could talk to him.
MAGGIE
Do you know what this is about,
J ules? Thi s is about a
promotion.
(CONTINUED)
117.
110 CONTINUED:
JULES
I talked to him about that.
MAGGIE
Not from you--from them. He
wants to be a made guy.
CLOSE ON--JULES
as he hears this...He knows that this has gone too far.
MAGGIE
For years I tried to figure out
what m ade Joe t ick. And t hen I
finally figured it out--there's
nothing ti cking. He' s got his
rules and he's gonna live by his
rules . The job is the job .
Start what you finish. When he's
in the FBI he wants to be the
best and when he's in the Mafia
h e wants t o be the"b est--like
it's all some frigging basketball
game.
(disdainfully)
Men.
JULES
Maggie...Maybe this is none of my
business, but--
MAGGIE
Don't worry--I ' m not gonna leave
him. I didn't h ave him w hen I
had him. Now that it's almo st
over I ' m goddamned if I'll let
someone else have him.
CUT TO:
111 INT. NIGHT. LEFTY'S APARTMENT
Christmas decorations, and a tree. Lefty watches a NATURE PROGRAM on
TV. A leopard moves stealthily...
NARRATOR (O.C.)
...Cloaked by the high grasses of
the African savanna, the stalking
leopard moves stealthily...
Louise enters with Donnie.
LOUISE
Bennie, Donnie'8 here.
(CONTINUED)
118.
Ill CONTINUED:
NARRATOR (0.C.)
...Separated from the herd/ the
gazelle senses danger...
Lefty RAPT in his easy chair...
LEFTY
Bennie loves animals.
ON THE SCREEN
The leopard charges...Teeth tear at the gazelle...And soon the
leopard and her family feed on a bloody carcass.
NARRATOR (O.C.)
...Hunter and hunted, predator
and prey--the endless cycle of
nature, repeated once again...
LEFTY
Mino*1 You see that ?
LOUISE
I'll be inside if you need me.
LEFTY
We're going out, Louise.
Louise exits inside. SATISFIED, Lefty snaps off the show with his
REMOTE CONTROL. Turns to Donnie.
LEFTY
T hey found Bruno. He 's shacki ng
up with a broad down City Island.
On a boat.
H e ope ns u p a d rawer . Tak es ou t a GUN. Loads it w ith b ulle ts...
LZFTY
You know what this means, don't
you? You're gonna get
straightened out. You become a
made guy/ Donnie, you can lie,
you can cheat, you can steal, you
can whack out whoever you want
and it's all completely
legitimate. Being a made guy's
the greatest thing in the world.
Lefty reaches into the drawer. Hands another gun to Donnie.
CLOSE ON--DONNIE
as he looks at the gun in his hand.
CUT TO:
119.
112 EXT. NIGHT. MARINA--CITY ISLAND
Donnie and Lefty sit and wait in Donnie's Cadillac. Lefty smokes.
DONNIE
Maybe he ain't gonna show.
LEFTY
He'll show.
DONNIE
I ' m just saying--maybe we should
forget about it, pop him tomorrow
night.
LEFTY
We can't pop him tomorrow night,
for your information. Tomorrow
night we got the wake for Big
Trin.
DONNIE
I forgot.
LEFTY
Fuggedaboudit--it's better this
way anyway. Wait when nobody's
around.
DONNIE'S POV
of the deserted marina...
DONNIE
That's some boat this broad has.
LEFTY
Fuggedaboudit. There's one thing
I know, it's boats.
DONNIE
What is that--a hundred grand?
LEFTY
Donn ie--Wh ere*d you ge t that boat
dow n i n Fl orid a?
DONNIB"
I told you. That was this girl
I used to see down there, it's
her brother's.
LEFTY
What's her name?
DONNIE
Florence.
LEFTY
Florence what?
(CONTINUED)
120.
112 CONTINUED:
DONNIE'S POV
In the distance, a TRANS AM pulls up near the boat they're watching,
Bruno emerges. Locks his car. Climbs onto the boat...
DONNIE
C'mon, that's him.
LEFTY
Florence what, Donnie?
DONNIE
Hey, Left--what do you care,
Florence what? Florence Italy.
LEFTY
Don nie--why do you want to lie to
me, D onnie? Did I ever li e to
you once all these years about
the time of day?
DONNIE
I ' m not lying.
LEFTY
How many fucking times did I have
you over for dinner at my fucking
h ous e? Y ou f uck ing rat b ast ard --
DONNIE
Hey, Left--that's the problem?
