The Irishman Quotes

Frank Sheeran: Hello?

Jimmy Hoffa: Is that Frank?

Frank Sheeran: Yes.

Jimmy Hoffa: Hiya, Frank. This is Jimmy Hoffa.

Frank Sheeran: Yeah, yeah. Glad to meet you.

Jimmy Hoffa: Well, glad to meet you, too, even if it's over the phone. I heard you paint houses.

Frank Sheeran: Yes. Yes, sir, I... I do.

Jimmy Hoffa: You wanna be a part of this fight?

Frank Sheeran: Yes, I do, sir.

Jimmy Hoffa: Would you like to be a part of this history?

Frank Sheeran: Yes, I would. Whatever you need me to do, I'm available.

[from trailer, Frank sits in front of lawyer Bill Buffalino's desk]

Bill Bufalino: Frank... Sheeran. Isn't that right?

Frank Sheeran: Yeah, you said it right.

Bill Bufalino: Uh, under the contract, management can only fire a driver under very specific charges. So, you ever show up late?

Frank Sheeran: No.

Bill Bufalino: You have any moving violations?

Frank Sheeran: No.

Bill Bufalino: Do you drink on the job?

Frank Sheeran: No.

Bill Bufalino: You ever hit anybody?

Frank Sheeran: ...On the job?

Bill Bufalino: Yeah.

Frank Sheeran: I don't think so.

Bill Bufalino: Alright, then, we have nothing to worry about.

[Frank smiles. Bill taps his pen and looks at Frank in silence]

Bill Bufalino: You know, I don't, uh... I don't care whether you did it or not. That makes no difference to me.

Frank Sheeran: Yeah, I know.

Bill Bufalino: I'm here to defend you. Right?

Frank Sheeran: Right.

[Bill keeps eyeing Frank]

Frank Sheeran: Whaddaya wanna know? You wanna know if I did it or not?

[they both laugh]

Jimmy Hoffa: Then who?

Frank Sheeran: I'm gonna tell you. Tony.

Jimmy Hoffa: Tony. Which Tony? They're all named Tony. I mean, what's the matter? Italians, they can only think of one name.

Jimmy Hoffa: Who's gonna be there?

Frank Sheeran: Everybody.

Jimmy Hoffa: Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, and Tony, huh?

Jimmy Hoffa: Who said it?

Frank Sheeran: Don't matter who said it.

Jimmy Hoffa: It matters. Was it Russell?

Frank Sheeran: No.

Jimmy Hoffa: No. Of course it's not Russell. And the little cocksucker from the Miami fiasco? No? Not him? No? Then who?

Frank Sheeran: I'm gonna tell you. Tony.

Jimmy Hoffa: Tony? Which Tony? They're all named Tony. I mean, what's the matter with Italians that they can only think of one name?

Frank Sheeran: The other Tony.

Jimmy Hoffa: What Tony?

Jimmy Hoffa: Where are you going?

Frank Sheeran: What do you mean where am I going? I fucking quit, that's where I'm going!

Jimmy Hoffa: What are you quitting for?

Frank Sheeran: You gonna call me a motherfucker? If you can talk to them like that, you can't talk to me like that!

Jimmy Hoffa: No! That didn't apply to you!

Frank Sheeran: It didn't apply?

Jimmy Hoffa: No!

Frank Sheeran: You got a let me know it didn't apply to me. I'm standing right there...

Jimmy Hoffa: I didn't even see you standing there!

Frank Sheeran: I was standing right there, Jimmy, what are you talking about?

Jimmy Hoffa: But it didn't apply to you! What else can I say?

Frank Sheeran: You... you... you got a problem, you pull me aside, you don't insult me and then you say it didn't apply to me!

Jimmy Hoffa: How am I going to pull you aside? I didn't even see you there!

Sally Bugs: What kind of fish?

Chuckie O'Brien: What?

Sally Bugs: What kind of fish?

Chuckie O'Brien: I don't know... The kind you eat? A fish!

Sally Bugs: You don't know what kind?

Chuckie O'Brien: No I don't.

Sally Bugs: Where'd you get it?

Chuckie O'Brien: What the fuck? A fish place!

