The Corleone family has done very well here in Nevada. You own, or you control, two major hotels in Vegas, one in Reno. The licenses were grandfathered in so there was no problem with the Gaming Commission. Now, my sources tell me that you plan to make a move against the Tropigala. They tell me that within a week you're gonna move Klingman out. That's quite an expansion. However, it will leave you with one little technical problem. The license will still be in Klingman's name.
Well, let's cut out the bullshit. I don't want to spend any more time here than I have to. You can have the license. The price is $250,000 plus a monthly payment of five percent of the gross of all four hotels, Mister... "Cor-lee-oh-nay."
Now, the price for the license is less than $20,000. Am I right?
Now, why would I ever consider paying more than that?
Because I intend to squeeze you. I don't like your kind of people. I don't like to see you come out to this clean country with your oily hair, dressed up in those silk suits, trying to pass yourselves off as decent Americans. I'll do business with you, but the fact is that I despise your masquerade, the dishonest way you pose yourself — yourself and your whole **** family.
[beat]
Senator... we're both part of the same hypocrisy. But never think it applies to my family.
All right, alll right, some people need to play little games. You play yours. But I want your answer and the money by noon tomorrow. And one more thing: Don't you contact me again, ever. From now on, you deal with Turnbull.
Senator? You can have my answer now, if you like. My final offer is this: Nothing. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up personally.
Signora Andolini [in Sicilian]
All my respect, Don Ciccio. You killed my husband because he wouldn't give in to you. And his oldest son Paolo because he swore revenge. But Vito is only nine. And dumb-witted. He never speaks.
DC Don Ciccio
It's not his words I'm afraid of.
Andolini He's weak. He couldn't hurt anyone.
C Ciccio
But when he grows, he'll grow strong.
Andolini Don't worry. This little boy can't do a thing to you.
C Ciccio
When he's a man, he'll come for revenge.
When a plot against the Emperor failed... the plotters were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes. Right?
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.
That was a good break. A nice deal.
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.
S Sonny
[flashback to Vito's birthday on December 7, 1941]
Ah, say, what do you think of the nerve of those Japs? Them slanty-eyed bastards, huh? Dropping bombs in our backyard, and on Pop's birthday, you know.
Now, they didn't know it was Pop's birthday.
S Sonny
"They didn't know it was Pop's birthday."
We should have expected it after the oil embargo.
S Sonny
What do you mean, expected it? Expect it or not, they have no right dropping bombs. What are you, a Jap lover or something? Are you on their side?
Tessio I understand thirty thousand men enlisted this morning.
Sonny, come on, we don't have to talk about the war.
S Sonny
[to Connie]
Hey, beat it. You go talk to Carlo, alright? [to Michael] They're saps, because they risk their lives for strangers.
S Sonny
You're goddamn right that's Pop talking.
They risk— they risk their lives for their country.
S Sonny
Your country ain't your blood. You remember that.
S Sonny
"I don't feel that way." Well, if you don't feel that way, why don't you just quit college and go to-- go to join the Army?
I did. I enlisted in the Marines.
[after a silence]
Michael, why? Why didn't you come to us? I mean Pop had to pull a lot of strings to get you a deferment.
I didn't ask for it. I didn't ask for a deferment and I didn't want it.
S Sonny
[Sonny punches Michael and begins to get into a fight]
What's wrong—
Come on. Come on! Knock it off!
Tessio Sonny!
Tessio Sonny. Sonny, sit down.
Tessio Sit down.
One of Sonny's twins: Mommy, Daddy's fighting again! [laughs]
S Sonny
[to Connie]
Go show Carlo the tree.
One of Sonny's twins: Uncle Michael, Mama.
S Sonny
Nice. Real nice. Break your father's heart on his birthday.
That's swell. Congratulations. [extends his hand to Michael]
S Sonny
[pushing Fredo's hand aside]
Yeah, go on. Encourage him. I want— I want you to get me a drink. Go on. [Fredo exits]
Now you don't understand but, uh, your father has big plans for you. Now, many times he and I have talked about your future.
You talked to my father about my future? My future?
Mikey, he has high hopes for you!
Well, I have my own plans for my future.
S Sonny
What'd you go to college to get stupid? You're really stupid.
[returning]
He's here! Come on!
S Sonny
Come on. Come on. [goes to exit before glancing back to Michael] Stupid.
[All exit while Michael sits at he table alone]
[Michael visits Frank Pentangeli at the Corleones' old estate house]
You heard what happened in my home?
Mike, I almost died myself. We was all so relieved.
[shouting]
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.
Michael, anything. What can I do?
Settle these troubles with the Rosato brothers.
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.
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.
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”.
DF Don Francesco Ciccio
[Vito returns years later to Sicily and meets Don Francesco Ciccio, the man who murdered Vito's family]
I see you took the name of this town. What was your father's name?
My father's name was Antonio Andolini.
DF Don Francesco Ciccio
You'll have to speak up. I can't hear you.
His name was Antonio Andolini... and this is for you.
[Vito opens up Ciccio's belly with a knife]
[while travelling the streets of Havana, Cuba, in late 1958]
I saw an interesting thing today. A rebel was being arrested, and rather than be taken alive, he pulled the pin on a grenade he had hidden in his jacket. He killed himself and the captain of the command.
Guest Ah, the rebels are lunatics!
Maybe. But it occurred to me, the soldiers are paid to fight. The rebels aren't.
[addressing the Senate committee hearings on the Corleone Family]
For years now a growing number many of my constituents have been of Italian descent. I've come to know them well. They have honored me with their support and with their friendship. I can proudly say that some of my very best friends are Italian-Americans. However, Mr. Chairman, at this time unfortunately, I have to leave these proceedings in order to preside over a very important meeting of my own committee. But before I leave, I do want to say this, that these hearings on the Mafia are in no way whatsoever a slur upon the great Italian people because I can state from my own knowledge and experience that Italian-Americans are among the most loyal, most law-abiding, patriotic, hard-working American citizens in this land. And It would be a shame, Mr. Chairman, if we allowed a few rotten apples to give a bad name to the whole barrel. Because from the time of the Great Christopher Columbus, up to the time of Enrico Fermi, right up to the present day, Italian-Americans have been pioneers in building and defending our nation. They are the salt of the earth, and one of the backbones of this country...
