American Gangster Monologues

An outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.

Success. It's got enemies. You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends.

Nah, I just think that monopolies are made illegal in the country, Frank, 'cause nobody wants to compete. Y'know? Nobody wants to compete. Not with a monopoly. I mean, you let the dairy farmers do that, right? They'd be out of business tomorrow.

'Course you are right. Everyone's right. It's America. We just can't do it at that unreasonable expense of others. Because then it becomes un-American. That's why the price we pay for that gallon of milk could never represent the true cost of production 'cause it's gotta be controlled, right? It's got to be set. It's gotta be fair.

I know your customers are happy Frank. Bunch of fuckin' junkies that they are. What about your fellow dairy farmers out here, Frank? Are you thinkin' of us? You thinkin' of them?

I'm just thinking out loud now. If you took some of your inventory, Frank, and you sold it wholesale, we could work. We could do some distribution.

Well that's kind of a mom and pop store next to what I'm talking about. I mean, let's go at least bigger than K-mart. I'm talking about L.A. Chicago. Detroit. Las Vegas. Let's go nation-wide. Yannow. I'm gonna guarantee you peace of mind here. You're gonna want that. You're gonna need it. I don't know how you view me. Y'know, I'm kinda a Renaissance Man, Frank. Y'know, people I deal with on a daily basis, t-t-they're not enlightened, Frank. You talk to them about Civil Rights, they don't know, y'know? They're not open to things. Not from the way things are done. And who's doin' it? I talk to them, there's just no misunderstandings. And that's what I mean. Buy you peace of mind. Yeah.

Maybe it was a junkie, or it was a rival, some dumbass kid trying to make a name for himself, someone you forgot to pay off, someone you slide without realizing it, could be someone you put out of business for being so successful

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.

The number one fear of people isn't dying, it's public speaking.

They don't want this to stop. It employs too many people. Cops, lawyers, judges, probation officers, prison guards... The day d

Laurie, look, I'm sorry I never gave you the kind of life you wanted, all right.I'm sorry it was never enough.Don't punish me for being honest.Don't take my boy away.

What? Haven't you heard? We're all fucking crazy over here. You know what we do here? Cops… arrest… bad guys. The next time you come across the bridge, you should call me first. Just make sure it's safe.

His name is Frank Lucas, originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, he has a couple of arrests years ago for gambling and for carrying an unlicensed firearm. For fifteen years he was Bumpy Johnson's driver, bodyguard and collector. Hhe was with him when he died, he has five brothers, he's the oldest and a lot of cousins, they're all living up here now, spread out in the five boroughs and New Jersey. His brother's businesses are the distribution and collection points of Frank's dope and his money. Everything about Frank's life seems unpretentious and broadly legitimate, he starts early, gets up at 5am, has breakfast in a diner in Harlem usually by himself, then he starts work, takes a meeting with his accountant and with his lawyer. At nights he usually stays at home, if he does go out, it's only one of two clubs or a handful of restaurants with his wife, ball players, musicians and his friends and never organized crime guys. Sundays he takes his mother to church and changes the flowers on Bumpy's grave, every Sunday no matter what.

I want to know everyone you've met for the last twenty years. Everyone you sold to. Every cop you ever paid off. Every one who ever stole from you. Every one you remember.

This is the newly formed Essex County narcotics squad, our mandate is to make major arrests, no street guys, we're looking for the suppliers and distributors, Heroin, Cocaine, Amphetamines, no grass under a thousand pounds, no powder under forty kilograms, any less than that we're going to waste our time, we're going to handling the big shipments, the big money, the big temptation

I got possession, supply, conspiracy, bribing a law officer, I got your offshore bank accounts, your real estate, your businesses, all bought with money from heroin, I got hundreds of parents from dead kids, addicts who OD'ED and that's my story, that's how I make it all stick for the jury, this man murdered thousands of people and he did it from a penthouse driving a Lincoln, I got a line people wanting to testify against you that stretches out the door and around the block.

The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hardwork... family... never forgetting where we came from.

See, ya are what ya are in this world. That's either one of two things: Either you're somebody, or you ain't nobody.

My man. You know what normal is to me? I ain't see normal since I was 6 years old. Normal is seeing the police ride up to my house, dragging my 12 year old cousin out and tying him to a pole, shoving a shotgun in his mouth so hard they bust his teeth, then they bust two shotgun shells in his head, knocking it off. That's what normal is to me. Didn't give a fuck about no police then… Don't give a fuck about no police now.

The man I worked for, he had one of the biggest companies in New York City- he ran it for more than fifty years. Fifteen years, eight months, nine days- I was with him every day. I looked after him, took care of him, protected him… I learned from him. Bumpy was rich, but he wasn't white man rich, you see he wasn't wealthy. He didn't own his own company. He thought he did, but he didn't. He just managed it. White man owned it so they owned him. Nobody owns me, though. Because I own my company. And my company sells a product that's better than the competition at a price that's lower than the competition.

That's a clown suit. That's a costume, with a big sign on it that says "Arrest me". You understand? You're too loud, you're making too much noise. Listen to me, the loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room.

This is my home. My country. Frank Lucas don't run from nobody. This is America.

We ain't gon' do shit about it. Close it up. Throw it back in the trunk. Everybody go home. Have some pumpin pie, warm apple cider...

I sell a product that's better than the competition at a price that's less than the competition.

I tell you what I know maybe I should just uh, put five hundred guns out there on the street and just start shooting up some people just to make a point.

Bumpy Johnson may have been rich, but he wasn't white man rich. He wasn't wealthy.

This is my home. This is where my business is, my wife, my mother, my family. This is my country, I ain't goin' nowhere.

What's with this outfit? You know what it says? You wanna know what it says? Arrest me!

I don't care what you call it, put a choke-hold on the motherfucker and call it Blue Dog Shit.

I've been paying off Johnny law since I was ten years old I put more kids through college than the National Merit Award this is different though, these special investigative unit that's their problem they think their "special"

Let me ask you something. You think by putting me in jail, you're going to stop even one junkie from dying? Because you won't. If it isn't me, it'll be someone else. With me or without me, nothing's going to change.

What you want me to do? Snitch? I know you don't want no cops. What you want? Gangsters? Pick one. Jew gangsters, mick gangsters, guinees? They been bleeding Harlem dry since they got off the boat. I don't give a fuck about no crime figures. You can have them.

Bumpy ain't hardly ever go out no more. After a certain point he stayed in the house. Watch TV. Play chess. Read the newspaper. I thought he was just trying to lead the quiet life, but no, he couldn't go nowhere. Not without something happening.