The Godfather II
written by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo
Hyman Roth: My sixth sense tells me your brother, Fredo, brought a bag full of money. Where is it? (Michael doesn't answer) You're pulling out?
Michael: Just want to -- just want to wait. How do you feel?
Roth: Terrible. I'd give four million just to be able to take a piss without it hurting.
Michael: Who had Frank Pentangeli killed?
Roth: The Rosato Brothers.
Michael: I know. But who gave the go-ahead? I know I didn't.
Roth: There was a kid I grew up with, he was younger than me. Sort of looked up with me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During Prohibition we ran molasses into Canada, made a fortune, your father too. As much as anyone I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a city out of a desert stopover for GIs on thier way to the West Coast. That kid's name was Moe Green. And the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man -- a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a PLAQUE, or a SIGNPOST, or a STATUE of him in that town. Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order. (Michael did) When I heard it, I wasn't angry. I knew Moe; I knew he was headstrong -- talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead -- I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen! I didn't ask who gave the order, BECAUSE IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH BUSINESS!! (spent, Roth coughs, pauses) That two million in the bag in your room...I'm going in, take a nap. When I wake, if the money's on the table, I'll know I have a partner. If it isn't, I know I don't.
Kudos and much thanks go to Shawn for this monologue, it is very much appreciated. Thanks to Kelly for sending in a correction.