Original subtitles

- [Narrator] Tonight on Wise Guy,

- Nurse!

My mother gets mugged and I turn out to be the bag man.

- There is going to be a war between

Patrice, Steelgrave, and Mahony,

and we're gonna win it.

- We're gonna work this like a termite.

I keep eating at the right wood,

pretty soon Patrice's house is going

to come tumbling down.

Two hundred and fifty G's right out of Patrice's pocket.

I love it.

- You cannot tell her.

- Hey you do what you gotta do.

- Don't you make me pull the plug on this Vince.

(music)

- (foreign language)

Senora Terrenova, ah making a sauce tonight?

- For my son.

- Those Jersey tomatoes, the best in the world.

Good sauce, four for a dollar 25.

- They got spots.

- Senora, four for a dollar.

- Bien.

(foreign language)

- [Crowd Member] Somebody grab that Korean kid.

- Wait, stop!

- Lady.

- (foreign language)

- I'll get father Pete.

- Hello, I need an ambulance right away.

- It's your mother, across the Mazola's

you better get there.

- Oh mom.

It's okay mom.

(sirens)

(music)

- I'm getting dizzy watching this.

- Can't you just see her up there

twirling around right over those blint wheels.

They'll be so busy watching her,

they won't even think about the money they're losing.

(clapping)

that was great doll, really that was great.

Let me ask you a question now,

what else can you do?

(music)

- Ooh

I've been waiting all my life for a woman

who could do that.

(phone ringing)

- Hey

- What?

- It's for you

- Trust me I got this girl.

- Yeah right.

- You were great babe,

you were- you brought tears to my eyes.

- Do I get the job Mr. Steelgrave?

- Well here how it is babe,

I got an opening in the lounge alright,

but I've auditioned a lot of great acts

so I thought you would come by my place tonight.

Maybe there's a few moves you could show me.

Oh my god.

- Hello

- Vinny,

- Pete?

What's the matter.

- It's mom.

- She's dead?

- No, no she's gonna be alright.

- Well what happened?

- She was mugged,

outside Mazola's and they broke her arm.

- How's her heart?

- They've got her on a monitor.

They say she's gonna be alright, but.

- Where is she?

- Saint Matthews, look Vinny,

- Alright I'm on my way.

- What, what,

- My mother was mugged.

- Yeah but she gonna be okay?

- Well yeah I think so, but she's got a bad heart

she's at Saint Matthews,

- Well go on,

- So I got to go to her.

- Well go ahead, get up there.

Don't drive, take the chopper,

you'll get there in less than an hour.

Your mother needs you.

- Mr. Terrenova?

- Yeah

- I'm Andrew Wolf. Minister here at Saint Matthews.

- How's my mother?

- She's resting comfortably.

If you'll just follow me.

- Okay.

What is all this?

- Don't be too concerned.

I understood from my telephone conversation

with Mr. Steelgrave that he was covering

all of the expenses.

- Oh.

- Ah, Mr. Terrenova, I want you to meet Dr. Stine,

head of our cardiology unit.

She'll be overseeing your mothers case.

- I thought my mother just broke her arm.

- Your mother has arterial sclerosis.

A congenital valve problem.

A trauma of the sort she suffered,

can have serious consequences.

- Well how serious, I mean if my mothers gonna die,

I think I got a right to know.

- Well at the moment her vital signs are stable.

And we're keeping a close watch on her.

- Where is she?

- I don't think a visit at this time is appropriate sir.

She's resting quietly.

- I want to see her right now.

- Fine.

- If there's anything else I can do for you

or your mother just let me know.

- Yeah my brother Pete's around here someplace.

- I'll locate him and send him up.

- Thanks.

- She's right in this room.

- Right.

- Mother.

I love you mama.

- Vinchenzo

- Mama no, don't do this.

Mama please let me be with you.

I need you.

Nurse get in here!

What are you guys doing

- Please leave now.

- Crash cart stat.

- Right away.

- I need 20 cc adrenaline,

have some sodium bicarbonate.

- Yes doctor.

- Check the EKG, I want a new baseline now.

- Ten dollar bill, that's all she had in her purse.

- Who grabbed it.

- I don't know, a kid.

- Did you get a description?

- Eight of them, no two alike.

- Great.

She was always so strong.

Now she looks so helpless.

That's my fault.

