Frank Pentangeli quotes from The Godfather Part II (1974)

Frank Pentangeli

Those were the great old days, you know... And we was like the Roman Empire... The Corleone family was like the Roman Empire...

Frank Pentangeli

I don't - I never knew no godfather. I got my own family, senator.

You heard what happened in my home?

Frank Pentangeli

Mike, I almost died myself. We was all so relieved.

In my home! [shouting] In my bedroom where my wife sleeps! Where my children come and play with their toys. In my home.

Tom Hagen

When a plot against the Emperor failed... the plotters were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes. Right?

Frank Pentangeli

Yeah, but only the rich guys, Tom. The little guys got knocked off and all their estates went to the Emperors. Unless they went home and killed themselves, then nothing happened. And the families... the families were taken care of.

Tom Hagen

That was a good break. A nice deal.

Frank Pentangeli

Yeah... They went home... and sat in a hot bath... opened up their veins... and bled to death... and sometimes they had a little party before they did it.

C'mon Frankie... my father did business with Hyman Roth, he respected Hyman Roth.

Frank Pentangeli

Your father did business with Hyman Roth, he respected Hyman Roth... but he never trusted Hyman Roth!

We're all very happy about your decision, Frankie. You're not going to regret it!

Frank Pentangeli

I don't like this C-note, Rosato. I take that as an insult.

Michael Corleone says "Hello"!

I have business that's important with Hyman Roth. I don't want it disturbed.

Frank

Then you give your loyalty to a Jew before your own blood.

You know my father did business with Hyman Roth. He respected him.

Frank

Your father did business with Hyman Roth. Your father respected Hyman Roth, but your father never trusted Hyman Roth, or his Sicilian messenger boy Johnny Ola!

You heard what happened in my home?

Frank

Mike, I almost died myself. We was all so relieved.

In my home! In my bedroom, where my wife sleeps! Where my children come and play with their toys! In my home. I want you to help me take my revenge.

Frank

Michael, anything. What can I do?

Settle these troubles with the Rosato brothers.

Frank

Mike, I don't understand! I don't— Look, I don't have your brain for big deals, but this is a street thing. That Hyman Roth in Miami, that — he's backing up those son-of-a-bitches.

I know he is.

Frank

Then why? Why do you ask me to lay down to them, Mike?

It was Hyman Roth that tried to have me killed. I know it was him.

Frank

Jesus Christ, Mike! Jesus Christ! Look, let's get them all. Let's hit them all, now while we got the muscle.

My father taught me many things here. He taught me in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Now if Hyman Roth sees that I interceded in this thing, in the Rosato Brothers' favor, he's going to think his relationship with me is still good. That's what I want him to think. I want him completely relaxed and confident in our friendship. Then I'll be able to find out who the traitor in my family was.
Note: the bolded portion is ranked #58 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. That portion has often been attributed to Sun Tzu and sometimes to Niccolò Machiavelli, but there are no published sources yet found which predate its use in this film. There is, however, an Italian proverb that follows closely: "Dagli amici mi guardi Iddio, che dai nemici mi guardo io!" – May God protect me from my friends, I protect myself from my enemies. Voltaire said, "God protect me from my friends, I'll take care of my enemies”.