The Sting 1973 - Movie Quotes

Floyd Doyle, I KNOW I gave him four THREES! He had to make a SWITCH! We can't let him get away with that.

Doyle Lonnegan What was I supposed to do, call him for cheating better than me in front of the others?

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Doyle Lonnegan Your boss is quite a card player, Mr. Kelly; how does he do it?

Johnny Hooker He cheats.

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Johnny Hooker Can you get a mob together?

Henry Gondorff After what happened to Luther, I don't think I can get more than two, three hundred guys.

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[last lines]

Henry Gondorff You not gonna stick around for your share?

Johnny Hooker Nah. I'd only blow it.

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[Figuring out which con to pull on Lonnegan]

J.J. Singleton I dunno know what to do with this guy, Henry. He's an Irishman who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and doesn't chase dames. He's a grand knight in the Knights of Columbus, and he only goes out to play faro. Sometimes plays 15 or 20 hours at a time, just him against the house.

Henry Gondorff Roulette? Craps?

J.J. Singleton He won't touch 'em. The croupier at Gilman's says he never plays anything he can't win.

Henry Gondorff Sports?

J.J. Singleton Likes to be seen with fighters sometimes, but he doesn't go to the fights or bet on 'em.

Henry Gondorff Jesus. Does he do anything where he's not alone?

J.J. Singleton Just poker. And he cheats. Pretty good at it, too.

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[Polk greets Snyder]

FBI Agent Polk Sit down and shut up, will ya? Try not to live up to all my expectations.

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[Gondorff enters the poker game pretending to be drunk]

Henry Gondorff Sorry I'm late. I was taking a crap.

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Johnny Hooker He's not as tough as he thinks.

Henry Gondorff Neither are we.

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Johnny Hooker You're right, Henry. It's not enough. But

[laughs]

Johnny Hooker it's close!

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Henry Gondorff Glad to meet you, kid. You're a real horse's ass.

Johnny Hooker Luther said I could learn something from you. I already know how to drink.

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Johnny Hooker Listen, Gondorff! Am I gonna learn the big con or not?

Henry Gondorff What's your hurry?

Johnny Hooker I want to play for Lonnegan.

Henry Gondorff You know anything about the guy?

Johnny Hooker Yeah! He croaked Luther! Anything else I gotta know?

Johnny Hooker [after he calms down] All right. He runs a numbers racket on the south side. He owns a packing house. A few banks.

Henry Gondorff Yeah, and half the politicians in New York and Chicago. Not a fix in this world is gonna cool him out if he blows on you.

Johnny Hooker I'll get him anyway.

Henry Gondorff Why?

Johnny Hooker 'Cause I don't know enough about killin' to kill him.

Henry Gondorff You can't do it alone, you know. It takes a mob of guys like you and enough money to make them look good.

Johnny Hooker I know plenty of guys.

Henry Gondorff It's not like playing winos in the street. You can't outrun Lonnegan.

Johnny Hooker I never played for no winos.

Henry Gondorff You gotta keep his con even after you take his money. He can't know you took him.

Johnny Hooker You're scared of him.

Henry Gondorff Right down to my socks, buster! You're talkin' about a guy who'd kill a grifter over a chunk of money that wouldn't support him for two days!

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Kid Twist Now how do you want to work this? Flat rate or percentage?

Benny Garfield Who's the mark?

Kid Twist Doyle Lonnegan.

Benny Garfield Flat rate.

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Doyle Lonnegan [Repeated line] You follow?

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Johnny Hooker Luther! Good God, we're millionaires!

Luther Jesus! Did you know he was that loaded?

Johnny Hooker Hell no. I just cut into him. I woulda settled for pawning one of them shoes.

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Doyle Lonnegan Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well.

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Doyle Lonnegan I put it all on Lucky Dan; half a million dollars to win.

Kid Twist To win? I said *place*! "Place it on Lucky D-" That horse is gonna run second!

Doyle Lonnegan [There is a pause, and Lonnegan runs horrified to the betting booth] There's been a mistake! Gimme my money back!

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Loretta I don't even know you.

Johnny Hooker You know me. I'm the same as you. It's two in the morning and I don't know nobody.

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Henry Gondorff What's your problem?

Doyle Lonnegan I'm putting half a million dollars on Lucky Dan to win, third race at Riverside Park.

Henry Gondorff Can't lay that off in time. A bet like that could break us.

[Hooker stares at him incredulously]

Doyle Lonnegan Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well.

Henry Gondorff What are the odds?

Eddie Niles Four to one.

Henry Gondorff Take all of it!

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Doyle Lonnegan Mr. Shaw, we usually require a tie at this table... if you don't have one we can get you one.

Henry Gondorff That'd be real nice of you, Mr. Lonniman!

Doyle Lonnegan Lonnegan.

[Gondorf nods and burps in response]

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Luther You're late. Where have you been?

Johnny Hooker I had a couple of appointments.

Luther How much did you lose?

Johnny Hooker [winces] All of it.

Luther In one goddamn night? What are you spraying money around like that for? You could've been nailed.

Johnny Hooker Ah, I checked the place first. There were no dicks in there.

Luther But you're a con man! And you blew it like a pimp! I didn't teach you to be no pimp.

