Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.
Do you know who Lord Acton was?
- Lord Acton? - A-C-T-O-N, Acton.
- No, sir. - Well, he was English.
He lived from 1834 to 1902.
That's 300 years after Machiavelli.
And it's right here on page 39, it says...
''Lord Acton is the author of the quote...
'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'''
- Not Machiavelli.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Mr. DiNorscio?
- Mr. Petraki, you was a college teacher? - Yes.
Now, in those courses that you taught-
In what was it, politics?
- Machiavelli's a big deal, am I right? - A very big deal.
I mean, we're not talking about a made guy in the Lucchese family.
No, we are not.
So, my question is...
how could you make a mistake like that?
I mean, you're this educated guy, right?
And a lot of us, most of us, didn't even get through high school...
except maybe Carlo.
So your testifying here can hurt us.
- Do you see what I'm saying? - It was just an honest mistake.
What else was an honest mistake?
You said earlier that it was a Lincoln.
You said they spent nine hours.
Could that be a Caddy? Could that be a Mercury?
Could that be a Buick?
You said they spent nine hours. Maybe they spent three.
Maybe you don't know what the hell you're talking about, Mr. Petraki.
I prepared him, Sean. It's my fuckup. I feel like hell.
Don't worry about it. We got Compagna coming up. He's our clincher.
Here's what happens when Jackie cross-examines him. It's guinea versus guinea.
In 30 seconds, Jackie Dee will be screaming at him. I guarantee it.
And I make my motion to separate that fuck.
Finestein has to grant it. He's committed.
- Ladies. Gentlemen. - Is this a bad day-
- Hiya, Pop. - How you doing?
Well, I'm doing okay. How's Mom doin'?
Oh, some days good, some bad, you know.
Not to worry, all right? Not to worry.
I mean...
it's almost two years since I've seen her, Pop.
I mean, you think she's ever gonna come visit me in court?
I wouldn't count on it.
Listen, Jackie.
I'm sorry, you know. I never wanted this for you.
If it was good enough for you, it was good enough for me.
You're doing great.
- Did you see me? - Did I see you? Every day.
- Did you see the people laughing? - You're terrific.
I really mean it. You know, you could be a TV show.
Three of the jurors almost fell out of their chairs.
I know it. I know. You're fantastic.
Mr. McQueen, please state your occupation.
- Undercover agent for the F.B.I. - And your assignment?
My job was to penetrate the Mascarpone crew...
under the alias name Carl Cassio...
to determine the extent of organized crime control of the New Jersey seaports.
And how long were you undercover?
For over two years, I was accepted as one of the boys.
And during those two years, what type of criminal activities did you observe?
I saw scams, heard discussions about everything...
from stolen cars, stolen bonds, to bootlegged cigarettes.
There were deals going on all the time.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were involved.
And how was Mr. Calabrese involved?
We all knew a piece of everything we got went to Nick.
Your Honor, objection! Objection!
My client is being pilloried- no, crucified-
by nothing but hearsay, hearsay, hearsay-
- If Mr. Novardis will stop repeating himself... - hearsay, hearsay!
- Oh, please. - we'll get beyond hearsay.
- Go on, Mr. Kierney...
but you better connect the dots, or I'll strike the question and the answer.
Mr. McQueen, how did you know...
that Mr. Calabrese got a piece of everything off the top?
Jackie DiNorscio had introduced me to his cousin, Tony Compagna.
Compagna had real troubles- cocaine, booze.
Talked too much, he earned too little.
I was with him one day when he delivered over $7,000 to Mr. Calabrese in a paper bag.
And how did you know the amount?
He asked me to count it for him, 'cause he said he was too stoned.
And then what happened?
We went to a restaurant called...
The Hole in the Wall.
Mr. Calabrese was there with the Mascarpone brothers and somebody I didn't know.
He went up to Mr. Calabrese and said, ''Here you are, boss, on account''...
and left the bag on the table.
- What happened then? - Calabrese took the money...
opened it, counted it.
And then he said to Tony...
''What the hell kind of bag is this? The money's all greasy.''
And Tony says, ''I'm sorry. I ordered some egg rolls.
They was kinda greasy. It was the only bag I got.''