Are we gonna whack this guy or
what?
LEFTY
I went on the fucking record with
you, D onnie. Yo u could wa lk on
the street and punch any man in
the mouth because I stood up for
you. ' . ,, . .
DONNIE...
What is tne fucking problem?
Lefty reaches in his pocket. A piece of paper, folded, torn from
"Newsweek*. The headline:
ABSCAM: FBI 'SHEIKS* STING CORRUPT LAWMAKERS
Beneath the headline, a PHOTO of the "sheiks* partying ona yacht--
"THE LEFT HAND*. Donnie looks up from the article. Sees
A GUN
in Lefty's hand.
(CONTINUED)
121.
(2)
112 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
That's a fucking Federal boat,
Donnie. That's our boat.
D9NNIE
Hold on a minute, Left. The boat
with Trafficante? That ain't the
same boat.
LEFTY
Don't tell me that ain't the same
boat, Donn ie1 That' s a fuckin g
Federal boatl That's a Taiwan-
made boat, there's only, five like
that in the world.
DONNIE
I really don't think that's the
same boat, Left.
LEFTY
Lookit that. You see that? 'The
LeftHand.' That's like my name.
DONNIE
Maybe her brother's a fucking
a ge nt . H o w wo u ld I kn o w? I
thought he was in real estate.
LEFTY
Ain't the quest ion, Donni e. You
still ain't answered me why we're
fucking on a fucking Federal
fucking boat!
DONNIE
You're right, Left. I'm a
fucking rat.
LEFTY
You're a rat?
DONNIE
I met your girls. I talked to
Tommy for you I don't know how
many fucking times. I don't know
how many times I had dinner with
you and Louise. I lived with
you, Left-- partners. Five
fucking years, I ever had a
hundred bucks in my pocket, I
gave you half. And the whole
time I was a fucking rat. You're
right.
LEFTY
Donnie--did I say you was a rat,
Donnie?
(CONTINUED)
122.
112 CONTINUED: (3)
DONNIE
You'd have to be the biggest
fucking mutt in the history of
the Mafia.
LEFTY
You fucking laxed, Donnie. Don't
get on your high horses.
DONNIE'S POV
as Bruno emerges from the boat. Lights a cigarette. Looks around,
DONNIE
Shit. He's up again.
LEFTY
How the fuck am I supposed to
explain this to Sonny?
DONNIE
You ask me it's the funniest
fucking thing in the world.
Those fucking agents could scam
Senators and Congressmen and
meanwhile we had a party on their
boat and they didn't get a
fucking thing on us. Sonny'11
laugh his ass off.
LEFTY
Where is the joke, Donnie?
DONNIE
We outsmarted the agents. We got
a higher Z .Q. than the fuckin g
Congressmen.
LEFTY
You got so many black marks on
you now, Donnie, a fucking
Einstein couldn't count them.
DONNIE
What black marks?
LEFTY
That time with the luggage and/
uh, uh...the other time.
DONNIE
Are we gonna whack this fucking
guy or not?
LEFTY
I ain't no fucking mutt, Donnie.
Donnie checks the action on his gun...
(CONTINUED)
123.
112 CONTINUED: (4)
D ON N IE
How the fuck did I know it was a
fucking Federal boat?
LEFTY
I die wit'cha. I ' m your best
friend, Donnie.
Donnie opens the door, climbs out/ gun in hand.
DONNIE
That's right, Left--you're my
best friend.
"Your best friend is the one who kills you." Donnie FREEZES. Lefty
looks at him.
LEFTY' S GUN
pointed at Donnie's back...As his finger moves toward the trigger.
Then su dde nly --
LIGHT EXPLODES
from police cherrytops. . . SWARMS of FBI MEN in blue windbreakers with
big wh ite lette rs-- "FBI"-- descend o n the car, guns draw n. They G RAB
.
Donnie and Lefty. Jules hustles Donnie away.
LEFTY
(calling)
Donnie, don't say nothing. Don't
say nothing to them.
JULES
Congratulations. It's over, Joe.
DONNIE
What do you mean, it's over?
JULES
You're coming out.
DONNIE
What the fuck--? Nobody--. I'm
not coming out.
JULES
It's over, Joe.
DONNIE
It's not over. I'm too close!
Donnie starts to run. FBI MEN are on top of him, wrestling him dovr,.
Donnie STRUGGLES, exchanges a look with Lefty as he's dragged away.