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Kid Twist Dukey, if this thing blows up, the Feds will be the least of our problems.

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Billie Who told you this guy was in here?

Lieutenant William Snyder Nobody. I just know what kind of woman he likes. Going to check all the joy houses till I find him.

Billie Oh, well maybe I could help you, if you tell me his name.

Lieutenant William Snyder I doubt it. Which way are the rooms?

Billie Right through there. But I wouldn't go in there if I were you.

Lieutenant William Snyder What you are going to do, call the cops?

Billie I don't have to. You'd be busting in on the Chief of Police just up the hall.

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Doyle Lonnegan [losing his temper with Henry] The name's Lonnegan! Doyle Lonnegan! You're gonna remember that name or you're gonna get yourself a new game! You follow?

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Joe Erie Hello Snyder. Whattya doin' up here?

Lieutenant William Snyder I'm on vacation. You see that friend of yours lately?

Joe Erie No, no. He packed it in. Enrolled in detective school.

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Johnny Hooker I gave him the breakout just like you said.

Henry Gondorff And?

Johnny Hooker 'S good. He threatened to kill me.

Henry Gondorff Hell, kid, they don't do that, you know you're not getting to 'em.

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Henry Gondorff Is Lonnegan after you too?

Johnny Hooker I don't know. I ain't seen anybody.

Henry Gondorff You never do, kid.

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Henry Gondorff Tough luck, Lonnehan. But that's what you get for playing with your head up your ass!

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Doyle Lonnegan Four nines.

Henry Gondorff Four jacks.

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Henry Gondorff You have to keep this con even after you take his money. He can't know you took him.

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Henry Gondorff I'd think you'd get tired of losing, Harrigan.

Doyle Lonnegan [going to the betting window] Blue Note, $2,000 to win, fourth race, Narragansett.

Henry Gondorff Make sure you see the cash, Eddie. He's got a name for betting money he doesn't have.

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Louise Coleman If I didn't know you better, I'd swear you had some class!

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Doyle Lonnegan You see that fella in the red sweater over there? His name's Donnie McCoy. Works a few of the protection rackets for Cunnaro when he's waiting for something better to happen. Donnie and I have known each other since we were six. Take a good look at that face, Floyd. Because if he ever finds out I can be beat by one lousy grifter, I'll have to kill him and every other hood who wants to muscle in on my Chicago operation.

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Johnny Hooker Hey, where's June?

Loretta She quit. I'm filling in for a couple of days, till I can get a train outta here.

Johnny Hooker Yeah? Where ya going?

Loretta I don't know. Depends on which train I get on.

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Henry Gondorff Always drink gin with a mark, kid. He can't tell if you cut it.

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Johnny Hooker I'm looking for a guy named Henry Gondorff. You know him?

Billie Nope.

Johnny Hooker [double-checking the address Luther gave him] You sure?

Billie Beat it.

Johnny Hooker Luther Coleman sent me.

Billie Are you Hooker?

Johnny Hooker Yeah.

Billie Why didn't you say so? We heard about Luther last night. Come on.

[leading him inside]

Billie I thought maybe you were a cop or somethin'.

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Benny Garfield Been a while since I stocked the wire store. Not many mobs playing that anymore.

Eddie Niles All we'll need is the bookie setup for now.

Benny Garfield All right. I'll rent you everything I've got in the warehouse for two grand. That'll give you phones, cages, blackboards, and ticker gear. If you want a counter and bar, that's another grand.

Kid Twist That's pretty steep, Benny.

Benny Garfield Gondorff's still a hot item. Where would I be if he gets hit?

Kid Twist Benny, you just give us what you can. We'll send a truck down.

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Combs Looks like you're bringing up the rear, Granger.

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Luther [asking for help to make a payment drop] You won't have no trouble. There's $5,000 there. And here's 100 bucks for you.

Mottola Okay, old man. I'll make your drop for you. And don't worry, you can trust me.

Johnny Hooker [starting to leave, Mottola puts the envelope in the inner pocket of his jacket] Hey. Hey! If those goons decide to search you, you ain't gonna get far carrying it there.

Luther What'll we do?

Johnny Hooker You got a bag or something? How about a handkerchief?

Luther [holding one out] Here's a handkerchief!

Johnny Hooker Here. Give it to me. Give me the money.

Luther Just hurry, will you?

Johnny Hooker [putting the money in the handkerchief] You got any more? Better give it all to me if you want to keep it.

Luther [Mottola hands over his own money he has to deliver] They think I've been holding out on them. My wife got sick, and I had to pay the bill. I wasn't holding out on 'em.

Johnny Hooker [folding the handkerchief up, he sticks it down the front of his pants] Stuff it down your pants here. Like that. Got it?

Mottola Uh-huh. Yeah.

Luther Hurry, will you?

Johnny Hooker [handing the handkerchief back] Ain't a tough guy in the world that's gonna frisk you there.

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Johnny Hooker Are you nuts, carrying a wad around like that in a neighborhood like this? No wonder you got hit.

Luther Thanks, I'm obliged to you. But I got to get going.

Johnny Hooker [he tries to stand up] You ain't goin' nowhere on this leg. Let me see.