And Mr. Calabrese says, ''You cocksucker.
''You give me greasy money again, you'll owe me twice as much.
Now get the fuck outta here.''
And he starts to laugh. And then everyone starts to laugh.
Mr. Calabrese blows the bag up, pops it.
Tony makes believe he got shot, slides under the table.
So, by now, everyone's laughing so hard, they're crying.
But Mr. Calabrese short-pocketed the money.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. McQueen.
Would you read that back, please?
”He went up to Mr. Calabrese and he said, 'Here you are, boss, on account.'”
On account. Isn't it possible...
that Mr. Compagna owed Mr. Calabrese money...
and was simply repaying him?
- I have no idea. - You didn't answer the question.
Isn't it possible that Mr. Compagna...
owed Mr. Calabrese that money, yes or no?
Okay, yes.
No further questions.
You don't mind if I call you Carl, do you?
You always called me Carl. No reason to stop now.
Okay, Carl.
- Do you carry your gun on you at all times? - Yes.
You're not gonna shoot me if I ask you the wrong question, are you?
I assure you, Jackie, the thought of shooting you never crossed my mind.
Well, that's good.
Just keep your hands on the rail where I can see them anyway.
Your Honor, we're either in a serious trial here, or we're not.
Mr. DiNorscio must know the consequences of his behavior by now.
You get him good. This fuck-head is turning it into a fuckin' vaudeville story.
- Calm down, Nick. - Mr. DiNorscio, proceed.
Now, you knew my father, right?
Met him six years ago. He threatened me at the New Brunswick courthouse.
- Pop, would you stand up? - He's a liar!
- A goddamn liar!
No remarks from the spectators.
Now, you remember when you went to visit my pop in Lewisburg Penitentiary?
Very well.
- My brother Ralph went with you, right? - Correct.
Now, you was going up to bring up some liquor?
- You were gonna sneak it in? - Right.
Now, you knew my brother was a boozer, right?
- Yes. Everyone knew. - Carl...
you took my brother to see my father.
You knew he was a drunk when you left...
and you still went and bought him more liquor, right?
It was his idea we go get some liquor for your father.
We stopped, bought some. He picked up some for himself.
I had no intentions of ever abusing your brother's problem.
But you're an F.B.I. agent.
You're an F.B.I. agent smuggling liquor into a federal pen!
Your brother's the one insisted we go.
He was an alcoholic!
My father lives in a four-room apartment with my mother...
four blocks from the cemetery where my brother was buried.
And you helped kill him, Carl.
I don't believe I played any part in your brother's death.
I think maybe you should look at yourself.
Is the sun ever gonna come out?
It'll burn off, sweetheart. Don't you worry.
Fuckin'- Fuckin' Jackie got his ass handed to him yesterday.
Oh, first fuckin' time I found myself rootin' for a fed.
That fuckin' douche bag's gonna leave us hangin'. Trust me.
- I think you're wrong, Nick. - Who the fuck are you to think I'm wrong?
I can think you're wrong, Nick. It's a free country.
Hey, shit for brains, if it's so fuckin' free...
how come we're over a year in the trial, and they're still holding our bail money, huh?
You're such a fuckin' smart guy, answer me that. Look at this-gin.
Hey, Bellini, how come you got that nickname ''Artist''?
- Tell him, Carlo. - You never heard of the painter Bellini?
He was a great Italian painter, 16th century from Venezia.
Oh, yeah, how do you know all that shit, Carlo?
What do you think, I wanna be ignorant all my life like you?
I'm interested in the great Italians.
- He was Italian? - Oh, fuck you, ignoramus.
- He was a fag. - Get the fuck outta here.
Nah, nah. He was a fag, am I right, Carlo?
You're right, Nick. How'd you know?
My great-grandfather fucked him.
- You're somethin' else, Nick.
So, Mr. Kraus, when did you become a cooperating witness for the F.B.I.?
I got arrested for drugs.
The feds go talk to my lawyer, and he comes to me and he says, ”Charley”-
- What's going on back there?
I'm sorry, Your Honor. Mr. Napoli seems to have rolled off his bed.
Is he all right? Mr. Napoli?
- Mr. Napoli, are you all right?