I almost killed her by being here today, Pete.

- Lies almost killed her.

- Oh come on Pete, if it was just me,

don't you think I would have told her a long time ago?

But there's other agents in the program to protect.

It's the first and most important rule.

It's also the hardest one to live with.

- Hey Mr. Terrenova.

- Hey Dean, Johnny what is it?

Okay look, my father was Mr. Terrenova,

it's still Vinny alright.

- It's all over the neighborhood,

you flew in on a private chopper.

- So what.

- Yeah so I was thinking of taking a job with Mr. Patrice.

My cousin Micky's gonna talk to him when I'm 18.

Maybe I thought I could work for you instead.

- What are you stupid?

- What's so stupid about wearing a silk suit

and a 14 karat gold watch?

- Well there's a downside to it.

- You don't look like you're hurting.

- You don't know what you're talking about.

- What do I gotta do? Bust a few heads,

I've done that already.

What's the downside?

- Come here, come here, come on, come over here.

Wanna know what the downside is? Huh?

How about 18 months in the land of slammin doors huh.

You think that's good huh?

- Let me go man.

- It's a little taste of your future Johnny.

There's no going forward nor back,

there's nothing except some guys trying to slide

yourself a little satisfaction.

If you're lucky they're hypes

and if you're not they'll cut you.

Got any idea what it feels like to have blood

running down the inside of your thighs?

And get a pillow stuffed between your legs

hoping you don't bleed to death before morning?

Great looking future, get out of here.

Go on, get!

Hey May, how you doing?

- Hey Mr. Terrenova.

You honor me with your presence.

- Hey what are you talking about, it's me Vinny.

- Have a seat.

scuse me Mrs. Port.

- Oh no leave her alone.

- Please sit down relax.

- I don't want a chair.

What's the matter with you.

Just talk to me normally will you.

- Sorry.

Vinchezo.

How's your mother?

- It's touch and go right now.

- Hey we're all praying for her down here.

- Thank you.

Man what's going on with this neighborhood here?

- What neighborhood, this is like open territory.

Vinny we got gangs moving in and out of here as they please.

Jamaicans, your Spanish, your Koreans,

like the one that mugged your mother.

Hey that wasn't a surprise to me.

There's no boundaries here anymore.

I mean these kids go anywhere for action.

Like that kid Ziggy.

- Since when does Patrice let little old ladies get rolled?

- Hey Patrice don't give a damn about

this neighborhood no more.

Not like his father used to.

Those days, a woman got roughed up in his neighborhood,

he'd hang his head from a street lamp.

But that was 20 years ago.

- I don't care if it was a 100 years ago,

if there's gangs moving in, they're under somebodies wing.

And if it's not Patrice, somebody else is controlling.

- I've been running numbers in this neighborhood

all my life, I never got too greedy,

too ambitious, everybody's happy,

I've done okay.

Mostly I've done my own business,

reason what it's healthy.

Hey I hear your mothers got a private room,

round the clock nurses, everything.

- Yeah, yeah that's right.

- That Sonny Steelgrave, knows how

to take care of his people.

- Yep.

- This dumb machine ate my quarters.

- Every week she comes in here,

every week it's the same thing.

The dryer ate my money.

- Hey

- Excuse me I gotta-

- Yeah go ahead.

- What's the matter Mrs. Polesky?

- The machine, (shouting)

- Did you put money in the machine?

- (woman shouting)

- [May] You didn't put enough money, it takes 25 cents.

- (woman shouting)

- [May] I have put up with you for the last time.

- [Mrs. Polesky] You said the last time.

- [May] The last time alright.

Ah stop it.

(phone ringing)

- Good afternoon, Sailor Hardware.

- Agent 4587, Daycoat, Style section 10 20 item procedure

fireball hemisphere year.

- Vinny my man how's it going?

- Not so good, my mom's in the hospital

and I need some time with her.

- She gonna be okay?

- We don't know right now.

I need to see McPike right away.

- I'll relay the message.

And Vinny, I hope your mom gets well soon.

- Thanks.

Frank I know what you're gonna say,

but this is my mother I'm talking about here.

They got her hooked up to 28 machines and tubes

and I gotta be there.

I need a few days and I don't give a damn what you say.

What if it was your mother?

Wouldn't you want to be with her if she needed you?