Luther I gotta... got to run some slots down in West Bend for a mob here. I got a little behind in the payoffs. So they figure I been holding out on them. They gave me until 4:00 to come up with the cash. If they don't get it, I'm dead.

Johnny Hooker It don't look good, Gramps. It's almost 4:00 now.

Luther I'll give you and your friend 100 bucks to deliver it for me.

Johnny Hooker I don't know. That mug that hit you is mad enough at me already. What if he's waiting around a corner waiting with some friends?

Luther He won't know you're carrying it. Come on. You've got to help me out.

Johnny Hooker Hey, I'm sorry, pal. I'm gonna maybe help you get fixed up, get to a doctor, but I ain't about to walk into no knife for you.

Luther How about you? All you got to do is put it in the door slot. I'll give you the whole 100.

Johnny Hooker Hey, what makes you think you can trust him? He didn't do shit.

Mottola Hey, butt out, chicken liver. I gave him back the wallet, didn't I?

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Doyle Lonnegan [having had enough of "Shaw's" boorish behavior] Stack me a cooler, Floyd.

Floyd Oh, come on, Doyle. We'll be in the station in another hour. The other guys are the big losers. You're still okay.

Doyle Lonnegan Fix me a deck, threes and nines. I'll cut it in on Clayton's deal.

Floyd What do you want Clayton to get?

Doyle Lonnegan Nothing. I want him out of there early. I'm gonna bust that bastard bookie in one play.

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Cabbie Where to?

Mottola Which way is Mason?

Cabbie 20 blocks south.

Mottola Okay, go north. Joliet Station, fast!

Cabbie Right.

[pulling into traffic, Mottola starts laughing]

Cabbie What's so funny?

Mottola I just made the world's easiest five grand!

[taking the handkerchief out of his pants, he opens it and is stunned to find it's filled with tissue paper]

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Johnny Hooker Crystal, you want to get out of here tonight? I come into some dough.

Crystal Oh, I can't. I got a 10:00 show. I need the five bucks.

Johnny Hooker I'll spend 50 on you.

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Crystal [after promising her a night out, Hooker loses a $3,000 bet] Thanks for the evening, Hooker. Next time you want to spend 50 bucks on me, mail it.

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Eddie Niles With no fix, we're gonna need a con with a sure-fire blow-off.

J.J. Singleton I think we ought to play this guy on the payoff. It's the tightest game we've got and it's not all over the papers yet.

Kid Twist Lonnegan is a fast egg, J.J. He's not going to sit still for a standard play.

Eddie Niles So what does that leave us? We can't con the payoff to a banker.

Henry Gondorff We'll use the wire. Haven't known a poker player yet who didn't wanna bet the ponies.

Eddie Niles The wire's been out of date for ten years.

Henry Gondorff That's why he won't know it.

J.J. Singleton I'm not sure I know it.

Henry Gondorff It'll take two of us working the inside. Any objections to Hooker as second man?

[getting no objections]

Henry Gondorff All right, we'll give Lonnegan the hook on the train and play him here. J.J., you think I can get in that poker game?

J.J. Singleton All you gotta do is show up with a lot of money and look like a sucker.

Henry Gondorff I also gotta win.

[having been told Snyder was snooping around]

Henry Gondorff Oh, by the way, any of you guys been passing bad money lately?

[to Billie]

Henry Gondorff If he comes in again, stall him so I can get a look at him.

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Doyle Lonnegan [after being "shut out" from placing a bet] I'll have half a million here by post time tomorrow. We'll lay it on the first race where the odds are 4-1 or better. Make sure I get to the window this time.

Johnny Hooker How the hell am I gonna do that?

Doyle Lonnegan I don't know. Figure it out for yourself, Kelly.

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Burlesque House Comedian Hi, Hooker. Getting married or something?

Johnny Hooker Get used to it, Leonard. I'm gonna look this good from now on.

[to another stagehand]

Johnny Hooker What do you say, Ed?

[watching Crystal do her burlesque routine, Hooker tries to get her attention when she approaches the wing]

Johnny Hooker Hey. Psst! I want to tal...

[amused at his get-up, she goes back out to center stage to finish, then returns as the music ends]

Crystal Hiya, Hooker. You getting married or something?

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Johnny Hooker Guy turned out to be an oil well. Which way did he go?

Joe Erie Due north. He was gonna take it all.

Johnny Hooker Aw, the bastard. He can blow his nose all the way.

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Alva Coleman Luther said you was something to see today!

Johnny Hooker I don't know, Alva. I got to get faster tyin' up that bundle. I'm still givin' 'em too much time to think.

Alva Coleman Oh, bushwah, I used to make that switch with slower hands than you got. 'Course, the "Up and Down Broadway" was my best game. Me and Luther didn't make much on it, but it wasn't so touchy. Them marks can beat you up awful bad when they catch you making that switch.

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Henry Gondorff Sorry about Luther. He was the best street worker I ever saw.

Johnny Hooker He had you down as a big-timer. What happened?

Henry Gondorff I conned a senator from Florida on a stock deal. A real lop-ear. Thought he was gonna take over General Electric. Some chanteuse woke him, though, and he put the feds on me.

Johnny Hooker You mean you blew it.

Henry Gondorff Luther didn't tell me you had a big mouth.