Okay. I'm okay, Your Honor.
- What happened? - I fell asleep.
I must have rolled off.
Can we get Mr. Napoli some coffee?
And can we put up the side rails on his bed?
Yeah, Mr. DiNorscio?
May I have a sidebar, Your Honor?
- My marshals- - Hey, hey, wait for me, Jackie.
My marshals have been giving me a hard time for weeks now.
Everybody gets to eat what they want, and not me. I gotta eat what they bring me.
I ordered, uh, creamy peanut butter, and they brought me chunky.
Please, Mr. DiNorscio, this isn't my department.
Take it up at M.C.C.
- Lunch. Hour and a half.
He's facing life, and all that stupid bastard can think about is lunch.
Yeah, lunch on this, counselor.
Tell me, Jackie, which is easier...
jerkin' off in your cot or sittin' up in your chair?
I like to rub around in my chair.
- Yeah, I figured. That's why I had it removed.
- You mother- -Jackie, what are you doing?
You cocksucker, you took my fuckin' chair?
- I'll fuckin' kill you! He took my chair! - What are you doing?
- You're gonna ruin everything. - That's how come I can't sleep at night.
Okay? You swing at him in this courthouse, Judge Finestein will throw you out.
- This case is over for you! - Can he do that?
The only way we're gonna find out is after he's done it. You wanna risk that?
I'm telling you something, Klandis.
He says another thing to me, I swear to God, I'm gonna fuckin' crack him.
Jackie, come on now.
You gotta get a hold of yourself. You're gonna be the only person...
who is disbarred without being a lawyer in the first place, come on.
- Did-You're funny. - Let's go get some lunch.
- You like peanut butter?
- What, are you starting again? - No, I mean creamy or chunky.
- Some people like chunky. - All right. Come on. Yes.
How come you're losing weight and I'm gaining?
We're working the same case, same hours. We eat the same lousy food.
Yours goes right through you, and mine gets stored on my ass.
- You nearly got him, Sean. - That's not good enough. Gotta take him out.
You know what I heard one of the lady jurors say today?
She said he was cute.
Cute?
What the fuck is wrong with these people?
Does she have any idea how much money these bastards cost her?
If a hammer and a nail are used on her house, her daughter's apartment...
every fuckin' thing is costing her more because of these cute guys.
She sees a truck carrying concrete, she's paying for it.
Garbage being picked up at a restaurant, she's paying for it.
She buys perfume from France, gloves from Italy...
she's paying more because it came off a fuckin' boat!
Not to mention, that they fuckin' kill people from time to time!
He's nervous. Compagna's coming up.
And was it in November, Agent Brandon...
- that your team planted bugs in that establishment? - Yes.
- Play the tape, please.
- Sometimes you guys amuse me. - Uh, Mr. Kierney, hold on.
The, uh, court will take a temporary recess.
Mr. DiNorscio, I'd like to see you in my chambers.
- Yeah, come in.
Hey, Jackie.
- You hungry? - No, I'm fine.
Come. Sit, please.
You're sure? I could order out something.
I'm okay, Judge.
How about a, uh- a drink?
No, Judge.
Jackie, your, uh-
your mother.
My mother? What about my mother, Judge?
Jackie, I've just been informed that your mother passed away early this-
- Oh! - I'm sor-
-Jackie, I'm so sorry, Jackie. - No, no, no, please, Judge.
Jackie, is there anything I can do?
Mm-mmm.
I'd like to go to the funeral.
I can't. I... Jackie, I can't do that.
I don't have the power to release you to attend the funeral.
Look, Jackie, you're the prisoner of another jurisdiction.
They have to authorize it.
I'll tell you what. I'll call Judge Diamond. I'll see what I can do.
It's too late.
Jackie, you got a visitor.
Yo, shut your traps and keep walking.
Where we going?
No smokin' here, ma'am.
Hiya, Bella.
Hiya.
I'm sorry, Jackie, but I heard... about your mama.
Who'd you hear from?
Your sister called.
The funeral's on Friday. She wants me to come.
Your mother and I, we liked each other.
Yeah.
Well, uh, you want me to bring you something? Your blue suit?
They're not gonna let me go.
They, uh- The judge said that he couldn't let me out for the day.