Sally Bugs: What so you just go in there and say give me a fish?

Chuckie O'Brien: Pretty much, yeah.

Sally Bugs: You didn't say you want a salmon, you want a haddock, you want a fucking cod?

Chuckie O'Brien: What the fuck does it matter what kind of fish it was? Why are you so concerned about this fish?

Sally Bugs: I'm just trying to understand how a person can buy a fish, and not know what kind it was.

Chuckie O'Brien: There was a fish waiting for me there. Uh..I didn't ask what kind of fish it was, I'm sorry.

Sally Bugs: So your friend had already ordered this fish?

Chuckie O'Brien: Right.

Sally Bugs: Because I want to be able to explain this if somebody asks me.

FBI Agent #1: He's dead.

Frank Sheeran: Who's dead?

FBI Agent #1: Your attorney, Mr. Rogano.

Frank Sheeran: He's dead?

FBI Agent #1: Yeah.

Frank Sheeran: Who did it?

FBI Agent #2: Cancer

Russell Bufalino: He likes to talk, don't he?

Frank Sheeran: I felt like I was talking to General Patton.

[watching news of the Hoffa disappearance]

Frank Sheeran: I should call Jo.

Irene Sheeran: You haven't called Jo yet?

[Frank shakes his head]

Older Peggy Sheeran: Why?

Frank Sheeran: What?

Older Peggy Sheeran: Why?

Frank Sheeran: Why what?

Older Peggy Sheeran: Why haven't you called Jo?

Jimmy Hoffa: I am sitting in a room... full of fuckin' idiots. You dumb motherfuckers! You know what you did? You take Johnny O'Rourke's kid and you put him on as general organizer, pay thirty-six fucking grand, at the same time... you let him sell insurance to his fucking father's...

[leans over the table shaking his head]

Jimmy Hoffa: [voices breaking] To his fucking father's... to his fucking father's... LOCALS!

[slams table]

Jimmy Hoffa: Damn it! How do you do that? How STUPID can you be? That fucking cocksucker Kennedy has got his nose up my ass everywhere I go! You don't know that they're hounding me? They're looking at everything I do, and you let this happen in public! You're giving it to him!

[immediately in a calmer tone]

Jimmy Hoffa: I'm going to jail. You understand? I'm going to prison... because of you. You dumb motherfuckers. This is what you wanted. You wanted to put me in jail. Tell me now so I can kill you... right here.

[slams table again]

Jimmy Hoffa: Right here!

[first lines]

Frank Sheeran: [narrating] When I was young, I thought house painters painted houses. What did I know? I was a working guy. A business agent for Teamster Local 107 out of South Philly.

Frank Sheeran: One of a thousand working stiffs... until I wasn't no more. And then I started painting houses... myself.

Whispers DiTullio: To tell you the truth, I'm a little concerned.

Frank Sheeran: [narrating] Whenever anybody says they're a little concerned, they're very concerned.

Whispers DiTullio: As a matter of fact, I'm really more than a little concerned.

Frank Sheeran: [narrating] And when they say they're more than a little concerned, they're desperate.

Angelo Bruno: You know who owns the Cadillac Linen Service?

Frank Sheeran: Some Jews in the laundry business. That's what they told me.

Angelo Bruno: They own a part of it. Somebody else got an interest in that. You know who?

Frank Sheeran: No.

Angelo Bruno: I do.

Frank Sheeran: Who?

Angelo Bruno: No, I do. I own the other part. Not I know somebody who owns the other part.

Jimmy Hoffa: In a war, you go from point A to point B. Sometimes, you spill a little beer along the way. That philosophy make sense to you?

Frank Sheeran: Sure does.

Jimmy Hoffa: You got your friend with you?

Frank Sheeran: [reveals his gun] Right here.

Jimmy Hoffa: Good.

Frank Sheeran: [narrating] Russell had a piece of everything. He had this store in Pittston called Penn Drape & Curtains. And he ran everything out of there. Who knew what it all was? I mean, I'm sure the man had partners. They always have partners. Nobody keeps all the money. But everybody listened to Russ. That I can tell you. You wanted to bribe a judge, you asked Russell. You didn't know how much to bribe him, Russell was gonna tell you. You wanna promote one of your guys, Russ would tell you you could or you could not. You wanna make somebody disappear, you gotta get Russell's permission. You know, no two ways about it. And when you did something for Russ, you did it yourself. Like Russ used to say...