Johnny Hooker He didn't tell me you was a screw-up, either. You played any big cons since then?

Henry Gondorff Oh, I lammed around a bunch of bohunk towns, one kick ahead of the G-men. Would be still if Billie hadn't set me up here. Don't kid yourself, friend. I still know how.

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Eddie Niles Lonnegan gets most of his income from the numbers, even though he's been putting more and more money into his savings-and-loan business.

Henry Gondorff You think he's moving out of the racket?

Eddie Niles No, he owns most of the stock that's traded. But my guess is he's just trying to build himself a respectable image. He came out of Five Points, but he's been telling everybody he was born in Forest Hills. He knows the market, though. I don't think we can take him on a stocks deal.

Henry Gondorff Twist, what about the numbers?

Kid Twist Tipsters say it's run out of a packinghouse on 14th by a guy named Combs. Lonnegan comes out every three weeks or so to check on it, but he stays away from the day-to-day stuff in case it's raided. These are two of Combs' favorite torpedoes, Riley and Cole. You ever seen 'em?

Johnny Hooker [taking a pair of photographs] No.

Kid Twist They're the ones who hit Luther. They also got the numbers runner you conned, a guy named Mottola. Found him in a quarry with a knife in his eye. Lonnegan's had seven or eight people rubbed on his way up. His pattern has been to get close to a racket boss, learn the operation, then move in on it. He's done it to Gorman, O'Donnell, Buchalman, took the numbers from Sharkey. All four of these guys are dead. He's vindictive as hell, Henry. Kills for pride. Doesn't add up he'd let Hooker get away from him.

Henry Gondorff You see anything, kid, you let us know. If they put you on the spot, we got to fold the con. You got that?

Johnny Hooker [still looking at the pictures of Lonnegan's hitters] Yeah. You sure it's gotta be one of these two guys?

Kid Twist No. They're just the only ones we know of.

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Johnny Hooker Sometime after 2:00, a guy's gonna call on that phone there and give you the name of a horse.

[handing over an envelope]

Johnny Hooker All you gotta do is take this two grand across the street and down the alley to Shaw's place and bet it on that pony. There's nothing to it. But don't take too much time. We've only got three or four minutes after you get the call.

Doyle Lonnegan You'll not break him with a $2,000 bet.

Johnny Hooker This is just a test. The big one comes later. But be careful with that. That's all I got.

Doyle Lonnegan And you were going to pay me back out of your own pocket?

Johnny Hooker I am. After the race.

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Johnny Hooker Here's your wallet. He hired a dame to take it from you. Shaw's been planning to beat your game for months. He's just been waiting for you to cheat him so he could clip you.

Doyle Lonnegan [pushing him up against the wall] Who do you think you're talking to, errand boy? Nobody sets me up! Take him back to the baggage room! Put one in his ear!

Floyd For Christ's sake, there were four witnesses at that table!

Doyle Lonnegan Then go back, get that other goddamn son of a bitch and we'll dump them in the first tunnel we hit.

Floyd Doyle, we're gonna be in the station in a couple of minutes!

Johnny Hooker It ain't gonna look too good, you killing a guy you owe money to. There's better ways of taking him down. What do you think Shaw would do to me if he knew I was telling you this?

Doyle Lonnegan Okay. Why the rat?

Johnny Hooker I want to take over his operation, and I need you to help me break him.

Doyle Lonnegan Where's my money?

Johnny Hooker Shaw's got it. How the hell could I ask him for it back?

Doyle Lonnegan I'm giving you a lift home.

Johnny Hooker I was supposed to go with Shaw.

Doyle Lonnegan Explain it to him somehow.

Johnny Hooker Yeah, but he's expect...

Doyle Lonnegan [insistently] I'm giving you a lift home. You follow?

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Doyle Lonnegan You're past-posting, aren't you?

Johnny Hooker [a little taken aback, but keeping his cool] Could be.

Doyle Lonnegan How?

Johnny Hooker You're gonna stay in?

Doyle Lonnegan Not until I get some answers.

Johnny Hooker I got a partner downtown. And he runs the central office of the Western Union. Now, race results from all over the country come in there and go right across his desk to the bookies. Now, all he does is hold them up for a couple of minutes 'til he can call us, get a bet down on a winner. Then he releases the results to the bookies. We clean up on a race that's already been run. Now, you can't miss. Unless the Western Union dicks get a hold of it.

Doyle Lonnegan You got the 400 grand yet?

Johnny Hooker [taking an envelope from one of Lonnegan's bodyguards] No, not yet, but... hey, there's only a grand here.

Doyle Lonnegan Make another bet tomorrow.

Johnny Hooker What the hell is this? Where's my money? I got 16 grand coming.

Doyle Lonnegan You owe me 15 grand already. Besides, if your setup's as good as you say it is, there's plenty more to come.

Johnny Hooker I decide when to place the bets!

Doyle Lonnegan Not if you want me to keep making them for you.

Johnny Hooker Well, I gotta talk to my partner first. We can't afford to expose too much.

Doyle Lonnegan I'll talk to him myself.

Johnny Hooker No!

Doyle Lonnegan You've been waiting a long time for this, Kelly. Don't ruin it for yourself. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 3:00. You follow?

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Henry Gondorff Why didn't you tell me about Snyder before?