- Whoa whoa whoa, I just said go ahead.

Take as much time as you need.

- Thanks.

- You're welcome.

- What was that about?

Agent Terrenova requested time off

to be with his mother, I gave it to him.

- He's already too sensitized to family, Frank.

- She's in the hospital.

- The job should be his first priority.

- Are you kidding?

Sir.

- Frank, just watch him

because I'll be watching you.

- Yeah.

- What's this, I thought you were with your mother.

- Had to come back to pack a bag.

- Yeah so two-faced in Brooklyn.

- Well now that you got me flying around in Choppers,

I got an image to maintain.

- Chopper went over that big, huh?

- Big, they were slobbering all over me.

- I love it.

Six months ago you were spilling soup

on customers at the magazine.

Today you're a local celebrity.

- It embarrasses the hell out of me.

- Hey when you got it baby.

- Puts off the relatives too.

- They're jealous.

We're business men Vinny,

entrepreneurs, devotees of free enterprise.

The difference between us and Iacoka

is that when he's successful

he gets his picture in the paper.

When we get it right, people does in the post office.

- I appreciate what you're doing Sonny.

My mother appreciates it.

Thank you.

- [Mrs. Terrenova] Put me in the basement I don't care,

I just don't want to be in this room.

- [Vinny] Mom, this is a very nice room.

- I don't want nice, I want a regular room

with regular food.

- Mom please

- And I want to pay with my Medicare.

- You have to stay calm.

- You know you had to wait until I was sound asleep

and then I wake up and I'm in this terrible room.

I don't want to be here now Peter you tell him.

- Okay mom, we'll see what we can do.

- You must tell them I don't

- We'll see about getting a change.

- Wanna be in this room a second longer.

- Alright mother.

- May I get you anything else?

- Oh a couple fortune cookies please.

Where is the men's room?

- At the rear. Left of the kitchen.

- Thank you.

- Hi, what's up man.

- Hey what about our stuff?

- Agent 4587, day coat, style section, 10 21,

item procedure, mini denim knee cap.

- Hey good morning Vinny,

you know I always took you for a guy that slept in.

- Well last night I slept in my car does that count?

- All depends whether you were

in the front seat or the back.

- Listen I'm at the Brooklyn Impound Lot,

I've been following an 84 Seville Black with gold trim,

New York license number LS1024.

I need you to run a registration on it for me.

- Alright.

McPike called, asked how your mother was doing.

- Didn't think Frank gave a damn about my mother.

- He has his moments.

Are you sure about the tag on that Seville?

- Yeah, why?

- There's no record of that car ever being registered.

- What are you talking about.

- Just this pal, according to the DMV,

that car doesn't exist.

- Well I'm looking at him arise

with steel bells and radios.

I'll call you later.

Hey move that thing outta the way will yah!

Dammit

(telephone rings)

hello.

- Vinny it's Sonny

- Hey Sonny, how you doing.

- How's your ma?

- Well she's out of the woods

and god willing she'll be out of the hospital in a week.

- How do you know?

- What do you mean how do I know?

- I've been calling the hospital,

you aint been there, where you been kid?

- I've been out looking for the guy who mugged my mother.

- What are you nuts?

- Sonny I know you think it's a waste of time.

- A monumental waste of time.

This guys just another sleaze-a-rama

you'll never get near him.

- I gotta do something.

- Yeah well you know what you do,

you go in the street and you find yourself

another low life, they're easy to spot.

You bust his head, it'll make you feel terrific.

- Yeah well I'll think about it.

- Well think about this, your mother's okay right?

You come back here, I need you with me right now.

- You want me to take the chopper.

- No I got a car waiting for you downstairs.

Drive yourself over.

- Your car sir.

- Welcome home kid, pop the trunk.

Alright.

Two hundred and fifty G's right out of Patrice's pocket,

I love it.

- You think Patrice will notice

he's a quarter million short.

- His accountants and lawyers are so wrapped up

in legitimate investments,

they haven't begun to appreciate

the volume of renegade trafficking in their territory.

Me I'm gonna work this like a termite,

I keep eating at the right wood,

pretty soon Patrice's house is gonna come tumbling down.

- Sonny what do I do with the car?

- Keep it.

(laughs)

- Bring this upstairs.

- I'm telling you Frank there had to be 15 G's in that bag.

