I always wonder if people know when history's being made. And what they're doing at the time. This, for instance, could be a historic moment, and you're sipping a glass of ice water.
Frank Lucas
Denzel Washington · 23 quotes
Det. Richie Roberts
Russell Crowe · 22 quotes
Cattano
Armand Assante · 4 quotes
Toback
Ted Levine · 4 quotes
Trupo
Josh Brolin · 4 quotes
US Attorney
Roger Bart · 4 quotes
Elwsorth "Bumpy" Johnson
3 quotes
Most scenes together: Frank Lucas & Det. Richie Roberts (5), Det. Richie Roberts & Toback (3), Det. Richie Roberts & US Attorney (3)
American Gangster quotes
Page 1 of 4Success. It's got enemies. You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends.
Laurie What are you saying? That because you were "honest" and didn't take money like every other cop, I left you? You don't take money for one reason: to buy being dishonest about everything else. And that's worse than taking money nobody gives a shit about - drug money, gambling money nobody's gonna miss. 'd rather you took it and been honest with me. Or don't take it, I don't care. But don't then go cheat on me. Don't cheat on your kid by never being around. Don't go out and get laid by your snitches and secretaries and strippers. I can tell just by looking, she's one of them. You think you're going to heaven because your "honest." You're not. You're going to the same hell as the crooked cops you can't stand.
Rivera 'm a leper. Because I listened to you and turned in a million **** dollars. You know who'll work with me after that? Same as you. No one.
Rossi They seize it, arrest everybody, whack it up and sell it back to us. Our dope. They been living off it for years, these New York cops. They basically control the market with it. What the **** has happened to the world, Frank?
Tango What're you going to do, boy? Shoot me in broad daylight? In front of everyone?
What're you doing counting this in front of everybody? Are you out of your ****in' mind? Take it into a room. Now.
When's the last time I was in Jersey? Let me think. Never. What're you doing coming over here without letting anybody know? You don't know you can get hurt doing that? You got your money. Now, never, ever, come into the city again unannounced. You come in to see a ****in Broadway show you call ahead first to see if it's okay with me.
No **** **** has accomplished what the American Mafia hasn't in a hundred years!
Banker You got a stockbroker, Frank?
I deal with enough crooks as it is.
Campizi I swear to God, Richie, I didn't know it was you. I would never slam a door on your hand. Knowingly.
You bit my ****in' hand!
How you feel about monopolies?
What, the game?
Monopolies are illegal in this country, Frank, because no one can compete with a monopoly. If they let the dairy farmers do that, half of them would go out of business tomorrow.
'm just trying to make a living.
Which is your right. Because this is America. But not at the unreasonable expense of others. That's un-American. You know the price you pay for a gallon of milk doesn't represent its true cost of production. It's controlled. Set.
I set a price I think is fair.
It's very unfair, in fact. Your customers are happy, but what about your fellow dairy farmers? You're not thinking of them.
'm thinking of them as much as they ever thought of me.
Chinese General How would you get it into the States?
What do you care?
Chinese General Who do you work for in there?
What do you care?
Chinese General Who are you really?
It says right there. Frank Lucas.
Chinese General I mean, who you represent?
Me.
Eva Why would you trust these people, the way they look at you?
They look at me like it's Christmas and 'm Santa Claus.