Johnny Hooker I thought I'd lost him.

Henry Gondorff Well, you found him again, and we're gonna have to do something about it. What else haven't you been telling me?

Johnny Hooker Nothing. That's all there is.

Billie [tending to his wound] Hold still.

Henry Gondorff Why'd you move out of your room?

Johnny Hooker [having been shot at by Lonnegan's hitters] It was too noisy.

Henry Gondorff You can't play your friends like marks, Hooker. You know how easy it would be for one of Lonnegan's guys to get you?

Johnny Hooker Henry, all we need is a couple of days and we can get the son of a bitch and nail him.

Henry Gondorff You just won't learn, will you? Christ, you come in here, I teach you stuff that maybe five guys in the whole world know. Stuff that most grifters couldn't do even if they knew it, and all you want to do is run down a bullet.

Johnny Hooker I'm asking for a couple of days, that's all. I can stay clear that long!

Henry Gondorff Christ, they'll probably miss you and hit me.

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Black Gloved Gunman [killing Loretta] She was gonna kill you, kid. Her name's Loretta Salino. Lonnegan's people set her up in the diner. Come on. Let's get out of here. Come on! Come on!

Johnny Hooker [in the gunman's car] But she could have killed me last night.

Black Gloved Gunman Too many people could have seen you go into her room. She was a real professional. Used to work in the Dutch Schultz mob.

Johnny Hooker Who are you?

Black Gloved Gunman Gondorff asked me to look after you.

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Johnny Hooker Hey, I wouldn't ask you to do this, you know, if it weren't for Luther.

Henry Gondorff Nothing's gonna make up for Luther. Revenge is for suckers. I've been grifting 30 years. I never got any.

Johnny Hooker Then why are you doing it?

Henry Gondorff It seems worthwhile, doesn't it?

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Henry Gondorff You're on, kid. But I can tell you, it's a hard act to follow.

Johnny Hooker How'd it go?

Henry Gondorff We got working money. Hey?

Johnny Hooker Yeah?

Henry Gondorff He's steamin'.

Johnny Hooker Yeah.

Henry Gondorff Watch yourself.

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Johnny Hooker [finding Gondorff passed-out drunk] The great Henry Gondorff.

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Loretta [Hooker leaves half his lunch uneaten] You done?

Johnny Hooker Yeah. Guess I should have had the meat loaf.

Loretta It isn't any better.

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Greer They found Mottola. He was drunk in a dive in Joliet. He never got on the train.

Combs I don't want to hear about his day, Greer. What happened to the money?

Greer He lost it to a couple of con artists on his way out of the spot.

Combs How much?

Greer 11,000.

Combs Okay, I better get on the phone to New York, see what the big mick wants to do about it. I have a pretty good idea, though.

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Luther I got an old friend in Chicago named Henry Gondorff. I want you to look him up. There ain't a better inside man alive. He'll teach you all you got to know.

Johnny Hooker To hell with that. I want to work with you, Luther.

Luther I'm out, Johnny.

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Floyd We had a little trouble in Chicago today. One of our runners got hit for 11 grand.

Doyle Lonnegan What makes you think he just didn't pocket it?

Floyd Well, we checked his story with a tipster. He was cleaned by two grifters.

Doyle Lonnegan They workin' for anybody?

Floyd I don't know. Could be. We're running that down now.

Doyle Lonnegan Have some local people take care of them. Nothing fancy. We got to discourage this kind of thing. You follow?

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Johnny Hooker Oh, hi there, Snyder. What's the matter? Things a little slow down at the bunco department tonight, huh? Somebody lose the dominoes?

Lieutenant William Snyder You scored blood money today, Hooker, and you need a friend.

Johnny Hooker Go find yourself a shoplifter to roll.

[Snyder sucker-punches him in the mouth]

Johnny Hooker You got the wrong guy, pal. I've been home with the flu all day. You can stake out my toilet if you want.

Lieutenant William Snyder [throwing him up against a wall] Keep talking! I'll tell you what you did, smart boy. You tied into a loaded mark on 47th across from Maxie's. And you and Coleman played the switch for him and blew him off to a cab on 49th. If he hadn't been a numbers runner for Doyle Lonnegan, it would've been perfect.

Johnny Hooker You're crazy. I ain't stupid enough to play for no rackets money.

Lieutenant William Snyder Not intentionally, maybe. That don't cut no ice with Lonnegan. He'll swat you like a fly.

Johnny Hooker Yeah, well... well, I'll square it with the fixer.

Lieutenant William Snyder Nobody can buy you a prayer if I put the finger on you. Now, I figure your end of the score was at least 3 G's. I want 2, no matter what it was.

Johnny Hooker My take was only 1.

Lieutenant William Snyder Then you're gonna have to come up with another grand somewhere.

Johnny Hooker All right.

[he takes out a wad of money, but before he can count it out, Snyder takes all of it]

Lieutenant William Snyder You're a smart egg, Hooker. No sense getting dead over two grand.

[leaving]

Lieutenant William Snyder Relax, Erie. I'll bill you.

Joe Erie I thought you blew all your money.

Johnny Hooker I did. The stuff I gave him is counterfeit. They'll spot it the first place he tries to spend it.