Sonny showed me it was 10s and 20s all crumpled up.

- What's your point?

- It's street money Frank, the kind of money

they steal out of old ladies purses.

- The money has nothing to do with your mother.

- You know, I followed that trail of money

all over Brooklyn and it led back

to Sonny Steelgrave and me.

My mother gets mugged and I turn out to be the bag man.

- There is gonna be a war between Patrice, Steelgrave,

and Mahony, and we're gonna win it.

- Well you worry about the war,

I'm worried about my mother.

I'm telling her.

- Tell her what?

- The truth about me.

There is no way that I'll be able to make up

for the hell I put her through in the last two years.

But I'm gonna start trying right now.

- A breach of security like that.

- She's not gonna tell anybody.

- I didn't think that she'd do it on purpose,

people slip. Are you willing to risk that.

- Frank, my mother never did anything for herself

her whole life.

All she ever wanted was that her boys grew up

to be men that people could respect.

I owe it to her that she got the job done.

- I have been where you are,

I know what sacrifice is about,

you cannot tell her!

- Hey you do what you gotta do!

- Don't you make me pull the plug on this Vince!

Vince!

- Yeah?

- This is McPike, listen Vinny's

never seen you before right?

We need you in the field, could you get somebody

to cover for you.

- I'm rolling.

- I need you to talk to mom Pete.

Make sure it's alright for me to see her.

(knocking)

- Hi i hope I'm not disturbing you,

but I am getting out of here today.

I have all these beautiful flowers

and I thought that I'd score some points

by leaving them with a beautiful lady.

- Thank you.

- Very welcome, you just take good care of yourself

and get well. Alright, buh bye.

- Mama

feeling better mama?

Brought you some flowers.

- I can't, I can't do it.

It's for Pete during this role,

not you, you broke my heart.

I want you to leave.

- mom I have something to show you.

Take this please.

- Why didn't you tell me you work for the government?

- I wasn't allowed to.

I thought the rules were more important than anything,

but I learned that they're not.

- Oh two years I've prayed for this.

My prayers have been-

But what I've done to you (foreign language).

Oh on chance, can you forgive me?

- For what?

- For not believing in you.

- Mom

- No no you're my son,

no matter what they said I should have believed in you.

I'm sorry.

- I took something away from you,

that no one could ever give you back.

That's two years out of your life.

I shamed you in front of your friends, la famiglia,

- It doesn't matter what they think.

All that matters is I know the truth.

But why are you telling me now,

are you in trouble Vinchenzo?

- No mom

- Vinchenzo you are, I can feel it. Don't hide it,

just like when you were a boy,

you would run home with the good news,

the bad news you would keep to yourself.

But I'd always know.

- Mom, the reason I'm telling you this today

is because I was afraid I might lose you.

- Where am I going?

I have two sons again.

- I remember when I was a kid and something

was bothering me, I always felt better

after I told you about it.

- You see it still works.

- No this time it's different.

I feel worse because I laid all this on you

and you can never tell anyone.

- Oh I'm good at keeping secrets,

I kept a lot of them.

Even from your father.

- You did? Like what?

- You know how he always loved

my famous home made cannoli's?

- Yes, he was always talking them up to the neighbors.

- I bought them at Matzola's.

(laughter)

I never stopped loving you.

And don't worry the truth goes no farther than this room.

Now I'm undercover too.

- I love you mom.

- (foreign language)

- So this is where you do it.

- Where I do it.

- Well you have to give me the name of your decorator,

I love what he did with the window dressings.

What you do, grow mushrooms in here?

Oh sorry, I didn't know you were so sensitive.

So what's the problem.

- I got a bad taste in my mouth.

I don't like spying on guys

who are on our side of the fence.

Or their mothers.

- Roll the tape.

- [Mrs. Terrenova] I can't, I can't do it.

It's for Pete during this role, not you.

You broke my heart I want you to leave.

- [Vinny] I have something to show you, now take this please

- [Mrs. Terrenova] Why didn't you tell me

you work for the government.

Two years I prayed for

- How bout another selection for your listening pleasure.

- [Mrs. Terrenova] I can't, I can't do it,

you broke my heart, I want you to leave.

- [Vinny] I love you mama.

- [Mrs. Terrenova] I want you to leave.

(footsteps) (door slamming)

- You doctoring government wire taps?