Well, how can they do that? She's your mother.
That's what I said.
You got a pencil or a pen or something? I wanna stab somebody.
So help me God if I did, I'd give it to you...
- but they strip-searched me before I came in here. - They what?
- They strip-searched you? - Yeah. Don't... It was a...
- Those sons a... No! - It was a woman. Yes, a woman guard.
That's it. A woman guard did it. At least I think it was a woman.
She had long hair and a big ass.
Christ, Bella, what I put you through.
Your my wife, for Christ's sake.
Was your wife.
Oh, that's right. I forgot. Is there anyone I haven't fucked over?
Not that I know of.
I can't believe you came to see me.
Why, after all I've done to you?
You did a lot of bad things.
But you did some good things too.
Like what?
You were good in the sack.
So were you.
Yeah? So why did you need all those fuckin' whores for?
Come on. You're gonna start now, Bella?
What, I wasn't enough? Did I ever turn you down?
Did I ever not give you what you wanted? Even if it made me feel shitty afterwards.
- Bella, I'm a man. That's what men are supposed- - Fuck you!
That's what the DiNorscio men do.
I bet you couldn't even get it up if it was just the two of us missionary style.
More, more, more. More broads, more coke, more money.
More! Well, now you got more days in jail than the rest of your fuckin' life...
and you can't even get one of them back to bury your fuckin' mother.
No matter what I was doing, I always loved you, Bella.
Yeah, well, it's too bad your fuckin' cock didn't know it.
- Well, it sort of has a life of its own. - Oh!
Come on, Bella. What the fuck we fightin' about?
We're fightin' about fuckin'.
Time is fleeting, Bella.
Who knows? Maybe I'm next in line.
Not you.
God left you a long time ago, and the devil is scared of you.
He should be.
But you was never scared of me.
No, I never was.
That's why I liked you, even when we was kids.
- There was nothing that ever scared you. - Nothin'.
Oh, my God.
- Time's up.
- What, were you watchin'? - Let's go.
- All right, give me- - Jackie, Jackie.
- I got it. Let's go. - Come on.
Easy, Jackie.
- Move your ass. - I got him. Come on, Jackie.
Keep it nice.
You want me to come back and finish the job, lady?
So, why this meeting, Sean?
Your Honor, Ben...
obviously after 19 months, I feel we've made a good case.
And after Compagna testifies next week, I think we're home.
Despite that, I wanna offer a deal.
Not because I think we're weak, I don't.
But we never know what a jury will do.
My heart and soul are in this case.
I don't wanna risk one of these guys walkin'
I'd rather offer less of a sentence now than risk any of them walking.
I'm- I'm listening.
Okay, all your guys plead guilty.
Twenty for Nick and the Mascarpone brothers. They're the ones I really want.
Seven and a half to 10 for everybody else, except for Jackie.
For him, five to run concurrent with his present sentence.
And a contract for a new late-night show at ABC.
That's as funny as the rest of your offer.
- Ben, are you laughing at him or with him? - How do you mean?
If you're laughing at him, you're turning him down.
If you're laughing with him, you're negotiating.
Let me talk to the guys.
So, that's their proposition.
- That's good news you're bringing, Ben. - How do you mean?
Well, you don't get an offer if they think they made their case. It's as simple as that.
That's usually the way it works, but we got a big question mark here.
Your fucking cousin, Jackie, how is he gonna testify?
Is he gonna cry? Is he gonna break their hearts?
It doesn't matter how he'll testify. I'll destroy him.
Like you destroyed McQueen? Come on, Jackie, everybody.
Please, leave your egos out of this.
It's a serious offer. Go ahead, Frank.
There are 20 lawyers in this room with what, over 300 years of experience?
Can one of you say he hasn't been stunned?
Stunned? Hell, knocked cockeyed with surprise...
at a verdict by a jury, raise your hand.
How would you vote, Frank?
My client is a sick guy falling out of bed at his own trial.
Seven and a half to 10. Out in four if he doesn't get out sooner for medical reasons.
- I can't see how we can turn it down. - Now, hold on, Frank.
My client, Ben's client, they're facing three times that.
Granted. It's tougher, but let's be honest.
They're facing life if they go down.