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Johnny Hooker How many guys you conned in your life, Henry?

Henry Gondorff I don't know. Two, three hundred. Sometimes we played two a day when I was with O'Shea's mob. Of course, Chicago was a rigged town. The fix was in. The dicks took their end without a beef. We had it down to a business. And it really stunk, kid. No sense in being a grifter if it's the same as being a citizen.

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Johnny Hooker What the hell's eating you? I've blown money before.

Luther No class grifter would've done it, that's all.

Johnny Hooker You think my play is bad?

Luther I think you're the best. I wouldn't be getting out otherwise.

Johnny Hooker What the hell are you talking about?

Luther I'm getting too old for this racket. You hang on too long and you start embarrassing yourself.

Johnny Hooker We just took off today on the biggest score we've ever had.

Luther It's nothing compared to what you could be makin' on the big con.

Johnny Hooker But you played the big con. You told me yourself it was some dumb game for mama's boys and flakes.

Luther [with a chuckle] Hell, I never played no big con. I hung around and picked up a few things. Ain't no rich boys gonna trust a hungry nigger enough to be conned. But I tell you, I've been looking for this one all my life, Johnny. Now I have a chance to step out when I'm ahead.

Johnny Hooker Come on! What would you do with yourself?

Luther Oh, I have a brother down in K.C., runs a freigh outlet. I can go halfsies with him. It ain't too exciting, but it's mostly legal.

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Floyd We just talked to Chicago. They got one of the grifters last night, a nigger.

Doyle Lonnegan How about the other one?

Floyd They're still looking for him.

Doyle Lonnegan Who did Combs put on it?

Floyd He gave it to Riley and Cole. They staked out the other guy's place last night, but he never showed. They figure maybe he skipped town.

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Henry Gondorff [beating Lonnegan in poker] You owe me 15 grand, pal.

Doyle Lonnegan [reaching into his coat, he realizes he doesn't have his wallet] Must've left my wallet in my room.

Henry Gondorff Don't hand me any of that crap! When you come to a game like this, you bring your money! How do I know you won't take a powder?

Mr. Lombard [restraining Doyle before he can do anything] No, no, no.

Henry Gondorff All right, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll send a boy around to your room in five minutes. You better have the money or it's gonna be all around Chicago that you welched. You won't be able to get a game of jacks!

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Doyle Lonnegan What makes you think you can beat him?

Johnny Hooker I've been planning this for two years. I know his organization backwards and forwards. And I need somebody who's respectable but not completely legit.

Doyle Lonnegan I'm a banker, Kelly. That's legit in this state.

Johnny Hooker All you gotta do is put down a bet for me at Shaw's place. I'll do the rest. I'll supply the money. I'll supply the information.

Doyle Lonnegan What about the money you come to collect? Isn't he gonna miss it?

Johnny Hooker I'll tell him you paid it. I keep his books. He trusts me. If you help me out, I'll pay you back the money he stole out of my own pocket.

Doyle Lonnegan It's worth that much to you?

Johnny Hooker Yeah. Oh, yeah. Maybe a couple of million.

Doyle Lonnegan Where do you come from, Kelly?

Johnny Hooker From the East Side of New York. A place called Five Points. But I got out of there.

Doyle Lonnegan Out and up, huh? Hey, Floyd, I'm gonna have to keep you away from this guy. You're liable to get ideas.

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Doyle Lonnegan [being ushered out of "Shaw's" betting parlor] But my money's in there!

Lieutenant William Snyder There's a couple of dead guys in there, too. You can't get mixed up in that.

Doyle Lonnegan You don't understand. There's a half a million dollars in there!

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Johnny Hooker Well, what'd I tell you?

Doyle Lonnegan You got lucky once. That's not enough.

Johnny Hooker Oh, lucky, hell. I can do it every time.

Doyle Lonnegan Why don't you, then?

Johnny Hooker 'Cause it's better to do it all at once. We're gonna put down 400 grand next week. At 5-1 odds, that's $2 million. 20% of that is yours if you stick with it.

Doyle Lonnegan Got a system, Kelly?

Johnny Hooker No. You can still lose with a system.

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Henry Gondorff I hear there's a friendly poker game on this train. You know anything about it?

Train Conductor Oh, a little.

Henry Gondorff Can you get me in that game?

Train Conductor Oh, I don't know. There's usually a waiting list.

[Gondorff gives him a couple of hundred-dollar bills]

Train Conductor That'll get you first alternate, sir.

[Gondorff gives him another]

Train Conductor I'll see what I can do.

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FBI Agent Polk We've got a tip that Gondorff is gonna run a con on the South Side here. All you've got to do is tell us when he's gonna play his chump. We come in at the sting, make the pinch, and you walk out free as a bird.

Johnny Hooker No.

FBI Agent Polk You want to spend the next 20 years in a federal penitentiary, starting tonight?

Johnny Hooker I'll make parole.

FBI Agent Polk Like hell. You won't even get a review.

Johnny Hooker I'll chance it.

FBI Agent Polk Okay. If that's the way you want it. We might even provide you with a little company on your way up the river. That wife of Luther Coleman's, Snyder, what was her name?

Lieutenant William Snyder Alva.

