Top 50 Quotes From American Gangster

Frank: 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.

Detective: 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

[from trailer]
Detective: I swear, I will pull out my gun and put a bullet in your fuckin' head!

Nephew: I don't wanna play baseball no more.
Frank: Well, what do you want?
Nephew: I want what you got Uncle Frank. I wanna be you.

[last lines - extended cut]
[Frank observes some new-school gangstaz]
Frank: Even a fool gets to be young once.

Eva: You're Frank and this is your place?
Frank: That's right. I'm Frank and this is my place.
Eva: Why is it called Small's? Why don't you call it Frank's?
Frank: When you own something, you can call it what you want.

Frank: 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.
Detective: I'll take them too.
Frank: You'll take them too? No you didn't. You talkin about police? You want police? You want your own kind?
Detective: They're not my kind. They're in business with you, they ain't my kind. They ain't my kind like the Italians are not yours.

Dominic: What do you think of monopolies?
Frank: You mean like the game?
Dominic: 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.
Frank: Just tryin' to make a livin'.
Dominic: '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.
Frank: Gotta be controlled by who? I set a price that I think is fair.
Dominic: I don't think it's fair.
Frank: You don't?
Dominic: I don't think it's fair.
Frank: I think it's fair.
Dominic: 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?
Frank: Dairy farmers?
Dominic: Yeah.
Frank: I'm thinking of them, Dominic, about as much as they've ever thought about me.
Dominic: 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.
Frank: I dunno. I'm pretty good, Dominic. Yannow, I've got 110th to 155th-river to river-I'm alright.
Dominic: 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.
Frank: You're paying what? Seventy-five? Eighty thousand a kilo? I'm a Renaissance Man too. I'll consider fifty thousand.

Detective: 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.
Frank: Oh, I remember them all. That's not the problem.
Detective: What is?
Frank: The jails aren't big enough.

Frank: Ey, ey, ey, ey! Don't rub on that. You Blot that! Ya understand? That's Alpaca. That's $25,000 Alpaca! You blot that shit! You don't rub it, put the club soda on there.

Frank: What is that you got on?
Huey: What? This?
Frank: Yeah, that.
Huey: This is a very, very, very nice suit.
Frank: That's a very, very, very nice suit, huh?
Huey: Yeah.
Frank: 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.

Detective: When was the last time I was in New Jersey? Let me think, never, what are you doing coming over here unannounced? You think you're going to get hurt doing that? you got your fucking money, never come into this city unannounced, you come to the city to see a fucking Broadway show, you call ahead first to see if it's ok with me

Mama: You don't shoot cops. Even I know that. Eva knows it. The only one who DOESN'T seem to know is you.
Frank: [ignores her pleas as he escorts her outside] All right, Mama. I'm not going to, I promise you. I'm not going to shoot anyone.
Mama: I never asked you where all this stuff came from, because I didn't want to hear you lie to me. Please...
Frank: [talking over her] Ma, I understand. I don't want you to worry about it. Now come on, I have to go...
Mama: Don't LIE to me!
[slaps Frank roughly]
Mama: Don't... don't do that. Do you want to make things so bad for your family that they'll leave you? Because they will.
Frank: [dismissively] No. No, Ma, I understand...
Mama: [points towards Eva] She will leave you. *I* will LEAVE you!

[last title cards]
Title: Frank Lucas was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and sentenced to 70 years.
Title: Federal authorities confiscated over 250 million dollars of Frank's assets in U.S. and foreign banks.
Title: Frank and Richie's collaboration led to the conviction of three quarters of New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency.
Title: Thirty members of Frank's family were convicted of drug trafficking and sent to prison.
Title: Frank's wife returned to Puerto Rico.
Title: His mother moved back to North Carolina.
Title: Richie Roberts quit the Prosecutor's Office to become a defense attorney. His first client was Frank Lucas.
Title: For his cooperation, Frank's prison sentence was reduced to 15 years. He was released in 1991.

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

Frank: 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.

Redtop: What's the matter? Ain't you niggas never seen naked coochie before?
Huey: Why they all naked?
Frank: So they can't steal nothin'.