Okay, everybody, we'll sleep on it.
We'll meet here tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., and the defendants will vote.
Let me just say one thing.
I think we all need to be unanimous on this.
If some take it, it practically screams the other guys are guilty.
- So, united, okay? - Agreed.
Can I say something?
For me, it's easy. I still got a long time on my old sentence.
God knows I love you guys. I wouldn't do nothin' to hurt youse.
Stop with the love shit, Jackie. Just say your piece.
When I got indicted on this-
Geez, what is it, Ben, three years ago?-
they offered me a deal.
I said no, naturally.
Then, while I'm out on bail on the RICO charge...
they pick me up again on the dope charge...
the one I'm doing time on now.
Now, I'm not a jerk-off. I know what the hell they're doing.
They're using the second case so they can pressure me on the first, right?
So now I'm serving my 30.
This trial finally gets here...
and they offer me another deal.
This time they've got shrimp cocktail.
They got steaks. They got wines.
I tell Mr. Kierney to go fuck yourself.
Now, most of you gumps get to go home every night.
You got hot meals waitin' for you.
You got some warm pussy waitin' for you.
That is, if your wife's out of town.
Not me.
I go back to the Manhattan Correctional every day.
The meals ain't that great.
And my only pussy is my right hand.
And I'm still sayin'...
Jackie Dee don't rat.
Jackie Dee won't ever rat.
I was raised with a different kind of loyalty. You know what I mean.
I vote no.
I also vote no.
- I also vote no. - I vote no.
Putie. No.
- I vote no, gooms. - I vote no, Jackie.
- I vote no. - Me too, no.
- My vote is no. - I have to agree with Jackie.
- Fuck 'em. - Fuck 'em. I vote no.
- No. - I vote no, Nick.
- No. - Done. That's it.
- Done deal. - It's agreed.
Yeah, done.
I, uh... I guess the answer is no.
Compagna's phone tapes don't show any calls from Jackie.
And the prison phone log doesn't show Jackie calling Compagna.
Sean, you're worrying needlessly.
You know why I've won every case I've been on?
Because I worry needlessly.
What if those two guineas have conspired to fuck us on Monday?
We can't risk it. Do you understand?
Sean, we've checked everything.
What about his jail cell?
I want it stripped down. I want every piece of paper that exists.
Turn that fuckin' place upside down.
If they've had contact, I have to know it.
This-This is the whole ball game.
Take off the sweats. Strip search.
What? Strip search?
- Get up. Help me here. - Open 'em up.
Open 'em up.
- You want some of this? - Here. I'll help you out.
Here it comes, big guy. Ready? Here it comes.
Jesus, Jesse, he has to be in court on Monday. I hope he can walk by then.
Look at his face. What's the judge gonna say?
Jackie knows the rules. Right, Jackie? What happened to you?
- I fell. - See?
My apologies to the court.
I thought everybody loved you, Jackie.
Mr. Kierney.
The prosecution calls Anthony Compagna to the stand.
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth...
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
- I do. - Mr. Compagna...
did there come a time when you made contact with the F.B.I.?
- Yes. - And at such time...
did you agree to become a cooperating witness?
Yeah, I did.
- Why? - Because I feared for my life.
And why did you fear for your life?
Uh, because I shot one of the defendants, Jackie DiNorscio.
And what is your relationship to Mr. DiNorscio?
Cousin. We grew up together.
And what was it about the shooting that made you fear for your life?
Well, 'cause I missed.
And are you familiar with the defendants Gino Mascarpone...
- and Nick Calabrese? - Yeah.
Yeah, it went like this.
I worked for Jackie handling the numbers and drugs.
And Jackie reported to Gino. And Calabrese was boss of it all.
Are you familiar with any of the other defendants?
Yeah. Every one of these guys were in different rackets together.
- Objection! - Overruled.
Then, Mr. Compagna, if you were involved in crimes...
with your cousin and the other defendants...
why did you shoot Jackie DiNorscio?
Well, you see, I was in the gem business with Jackie.
We used to get suckers to invest in colored gemstones...
and when they went to sell them, they found out they weren't worth all that much.
We was doin' good. Jackie was the closest person in the world to me at that point.