FBI Agent Polk Alva. That's it. Alva Coleman. Pretty fair grifter in her time. Snyder's given us quite a folder on her. Nothing major by itself, but, uh, put 'em all together, it could add up to a lot of years.

Johnny Hooker You stink, mister.

FBI Agent Polk Don't be a sap. It's not her I want. If you're too dumb to save yourself, there's no sense dragging her down with you. It's over, Hooker. You can save me a lot of trouble. But I'm gonna get Henry Gondorff whether you help me out or not.

Johnny Hooker Will you wait 'til the chump is played?

FBI Agent Polk Hell, yes. We don't care about the mark. He deserves what he gets.

Johnny Hooker I mean completely played. You come in before we beat him, and I'll kill him.

FBI Agent Polk All right, Hooker. But you try to take it on the lam, and we'll shoot you down on sight.

Johnny Hooker As long as I get to finish the play.

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FBI Agent Polk We want to talk to you about Henry Gondorff.

Johnny Hooker Yeah? I don't think I know him.

FBI Agent Polk Well, give yourself a couple of seconds. You wouldn't want to lie to me. Lieutenant Snyder here says you've done a lot of confidence work in his town.

Johnny Hooker Oh, yeah? Lieutenant Snyder doesn't know shit. You ain't got nothing on me.

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Kid Twist [pretending to be painters in order to access a Western Union office] We'll hurry so we don't keep you out of your office for too long.

Western Union Executive Well, why can't I work with you in here?

J.J. Singleton Look, pal, we got to cover the floor, the furniture, everything, so we don't spill on nothin'. Now, if you want to sit in here with a tarp over your head, you're welcome to it.

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FBI Agent Polk We've been told you know a hustle artist named Johnny Hooker. You know him or don't you?

Lieutenant William Snyder Yeah, but I don't know where he is.

FBI Agent Polk Well, we do. He's chumming around with a big C named Henry Gondorff. Ring any bells?

Lieutenant William Snyder Sure, every Bunco man in the country knows Gondorff.

FBI Agent Polk Well, there's word he's gonna run a con on the South Side here. We've got a year-old Florida warrant on him, but it's a thin beef. He can beat it in court unless we catch him cold. All we want you to do is pick up Hooker for us.

Lieutenant William Snyder Why don't you pick him up yourself?

FBI Agent Polk Because if word gets out that the feds are in on it, Gondorff will fold up the whole thing.

Lieutenant William Snyder Wouldn't that be too bad? Then you'd have to move out of this nice office you got here.

FBI Agent Polk Don't crack wise with me, flatfoot. I spent too much time in dumps like this eating Gondorff's dust while you guys in the Bunco squad get rich tipping him off! That's not gonna happen this time. We're not gonna tell the police we're here. You keep your mouth shut and do a job, there'll be some reward bucks in it for you. And you better take it, 'cause I make you work for us without it.

Lieutenant William Snyder What the hell good is Hooker to you?

FBI Agent Polk He's gonna set up Gondorff for us.

Lieutenant William Snyder He'll never do it.

FBI Agent Polk I think he will.

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FBI Agent Polk Okay, Henry, all clear.

Henry Gondorff It's a nice con, Hickey. I thought you were the feds myself when you came in.

FBI Agent Polk No trouble, Henry. Snyder went for it all the way. You should have seen the rag he lit under Lonnegan!

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Henry Gondorff [Lonnegan wants another demonstration of "Shaw's" system] You can forget the boodle, Eddie. He could hit us for 15 grand at 4-1. We can't handle that. We'll give him the shut-out.

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Doyle Lonnegan I want to see it one more time.

Kid Twist I can't do it. We got telegraph inspectors all over the place.

Johnny Hooker One more time isn't gonna make that much difference.

Kid Twist We've got 400 grand coming in from the coast next week. You wanna risk that on a lousy 15 G's?

Doyle Lonnegan If it works again tomorrow, I'll finance the whole thing. Half a million dollars. 60/40, we split.

Kid Twist What are you talk... I told you, we already got a guy. He's gonna give us half. What am I supposed to say to him?

Doyle Lonnegan You'll say to him what you want. What I know about your operation, if I were you, I'd be worried about making me happy.

Johnny Hooker He's right, Les. Your guy says a week. How do we know it won't be a month? Lonnegan here's a banker. Now, he can get the money without any questions asked.

Kid Twist But we can't keep going into Shaw's place and cleaning up on long shots. He's bound to get wise.

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Johnny Hooker I, uh, was wondering if you might want to come out for a while, maybe have a drink or something.

Loretta You move right along, don't you?

Johnny Hooker Hey, I don't mean nothing by it. I just don't know many regular girls, is all.

Loretta And you expect me to come out just like that?

Johnny Hooker If I expected something, I wouldn't still be standing here in the hall.

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Johnny Hooker You got a back door to this place?

Loretta What's wrong with the front?

Johnny Hooker Look, I don't have time to mess around. There's a guy out there I don't need to see. Don't look around.

Loretta What does he want?

Johnny Hooker He'd like to kill me. Now, look, do me a favor. Go into the bathroom. Open the window and wait there.

Loretta Why should I...

Johnny Hooker Just do what I tell you, and everything will be jake.