Detective: [Referring to Frank Lucas] His seats were phenomenal better seats than Dominic Cattano, Joe Louis shook his hand, who the fuck is this guy?

Moses: I heard a story about you that you found a million dollars in unmarked cash and you gave that shit back, is that true?

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

Detective: 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.

[repeated line]
Frank: 20 Percent.

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

[from trailer]
Detective: Frank Lucas is the most dangerous man walking the streets of our city.

[from trailer]
Frank: I got Harlem. I took care of Harlem, so Harlem's gonna take care of me.

Frank: Simple Simon-ass motherfuckers!

Detective: They don't want this to stop. It employs too many people. Cops, lawyers, judges, probation officers, prison guards... The day dope stops coming into this country, a hundred thousand people lose their jobs.

Frank: They tried to kill my Wife!
Frank: Who are they?... Huh?... Maybe it was one of your people?
Dominic: I don't know yet.
Frank: You don't know.
Dominic: No.
Frank: You don't know.
Frank: 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.

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

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

Rossi: More important than one man's life is order.

Chinese: How would you get it into the States?
Frank: You ain't got to worry about that.
Chinese: Who do you work for in there?
Frank: You ain't got to worry about that, either.
Chinese: Who are you really?
Frank: It says right there, Frank Lucas.
Chinese: I mean, who do you represent?
Frank: Me.

[repeated line]
Frank: My man.

[Detective Trupo notices Richie's plans to arrest Frank Lucas]
Detective: What's this? Don't tell me you're actually gonna arrest Frank Lucas, are you?
Detective: 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.

Frank: Now, I got no problem with you showin' up in court tomorrow with your head blown in half.
Detective: Get in line. That one stretches around the block too.

Richie's: Oh! Richie fuck me like a cop not a lawyer. Ohhh.

Tango: What the fuck you gonna do Frank, huh? You gonna shoot me, in front of everybody? Huh? Come on...
[Frank shoots him]

Detective: Good work Frank. You... want a drink or something? Celebrate?
Frank: You got any holy water?

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

[from trailer]
Frank: 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.

Detective: [after Detective Trupo finds Blue Magic in a small bag in the car] What are we gonna do about this?
Frank: 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...
Detective: I got a better idea, or would you rather me throw you and your brother in the fuckin' river?
Frank: Or, would you rather your house blows up next time?

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

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

Detective: Did you pay your bills, Frank?
Frank: I don't know what you're talking about.
Detective: You pay your bills, I asked you?
Frank: Look, if you're not getting your share
Detective: [interupts] What's my share? Cause you don't even fuckin' know me. Maybe I'm special.

Frank: The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room.

Bumpy: [to Frank] A leader, like a shepherd, he sends his fastest nimble sheep, out front. And the others will follow. While the shepherd, he walk quietly behind... Now he's got the stick, and the cane, and he'll use it! If he has to. But most times he doesn't have to. He moves the whole herd quietly.

Detective: 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.
Laurie: What are you saying? That because you were honest and you didn't take money like every other cop, I left you? No, 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. You know, I'd rather you took it and been honest with me. Or don't take it. I don't care. But then don't 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 your secretaries and strippers.I can tell by just looking,she's one of them. You think you're going to heaven because you're honest, but you're not You're going to the same hell as the crooked cops you can't stand.

Bumpy: This is the problem. This is what's wrong with America. It's gotten so big, you just can't find your way. The grocery store on the corner is now a supermarket. The candy store is a MacDonald's. And this place, a super fucking discount store. Where's the pride of ownership? Where's the personal service?
[Enters the store]
Bumpy: See what I mean? Shit. I mean, what right do they have, of cutting out the suppliers? Pushing out all the middlemen. Buying direct from the manufacturer. Sony this. Toshiba that. All them Chinks putting Americans out of work. That's the way it is now. You can't find the heart of anything to stick the knife.

[from trailer]
Frank: 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.

Chinese: It's not in my best interest to say this, Frank, but quitting while you're ahead is not the same as quitting.