Donnie Brasco
NICKY That was something about the boss, wasn’t it?
SONNY We all gotta go sometime.
Lefty, TERRIFIED, looks at Boobie again. Boobie nods. Donnie WATCHES this… Thinks: what to do?
CUT TO:
EXT. DAY. KENNEDY AIRPORT
They walk from the parked Mercedes toward a FREIGHT HANGAR. The scene is otherwise DESERTED. Lefty NERVOUS, lights a cigarette.
Planes periodically ROAR overhead.
NICKY (sings) ‘Love on the rocks, ain’t no surprise.’
LEFTY Sonny, what is this? We glomming something?
Sonny opens the door.
SONNY After you.
Lefty walks into the DARKNESS… A terrifying SILENCE… Then —
RRRRRRROAR!
CUT TO:
INT. HANGAR
The LIGHTS come up. A pale and shaken Lefty looks straight into the eyes of a LION CUB as it GROWLS. A bluff FREIGHT HANDLER holds the lion on a leash.
LEFTY Christ. I think I shit my pants.
FREIGHT HANDLER It was supposed to go to some animal dealer. Fuck him. I’ll tell him it got lost.
SONNY Look, Left, he likes you.
The cub nuzzles and sniffs at Lefty.
LEFTY (to Lion) Get the fuck outta here.
SONNY That’s for you, Left. For your birthday. Batter late than never.
LEFTY That’s why you sent for me?
SONNY Yeah, why? Whaddayou think, you was gonna get whacked? (laughing) Lefty thought he’s gonna get whacked!
NICKY (laughing) What a pisser!
SONNY What, over that 175 grand you owe down in Little Italy? Don’t worry, chooch. (hard) Now you owe it to me.
CUT TO:
EXT. NIGHT. THE MOTION LOUNGE
Donnie, Lefty and the Lion pile into the Cadillac. Sonny, Nicky and Boobie wave as they drive off.
CUT TO:
INT. NIGHT. CADILLAC
They drive back to Manhattan, the Lion GROWLING in the back seat.
Lefty turns around.
LEFTY (to Lion) Jesus Christ — shaddup already!
DONNIE He’s hungry, Left,
INT. NIGHT. WHITE CASTLE
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“Home of the Square Hamburger.” Lefty and Donnie approach the counter.
LEFTY Forty hamburgers.
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EXT. NIGHT. WHITE CASTLE
Donnie and a melancholy Lefty sit on the hood of the Cadillac, throwing hamburgers to the Lion.
LEFTY Thirty years, there ever was a piece of work to be done — call Lefty — I never complained. But do I get upped? They passed me by. Sonny Black gets upped. I don’t get fucking upped.
DONNIE At least you got Louise.
LEFTY Sonny Black has four broads don’t add up to Louise. You got a girl?
DONNIE Yeah. I told you, in California.
LEFTY That’s a good thing. One broad’s enough. She’s a good woman, Louise. My son Tommy, she’s more of a mother to him than my ex-wife, that bitch, (beat) My own fucking son’s a junkie, you believe it?
DONNIE You should give him a smack in the mouth once in a while.
LEFTY Believe me, I got bruises on my hands. My daughter, Janet — 28 years old, she ain’t married. My daughter Francine, she’s out in California. She ain’t married. I’m telling you, Donnie, I gotta worry 24 hours a day. A woman like Louise, I can’t do right by her — I ain’t got three bucks in my pocket. I got cancer of the prick. My ex-wife, she still lives in the building. I see her on the stairs, I gotta have three spritzers just to calm down.
DONNIE What do you mean, cancer of the prick?
LEFTY Cancer of the prick. Oh, yeah, you didn’t know that? Fuggedaboudit. I’m in the medical books with that.
DONNIE I never heard of that.
LEFTY I ain’t a mutt — 30 years busting my hump, for what? Sonny Black they up to skipper. Do I get upped? I’m like Claude Rains — I’m the Invisible fucking Man.
DONNIE You know, Left, not for nothing, but six hours ago you thought you’s gonna get whacked.
LEFTY Ain’t the question, Donnie. Did I say I was gonna get whacked?
DONNIE No.
LEFTY Don’t say you know when you don’t know, Donnie. You don’t know.
DONNIE I don’t know ’cause you don’t tell me. How come you didn’t tell me about that money you owe?
LEFTY Fugggedabqudit. You know what the vig is on that? That fucking Blackstein is gonna have the arm on me every fucking week.
DONNIE Maybe I could help you out.
LEFTY I’ll tell you something — I went in front of all the skippers, Sonny Red and Philly Lucky and all of them. I went on the record with you. You know what that means?
DONNIE I don’t know.
LEFTY You don’t?
DONNIE I do?
LEFTY You got no fucking idea, my friend. I’m your man now — Jesus Christ can’t touch you because I represent you.
DONNIE You and me, Left.
LEFTY I got Louise and I got you.
They toss hamburgers to the Lion, the White Castle beside them, lit bright against the bleak urban landscape.
CUT TO:
INT. DAY. PISTONE HOME
A party for Kerry’s CONFIRMATION. A PRIEST hobnobs with Donnie’s extended family. UNCLE BOB arrives, looks for Kerry.
UNCLE BOB Where’s Kerry? (finding her) Kerry, that’s the prettiest confirmation dress I’ve ever seen.
Terry sulks in a corner. Maggie enters with a tray of cookies.
UNCLE BOB Is Joe here?
MAGGIE He’s on the phone.
The cheery hubbub subsides as the noise of Donnie’s hollering CRESCENDOES in the next room…
DONNIE (O.S.) I don’t give a fuck, Left!… What the fuck do you want me to do?… I don’t give a fuck what that motherfucker says — you believe him or me?
Awkward looks all around. MRS. PISTONE, 60s, Donnie’s MOTHER, sidles up to Maggie.
MRS. PISTONE Who’s bothering Joseph?
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INT. NIGHT. PISTONE BEDROOM
Donnie sleeps. Maggie lies awake.
MAGGIE I want a divorce.
DONNIE There hasn’t been a divorce in my family back to Julius Caesar. Divorce someone else.
MAGGIE I’m serious.
DONNIE Maggie, I’m tired. Go to sleep.
MAGGIE Will you see a therapist?
DONNIE It’s just another six months.
MAGGIE I can’t sleep for six months, Joe.
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