- And what changed all that? - Jackie started stealing from the company.
Little by little, the business went downhill. Finally it went bust.
I was without a job. Pretty soon out of money.
Uh, Jackie had other businesses going. He could have got me work that way.
I turned to him for help. He won't even help me.
He won't even talk to me.
So, one morning, I headed for Jackie's house.
I was mad at Jackie. I was... I was desperate.
Can you describe what happened next?
I went into his room- I wasn't even thinking-
I ran into his room and I shot him.
I was scared. I ran out.
And then what happened?
Uh, I was picked up by the cops a couple days later.
When they charged me with attempted murder, that's when I knew Jackie was still alive.
- I was scared. - And then what?
A detective comes in, and he says, ''Okay, you can go.''
Jackie just signed a statement says you didn't got nothing to do with the shooting.
- So that's when I knew. - Knew what, Mr. Compagna?
The boys didn't want me in jail at all.
Jackie wanted me back out on the street so they could deal with me in their own way.
So that's when I went to the F.B.I. and agreed to cooperate.
Thank you, Mr. Compagna.
Your witness.
Mr. Compagna, isn't it true that you had undergone psychiatric...
and electric shock treatment even before agreeing to cooperate with the government?
Yeah, I had some treatment. So what?
And during this period that you allege you observed these men...
involved in racketeering and other crimes...
you were under the influence of heroin?
I took heroin sometimes.
And cocaine.
Yeah.
Marijuana? Quaaludes?
- Sometimes. - And methadone?
Shall I take your silence as a yes answer?
I'll tell you what we'll do. I'll call them off, and you tell me when I'm wrong.
Valium. Dilaudid. Doriden. Darvocet.
Seconal. Percodan. Percocet. Librium.
I was having a tough time then, all right?
I took whatever I could to make it through the day.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Mr. DiNorscio, you wanna tell me what happened?
I fell.
Coz, could you repeat what you told Mr. Kierney...
when he asked you to describe our relationship?
I said you were the closest person in the world to me.
Do you always shoot those that are close to you?
Mr. Klandis asked you about all those drugs you took.
And I wanna know, are you on any now?
- No. - The reason I'm asking...
is I wanna make sure that you're not blocking anything out while your testifying.
No, I ain't, I ain't. I told everything I know.
Then tell me something.
Why'd you say I stole from our business?
'Cause it was obvious that you did.
You know that these prosecutors went to everybody else at that company...
and you were the only one that said that I stole?
Oh, I don't know about that.
You're blockin' Tony.
You testified that you were mad at me. Why would you be mad at me?
You- 'Cause you-you would give money to everybody else.
- What did I tell you? - But not me. You gave money to your friends...
your broads, your dealers, anybody, but not me.
Tony, what did I tell you?
I stopped giving you money 'cause you were using it...
-just to go out and buy more drugs, right?
- Look at me, Tony.
Why aren't you lookin' at me, Tony?
Remember when we were kids? Remember all our lives?
Whenever we lied to each other we couldn't face each other.
That's when we knew we were lyin' just like you're doin' now.
Objection!
Questions. Just ask questions, Mr. DiNorscio.
When your mother died, Tony...
do you know who paid for her funeral?
- The insurance. - Mm-mmm.
I did.
Ask your sister. She's sittin' right there.
If you did pay for her funeral, thank you.
Tell me something.
After you shot me...
did I go runnin' to the cops?
No, I didn't.
Why'd you go run to the F.B.I.?
I told you, I feared for my life.
Now, Tony, isn't it true that once you ran to the government...
you were able to get all the drugs that you wanted?
- Objection. - Overruled.
I needed. I needed treatment. They were willing to help me.
Help you? The government didn't help you.
The government gave you anything you wanted as long as you helped them...
put men you've known your whole life in jail.
Ain't that right?
Ain't it?
They said if I wanted protection that I had to testify against everybody.
Remember that day that you shot me?
- There was someone else in that house, wasn't there? - No.
You're blockin' again, Tony.
Wasn't my daughter in that house?
Not some stranger, but your own blood?
So? You were the only one I had anything against.
What did I say to you when you shot me?
I don't remember.
- Tell 'em. - I told you I don't remember.
You can't say it, can you?