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Combs Granger, this is Combs. Why haven't we heard from you? Everybody else is in.

Granger Oh, we had a few problems with the law this morning. The mayor promised to get tough on the rackets again, so he shut everybody down for a couple of hours to make it look good. It's nothing serious. It just put us a little behind.

Combs You've been making your payoffs, haven't you?

Granger Oh, hell, yes! He does this every year. There's nothing to worry about.

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Mr. Jameson from Chicago [losing a hand of poker] Well, that finishes me.

Henry Gondorff Don't worry about it, pal. They wouldn't have let you in here if you weren't a chump! Lombard will be joining you in a couple of minutes.

Mr. Jameson from Chicago Now, look here, Shaw...

Mr. Lombard I've had quite enough of this game and quite enough of this company. Check me out, Clemens.

Henry Gondorff I guess that just leaves the three of us.

Doyle Lonnegan Yes, Mr. Shaw. Just leaves us three. Mr. Clayton, I think we should take a break for five minutes. Tempers seem to be running a little high.

Henry Gondorff Oh, come on, Linneman, I was just starting to do good.

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Doyle Lonnegan All right, Riley, what the hell happened?

Riley We missed him.

Doyle Lonnegan Whoever he is, he made a fool out of you.

Riley There's wasn't no way he could've known we was in that room. Somebody must've wised him up.

Doyle Lonnegan What does Cole say about that?

Riley I don't know. He took it hard.

Doyle Lonnegan Get out of here, Riley. Put Salino onto it.

Combs Salino? Why waste our best people on a small-time job? This is a nickel-and-dime grifter we're after, Doyle. They'll get him next time.

Doyle Lonnegan They had their chance. All they did was shoot up a neighborhood, make a lot of noise, wake up a few cops.

Combs Yeah, but that was...

Doyle Lonnegan Vince, I just told you put Salino onto it. It may take a little more time, but there won't be any holes.

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Johnny Hooker Twist, I told him the tale, but he didn't go for it. He wants to see my partner tomorrow at 3:00.

Kid Twist 3:00?

Johnny Hooker Yeah.

Kid Twist No, we'll never get a telegraph store set up by then. Any chance of talking him out of it?

Johnny Hooker None. I would have stalled him, but I didn't have many friends in the room.

Kid Twist Yeah, all right, we'll have to play him on the fly. I'll get Eddie looking for a place.

Johnny Hooker Let me know when you got something.

Kid Twist Sure thing, tootsie.

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Benny Garfield Hey, Eddie, we brought you a tap into Moe Annenberg's wire. You'll get race results, odds, scratches, pole positions, everything. And just as fast as Western Union gets them.

Eddie Niles Does J.J. know how to use that thing?

Benny Garfield All he's got to do is read.

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FBI Agent Polk Snyder, we just got a tip that Gondorff's mark is some big New York wheel. As soon as we're inside, you get him out of there fast before the reporters show up. I don't want any big shots around to mess this up for me.

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Billie Look at that. He's got his apes with him.

Henry Gondorff Yeah, we're gonna have to do something about that.

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Curly Jackson I can shill, mark board, anything you want. I don't run with riffraff and I only drink on the weekend. Me specialty's an Englishman.

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Duke Boudreau Thanks, Lace. Now, let's see what we got here. Let's see. Horse Face Lee, Slim Miller, Suitcase Murphy and the Big Alabama are in from New Orleans. Crying Jonesy and the Boone Kid from Denver. Dippy Burke and Limehouse Chappie from New York.

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Henry Gondorff Great little Countess, that Billie. She runs a spiffy house up there, too.

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Joe Erie Goddamn nigger-lover! I'm gonna get you someday for this. Sucker egg!

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Johnny Hooker We were partners. If it weren't for Luther, I'd still be hustling pinball down at Gianelli's. I don't need any more than what I got.

Joe Erie Well, you ain't gonna have anything if you don't lay off the games of chance. There's a Depression on, you know.

Johnny Hooker Yeah, there's always a Depression on.

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Luther I'm out, Johnny.

Johnny Hooker Yeah, sure. If that's the way you want it.

Luther That's the way I want it.

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Johnny Hooker Since when do you go to church at night?

Alva Coleman Since they started late Bingo. I'm gonna ask the Lord for some of that cash.

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Joe Erie If you saved a little bit, maybe you wouldn't have to grift so much.

Johnny Hooker I like griftin'.

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Joe Erie What the hell are you gonna do if Snyder puts the finger on you, huh? You're committing suicide, kid.

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Henry Gondorff Luther said you learn fast. I hope he's right.

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Lieutenant William Snyder I'm looking for a guy on the lam from a counterfeiting rap. I thought he might've come in here.

Billie Don't think so. I know everyone in the place. And I always bounce the lamsters.

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Duke Boudreau Twist, you know this guy?

Kid Twist No, I never saw him before. He's a dick, though.

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Henry Gondorff Take it easy, kid. We're not gonna lose him now. We had him 10 years ago when he decided to be somebody. Believe me, I've seen enough to know.

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J.J. Singleton Okay, Billie, here we go. At the wire, it's Wrecking Crew, the winner by five. Black Mischief, second. Whichaway, third. Wrecking Crew was 3-1. That's our boy.

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The Sting Movie Quotes