(CONTINUED)
124,
(5)
112 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
Donnie, don't say nothing!
CUT TO:
113 INT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
PHOTOS OF DONNIE
at the FBI Academy at Quantico, then with Berada, LeBow and other FBI
MEN, as Marshall and Jules show them to Sonny/ Nicky and Boobie.
MARSHALL
You know this guy as Donnie
Bras co. He 's an FBI age nt. We
just wanted to tell you.
CUT .TO:
114 EXT. DAY. MOTION LOUNGE
Sonny, Nicky, Lefty, Legs and Philly Lucky watch as the FBI men drive
off. They stand on the street corner--DEATH and disbelief written in
their faces.
SONNY
You believe that fucking guy?
There's no fucking way Donnae
could be an agent.
NICKY
The culliones on him, bluffing us
like that.
LEGS
You think they got him?
ON A ROOFTOP
A TECH TEAM aims a PARABOLIC MICROPHONE and a TELEPHOTO LENS. The
whir of an autowindex and a FREEZE FRAME as they stand outside.
SONNY
No way he could be an agent.
LEGS
Nowadays they can doctor a
picture any fucking way they
want.
PHILLY LUCKY
It still don't explain that boat.
NICKY
Fuggedaboudit, Philly.
(CONTINUED)
125.
114 CONTINUED:
L ef t y li s te n s. S a ys no th i ng . H e k no w s th e t r ut h. ZZ Z H1 a n d
another FREEZE FRAME.
SONNY
That boat was a set-up. Then we
think Donnie's a rat and we get
scared and fuggedaboudit.
NICKY
Maybe they brainwashed him. Like
in that movie, with Sinatra?
Z Z ZH ! a no t he r s ho t . Z ZZ Hl
PHILLY LUCKY
They say he's an agent, I say
he's a fucking agent.
SONNY
You're talking through your ass.
NICKY
You didn't know him.
SONNY
You didn't know Donnie, Philly.
CL OSE ON --L EFT Y
as he listens. Says nothing.
CUT TO:
115 INT. NIGHT. LEFTY'S APARTMENT
Lefty sits, BROODS, watches TV. The phone rings.
LEFTY
Hello? (listens) Yeah, okay,
N ic ky . O k ay .
He han gs up. Th inks a bea t . As he l ooks into his open grave...T akes
off his GOLD WATCH, sticks it in a drawer. Then the CROSS he wears
a roun d his neck . The KEYS to his C adill ac. C loses the draw er as
Louise enters.
LOUISE
Who was that?
LEFTY
N icky. I'm going out .
He gives Louise a kiss.
LEFTY
Don't wait up for me.
(C ONTINUED)
126.
115 CONTINUED:
LEFTY
e
i
n
o
D c
a
l
s
, e
t
l h
i
m i
f i
t w
s
a
n
o
g
a b
e a
y
o
e
n
, I
'm d
a
g
l t
i s
a
w
CUT TO:
116 INT. DAY. FBI HEADQUARTERS
i
n
o
De sits at his desk, preparing his testimony., Marshall drops
some SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS off.
MARSHALL
They just took these yesterday.
Donnie picks them up.
DONNIE'S POV
Photos of Lefty's rooftop. As the PIGEON COOPS are dismantled.
JULES
in his office. Donnie ducks in. Jules looks up, sees Donnie struggle
a beat with his emotion. Then the mask descends again.
DONNIE
You can stop looking for Lefty.
CUT TO:
117 INT. ANOTHER DAY. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE--MANHATTAN
Under heavy guard, Donnie walks up a b ack stairca se . Up a marble
hallway. Doors open and he enters the courtroom. A HUSH falls as
the MAFIA DEFENDANTS, lined up in the docks--all f ac es we've seen
earlier, including Sonny, Nicky, Legs, and Philly L ucky--turn and
look at him.
PROSECUTOR
The government calls Special
Agent Joseph D. Pistone.
CLOSE ON--DONNIE
as he takes in the proof of his accomplishment. With the knowledge
of what it has cost him.
FREEZE FRAME. A final CRAWL runs over this*
The evidence collected by "Donnie Brasco" led to over 200
indictments.
(CONTINUED)
127.
117 CONTINUED:
After testifying. Special Agent Joseph D. Pistone left the FBI. He
lives with his wife under an assumed name in an undisclosed location .
There is an $500,000 open contract on his head.
The FBI denied him a pension. The IRS assessed him $7,000 in back
taxes and penalties.
FADE TO BLACK:
CREDITS ROLL
|