You don't remember me saying, ''My God...
why are you doing this to me, Coz? I love you''?
You remember that. You just couldn't say it, could you?
Remember what you did after I said I loved you?
You shot me three more times.
Tony, look at me.
Tony.
You hurt me bad.
I thought I was gonna die.
I'm so... I'm sorry I shot you.
Are you sorry you shot me, or are you sorry you didn't kill me?
Both.
Let me ask you one more question, Tony.
Do you believe... that I still love you?
No.
I can't get next to this guy, Judge.
I don't wanna cross-examine him anymore.
I don't wanna talk to him.
Any redirect?
No, Your Honor.
Okay, if there are no further questions, that's it for the day.
Twenty-one months.
Sometimes-
Sometimes I get up to pee in the wee small hours...
and I can't get back to sleep.
That's never happened to me before.
Now we'll hear the closing arguments. Mr. Kierney?
Ladies and gentlemen...
I wanna congratulate you on entering the Guinness Book of World Records.
You're part of the longest criminal trial in American history.
I'm not proud of that.
I know it's put enormous strain on all concerned.
But from all these details...
a collective power emerges.
If you walk away with only one impression from these 22 months...
let it be this:
The men you see before you have engaged in all sorts of criminal activities...
for decades, decades!
With utter disregard for the law.
And they deserve to be punished by society for these crimes.
Now the defense will try to distract you from this undeniable fact...
by complaining that the prosecution witnesses are junkies, crooks...
strong-arm guys and worse.
Well, maybe some of them are. But these defendants...
if they know any honest citizens...
never have any dealings with them.
Now, we've had our share of big personalities in this trial.
I ask you not to let personalities play any part here.
But that you focus specifically...
on the overwhelming physical evidence that has been presented.
I thank you for your time...
and I thank you for your patience...
in performing your duty as law-abiding citizens.
Thank you.
Even to a point where his health broke down, was there a direct connection?
How many of you could have gone through with this trial-
How many times was he named in this trial?
Twice. Twice in a year and 10 months.
Has my client been in jail? Yes. But have we reached a point under the RICO Act...
where we indict a man for past crimes he's already done time for?
I represent Jimmy Katz. You've heard him referred to as Jimmy the Jew.
How come the government had one defendant whose name did not end in a vowel?
- I'll tell you how come- - Gino Mascarpone is being persecuted...
because his name ends in a vowel.
Mr. Klandis?
Ladies and gentlemen, the prosecution took great pains...
to point out that my client and his friends...
knew the sordid array of misfits they used as witnesses.
They want you to believe that these men spent their lives...
with the criminal element you saw in this courtroom.
I wanna offer you a different part of Carlo Mascarpone's life...
and I'm sure the lives of these other defendants as well.
Wife, children...
his priest, his M.D.
The guy who pumps his gas and inspects his car for him.
In other words, the hundred-odd people...
whose lives he touches every day, every week.
Leading a life very much like yours.
The government brought you witnesses...
government informants, who, because of the lives they have led...
have lost the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies.
These highly-paid informants...
came to the government in various ways...
but there is one constant.
They all came in handcuffs.
The government does not like these defendants.
They don't like the neighborhood they come from.
They don't like the way they talk.
They don't like their tradition, their culture.
But we are a nation of laws, not men.
The purpose of the prosecutor, much like the purpose of the grand jury...
is to search for truth.
But somehow in this case that was lost.
The prosecutor became the persecutor.
Win at any cost.
I thank you all for your time.
And now I pass my client's fate into your hands.
Phone call, Jackie.
- Yeah? - Uh, just...
- wonderin' how you're doin'? - Oh, hiya, Ben.
Well, I'm... ...i'm kind of nervous.
I was, uh, putting down some thoughts for tomorrow.
I don't wanna fuck up like I did.
Ah, I don't think you will, Jackie.
You was terrific this week, Ben.
Uh, if we don't make it, it won't be your fault.
And you were terrific, the whole trial, Jackie.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Ben.
That means a lot to me coming from you.
- All right. - Okay.
- I'll see you tomorrow. - Good night, Jackie.
Mr. DiNorscio?
”Ladies and gentlemen, I won't take up too much more of your time.
