American Gangster (2007) - Quotes

Dual Perspectives on the American Dream

Taglines: There are two sides to the American dream.

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Confrontation and Tension Among Characters

Richie:: And you would know that how? Why? Cause your head is stuck up your fucking ass?

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Understanding Criminal Family Structures

Det. Richie Roberts: Won’t get any informants. Not inside. It’s like a Sicilian family. Like he’s structured his own family the same way to protect himself. Being with Bumpy long as he was, he would have been around Italians a lot. Enough to learn that much.

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Profile of Frank Lucas's Life and Routine

Det. Richie Roberts: [[w:chinchilla|chinchilla] His name is Frank Lucas. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina. Couple of arrests years ago. Gambling, robbery, unlicensed firearm. For fifteen years he was Bumpy Johnson’s collector, bodyguard and driver. He was with him when he died. Five brothers, he’s the oldest, lots of cousins, all living here now, spread out around the boroughs and Jersey. The brothers are Eugene Lucas in Brooklyn, Earl Lucas in Newark, Lester Lucas in Queens, Turner Lucas, the Bronx and Teddy Lucas, in Bergen County. Except for the ] coat, which no one can explain, Frank’s life seems orderly and legitimate. He gets up early. Five a.m. Has breakfast at a Midtown place, usually alone. Then goes to work. Meeting with his accountant, or lawyer, dropping in on one of the several office buildings he owns. Nights, he usually stays home. When he does go out, it’s to a club or dinner - with his new wife - friends, celebrities, sports figures - never O.C. guys. Sundays he takes his mother to church. Then drives out to change the flowers on Bumpy’s grave. Every Sunday, no matter what.

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Starting Over: The Importance of Evidence

Det. Richie Roberts: For a cop the uppermost thing is the arrest. For a prosecutor, the arrest is nothing without the evidence to convict. We don’t have any real evidence on anyone on this board, so they’re coming down. We’re starting over from the street.

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A Call to Action in the Moment

Det. Richie Roberts: Pick up the fuckin glass!

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Fear of Public Speaking Over Death

Det. Richie Roberts: The number one fear of people isn't dying, it's public speaking.

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Defiance and Belonging in America

Frank Lucas: This is my home. My country. Frank Lucas don't run from nobody. This is America.

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The Insatiable Demands of Corruption

Frank Lucas: I do pay them, I pay them all. Cops, accountants, lawyers, who don’t I pay? Everybody. I pay them a fortune, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t satisfy them. The more you pay, the more they expect. You can’t start with them because they can’t stop. It’s like dope. They always want more.

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The Importance of Brand Trust

Frank Lucas: [[w:Nicky Barnes|Nicky] Brand names mean something, ]. Consumers rely on them to know what they’re getting. They know the company isn’t going to try to fool them with an inferior product. They buy a Ford, they know they’re gonna get a Ford. Not a fuckin Datsun. Blue Magic that's a brand name; Like Pepsi, that's a brand name. I stand behind it, I guarantee it. They know that even if they don’t know me any more than they know the chairman of General Mills.

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Respecting Boundaries on Special Occasions

Frank Lucas: [To Trupo] Detective. There are some things you don’t do. This is one of them. Not on a man’s wedding day.

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Summary of the Situation

Frank Lucas: That basically the whole picture right there.

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The Importance of Honesty and Identity in Business

Frank Lucas: The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work, family, never forgetting where we came from. See, you are what you are in this world, that’s either one of two things: Either you're somebody ... or you’re nobody. I'll be right back

Ownership and Independence in Business

Frank Lucas: The man I worked for, he had one of the biggest companies in New York City- he ran it for more than fifty years. Fifteen years, eight months, nine days- I was with him every day. I looked after him, took care of him, protected him... I learned from him. Bumpy was rich, but he wasn't white man rich, you see he wasn't wealthy. He didn’t own his own company. He thought he did, but he didn’t. He just managed it. White man owned it so they owned him. Nobody owns me, though. Because I own my company. And my company sells a product that’s better than the competition at a price that’s lower than the competition.