- Just providing an alternative viewpoint.

You got a choice now Frank.

- Yeah, that's what you think.

- Oh (laughs)

you know for a guy who's getting

the crap kicked outta him, you're still smiling a lot.

- I'm just feeling good that's all.

- Yeah me too, listen I got this great idea,

I gotta go see somebody in the Bronx.

And I thought maybe we stop by

Saint Matthews and see your mom.

- What? No.

- What do you mean no, your mother'll love me.

Come on, come on.

- Doctor Starring says she's gotta get rest.

- I'm just what the doctor ordered.

I'm great with mothers, I'm even better with brothers.

Come on give me the phone.

- Nah you've done enough for my mother.

- Come on what are you worried about,

that I'm gonna say something she won't like.

- Nah that's not it, of course not.

- Well than what is it then, come on give me the phone.

Come on let's go. Come on.

- [Vinny] Mom I'd like you to meet Sonny Steelgrave.

- [Sonny] Mrs. Terrenova it's a pleasure.

- Mr. Steelgrave

- And that's my brother Pete.

- Father how do you do.

Alright Vinny tells me that Sain Dismas

is operating in a red these days.

- Well we're a poor parish,

but we continue to trust in the lord.

- Father, put your trust in Ben Franklin too.

- Charity is always welcome, but

- This isn't charity, I want something.

I want you to say a prayer for me.

- Prayer can not be bought.

But Vinny's friends always get a special mention.

- That was very generous of you Sonny,

thank you very much.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Listen would you excuse us,

I'd like to have a word with your mother.

- Oh well I don't know Sonny,

doctor said she's got to take it easy you know.

- It'll just take a minute.

I want to have some air and discuss something with her.

- Alright, okay.

- Oh you just signed your own death warrant kid.

- Mom, we'll be right outside okay.

- Senor, (foreign language)

- (foreign language)

- I offered you my generosity,

you refused my kindness, why was it something

you heard outside?

- I've heard many things, but I only listen

to what Vinchenzo tells me.

And he says you're a man of honor.

- Why didn't you let me give you the red carpet?

- I pay my own way in this world.

I'm an old woman and that's the way I do things.

Nothing personal.

- I sense a stubborn streak, eh?

That's alright Mrs. Terrenova.

Now I know where Vinny gets his from.

- Oh my boy's like me in a lot of ways that's true,

stubborn, but also loyal.

You do us a kindness, and you have someone

you can always count on.

I look in your eyes, I see that loyalty means a lot to you.

Loyalty and family.

- They're one and the same.

- I know you lost your brother, he can never be replaced.

But Vinchenzo might be able to

- He already has.

- I'm glad.

A man like you needs someone like Vinchenzo.

Otherwise he's alone.

- Do you mind?

- Oh no.

- You're a wise lady Carlotta.

You remind me of my mother.

- You see her very much?

- She died 10 years ago.

God bless her soul.

But I took care of her before she died.

- She was a lucky woman.

- She deserved the best.

And so do you.

That's why I wish to god that you

would not refuse my help,

because Carlotta, we are only here for such a short time.

- I'm tempted, but at my age,

it's more comfortable to live with what you got.

Don't be insulted.

One day, god willing, you'll be my age

and maybe you'll understand how I feel.

- She's even better at this than you are Terrenova,

maybe I ought to recruit her.

- She's a great lady.

- Yeah.

- Come on let's get out of here,

we've got things to do.

Hey father, nice to meet you.

- Yeah good to meet you.

- I'll see you next week for dinner.

- Dinner?

- Yeah your mother's making me some

of her world famous home made cannoli's for dessert.

- Oh that's nice, I'll see you later Pete.

- Hey father don't forget.

- Mom.

Are you alright, do you want me to get the doctor?

- I'm fine.

- But you should see your face.

What's the matter you think

I'm going to tell Sonny that Vinchenzo

works for the government,

I gotta protect my boy, Vinny's a hero.

- You just lost it for me Carlotta.

- You have the tape for me Frank?

The tape Frank.

- [Carlotta] I can't, I can't do it.

You broke my heart I want you to leave.

- [Vinny] I love you mama.

- [Carlotta] I want you to leave.

- She asked him to leave, he left.

- In the name of the father,

and the son of the Holy Spirit Amen.

Dear God I pray for the soul of Sonny Steelgrave.