”It's been a long trial, and I don't want you to be away from your families...
”any longer than you have to.
”I realize I said a lot of things in this courtroom...
”and I hope I didn't offend nobody.
But I just wanted to show you that I'm not a gangster. I'm just a gagster.”
I'm not gonna read from this.
I promised you a long time ago...
I would speak from the heart.
Now, I know the government tried piling up all this evidence in front of you.
They showed you photos, and you think it's me and my friends meeting together...
it's probably some kind of criminal conspiracy.
You see this picture?
You recognize that one in the middle?
That's me.
The rest of the guys are some of these men here as children.
This was, of course, way long before the government ever knew who Jackie DiNorscio was...
who was standing on a corner outside of an ice-cream parlor.
And you know what we were doing that day? We were conspiring to buy ice cream.
If they had a RICO law back then, they probably would have locked us up.
Now, I know it's-
it's tough to decide who to believe in this case.
For 600 days, you guys have been sittin' here.
They came in with tape after tape, witness after witness.
And they were trying to fill your mind with so much baloney...
that in the end you'd think, ''Oh, God, there's so much there.
There has to be something to it.''
Ladies and gentlemen...
if you believe anything...
that any of those witnesses has said...
or if you feel that the prosecutor was right...
then I beg you...
please, don't take it out on my friends here.
If you have to blame someone...
then find me guilty.
You heard me right.
Find me guilty, and let these men go home to their families.
You see, I already lost mine.
And I don't want their kids to lose their fathers 'cause of Uncle Jackie.
So, send me to jail.
I'm not guilty, but I'm used to it.
That's all. I have nothing more to say. Thank you for your time and attention.
I don't doubt for a minute that you'll use them well to reach a just verdict.
The jury will now retire.
Well, it's over finally.
- What do you think, Ben? - It's gotta be at least four days of deliberation.
I agree. Where will you be?
At the office or home. I wanna get some sleep.
- But you won't be able to. - I know.
Sean.
So what's your feeling about how long?
Twenty defendants, 76 charges...
we'll be lucky if we're back here in a week.
I agree. I'm going home.
Let's go, Jackie Dee. Jury's reached a verdict.
Hey, boss. Um, boss? The jury's coming in.
- What? - The jury's coming in.
They've only been out about 14 hours. I don't believe it.
Let's move it, chief.
I can't believe they've reached a verdict this fast.
- What does it mean, Ben? - God only knows.
Coming in this fast, good sign or bad sign?
God only knows.
Be careful now, Jeanie. All right? Come here. Come on.
It's gonna be okay. Don't worry about it.
Make sure you call my mother every night, all right?
It'll be okay. It's okay. It's okay.
- You okay, Nick?
My nerves are shot.
If the fuckin' feds offered me a deal right now, I'd take it.
Yo, come on, go ahead. Watch your back, huh, please? God Almighty.
- I love you guys. - I love you too. You're the best.
Rose. You tell the kids Uncle Jackie said hello.
You were great in there.
- Hey, hey, hey. -Jackie, I love you.
You were great in there, baby. Thanks for everything.
- They treatin' you all right? - Don't give her money in front of everybody.
-Joe, you know? - You drive me crazy.
- Heya, Jackie. - Hey, pal.
Heya, Nick. I did the best I could.
You're a prick.
Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats, please. Jury's coming in.
Heya.
Madame Forewoman, have you reached a verdict?
We have.
Is your verdict as to all the defendants, as to all counts...
- or is it a partial verdict? - It's to all defendants and all counts.
What is your verdict?
We find all the defendants not guilty.
- Ben! Oh, Ben! - We did it, baby!
Hey, the jury! The jury!
Come on. Hey, come here. Hey, come on, please.
Please.
This is unbelievable. Unbelievable.
Hey, Jackie. It's Jackie. You did great. I love ya!
- You're the best! - You're the best!
Thank you.
I love you guys.
Hey, guy, looks, it's Jackie!
- We did it! - Way to go!
You saw that? You saw that?
Huh? You saw what we did?
You saw it! We got 'em! You saw that?
We did it! We crushed 'em! We got 'em! We got 'em!
Whack! You saw that?
We did it! I'm a lawyer!