Russell Bufalino: [cuts to Russell, explaining straight to the camera] When I ask somebody to take care of something for me, I expect them to take care of it themselves. I don't need two roads coming back to me.

Robert Kennedy: [during congressional hearing interrogation of Hoffa] Are you saying you don't remember doing any favors for Johnny Dio, or you don't remember the conversation?

Jimmy Hoffa: [nonchalantly] I'm saying, to the best of my recollection, I must recall on my memory, I cannot remember.

Robert Kennedy: Then where did this $20,000 come from?

Jimmy Hoffa: Individuals.

Robert Kennedy: [losing patience] Which individuals, Mr. Hoffa?

Jimmy Hoffa: [pretending to think] Uh... off hand, that particular amount of money I borrowed... I don't know at this particular moment. But the record of my loans, which I requested, I have, and out of all the moneys I loaned during this period of time I went into these ventures.

Russell Bufalino: You don't need money, do you?

Jimmy Hoffa: It's not about money.

Russell Bufalino: Well if it's not about money, then I'm really having trouble understanding. Because I don't know what all the talk is about.

Jimmy Hoffa: It's my union. Is that hard to understand?

Russell Bufalino: That's right, it's your union. It'll always be your union. But you can step down and still run it.

Jimmy Hoffa: No, you don't step down. What you mean step down, Rus? You don't step down from your union. You step down to go to your grave.

Russell Bufalino: Well, I still think... I can't help but think, I'm sorry but... is there another reason or something?

Jimmy Hoffa: This is my union! What do you mean another reason? This is my union. Alright, let's start with that. Let's try to understand.

Russell Bufalino: OK, listen. Some people, not me but, some people... they're a little concerned. Some people, not me. They think that you might...

Jimmy Hoffa: I might?

Russell Bufalino: They think that you might be showing a failure to show appreciation.

Jimmy Hoffa: I'm not showing appreciation?

Russell Bufalino: According to, you know, some people... .

Jimmy Hoffa: I went to school for five fucking years.

Russell Bufalino: Yes, you did.

Jimmy Hoffa: Five fucking years! I didn't name one fucking name.

Russell Bufalino: You did the right thing.

Jimmy Hoffa: Sat there every day with that whining cocksucker, from New Jersey, talking about his woes, his problems. And all I wanted to do was finish my ice cream in peace. This cocksucker shows up at a meeting fifteen minutes late. Wearing fucking shorts! Who wears shorts to a meeting?

Russell Bufalino: Nobody.

Jimmy Hoffa: Nobody. How am I not showing appreciation?

Russell Bufalino: It's not me. According to some people...

Jimmy Hoffa: No I know it's not you! Some people think I'm not showing appreciation. Well, fuck them.

Russell Bufalino: I'm trying to help you, Jimmy.

Jimmy Hoffa: I know you are. But nobody threatens Hoffa.

Russell Bufalino: Listen, Frank. Things have gotten out of hand with our friend again. And some people are having serious problems with him. And it's at a point where you're gonna have to talk to him and tell him: It's what it is.

Frank Sheeran: What it is.

Russell Bufalino: Yeah it's what they want. It's where it's gotten. You're close to him. Maybe he'll listen to you.

Frank Sheeran: You know, I talk to him. He's a tough guy to talk to, you know that.

Russell Bufalino: He has no choice. He has no choice. He's in the higher ups.

Frank Sheeran: Well he's in the higher ups too.

Russell Bufalino: Not like this. Come on Frank, you know.

Russell Bufalino: [leans in] If they can whack a president, they can whack the president of a union. You know it and I know it.

Frank Sheeran: [sighs] You know I talk to this guy. I talk to him and talk to him. But he's gotta listen now. He's... a fuckin' knucklehead.

Jimmy Hoffa: I like to talk. That's what I am. That's who I am. And that's what I'm gonna do.

Fat Tony Salerno: [in the next scene] He said that?

Frank Sheeran: In so many words...