Michael Chabon Quotes

The world of crime is a last refuge of the authentic, uncorrupted, spontaneous event.

It takes all sorts of people to make the underworld.

Rotgut was, to me, just this way to get into the underground of Manhattan where you have these little pockets a villain could rise from; a rot in the bowels of Manhattan. It led to these stories that were just very creepy.

I never saw anything that would qualify as a criminal activity.

Well, I'm used to rubbing shoulders with crooks and criminals.

Who knows what is really going on within a criminal enterprise? Criminals

You see mob guys when you play in nightclubs. It's part of the protocol.

Jacare is a gangster. He's been in the game for a long time.

Terre Haute. They used to call it 'Terrible Hut' because it was so wide open. Gambling, red light district, speak-easies. I entertained for all the gangsters. Can't name a gangster that didn't come into the place where I worked.

In the actual story I got with the Bonannos, but I had dealings with other crime families and other criminals, using the Bonannos as my credibility.

My dad wasn't a gangster, and he wasn't a criminal, but he sure liked to rub padded shoulders with them.

I have made only two films on the underworld. I am not educating the people on the underworld.

As a teen-ager I played cards, shot craps, played pool, went to the track, hung around social clubs. I knew that some card and crap games were run by the mob, and some social clubs were mob social clubs. Even as a kid I knew guys that were here today, gone tomorrow, never seen again, and I knew what had happened.

I used to have a wild night with three women until 5am., but I am getting older. In the Olympic village here, I will live it up with five women, but only until 3am.

I seldom went to bed before two or three o'clock in the morning, on the theory that if anything of interest were to happen to a young man it would almost certainly happen late at night.

You didn't hear Yello until later in the night in the bondage clubs. Things would start getting crazy and that's when you'd hear Yello. It was bad.

What do you mean "gangsters"? It's business.

Okay, first thing tomorrow we hit the streets around Taccone's place. Somebody saw something.' 'I got it covered.' 'The DiMarcos might be in town.' 'Actually, they're in jail.' 'All seven of them?' Hale shrugged. 'It was an interesting October.

I am one of those who like to stay late at the cafe," the older waiter said. "With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night." "I want to go home and into bed." "We are of two different kinds," the older waiter said. He was now dressed to go home. "It is not only a question of youth and confidence although those things are very beautiful. Each night. I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the cafe.

I represent where them killers at 145th and Broadway you get your head cracked

When I first went to Vegas, there were just high-rollers and gamblers and the wise guys treated you great.

Well, I couldn't play an instrument. I'd just stand up front and announce the numbers. They had me sing a little, but that was a horrible mistake. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. We played black theaters and nightclubs all over hell. One-nighters. Apollo Theater in Harlem and the Earle Theater in Philly - That was big time for blacks.

If a cop sees a person running out of a store with a gun he's seeing a crime. He's not seeing a person standing.

Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, / The muttering retreats / Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels / And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: / Streets that follow like a tedious argument / Of insidious intent / To lead you to an overwhelming question.../ Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' / Let us go and make our visit"' 'I'm in love with you,' he said quietly.