Goodfellas Quotes

One day some of the kids from the neighborhood carried my mother’s groceries all the way home. You know why? It was out of respect.

As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. To me, being a gangster was better than being president of the United States.

Yeah, I’m crazy. I’m crazy enough to kill the both of you.[to Henry]

Saturday night was for wives, but Friday night at the Copa was always for the girlfriends.

Now go home and get your f***ing shine box.[to Tommy]

She’ll never divorce him. She’ll kill him, but she won’t divorce him.[about Henry and Karen]

See, the hardest thing for me was leaving the life. I still love the life. And we were treated like movie stars with muscle. We had it all, just for the asking. Our wives, mothers, kids, everybody rode along. I had paper bags filled with jewelry stashed in the kitchen. I had a sugar bowl full of coke next to the bed. Anything I wanted was a phone call away. Free cars. The keys to a dozen hideout flats all over the city. I’d bet twenty, thirty grand over a weekend and then I’d either blow the winnings in a week or go to the sharks to pay back the bookies. Didn’t matter. It didn’t mean anything. When I was broke I would go out and rob some more. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off judges. Everybody had their hands out. Everything was for the taking. And now it’s all over. And that’s the hardest part. Today, everything is different. There’s no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. Can’t even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I’m an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.

Paulie might have moved slow, but it was only because Paulie didn’t have to move for anybody.

Now the guy’s got Paulie as a partner. Any problems, he goes to Paulie. Trouble with a bill, he can go to Paulie. Trouble with the cops, deliveries, Tommy, he can call Paulie. Now the guy’s gotta come up with Paulie’s money every week, no matter what. Business bad? F*** you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? F*** you, pay me. The place got hit by lightning, huh? F*** you, pay me.

Nobody goes to jail unless they want to. Unless they make themselves get caught.[to Karen]

Jimmy was the kind of guy who rooted for the bad guys in the movies.

Is this the superintendent? Yes, I want you to know, sir, that you have a wh**e living in 2R!